Merry Christmas from around the Pacific!

Merry Christmas from around the Pacific!

~Felis Pasgua (Chamorro)
~Maligayan Pasko (Tagalog)
~Peren en Krismas (Pohnpeian)
~Monono ilo raaneoan Nejin (Marshallese)
~Falang e Baynag (Yapese)
~Tok Tapeng (Kosraean)
~Ungil Kurismas (Palauan)
~Pwapwan Kirisimas (Chuukese)
~Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian)
~Ameseighil ubwutiiwel Layi Luugh me raagh fee (Carolinian)

REMINDER: Dec. 13 - Community Book Fair

COMMUNITY BOOK FAIR

Saturday, December 13, 2014 - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Venue: Agana Shopping Center

Guam IRA - December 2014 IRA Newsletter

Click on the newsletter above to view this month's issue.

IRA Awards Fall Grant Recipients

Pictured L-R:  Martha Sudo, Grants Chairperson; Angelica Blas, grant recipient; Mary Livingston, Guam Council IRA President; and Lethia Calvo, grant recipient.

NEXT MONTH'S MEETING: Dec. 13 - Community Book Fair

COMMUNITY BOOK FAIR

Saturday, December 13, 2014 - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Venue: Agana Shopping Center

Breaking News - Opportunity for UOG IRA course extended

There is still one more opportunity to sign up for the UOG IRA course.  Visit the IRA/SOE Alumni Association table at the Language Arts Conference to take advantage of this.

REMINDER: NEXT MONTH'S GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING - November 14 & 15, 2014

27th Annual Regional Language Arts Conference*
Literacy, Assessment and Core Curriculum Standards
Friday, November 14, 2014 - 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 15, 2014 - 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Venue: Hyatt Regency Guam

*There is a separate conference fee of $45 to attend this event. Mention that you are an IRA member, so that you can get the discounted rate. Your name will be verified with the IRA membership listing.

Visit the LAC website at http://www.uog.edu/CLASS-LAC for more information or call Kathleen Duenas at 735-2725, email: kduenas@uguam.uog.edu. The LAC will also offer 2 graduate credits for teachers seeking recertification. Call 735-2601 or e-mail the instructor, Lois Taitano Gumataotao, at ltgumataotao@gmail.com.

Highlights from the October General Membership Meeting

DOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez makes a special presentation to the Guam IRA members.

Norma Tabayoyong, Pacific Sales Representative for McGraw-Hill Education and retired DOE principal, makes a special presentation regarding resourceful educational materials.

DOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez with Guam IRA President Mary Livingston

Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, Guam IRA Webmaster smiles with DOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez before she makes her presentation titled, Navigating with Guam IRA's Go Green Movement.  Grace Griffin, Co-Webmaster contributed to the presentation.

DOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez and IRA President-Elect Evangeline Chaco are all smiles.  Fernandez is a supporter of the IRA Read-A-Thon.

Superintedent Jon Fernandez was presented with a special token of appreciation for his presentation.  Pictured L-R:  Evangeline Chaco, President-Elect; Fernandez; and Mary Livingston, President.

Norma Tabayoyong was presented with a special token of appreciation for her presentation.  Pictured L-R:  Verna Mendiola, Author Visit Chair; Tabayoyong; and Mary Livingston, President.

SOE Alumni Association officers are hard at work to assist with the UOG - IRA credit.  Pictured L-R:  Rose Cruz Castro, Treasurer; Martha Sudo, Secretary; Grace Griffin, President; Margaret Beem, Vice President; and Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, Webmaster.  Not pictured is Lois Taitano Gumataotao, PIO; and Dr. Lourdes Klitzkie, Advisor.

Rose Cruz Castro wins a special door prize.  DOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez served as the the special guest announcer of the raffle drawing. 

Grand prize winner of the microwave oven is all smiles!  Pictured L-R:  Mary Livingston, President; Elizabeth Fejeran and daughter; and Jon Fernandez, DOE Superintendent.

Baby grand prize winner of the coffee maker is all smiles!  Pictured L-R:  Mary Livingston, President; Stephane Flores; and Jon Fernandez, DOE Superintendent.

NEXT MONTH'S GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: November 14 & 15, 2014

27th Annual Regional Language Arts Conference*
Literacy, Assessment and Core Curriculum Standards
Friday, November 14, 2014 - 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 15, 2014 - 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Venue: Hyatt Regency Guam

*There is a separate conference fee of $45 to attend this event. Mention that you are an IRA member, so that you can get the discounted rate. Your name will be verified with the IRA membership listing.

Visit the LAC website at http://www.uog.edu/CLASS-LAC for more information or call Kathleen Duenas at 735-2725, email: kduenas@uguam.uog.edu. The LAC will also offer 2 graduate credits for teachers seeking recertification. Call 735-2601 or e-mail the instructor, Lois Taitano Gumataotao, at ltgumataotao@gmail.com.

Guam IRA - October-November 2014 IRA Newsletter

Click on the newsletter above to view this month's issue.

REMINDER: IRA Meeting - Oct. 11

IRA Meeting - Oct. 11

General Membership Meeting
October 11, 2014

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Venue: Royal Orchid Guam

IRA Contribution - Effective Literacy Websites Feature: Keeping parents and teachers connected with 5 popular apps

Twitter

Once considered inappropriate for classroom use, Twitter and other social media are becoming commonplace in schools across the nation. Teachers can use Twitter to engage students on lessons and assignments, and parents can view classroom accounts to see what is being taught. Parents can follow teacher accounts to stay connected. Shannon McClintock-Miller, the district teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School in Iowa, is a great example of how Twitter can help connect parents, educators, and students. She can be followed @shannonmmiller.

The Twitter app can be downloaded in the App Store and Google Play.

Facebook

Unlike the microblogging site Twitter, which is limited to 140 characters, Facebook lets users post content, including images and video, without length restrictions.

Some teachers have students create a classroom Facebook page to discuss and keep up with assignments and projects, while some districts have a page to share news and updates related to the school. John Skretta, Ph.D., is the superintendent of the Norris School District in Firth, Neb., and explains how Facebook can be an integral part of the school district for educators, administrators, and parents alike.

Access the Facebook app in the App Store and Google Play.

Skype

Did you know that more than 80,000 teachers worldwide use Skype in the classroom? One of the marvels of modern technology is the ability to communicate instantly with someone halfway around the globe. The free audio/visual messaging service Skype is already implemented in language courses, and can be used in lieu of a telephone for the busy or traveling parent wishing to speak with their child’s teacher.

For more on how Skype can turn classrooms into virtual field trips, read here.

Skype is offered in the App store and Google Play.

BuzzMob

No, it’s not a 70′s punk band. BuzzMob is a new mobile app that brings parents, educators, and administrators together. How does it work? The app syncs with your current location and connects you with the people around you in a real-time, live community. By joining GPS-defined “Rings” in the smartphone app, “BuzzMobbers” within the same location can connect instantly and talk, exchange ideas, and share multimedia.

Download BuzzMob in the App Store or Google Play.

Remind

Looking for a safe and secure way for teachers, parents, and students to communicate? Remind (formerly Remind101) offers a unique way to keep students and parents connected with text messages about academics and school activities. For more on how this app works, watch this brief informational video clip.

Remind is available in the App Store and Google Play.

Source:  Sharnoff, M. (2014). eSchool News, http://www.eschoolnews.com

----------------
For previous website features, visit http://ed638effectiveliteracywebsites.blogspot.com.

Apply for an IRA grant

IRA GRANT DUE OCTOBER 11, 2014 AT 11:00 A.M.

Click on the following links to access important grant information and the IRA grant application, which are now Word-ready! Just download them, and you are ready to type!

IRA Grant Schedule for SY2014-2015
IRA Grant Application for SY2014-2015

IRA Grant Application Guidelines for SY2014-2015
IRA Grant Evaluation Form

For more information, see Martha Sudo and Evelyn Topasna at the Grants table or contact them at the following:

Martha Sudo                 Evelyn Topasna (HSTES)
969-1455/727-1455      565-6710/689-9455
mjsudo@gmail.com        edptopasna@gdoe.net
                                      evelyntopasna@gmail.com

September IRA Meeting Snapshots

Guam IRA President, Mary Livingston, welcomes
 members to the first IRA meeting on September 13, 2014.

Evangeline Chaco conducts her presentation
 at the September IRA meeting.

Rachel Douglas conducts her presentation
at the September IRA meeting.

Guam IRA President, Mary Livingston, thanks
 members for participating in the September IRA meeting.

Guam Council IRA September 2014 Newsletter

Click on the newsletter above to view this month's issue.

First IRA meeting to be held Sept. 13

September 13, 2014

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Venue: Royal Orchid Guam

Livingston inducted as the new IRA President for CY 2014-2015

Guam IRA Receives Honorable Award in 59th Annual Convention

Congratulations to the GUAM COUNCIL for being recognized as an HONOR COUNCIL of the International Reading Association for its achievements in programs, membership promotion, and community service for eighteen (18) years.

The Guam Council of the International Reading Association (IRA) received the Honor Council award during IRA's 59th Annual Convention held in New Orleans.  GC-IRA is to be commended on making a difference in the literacy development of our island's children of all ages.

GC-IRA helps educators and parents alike discover the wonder and the worlds to be found in books. Guam IRA is a professional organization for individuals who are genuinely concerned with the development of reading programs for children and adults. It is a group of people who work together to improve literacy and reading instruction in Guam and Micronesia. 

Highlights from the May General Membership Meeting

Our last general membership meeting held Saturday, May 24, 2014 at the Outrigger Hotel's Fort Soledad Ballroom culminated with a special Read Aloud by guest reader Kazue Taijeron, literacy presentations by Becky Martinez and Lolita Torres, Dream Again - Year in Review presentation by IRA Historian Charleena Yanger, installation of new CY2014-2015 IRA Officers, raffles, and more! Enjoy the following snapshots taken during this special event!