Dr. Janet Allen’s Plugged-in to Reading and Plugged-in to Nonfiction, curriculum programs published by Haights Cross Communications company Recorded Books, have announced that the 2010 Plugged-in Literacy Workshop will be held June 28–29, 2010 in Port Charlotte, Florida. Educators are encouraged to reserve seats for the workshop early.

To register for the 2010 Plugged-in to Literacy Workshop, call Recorded Books at 1-800-638-1304 x1122 or download the registration form available at http://pluggedineducators.ning.com.

The winner of our Classic Connections giveaway is commenter #3, Jan Ledger! Congratulations, Jan! You’ll receive a copy of Finn, Romiette and Julio, and Dating Hamlet on CD for your school.
Jan says that using classic text The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane brings lively discussion about courage and character to her classroom.

It’s October, and the school year is finally in full-swing. Now is a perfect time to introduce your students to the classics through high-interest Plugged-in titles that mirror classic works. To start the lessons off right, we’re giving away copies of three Plugged-in to Reading Level 3 titles on CD. Finn by Matthew Olshan, Dating Hamlet by Lisa Fiedler, and Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper are all great examples of the classic connections built into PITR Level 3. These modern retellings and reimaginings of Huckleberry Finn, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet will introduce students to the classics in a way that is relevant to them and accessible to all students. To enter the contest, view the full post.

Have you taught a banned book lately? If you’re a Plugged-in teacher, you may have! Janet Allen hand-picked all the titles for Plugged-in, and some of the high interest, high quality, award winning books she picked have actually been challenged or banned in the past. Banned Books Week is a great time to bring up the topic with your students.

The New York Times discusses how reading choice affects motivation in this article: “A New Assignment: Pick Books You Like”. Eighth grade teacher Lorrie McNeill shares her experiences from her first year of the reading workshop method, where “students choose their own books, discuss them individually with their teacher and one another, and keep detailed journals about their reading.” Sound familiar? It sounds a lot like Plugged-in to us!

RECORDED BOOKS PRESS RELEASE
Recorded Books, the publisher of Dr. Janet Allen’s Plugged-in to Reading and Plugged-in to Nonfiction, reading programs from a leading authority in literacy instruction, invites educators to join the Plugged-in Educators network at http://pluggedineducators.ning.com and also officially announces the launch of the Plugged-in to Nonfiction website at http://www.pluggedintononfiction.com.

RECORDED BOOKS PRESS RELEASE
Recorded Books, publisher of Dr. Janet Allen’s Plugged-in to Reading and Plugged-in to Nonfiction, recently announced its first two Plugged-in Teachers of the Month, Brent Yoder and Amy Beyer of South Bend, Indiana. Each month, educators will be featured as the Teachers of the Month at the Plugged-in Educators’ Ning at http://pluggedineducators.ning.com. Yoder and Beyer, the first educators chosen for this new monthly feature, will host discussions, answer questions, and share experiences about Plugged-in programs and literacy during the month of May.

RECORDED BOOKS PRESS RELEASE
Dates for the 2009 Plugged-in Literacy Workshop featuring Dr. Janet Allen, creator of the Plugged-in Programs, have been announced as June 25 and 26. Charlotte County Public Schools will host the conference at Port Charlotte High School in Port Charlotte, Florida. The Plugged-in Literacy Workshop is a continuation of the Plugged-in to Reading Literacy institute put on each year by Recorded Books and Dr. Allen to provide professional development for teachers, focusing on literacy instruction and adolescent literacy. [ ... ]

On June 25 and 26, Charlotte County Public Schools will be hosting the 2009 Plugged-in Literacy Workshop. The host school is Port Charlotte High School, 18200 Cochran Boulevard, Port Charlotte, FL 33948. [ ... ]