We kicked off 2015 on January 10th with the Picture Book and Visual Literacy Institute, co-presented by the Center for Teaching through Children’s Books and ESL STEM Success Grant! This exciting event featured keynotes from renowned literacy experts on stimulating topics and hosted open discussions and participatory roundtable debates focused on Caldecott and ELL. The event included lunch, as well as book browsing/purchasing!
Keynote 1: Junko Yokota, Director, Center for Teaching through Children’s Books
Topic: Reading the Visuals in Picture Books: Cultural Considerations: How is cultural representation in illustration analyzed, and how much does it matter in the evaluation of the book as a whole? What is the potential impact on children of the choices adults make regarding cultural representation in picture books?
Keynote 2: Eric Rohmann, Children's Book Author and Illustrator, Caldecott Award Winner
Topic: Pictures into Stories: I always begin with an image. From there a picture book story finds its way. In picture books there are two languages "spoken": words and images. I’ll talk and demonstrate through stories and images how they share, interweave and elevate oneanother.
Caldecott-Focus Strand
* In Admiration of Children's Literature…Selecting Picture Books and Investigating Illustrations for Visual Literacy Development: Picture books and their illustrations provide us with visual messages that often go beyond the text. Viewing a myriad of picture books. we will explore, visual thinking strategies, methods for close reading of illustrations and comprehend the differentiated messages picture books share with our students. - Laura Beltchenko, Literacy and Common Core consultant.
* Mock Caldecott Roundtable Discussions facilitated by the Friends of the Center (librarians, teachers, reading specialists).
ELL-Focus Strand
* The Languages and Complexities of Wordless Picture Books: Developing Comprehension Strategies for English Learners (Grades PreK-12), Silent picture books offer open access to students of all linguistic backgrounds and second language proficiency levels through complex textual features, themes, and plots. Come step into the wonderful world of international, borderless texts that require the use of sophisticated comprehension strategies, while also providing safe spaces for creativity, playfulness, and critical thinking. - Dr. Ruth Quiroa, Associate Professor in Reading & Language at National Louis University.
* Draw a Scientist: What Does a Scientist Look Like?, an action research project by members of the CPS STEM Success Grant ESL Endorsement Cohort, presented by CPS teacher Misty Richmond.