A national conference focusing on the literacy needs of individuals with visual impairments.
  
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Keynote Speakers
GITWL 2011 Adrienne Gear has been a teacher in the Vancouver School district for over 18 years working as a classroom teacher, ESL teacher, teacher librarian and District Literacy Mentor. She is currently teaching two days a week at Sexsmith Elementary. Adrienne developed Reading Power almost 10 years ago and has been since working with teachers in many districts throughout the province presenting workshops, giving demonstration lessons and facilitating Reading Power leadership teams. She has also presented workshops in the United States in Atlanta, Kansas and Pennsylvania. She is the author of two books, Reading Power - Teaching Students How to Think While They Read (Pembroke, 2006) and Nonfiction Reading Power -Teaching Students How to Think While They Read All Kinds of Information (Pembroke, 2008) and is currently working on her third book entitled Writing Power. Based on the research of David Pearson and influenced by Stephanie Harvey, Reading Power provides students with the tools to become more thoughtful and meaningful readers as well as how to become "meta-cognitive" or aware of their thinking while they read. Developing a "common language of thinking" across grades is a key aspect to this approach, while teachers learn the importance of using this language in all aspects of their teaching. Central to the program is authentic children's literature specifically chosen to help teach and practice each of the five Reading Powers: connect, question, visualize, infer and transform. These books are used for modeling, guiding and supporting students, enabling them to successfully focus on the strategy and acquire a deeper understanding of their thinking. Teachers across the province have found this practical approach to comprehension instruction easy to implement and the "layer" they can add to their current programs to enhance their students understanding of text. |
