Category Archives: Literacy News

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Registration for Spring 21 by Google Form

  By Kiersten Greene • November 7, 2020 ,

This is just a quick reminder for candidates registering for classes to please complete this Google Form at your earliest convenience. (If you’ve already done so, you are all set!)

Please do not attempt to register using mynewpaltz. You will be registered manually instead, based on your responses on the Google Form.

The process may take around a week or so to be completed. If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to get in touch with your advisor or Dr. G (greenek@newpaltz.edu).

Wishing you a restful weekend!

 

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LED Updates & Spring 2021 Registration

  By Kiersten Greene • October 27, 2020 ,

Hello Literacy Leaders!  Time is flying, and it’s hard to believe that we are already well into the second half of the Fall 2020 semester. Please read ahead for a few updates from your Literacy Education team.

Registration

If you are registering for classes for Spring 2021, please respond to this Google Form by Friday, November 6. Please note: after you complete this form, you will be manually registered for Spring 2021. You do not need to take any further action (in other words, you do not need to register on your own through mynewpaltz).

Certification Q & A

If you have lingering questions about certification — no worries! Chris Whitaker, our Certification Advisor, is hosting a virtual Q & A this Thursday, October 27 at 4:00-5:00pm for literacy candidates to respond to any questions you may have. Please email literacy@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu for Zoom connection information if you’d like to attend. You can alternatively email schoolofed@newpaltz.edu with any additional questions about certification.

Open House

If you know of anyone interested in applying to the Literacy Education program, please share this flyer with them! The SUNY New Paltz Graduate School will be hosting an Open House on Monday, November 16th from 6:00 to 7:30pm, and the Literacy Education team will be holding an Apply Now event at the same time. For additional information, email literacy@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu.

Be well and stay safe. We look forward to being in touch!

 

 

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More COVID-19 Certification Updates

  By Kiersten Greene • May 29, 2020

Hi Everyone — please see the below note from our Certification Advisor, Chris Whitaker, about the latest certification updates.

Good news: the Emergency COVID-19 certificate applications are finally up and working on TEACH! So, here’s how to proceed:

1)    Be sure to apply for your regular Initial certificates on your Teach Account first. Here’s the link to the step-by-step certificate application directions for all of our programs: https://newpaltz.edu/schoolofed/certification_infosheet.html

2)    Then apply for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate for the same titles, and be sure to select Emergency COVID-19 for “Type of Certificate” instead of Initial. This is an Individual Evaluation pathway, but it should not cost you anything extra.

3)    Once your recommendations from Records & Registration for your regular program certificates show up on your Teach Account, then the COVID-19 emergency certificate application will be ready to be processed. 

Please remember: 

a) The Emergency COVID-19 certificate applications are for those who have not completed or passed tests for certification in Spring & Summer 2020.

b) You have to apply for both your regular and Emergency COVID-19 certificates before Sept. 1st 2020.

c) All other requirements for the certificate (other than exams) must be met in order for the Emergency COVID-19 application to process.

We’re getting there!

Wishing you well,
Chris

Chris Whitaker
Certification Advisor
School of Education, SUNY New Paltz

Updated answers to most of your certification questions:
https://www.newpaltz.edu/schoolofed/certification.html

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Certification Update

  By Kiersten Greene • May 14, 2020 ,

Greetings! We’ve received the following guidance from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) via Chris Whitaker, our Certification Advisor. We will post more information as we receive it.

We all miss seeing you so much, and wish you well in these last few days of the semester!!

As for applying for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate:
A: These won’t be ready to be applied for until the end of May. So, candidates just need to apply for their regular certs at this point, and I’ll send out an announcement as soon as the Emergency ones are available. Start by applying for your regular Initial certificate first: https://newpaltz.edu/schoolofed/certification_infosheet.html

As for 16-week wait on processing of certificates posted on the TEACH System:
A: NYSED will expedite the Emergency COVID-19 certificate applications first, so they will be processed faster. Just remember candidates have to apply for and be recommended for a regular certificate first before their Emergency COVID-19 certificate will be issued.

As for requesting an exemption of the edTPA and taking the ATS-W safety net instead:
A:  The dean’s office is working on a survey for candidates to request to take the ATS-W safety net test instead, and we’ll send this out as soon as it’s ready to roll out.

As for when to take the tests:
A: Candidates have one year under the Emergency COVID-19 certificate to take the tests once the NYSTCE/Pearson test centers open again.

As for the School Leadership exam results needed for graduation:
A: The SBL/SDL exam results will not be required for Spring and Summer 2020 CAS program completion. Under the Emergency COVID 19 certificate, School Leadership candidates will have 1 year to finish the SBL/SDL and EAS exams.

As for a narrated PowerPoint on the certification process:
A: My talented Graduate Assistant Sam McKillop has created one for you: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RKEGDirKDVidlqIHBmC7cKwO8g8oKP2X/view

Updated guidance concerning certification examinations and the creation of an Emergency COVID-19 certificate: http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/news/certification-examination-guidance-new-york-state-registered

NYSED has also created a special webpage with information about the Emergency COVID-19 certificate: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/covid19-emergency.html

Wishing you well, Chris

https://www.newpaltz.edu/schoolofed/certification.html

Chris Whitaker
Certification Advisor
School of Education, SUNY New Paltz

Updated answers to most of your certification questions:
https://www.newpaltz.edu/schoolofed/certification.html

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Update on Registration for Fall 2020

  By Kiersten Greene • April 15, 2020 , ,

Greetings, Literacy Community! If you are registering for classes for Fall 2020, you can now register on your own through my.newpaltz.edu!!

If you already completed the Google Form, please go ahead and register now online through my.newpaltz.edu. Please be sure to double check the meeting dates of each class before you register.

Previously, there was a technical issue with registration due to the hybrid format for our program on my.newpaltz.edu. But that problem just went away! Yay!

If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or anyone on the Literacy Team.

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Registration for Summer & Fall 2020

  By Kiersten Greene • April 8, 2020 , ,

Registration for graduate classes for summer and fall begins Monday, April 13. Here are a few reminders:

SUMMER 2020

Register for SUMMER classes via my.newpaltz.edu — there is no Google Form to complete. YOU MUST REGISTER YOURSELF. Something to keep in mind: EDS classes in particular (EDS 537 & 549) fill up quickly, so sign up as soon as possible! Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis for the summer semester. Here’s that link again to info for all things summer related.

FALL 2020

Register for FALL classes by completing this Google Form. If you aren’t 100% sure what classes you’re supposed to take next, consult the advising documents on our website — go to “Advising” >> “Literacy B-6/5-12 Course Descriptions & Schedule Options,” or ask your advisor.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions! In the meantime, we continue to be impressed by your professionalism and creativity as we navigate these uncertain times, together. Wishing you a productive week of literacy teaching and learning!
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Distance Learning in the Time of COVID-19

  By Kiersten Greene • April 1, 2020 ,

The amount of online resources for teaching literacy (and all the content areas, for that matter!) are growing by the day as our world adjusts to teaching remotely.

Whether you’re teaching in your own virtual classroom, enrolled in a clinical experience course in the LED program, homeschooling children, or any combination of the above, we’ve curated a set of resources for you.

Check out the “Distance Learning” tab in the main menu of our website for links to a bunch of resources for literacy educators. You’ll find collections to online texts of all kinds, lesson plans, creative tech tools, and more. If you have any suggestions to add, please email us at literacy@newpaltz.edu.

Thinking about all of you! We are all in this together.

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Literacy Program Updates: Spring and Summer

  By Kiersten Greene • March 24, 2020 ,

Greetings Literacy Community! 

Our team has been thinking about you all these last few weeks, and we know that many of you have questions about what lies ahead. In this announcement, you can find information related to the following: 1) clinical hours, 2) summer scheduling, and 3) program contact information.

Clinical Hours

Due to the recent move to a distance learning model for SUNY New Paltz, we have created a plan to make sure candidates secure the necessary clinical hours for certification as anticipated prior to COVID-19. 

If you are currently enrolled in LED 755, 756, 757, or 758, you will continue to work (whenever appropriate) with the K-12 students you were previously tutoring in a remote setting at a mutually convenient time. Additional information is forthcoming on logistics, and a FAQs page will be periodically updated at this link. 

Following a universal design learning framework, the below table provides insight into the flexibility we plan to employ while engaging in remote instruction for clinical practice:

Minimum-tech

 Medium-tech

Maximum-tech
Content Delivery 

(to candidates from professor)
  • asynchronous via email or phone
  • asynchronous via email and learning management system (LMS)
  • asynchronous and synchronous via email, video, and LMS
Tutoring / Clinical Experience (between candidates & K-12 students)
  • asynchronous via phone or snail mail
  • asynchronous or synchronous via email or video conference
  • asynchronous and synchronous via email and video conference
Evidence of Tutoring

(for candidates to submit to professor)
  • student work, lesson plans, and reflections shared via email
  • student work, lesson plans, and reflections shared via LMS
 In the future, we might be able to have professors join tutoring sessions via video conference, but for now that is not possible because of privacy concerns and logistics.

If you are enrolled in LED 755, 756, 757, or 758 this semester, your professor will be in touch with you shortly to work out the details of setting up your tutoring sessions going forward. 

Summer Scheduling

As you may have already heard, all Summer 2020 courses will be delivered online. Clinic (LED 757 & 758) will follow a remote format similar to the remainder of the spring semester (see explanation above). Additional details can be found here for any changes in scheduling. 

Program Contact Information

Dr. Duerr will be on leave for the remainder of the spring semester, and coordinating duties will shift to Dr. Greene for now. Please direct any program inquiries to Kiersten via email (greenek@newpaltz.edu) or on Telegram (@profgreene).

Educators everywhere are working overtime as we navigate our new normal. And in the meantime, the literacy team is here for you — do not hesitate to reach out if any questions or concerns arise at any time. And don’t forget to check out our Facebook page every now and again to exchange ideas and tips for literacy education.

Be well. Keep in touch.

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A Message from Your Literacy Team

  By Jen Schleber (fka, Davis-Duerr) • March 12, 2020 ,

As you all know, to slow the spread of the coronavirus, in keeping with the Governor’s announcement and SUNY New Paltz President Christian’s March 11 message to the campus, all classes will move to remote instruction beginning March 30. Please refer to important dates for clarification:

  • March 12-14:      Classes run as normal
  • March 15-22:      Spring Break proceeds as scheduled
  • March 23-29:      Second week of Spring Break – faculty prepare to teach courses remotely
  • March 30:            Classes resume through remote delivery methods

We know this is a challenging time for everyone and want to assure you that the Literacy team is already working hard developing plans to provide you with continuous quality coursework necessary for everyone to graduate on time as well-prepared Literacy leaders. We have been in close communication throughout the day creating alternatives to meeting state required clinical hours for those of you currently in Intervention, LED755/756 and Clinic, LED 757/758.  We appreciate all of your patience as we gather and respond to additional information from NYSED, SUNY, and our New Paltz School of Education.  The Literacy team and your individual professors will be in contact with you as plans are solidified.

In the meantime, we all wish you a few moments of peace and perhaps an escape into a good book!  😉

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Alumni Opportunities: Literacy Tutors Needed

  By Jen Schleber (fka, Davis-Duerr) • March 7, 2020 , ,

Are you an alum of our Literacy program? If you haven’t already, please consider completing this GoogleForm to be added to our contact list.

We have received numerous inquiries from parents, administrators, and local teachers for private literacy tutoring and diagnostic services and would like to pass on your names if you’re interested.

Note: Certified Literacy specialists charge about $40-$60 per hour for private tutoring (one-on-one literacy instruction).  Private diagnostic services in literacy usually cost approximately $100-$140 per hour. Diagnostic work can be charged a flat fee (usually $225-$300) which includes administration of assessments in multiple areas (phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, reading and/or listening comprehension, encoding, writing), analysis of results, and a written report with conclusions and recommendations. Rates vary based on experience, services requested, and geographic area.