July 2017
Membership #:           
Expiration Date:  
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In This Issue
2017 IRC Conference
IRC Election Ballot
IRC Book Club 2.0
Literacy Links
Website Links
Dates to Remember

2017 IRC Conference
October 5-7, 2017
Peoria, Illinois

Future Dates of the Annual IRC Conference
October 4-6, 2018
October 3-5, 2019
October 1-3, 2020
Peoria, Illinois










Welcome to iCommunicate, IRC's monthly e-newsletter!  Here you will learn, share, and enjoy information on timely topics and cutting edge projects. We'd love to hear your thoughts.  Please contact us with your comments, suggestions, and ideas at [email protected] .
2017 IRC Conference
By the Illinois Reading Council

The  August 15th Early Registration Deadline is quickly approaching for the 2017 IRC Conference that is planned for October 5-7, 2017 in Peoria. The Illinois Reading Council invites you to register today and learn from a number of diverse featured speakers who will help teachers, specialists, and administrators from every grade level and content area.  Speakers include:
  • Annie Barrows
  • Kelly Bergman
  • Lynda Blackmon Lowery
  • Wiley Blevins
  • Nick Bruel
  • Kevin Cordi
  • Ruth Culham
  • M. Colleen Cruz
  • Harvey "Smokey" Daniels
  • Matt de la Peña
  • Kay Dugan
  • Patricia Edwards
  • Cindy Gerwin
  • Clark Goltz
  • Dan Gutman
  • Jill Jackson  
  • Marjorie Martinelli
  • Megan McDonald
  • Alice McGinty
  • Becky McTague
  • Kristine Mraz
  • Katie Muhtaris
  • Kenn Nesbitt
  • Roxanne Owens
  • Margaret Policastro
  • Aaron Reynolds
  • Sheila Ruh
  • Sherry Sejnost
  • Frank Serafini
  • Jennifer Serravallo
  • Colleen Sexton
  • Alan Sitomer
  • The 2 Sisters:  Gail Boushey and Allison Behne
  • Patti Tylka
  • Becky Anderson Wilkins
  • Kristin Ziemke
  • Sharon Zinke
Take a moment to peruse the online Preliminary Program at  www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org. 
Illinois Reading Council Election
By the Illinois Reading Council
The Illinois Reading Council Election Ballot  will open on Tuesday, August  1, 2017.  IRC Members will receive an email with  a direct link to the online ballot provided by Balloteer, Inc.  The email will contain a Voter ID Number and Password. This will be your opportunity to vote for the Vice President of IRC, to become President-Elect in 2019-2020, and President in 2020-2021, and the Secretary of IRC, who will serve until July 2020.  The election will run from August 1, 2017 until September 1, 2017. The voting site will close at 12:00 p.m. CST on September 1, 2017!!
IRC Book Club 2.0 starts October 22, 2017
By the Illinois Reading Council
Did you miss the recent opportunity to join educators from all over the state in an online book club?  Great news!  It isn't too late to choose from one or two books for the Fall 2017 IRC Book Club.
   
Read, reflect on, and respond to The Reading Strategies Book and/or The Writing Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo. These seven-week online discussions, beginning October 22, will be your guide to developing skilled readers and writers as you delve deeply into your choice of 5 goals from the texts.  Participants who complete all assignments will be eligible to receive 15 PD clock hours for each book club.  Each week participants will post ideas about how they can use one of the strategies, then read and respond to three other participants' posts.  Final posts will be completed on December 10.
 
Required for participation:
Gmail address (free at https://mail.google.com/ ). The Book Club uses Google Sites which does not work with Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, etc.
Texts: The Reading Strategies Book and/or The Writing Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo. Both texts are available through Heinemann (http://www.heinemann.com).
 
Register by October 15, 2017 to participate in the book club.  Registration is FREE for IRC Members.  The cost for non-members is $45, which includes IRC membership for one year.  Book club participants also have the opportunity to attend sessions with Jennifer Serravallo at the 2017 IRC Conference.   PLEASE NOTE:  Conference registration and cost of book are not included.
Literacy Links
By the IRC Educational Media Committee

Take a moment to review some of the Literacy Links provided by the IRC Educational Media Committee to help Illinois educators in today's classrooms. These links and past links will be available on the IRC Website under "Literacy Links" on the homepage.
 
Comprehensive Resources
 
Tes Teach is a great way to create web-based interactive multimedia lessons, projects and presentations with this tool that is similar to Pinterest. Explore already created lessons and assessments to make learning more interactive for students.

Interactive Resources
 
 
Scrumblr is a web-based interactive whiteboard tool that allows for real-time collaboration. Sharing the link with students allows everyone to have access simultaneously to edit digital index cards for quick formative assessments, KWL charts, and many other instructional strategies.
 
Web 2.0 Resources
 
 
PicLits is a creative writing site that matches beautiful images with carefully selected keywords in order to inspire students. The object is to put the right words in the right place and the right order to capture the essence, story, and meaning of the picture.