Inspiring Tweens and Teens to Love Reading: Overcoming the New and Old Challenges

We invest much time, energy, and resources in getting elementary students to read, but that effort often wanes as we approach middle school and high school. Join us as we zero in on the challenges of inspiring teens and tweens to continue to love reading and how school librarians can help.

Follow on Twitter: @Amele77 @ISTE @mrhooker @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork @shellthief @hyphenatic @ISTEMLN

Get the Book: Liven Up Your Library

#ISTE20 #ISTEturns40 #edchat #edtech #edtechchat

Valerie Tagoe is a high school librarian in Texas. She’s a winner of the S. Janice Kee Award from Texas Woman’s University, and a past president of the Dallas Association of School Librarians. Valerie has 20 years of experience in education and libraries. She holds a bachelor’s in French, with a minor in History, from the University of Oklahoma; a Master’s of Bilingual Education from Southern Methodist University; and an MLS from Texas Woman’s University. Valerie is also involved in the American Library Association and the Texas Library Association. I am excited to learn more about Data Science through the LEADING Fellowship and plan to apply what I learn to my work as a school librarian. I also plan to share Data Science concepts from the LEADING Fellowship with colleagues through professional development sessions, and with students via instruction in Advanced Placement program classes such as AP Seminar and AP Research.

Julia E. Torres is a veteran language arts teacher and librarian in Denver Public schools. As a teacher/activist committed to education as a practice of freedom, her practice is grounded in the work of empowering students to use language arts to fuel resistance and positive social transformation. Julia was awarded the 2020 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Teacher of Excellence award and currently serves teachers as part of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE board of directors. Julia facilitates workshops and professional conversations about anti-bias/anti-racist education, social justice, and culturally sustaining pedagogies in language arts, as well as digital literacy and librarianship. Her work has been featured in several publications, including NCTE’s Council Chronicle, NPR, Al Jazeera’s The Stream, PBS Education, KQED’s MindShift, New York Times Learning Network, the Chicago Tribune, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s Education Update, Rethinking Schools, School Library Journal, and many more.