Hi! I teach in Short Hills, New Jersey. We are a satellite school for Teacher's College in Columbia. That means that many of our demonstration lessons are done by people who work in the reading and writing project or who are researchers who align themselves with Columbia's pedagogy. For example, we have had Carl Anderson work with our teachers as well as Shelley Harwayne and Kathy Collins and Joe Yukish. These people are extraordinary and you can imagine what a boon it is for our district! Columbia provides several options for a satellite .... speak once, work all year, or work in three month spurts. Your district must apply and Columbia has many requirements to be eligible.. However, I have attended several Saturday conferences done annually (once in the fall ...November 3rd this year..... and once in the spring.) These are mobbed because they are free to any educator in the U.S. People come from all over the country to spend an all day session at Columbia but it can be a hassle because if you haven't gone before it can be hard to get the lay of the land. That much said I still enjoy them. This year I attended a week long institute for reading at Columbia. Lucy was the keynote speaker this time and Donald Baer explained his word their way ideas on another day. It was much more sane... and really informative. Here are my personal observations and I hope I am giving you a fair perspective. Lucy Calkins is a dynamic speaker and unbelievably talented author who can appeal to ANYONE's mind. She is funny, smart, experienced, and she uses all of her life experiences and puts them simply into teaching form. The best of the best. If you get a chance to hear her, she could very well change your teaching life. She is also a corporate mogul and has the market cornered on educational materials. She is no nonsense and everything comes with a cost…there are no duplicating signs running amuck in the halls.. on handouts. Her work can be more scripted and is executed in frameworks. . . a framework is adhered for minilessons, conferences, guided groups, strategic groups, literacy centers, workshops etc. Personally... frameworks give me directions. I hang what I want to on them.... so this works well for me. To give you an idea of her style... pick up any book from the primary writing units and read her mini lessons.... I think they are seamless. These lessons are the most didatic that it ever gets. Reading workshop lessons give more leeway for your personal style but I suspect units will arrive in book form soon. they are still researching and have written yearly drafts which are available at a cost. My tution was 500.00 for five days 9-3:30. A reference book written by one of today's educational leaders was given out depending on the participant's grade level. You also received a draft of reading workshop units depending on your grade. The rest you paid for out of pocket if you so desired. Expensive but worth it in my opinion. I learned many nitty gritty demarcations about different flexible groupings and I have been teaching school for more than 20 years ..... and already working in a Columbia satellite school mind you. I would certainly look on their website... look up Columbia's reading and writing project and see for yourself. Good luck. Pam If you get a chance please send me information about the Denver conferences....I am a huge fan of Debbie Miller.
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