Education students joined Professors Carolyn Cook and Julie Ketchum last weekend at the State of Maryland International Reading Council (SoMIRAC) Conference in Hunt Valley.
Cook copresented with Professor Vicki McQuitty from Towson University on e-journal literacy practices, sharing topics, strategies, and tips for getting published.
Students attended additional sessions, and learned a great deal about literacy and the importance of advocacy. "This conference taught me that being an advocate is truly key to the students and for yourself," said Marissa Guzman.
Clarke Hooper spoke specifically of a strategy mentioned during one of the sessions: the read aloud. "I will take what I learned into my educational profession by emphasizing reading, modeling fun ways to do so, and by embracing the read aloud! Read alouds allow for vocabulary, emphasize listening and are enjoyable!" she exclaimed.
This conference also helped Mount students prepare for their future classrooms. Traci Schmiedel said "this conference provided me with a wealth of knowledge and materials to use for the future and I'm so excited to see how I will be able to incorporate them into my classroom."