OKI [Ohio Kentucky Indiana] Childeren's Literature Conference

2013 Conference Workshops

Information about the 2013 Conference Workshops will be posted soon. Please check back at a later date.

2012 Conference Workshops and Presenters

Handouts and other information from the workshops, if available, are posted under the title of each workshop

Building Literacy Neighborhoods: Bridges between Public Schools and Public Libraries to Promote Literacy and Academic Success

Public schools and public libraries have a common goal of enhancing literacy and academic skills; however, many times these institutions work in isolation to meet this goal. Why is it that more libraries do not partner with one another, or with public schools? The Boone County Public Library system has recognized the problem and instituted partnerships with public schools and community organizations to support literacy and academic enhancement. In this presentation, hear practical ways to foster partnerships with academic and other local institutions and come with suggestions and ideas for further collaborative efforts.

Amanda Hopper has a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from the Unviersity of Kentucky. She is currently the Youth Services Coordinator for Boone County Public Library and manages the Youth Services Department for six locations. A primary focus during her term as Coordinator, has been to facilitate communication between local organizations and develop partnerships in an attempt to further shared missions and goals.

Stacie Kegley obtained her teaching degree from Northern Kentucky University and her Library Media Specialist degree from Eastern Kentucky University. She has been a first grade teacher through Boone County, but is currently in the role of Library Media Specialist for Longbranch Elementary in Boone County. Stacie was a Kentucky Teacher of the Year nominee in 2012 and was awarded the Golden Apple Award in that same year.

Deepen Learning Through Digital Storytelling

Through digital storytelling, the ancient art of storytelling merges with powerful technology to propel critical and creative thinking in students. There are many educational uses of digital storytelling. As students develop digital stories, they participate in a process that includes brainstorming, researching, organizing, developing, and publishing. Digital story-telling allows students to construct and share knowledge. It is both a means of empowering voice in individuals and a pathway to building communities of shared ideas and learning. Digital storytelling is also a natural extension of project-based learning. Through story-telling, students are able to synthesize what they've learned and reflect on the learning process.

Ellen Maddin the lead instructor of educational technology in the College of Education and Human Services at Northern Kentucky University. As a former language arts teacher, technology facilitator, and director of instruction, Dr. Maddin has worked extensively with K-12 students and teachers. She has presented at state and international conferences on the topic of digital storytelling. Her current research focuses on infusing technology into reading and writing instruction in the middle grades.

E-kits: Electronic Book Discussion Kits for Schools and Libraries

Book discussion kits are not a new concept; however, digital book kits that you can access through your public library catalog and use in your classroom are. Recognizing the shift in the reading public toward using more digital materials, Boone and Campbell County Public Libraries have introduced digital book kits into their collections.These e-kits contain an ebook in two different formats suitable for a wide range of devices, discussion information, an audiobook version when available, and supplemental material pertaining to the book. Examples of current titles include The Secret Garden, Dracula, The Red Badge of Courage, and The Little Colonel. Come hear what goes into creating a digital book discussion kit, ways to develop your own e-kit for your library or school, and the challenges and benefits that you may encounter.

Jennifer Gregory Gregory has worked in libraries, archives, and records management for over fifteen years. She holds a bachelor's degree in classical humanities from Miami University, and a Master's in Library Science from the University of Kentucky. Her areas of professional interest include digital content initiatives, digital archives, and local history. She is currently employed as the Digital Services Librarian for the Boone County Public Library system in Northern Kentucky.

KET Teacher’s Domain’s High-Quality, FREE Literacy Resources

Information shared during workshop presentation.

This session is focused on Literacy Central, an interactive website developed by KET in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education. Literacy Central is a collection of resources designed to provide, in one location, guidance to educators on the development, implementation and monitoring of literacy plans. A wealth of information will be available for exploration.

Helen Morrison has been the Kentucky Educational Television education consultant for the Northeast region of Kentucky since February 2011. She provides free on-siteconsultations and professional development sessions focused on KET resources as well as workshops on other online tools and resources. Before joining the staff at KET, Helen worked in education for more than 7 years, first as an art teacher and then as a library media specialist. She currently resides in Lexington, but is enthusiastic about traveling across her region and meeting other educators.

Mobile Apps in Early Childhood

Mobile Apps; Best Mobile Apps for Young Children; Rubric for iPad Apps

We see it all the time – a parent hands a smartphone or iPad to a child to keep them entertained while rolling through the grocery store. Many children, even those as young as toddlers, are skilled at navigating these mobile technologies, but how do we use these technologies appropriately in early childhood education? This workshop looks at best practices for teachers, parents, and librarians utilizing mobile technologies and recommended apps for young learners. The session will be interactive, showing a variety of developmentally appropriate apps for young children. Participants will also have a chance to use an iPad themselves to interact with some of the apps directly.

Laura Dell joined the University of Cincinnati in 2008 as the Academic Director for the online Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Education. Laura has worked as an online learning consultant for school districts across Ohio and has presented on educational technology at numerous state, national, international conferences. In her current position as Academic Director for Online Learning & Teacher Licensure in the School of Education, she coordinates teacher licensure issues and provides support for students and faculty in online degree programs.

Mock Caldecott/Newbery Award

This session will look at possible contenders for the 2013 Newbery and Caldecott awards. Ideas will be presented for organizing a mock awards program and involving students in the selection process.

Dave Richardson is an associate at the Blue Marble Bookstore. He was a junior high language arts teacher for sixteen years and now teaches Children's Literature at Cincinnati State. He is a published freelance children's writer with a regular book review column in the IRA's Reading Today. His work has also appeared in such publications as Highlights for Children, Writer’s Digest, and OELMA's Spectrum. He recently had the opportunity to be part of The Highlights for Children Foundation’s faculty for a fiction writing workshop.

Web Tools and Resources for Reading and Reading Instruction

Information shared during workshop presentation.

Web 2.0 tools and resources are ever changing and available to assist teachers in providing student material to read, enhancing student reading opportunities, and providing quality reading instruction. This workshop will highlight several resources and web tools to aid with Kentucky common core reading instruction. Also highlighted will be the Kentucky Virtual Library which can offer text complexity exemplars (informational text) for student reading opportunities.

Amy Cody has taught seventh/eighth grade language arts at Walton-Verona Middle School for thirteen years. She also serves as the Yearbook advisor. Amy is a National Board Certified teacher in EA/ELA. She serves as the editor of the Kentucky Council Teachers of English/Language Arts and is a member of the Northern Kentucky BookFest Committee. She has presented on various topics ranging from integrating the arts into the content to technology tools for the classroom.

We’ll Live Happily Ever After: 200 Years and Counting of Grimm Tales

Power point and handout shared during workshop presentation.

This presentation will look at the continuing contribution that fairy tales have made to child development and our culture. By comparing Grimm tales to popular and more contemporary counterparts, it will be demonstrated how the latter fall well short of the former in their ability to positively influence child development. The goal of the presentation is to help teachers and librarians evaluate the effect that modification has on fairy tales and to help them work with the enormous potential of fairy tales.

Nancy Jentsch teaches German and Spanish at Northern Kentucky University. She raised her children to be bilingual in German and English, thus developing an interest in German children's and juvenile literature. She has taught numerous courses on Grimm Fairy tales at NKU and recently developed a course in German juvenile literature. She has published and given conference presentations on the translation issues in the Harry Potter books.

Writer's Workshop

This will be a critque session for those who submit manuscripts in advance.

Linda Leopold Strauss is an award-winning local children's author, who has been a member of the OKI Children's Literature Conference Executive Committee for many years. Her published work includes many genres – fiction and non-fiction, magazine stories, picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels. Her most recent titles are PRESCHOOL DAY HOORAY!, DROP EVERYTHING AND WRITE!, and THE ELIJAH DOOR: A PASSOVER TALE. Linda has also led many workshops and has taught writing at the Institute of Children’s Literature.

During the 2012 Conference, book talks about recently published books for both younger and older students will be presented by the Blue Marble Bookstore and ROYAL (Reviewers of Young Adult Literature) sponsored by the Southwest Ohio and Neighboring (SWON) library consortium.

In Our ROYAL Opinion: Best Young Adult Books of 2011-2012

Information shared during workshop session.

Valerie Davis Valerie Davis is the Teen Librarian at the Newport branch of the Campbell County Public Library. She is an active member in YALSA and currently serves on the Best Fiction for Young Adults selection committee.

What’s New for You? Notable Picture Books of 2011-2012

Marilyn Smith is a retired elementaryteacher. She taught in Jefferson County, Kentucky, for 27 years focusing on gifted education. Since leaving teaching, she has worked in bookstores in children and young adult’s literature departments, and has presented throughout the region on literature and literacy to groups of educators and others interested in advancing literacy for children. She is currently employed by the Blue Marble Bookstore in Fort Thomas, KY as a salesperson, consultant, and presenter. She also teaches Children’s Literature at Northern Kentucky University part-time.