Department of English and Applied Linguistics organized the 29th Annual Regional\u00a0Language Arts\u00a0Conference at the Hyatt Regency Guam in Tumon on Nov. 18 and 19.\u00a0The Guam International Reading\u00a0Associations sponsored the conference.<\/p>\n

Guam IRA is a professional organization that helps educators and parents to discover the\u00a0world of books.\u00a0This organization helps individuals who are concerned with the\u00a0developmental program of reading for adults and children. The Guam IRA strives to\u00a0work together to improve literacy and reading instruction in Guam and Micronesia.\u00a0Their mission is to spread awareness and impact reading to all people. Guam IRA strives\u00a0to make reading as a lifelong habit for younger readers and have a connection to the\u00a0island\u2019s community through projects and event.<\/p>\n

Evangeline Chaco, past president of the Guam International Reading Association, discusses why reading\u00a0is very important.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiteracy is essential for everyone because literacy is the composite of reading and\u00a0writing. It\u2019s essential\u00a0for our generation. Basically, the kids will replace us,\u201d Chaco said.\u00a0\u201cThey are our future and for our\u00a0progress to move forward, we need to teach kids basic\u00a0reading and writing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chaco also talks about the programs sponsorship with the University of Guam and their\u00a0involvement\u00a0throughout the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always assisted and sponsored for the University of Guam every year so it\u2019s an\u00a0annual event that\u00a0we participate in.\u201d Chaco said.<\/p>\n

The theme of the conference was Reading and Writing Together. Guam IRA had UOG\u00a0faculty and staff\u00a0member James Sellmann and guest presenter Margaruite Smith to make\u00a0a speech and present the\u00a0program that helps benefit for the teachers and students to teach\u00a0and improve their reading and writing skills.<\/p>\n

James Sellmann, Ph.D., dean of the UOG College Liberal Arts and Social Science\u00a0discusses about how\u00a0language is the core activity of the cobaltic human being.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything that we\u2019re about is and ends with the language arts,\u201d said Sellmann.<\/p>\n

Sellmann believes that without our native languages, symbolic interactions, cultures and\u00a0civilizations,\u00a0mathematics, science, and the love of wisdom would not be possible\u00a0without the language arts.<\/p>\n

Special guest Margaruite Smith, Ed.D, manages textbook sales and teacher training for\u00a0all the Pacific\u00a0Islands of Micronesia and U.S. territories presented a PowerPoint\u00a0presentation and talked about the\u00a0reading and writing instruction using the Common Core\u00a0State Standard. State leaders launched this\u00a0instruction in 2009.<\/p>\n

Smith also discussed the keys to building strong readers and writers. Smith hopes that her\u00a0presentation will help students give the opportunity on what they can succeed \u00a0in their\u00a0reading and writing abilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents in school really need to have the opportunity to think. It\u2019s not that teachers in\u00a0the past haven\u2019t made you think, it\u2019s just that now they have standards that they can take\u00a0a look at that they can use as a\u00a0road map for thinking skills.,\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n

Chaco hopes for the near future that Guam IRA will take their program moving forward\u00a0with the use of technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are acquiring software programs a software that narrates a book, so the kids enjoy\u00a0that. And as for the adults or high school, we\u2019re looking into ebooks.\u201d Chaco said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Department of English and Applied Linguistics organized the 29th Annual Regional\u00a0Language Arts\u00a0Conference at the Hyatt Regency Guam in Tumon on Nov. 18 and 19.\u00a0The Guam International Reading\u00a0Associations sponsored the conference. Guam IRA is a professional organization that helps educators and parents to discover the\u00a0world of books.\u00a0This organization helps individuals who are concerned with the\u00a0developmental program … <\/p>\n

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