A-MAISA-ing!
What do you get when you
combine dynamic K-12 writing units of study with over 500 dedicated Michigan teachers
from throughout the state? An amazingly powerful literacy professional development
experience with nationwide repercussions.
It has been nearly a month
since the Michigan
Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) English Language Arts
Conference in Lansing kicked off the summer PD season June 24-27. This
event was truly historical due to the confluence of people and events that led
to its creation. Led by a team of literacy consultants from multiple ISD's across the state of Michigan, writing
units of study have been refined and written at all levels, K-12, to align
with the Common Core State Standards. While the units themselves enshrine
practices and protocols that are familiar to veteran teachers, and informed by
decades of effective practice informed by Lucy Calkins and other practitioners
of a workshop-approach to the teaching of writing, the units are all extremely accessible
to all teachers regardless of their level of experience. Last year these units were
endorsed statewide by MAISA, which precipitated the establishment of the
conference. They are public and available to all online.
The four-day experience
featured dynamic keynotes each day. These were followed by breakout sessions by
grade level which were led by teacher-leaders from throughout the state. I had
the pleasure of co-facilitating a 6th
grade section with Jianna Taylor, an outstanding teacher from West
Bloomfield Public Schools. We led our 23 teachers and literacy coaches through
an exploration of four of the units – narrative writing/launching, argument,
literary essay, and information writing on each of the four days.
What makes this conference experience
so exciting is that it was all locally led and executed. The leadership came
from ISD’s throughout the state. The keynotes and facilitators were all
Michigan teachers. We know that the best kind of PD is that which is meaningful
and sustainable, and is peer-led. As a result, these are people who will see
each other throughout the months and years to come. We will serve as ongoing
resources to and for each other. This approach is also very cost-effective and
sustainable in an era of limited funding. With this conference we were able to
harness our own expertise to drive our own PD. This is a powerful way to lead
and grow as professionals.
Plans are already afoot for
the 2014 conference, which will focus on reading. As we continue to build PD
capital in Michigan, we serve as a powerful complement to the kind of
professional development offered by institutions like the Teachers College
Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. We may even attract teachers
from throughout the country to come to Michigan to learn and grow right here in
the Midwest.
