Written by: Jennifer Sharp
What an exciting time of year this is! For many of us, summer break has begun, and we have the opportunity to relax, catch up on our reading, pursue professional development opportunities, and spend time with family and friends. Another exciting part of summer: registration for TASL’s annual conference goes LIVE and you can start planning your trip! I hope that you’ll all make plans to attend. This year’s conference is going to be an exciting one!
We have TWO pre-conference sessions, offered on Sunday, September 9th. Heather Moorefield-Lang will be presenting a paid pre-conference session on the AASL Best Websites, sharing all sorts of helpful tips and tricks to bring back to your teachers and students. Members of the TASL Standards Implementation Team will be presenting a FREE pre-conference workshop focusing on our newly released AASL National School Library Standards.
On Sunday evening, we’ll be having a special reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, author signings, opportunities to network with colleagues in your region, and of course, time to peruse the exhibit hall and meet with vendors. All conference attendees are invited to join us Sunday evening to kick off conference and participate in the fun activities we have planned!
We have some fabulous featured presenters this year:
Monday’s Keynote Speaker: Sandra Hughes-Hassell
Sandra Hughes-Hassell, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also President of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). In her current research, she focuses on social justice issues in youth library services, diverse youth literature, and culturally responsive professional development. She has written and presented extensively on culturally relevant pedagogy, critical race theory, and the role of the libraries in serving youth of color.
Learn more about Sandra Hughes-Hassell’s important work: http://projectready.web.unc.edu/
Tuesday’s Keynote Speaker: Alvin Irby
Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned social entrepreneur and comedian. He is founder and chief reading inspirer at Barbershop Books, a nonprofit organization that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers.
As a cultural competency specialist, Irby trains educators and administrators to translate learning objectives for children or adults into relevant and engaging communication and experiences. Irby’s nationally recognized keynotes and workshops excavate his eclectic professional and personal life to better understand and address some of American education’s greatest challenges – cultivating children’s intrinsic motivation to read and learn.
Irby’s debut children’s book, Gross Greg, combines his passion for early literacy and comedy; it is a laugh-out-loud story that captures the universal and hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere.
Watch Alvin Irby’s recent TED Talk: https://youtu.be/ERSZb2wHFDw
We also have an exciting slate of member presenters and vendor presenters who are ready to share their knowledge, ideas, and products with you! You can find additional details (including registration information) on the TASL website on the Conference page: https://www.tasltn.org/conference
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am SO excited to see everyone in September, to learn together, and to have a fantastic time at TASL Conference 2018! Join the conversation on social media with the official conference hashtag: #TASLCon18
#TASLCon18 #Seeyouthere #registernow
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