LLCN Brief

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with Dr. Jan Burkins, author of the recent best seller “Shifting the Balance:  6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom K-2.” Educators often feel they need to see the differences in these terms and “choose a side,” so to speak. The question arises, How do we go about having these conversations with the goal of building understanding t...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with Annie Spear & Rachel Cain.  Annie is the literacy content project manager for MAISA and the Michigan Learning Channel and Rachel is the education engagement specialist for WGVU media and the Michigan Learning Channel coordinator.  Annie and Rachel join us today to connect around extended learning opportunities through the Michigan Learning Channel.

Here is...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with the Kent ISD Ed Tech team of Ron Houtman, Keith Tramper, & Sarah Wood.   The Kent ISD Educational Technology Team joining us today is the team behind the creation of the “For The Purpose of...” podcast. In education, lots of questions are arising about artificial intelligence and how it could or should be used in the classroom.  This focus is the topic of our p...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with Dr. Miranda Fitzgerald, an assistant professor of literacy education in the department of reading and elementary education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a former special education teacher whose teaching and research focus on elementary-grade literacy instruction. Miranda's research examines the design and implementation of curriculum ...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with Dr. Karen Mapp, a Senior Lecturer on Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and former Faculty Director of the HGSE Education Policy and Management Master’s Program.  Dr. Mapp has authored several books on Family Engagement Partnerships - Her latest book:  Everyone Wins!:  The Evidence for Family-School Partnerships & Implications for Pra...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with foundational literacy expert and consultant and author, Dr. Julia Lindsey, who shares the insight from her newly released book Reading Above the Fray: Reliable, Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills. Her specialties are in literacy, language, and culture.

Here is a quick brief of our conversation:

Sarah starts the dialogue with Dr...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with researcher, author, former UCLA Principal and Assistant Director, and independent educational consultant, Margaret Heritage.   Her work has long centered around formative assessment and ambitious teaching and spans multiple continents.

Here is a quick brief of our conversation:

*Sarah starts the dialogue with Ms. Heritage by prompting.  “Tal...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with Arizona State University professor, researcher, and author Dr. Steve Graham. For over 42 years, Dr. Graham has studied how writing develops, how to teach it effectively, and how writing can be used to support reading and learning. His research involves typically developing writers and students with special needs in both elementary and secondary schools, with much o...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) connect with Michigan State University professor and author Dr. Tanya Wright.  Dr. Wright is a former kindergarten teacher whose research and teaching focus on curriculum and instruction in language and literacy during the early childhood and elementary years. Her research examines instructional practices that promote oral language, vocabulary, and knowledge development fo...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) reconnect with Sommer Jabbar, Equity and Student Success Coordinator at Kent Intermediate School District.  Sommer joins us to dialogue again about Culturally Responsive Teaching.  This podcast is a follow-up conversation to our ever popular Culturally Responsive Teaching episode which aired in February of 2021. Today, Sommer takes us further into Culturally Responsiv...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) chat with Jenelle Williams and Dr. Darin Stockdill about the Essential Literacy Practices for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction:  Grades 6-12.  We’ve spent a great deal of time over the past five years facilitating learning around the Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy:  Grades K-3.  We now have essential practices for ages birth through twe...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) chat with Ron Berger about the increasingly prevalent use of the term “learning loss.”  Ron is the Senior Advisor for Teaching & Learning at EL Education, a nonprofit school improvement organization that partners with public schools across America, leads professional learning, and creates open educational resources. He is a well-known international keynote speaker on t...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) chat with Sommer Jabbar about culturally responsive teaching.  Sommer is a D(BEI) - Diversity, Belonging, Equity Inclusion Project Coordinator at Kent ISD. We chat about what culturally responsive teaching is and how it looks in our classrooms as well as share some resources that educators will find useful no matter their role in the school setting.  We conclude by as...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) interview Dr. Doug Fisher on his perspective related to Feedback and the research surrounding the use of feedback to influence growth. Doug is a Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University, a Teacher Leader at Health Sciences High in San Diego, and an internationally recognized author and speaker in Literacy.  Today, we clarify what does feedback mean...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) chat with Erin Brown & Dr. Susan L’Allier about their new book:  No More Random Acts of Literacy Coaching. Here is a quick unpacking of the conversation: Mark & Sarah give a brief introduction of the GELN and MAISA collaborative that has gifted us the Essential Coaching Practices for Elementary Literacy and Coaching Modules and is the basis for the st...

In this episode, we (Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker) chat about the changes to the Literacy Leaders and Coaches Network (LLCN) for the 2020-2021 school year. We detail what those changes look like, how to access this podcast throughout the year, and share some content around assessment mindset as well as remote learning.  Additionally, we ask that you provide us with the topics and questions you want to know more about as we...