Getting In Touch With Literacy 2011

• Home
• Call for Papers
• History/Beliefs
• Draft Agenda
• Hotel/Travel
• Program Advertising
• Donations
• Exhibitors
• Registration
• Concurrent Sessions
• Keynote Speakers

Call for Papers

Do you have a proposal for the 2011 Getting In Touch With Literacy conference? We are looking for workshops from professionals just like you, filled with practical solutions, cutting edge information and research, and the tricks, tips and techniques you use every day! Presentations are 60–90 minutes in length. Participants should walk away with handouts, techniques, methodologies, and new ideas they can use with their students immediately upon returning home.

Key Beliefs of the Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference

Literacy is liberating. It opens doors, enlarges the world and makes life richer and more meaningful. Reading impacts us in a way that no other art form — or life skill — can duplicate. It touches all areas of our lives. To help you organize your proposal, we offer two of the guiding principles on which the conference was founded.

We believe:

• It is important to focus on all areas of literacy including braille, print, combination of braille and print, use of assistive technology and other literacy tools, research, and practice. The conference is not a "braille literacy conference" though some have tried to define it as such — it is a conference that includes underlying respect for all forms of literacy. It is the belief of conference organizers that individuals with visual impairments have a right to respect for the use of all literacy tools.
• A range of age levels and all ability levels should be addressed. Presentations are encouraged that deal with topics related to infants and toddlers, school aged students, and adults. Both conventional and functional literacy issues are included.

For additional key beliefs, see our History & Beliefs.

Workshop Strands

There will be 5 workshop strands targeting specific interest areas. Your workshop must incorporate literacy and fall into one of these strands. Proposals may highlight research in any of these strands and/or include subtopics such as literacy through art or other related curriculum areas, and may be applicable to a full range of learners include adults, students, young children, learners with other significant disabilities, advanced learners, and English language learners.

Strands will include:

1. Emergent Literacy
2. Educational Instruction and Assessment
3. Functional Literacy
4. Vocational/Adult Literacy
5. Assistive Technology and Tactile Graphics

Poster Sessions

If you prefer, you also can present information in a poster session. They are a perfect venue for presenting new research, explaining new theories and practices, showcasing on-going projects, presenting a program, etc. Proposals for poster sessions can be submitted using this form. Also, if the committee determines that a workshop proposal would be better fist as a poster session, the presenter will be informed of this option.

Presenters of poster sessions are asked to be at their poster during the scheduled time to answer questions and provide additional information for attendees. The poster sessions will not be scheduled at the same time as other concurrent sessions.

Handouts and Materials

If your proposal is accepted for a workshop or poster session, any handouts or accompanying materials (including power point text) must be provided electronically to the conference co-chair (details for submittal to be provided after acceptance). Materials also will be available to participants electronically. Presenters are required to provide their own print, large print and braille handouts if they so desire. Any handouts must be available in all three formats.

Ready To Help!

If you have questions or need additional information about a specific workshop strand, the requirements for the workshops, want to brainstorm ideas, etc., please contact the workshop chairs directly. They are ready to help you.

Janie Blome
Cay Holbrook
Frances Mary D’Andrea
Cheryl Kamei Hannan

All proposals need to be submitted online. If you are unable to submit electronically, please contact Janie at 502-899-2367. Proposals must be submitted by May 20, 2011.

Application

2011 Online Application Form!