TOG1: Sign Language Beginner Basics for Early Literacy, Inclusion, (and Fun!)

School-aged kids view American Sign Language/ASL as a secret code to unlock, preschoolers embrace signing with the same enthusiasm reserved for treasured finger plays, and many babies born today will learn to sign before they can talk. Discover the benefits and ease of incorporating ASL signs into activities and interactions with children of all ages/abilities, with special emphasis on practical techniques that support routine transitions, guide positive behavior, and enrich literacy/early literacy experiences. Learn how ASL can create opportunities for shared understanding through introductory conversations about diversity and inclusion and when there are multiple spoken languages in the learning community.

OR Set One/SN; WA Level One/II

Dawn Prochovnic, MA

Saturday, 3/6/21, 9:00-10:30am

**Find Dawn's books here!

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TOG2: Creating Anti-Racist Reading Libraries and Experiences

In this workshop, we will offer a framework, resources, and lesson plans to support the efforts of parents and teachers in starting or expanding anti-racist, anti-bias home or classroom libraries. Using the work of Reading as Resistance as home base, we will discuss how these libraries can seed deeper conversations and opportunities for action around racial equity in our community. And we'll explore the way cultivating our imaginations can help us to envision new possibilities for the world we're in today.

OR Set One/DIV, LEC; WA Level One/II

Zapoura Newton-Calvert, Senior Instructor II & Co-Founder of Reading Is Resistance PDX, Portland State University

Tuesday, 3/9/21, 7:00-8:30pm

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TOG3:

Gender Diversity: Understanding Transgender and Gender Diverse Children

While societal awareness is increasing, most teachers, administrators, and support staff are understandably at a loss for how to address the needs of transgender students and their families. Beyond these needs, it can definitely feel like uncharted terrain when considering how to address the questions or concerns originating from parents of other students as well as questions from the students themselves. In this presentation, we will explore these and other questions:

• What do you do if you feel you have a transgender student in your class?

• How can a child be transgender? Aren’t they too young to know? Shouldn't they wait until puberty?

• What if this is a phase? They seem pretty confused. Are they just trying to get attention? 

• How do I talk to children about this in ways that are age-appropriate? How is this different than being gay? I hardly know what it means to be transgender, what do they mean by genderqueer, pansexual, asexual, non-binary, and gender fluid?

• Students have questions. How do I differentiate between basic inquisitiveness and more aggressive teasing? What should be done to address these and other situations? 

• What about bathrooms, locker rooms, overnight trips, sports and other gender-segregated spaces?

• How do I respectfully respond if a parent has concerns or objections?

• What are my school’s legal obligations?

• How do I handle potential teasing or bullying from other children? 

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Join gender education specialist Aidan Key in examining the topic of gender diversity in children and teens, the challenges faced by these children, youth, and their families, exploring current research, and identifying the best approaches for creating an inclusive, supportive environment for the entire school community.

OR Set One/HGD; WA Level One/I

Aidan Key, Speaker, Educator, Author, Organizer, and Founder of the Gender Odyssey Conference

Tuesday, 3/16/21, 7:00-8:30pm