Leadership and literacy brunch with Natalie Wexler
with Amplify and Riverside USD
Thursday, February 27, 2020
9:30–11:30 a.m. PST
Location:
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School – Library
19661 Orange Terrace Parkway
Riverside, CA 92508
Registration deadline: Space is limited at this free event! RSVP by February 20 to secure your spot.
Who should attend: Supervisors, ELA and reading directors, curriculum coordinators, and principals.
About the event
Join us for a free brunch, author talk, and book signing with education writer and author Natalie Wexler on February 27 from 9:30–12 a.m.
During our time together, Natalie will discuss the latest research around reading, writing, and engagement in elementary school, along with the key findings of her book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
As our guest, you’ll:
- Meet and hear from education writer and author Natalie Wexler.
- Mingle with other district leaders from Riverside USD and surrounding areas.
- Enjoy a delicious brunch with colleagues.
- Leave with a signed copy of Natalie Wexler’s book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
Agenda:
9:30 a.m.: Arrive, check in, and visit our brunch buffet.
10–11 a.m.: Hear from Natalie Wexler
11–11:15 a.m.: Q&A with Natlie Wexler
11:15–11:30 a.m.: Book signing
Meet our featured presenter
Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017) and a senior contributor to Forbes. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. Before turning to education, Wexler worked as a freelance writer and essayist on a variety of topics, and as a lawyer and legal historian. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Submit this form to register for the event!
Leadership and literacy brunch with Natalie Wexler
with Amplify and Riverside USD
Thursday, February 27, 2020
9:30–11:30 a.m. PST
Location:
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School – Library
19661 Orange Terrace Parkway
Riverside, CA 92508
Registration deadline: Space is limited at this free event! RSVP by February 20 to secure your spot.
Who should attend: Supervisors, ELA and reading directors, curriculum coordinators, and principals.
About the event
Join us for a free brunch, author talk, and book signing with education writer and author Natalie Wexler on February 27 from 9:30–12 a.m.
During our time together, Natalie will discuss the latest research around reading, writing, and engagement in elementary school, along with the key findings of her book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
As our guest, you’ll:
- Meet and hear from education writer and author Natalie Wexler.
- Mingle with other district leaders from Riverside USD and surrounding areas.
- Enjoy a delicious brunch with colleagues.
- Leave with a signed copy of Natalie Wexler’s book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
Agenda:
9:30 a.m.: Arrive, check in, and visit our brunch buffet.
10–11 a.m.: Hear from Natalie Wexler
11–11:15 a.m.: Q&A with Natlie Wexler
11:15–11:30 a.m.: Book signing
Meet our featured presenter
Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017) and a senior contributor to Forbes. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. Before turning to education, Wexler worked as a freelance writer and essayist on a variety of topics, and as a lawyer and legal historian. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Submit this form to register for the event!
Leadership and literacy brunch with Natalie Wexler
with Amplify and Riverside USD
Thursday, February 27, 2020
9:30–11:30 a.m. PST
Location:
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School – Library
19661 Orange Terrace Parkway
Riverside, CA 92508
Registration deadline: Space is limited at this free event! RSVP by February 20 to secure your spot.
Who should attend: Supervisors, ELA and reading directors, curriculum coordinators, and principals.
About the event
Join us for a free brunch, author talk, and book signing with education writer and author Natalie Wexler on February 27 from 9:30–12 a.m.
During our time together, Natalie will discuss the latest research around reading, writing, and engagement in elementary school, along with the key findings of her book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
As our guest, you’ll:
- Meet and hear from education writer and author Natalie Wexler.
- Mingle with other district leaders from Riverside USD and surrounding areas.
- Enjoy a delicious brunch with colleagues.
- Leave with a signed copy of Natalie Wexler’s book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
Agenda:
9:30 a.m.: Arrive, check in, and visit our brunch buffet.
10–11 a.m.: Hear from Natalie Wexler
11–11:15 a.m.: Q&A with Natlie Wexler
11:15–11:30 a.m.: Book signing
Meet our featured presenter
Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017) and a senior contributor to Forbes. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. Before turning to education, Wexler worked as a freelance writer and essayist on a variety of topics, and as a lawyer and legal historian. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Submit this form to register for the event!
Leadership and literacy brunch with Natalie Wexler
with Amplify and Riverside USD
Thursday, February 27, 2020
9:30–11:30 a.m. PST
Location:
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School – Library
19661 Orange Terrace Parkway
Riverside, CA 92508
Registration deadline: Space is limited at this free event! RSVP by February 20 to secure your spot.
Who should attend: Supervisors, ELA and reading directors, curriculum coordinators, and principals.
About the event
Join us for a free brunch, author talk, and book signing with education writer and author Natalie Wexler on February 27 from 9:30–12 a.m.
During our time together, Natalie will discuss the latest research around reading, writing, and engagement in elementary school, along with the key findings of her book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
As our guest, you’ll:
- Meet and hear from education writer and author Natalie Wexler.
- Mingle with other district leaders from Riverside USD and surrounding areas.
- Enjoy a delicious brunch with colleagues.
- Leave with a signed copy of Natalie Wexler’s book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
Agenda:
9:30 a.m.: Arrive, check in, and visit our brunch buffet.
10–11 a.m.: Hear from Natalie Wexler
11–11:15 a.m.: Q&A with Natlie Wexler
11:15–11:30 a.m.: Book signing
Meet our featured presenter
Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017) and a senior contributor to Forbes. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. Before turning to education, Wexler worked as a freelance writer and essayist on a variety of topics, and as a lawyer and legal historian. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Submit this form to register for the event!
Special interlude #1: Why the Science of Reading isn’t just about reading
Meet Our Guest(s):
Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It (Avery 2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (Jossey-Bass, 2017), and a senior contributor to the education channel on Forbes.com.
Natalie’s articles and essays on education and other topics have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, the MIT Technology Review, The American Scholar, and other publications. She has spoken on education before a wide variety of groups and appeared on a number of TV and radio shows, including Morning Joe and NPR’s On Point and 1A.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a masters’ degree in history from the University of Sussex (UK), and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania. She has also worked as a reporter, a Supreme Court law clerk, a lawyer, and a legal historian.
Meet Our Host: Susan Lambert
Susan Lambert is the chief academic officer of elementary humanities at Amplify, and the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Her career, including classroom teacher, building administrator, and district-level leader, has been focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Susan is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories. Her professional quarantine accomplishments include the production of knowledge-based learning modules for kindergarten through grade-two students, available through Amplify’s free resources website and Wide Open Schools.
Quotes
“Here's the catch about writing: It's hugely important. It can help cement knowledge and long-term memory, and deepen knowledge.”
“Even if you as a teacher have doubts about the curriculum. It's really important to give it your best shot and approach it with enthusiasm.”
Featured Episodes
First-of-its-kind voice-powered assessment to help educators understand and accelerate the literacy development of remote learners
BROOKLYN, New York—August 25, 2020—Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, today announced the release of a voice-enabled reading assessment for grades 1–6, created in collaboration with Dublin-based SoapBox Labs, which develops accuracy and privacy driven voice technology for children. Text Reading Online is the first literacy assessment of its kind to enable remote evaluation of oral reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension—critical indicators of reading development for young readers.
“Given the realities of teaching and learning in a pandemic, educators are seeking approaches to assessing a child’s independent reading when they cannot be together in person,” said Larry Berger, chief executive officer at Amplify. “We are pleased to offer Text Reading Online as a part of the overall mCLASS literacy suite to help educators assess their students’ reading development remotely, including the accurate identification of learning loss and how best to address it, this year.”
Reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension are important indicators of whether students are making the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Like most early literacy assessments, however, evaluation of oral reading fluency typically requires direct in-person observation of students by trained educators. By enabling educators to understand and evaluate fluency, accuracy, and comprehension development, even in a remote setting, Text Reading Online can help educators tailor instruction and avoid reading loss during a critical developmental stage.
To perform the assessment, students read two texts aloud: the first text is at the student’s grade level, the second is adapted based on the student’s performance on the initial text. Students then answer a set of text-dependent comprehension questions to evaluate their degree of understanding. Data from the assessment, including reading rate and specific error types, provides educators with near real-time feedback, which they can use to identify areas of focus and cater lessons to each child’s needs.
Named one of Europe’s hottest startups by Wired UK in 2019, SoapBox Labs was founded by Dr. Patricia Scanlon, whose popular TEDx talk explains the ways in which technology can “transform a child’s reading journey.” In 2018, Scanlon was named to the Forbes list of Top 50 Women in Tech globally.
“This is about making educators’ lives just a little bit easier by providing them with tech-enabled tools that allow them to engage in accurate and private literacy assessment for all their students,” said SoapBox Labs CEO Dr. Patricia Scanlon. “But the implications are even more far reaching. The moment for voice tech in learning has arrived, and we view our work as essential in the development of a more inclusive, equitable education future.”
Text Reading Online will be available for free to all of Amplify’s mCLASS customers during the 2020-2021 school year. Visit the Text Reading Online page on Amplify.com to learn more.
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About Amplify
A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our captivating core and supplemental programs in ELA, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products turn data into practical instructional support to help all students build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves five million students in all 50 states. For more information, visit amplify.com.
About SoapBox Labs
SoapBox Labs develops award-winning voice technology for kids modeled on kids’ speech, language, and behaviors. Proprietary and built from the ground up, our accurate, private, and age-appropriate voice technology powers immersive play and learning experiences, including literacy and language learning tools, for children ages 2 to 12 years old. To view demos, download reports and white papers, or learn more about how our technology powers third party education and toy companies, go to www.SoapBoxLabs.com.