For teachers of language arts, the SDEA Convention will hold special interest. Six special sessions on August 17 will address the concerns of English teachers and offer an opportunity to connect with teachers from across the state. Among the session offerings on Wednesday:
8:30-9:30 am: Chaucer. Judy Edenstrom of Aberdeen Central High School will share ideas to enhance the teaching of The Canterbury Tales.
9:45-10:45 am: AP English in SD Schools. Judy Edenstrom (Aberdeen Central) and Sharon Olbertson (Beresford) will focus on how several SD high schools arrange their Advanced Placement English classes. Lots of ideas for teachers of AP and for teachers interested in enhancing their teaching of critical thinking skills.
11:00-12:00 pm: Applied Communications: A Practical Approach to the Standard English Curriculum. Dodie Bemis (Watertown) will focus on "Tech Prep" in the English classroom. Ideas and units of communication are the focus.
1:30-2:30 pm: The College Classroom Collaboration. English teachers will hear about the summer institutes/conferences and workshops offered in our state universities. Teachers will also have an opportunity to tell college personnel what they would like to have offered in the future summer courses.
2:45-3:45 pm: Teaching Reading in Secondary Schools. Jim Swanson (DSU) will describe the essence of teaching reading in the various disciplines in the secondary school. The session focuses on working together and will allow for questions and answers.
4:00-5:00 pm: SDCTE Update. This is the annual meeting of SDCTE. The agenda will include updating the constitution, information about NCTE activities and opportunities for SDCTE involvement on a greater national scale. We hope to handle the agenda in plenty of time to allow for a general sharing session following the business meeting.