Phil's Fall Update 2023

Things are finally starting to cool down here in the Gator Nation, but that doesn’t mean the Lastinger Center is going into hibernation!

Between the excitement of the fall semester, the New Worlds Reading Book Bash and a productive Advisory Board meeting, we are feeling invigorated as we close in on the end of the 2023 Listening Tour . With just a few weeks left, we need your help to hear from teachers, parents, caregivers, students and community members to learn what’s important about education and how we can improve what we do for teachers and students.?You can participate by taking our Listening Tour Survey and passing it along to your communities and networks. If you have avenues to share our Listening Tour Student Survey , please do! Our team has also created a Listening Tour Toolkit with language and graphics for email and social media to make it easy for you to share. We’re shooting for 10,000 submissions. Help us reach our goal!

Below, you’ll have a chance to read about our statewide launch of the Math Matrix, celebrating 4 million books delivered to students through New Worlds Reading, new and emerging projects, and an international convening of researchers and practitioners at IARLD.?

Cheers,

Phil Poekert

Mathematics

Florida Legislature supports statewide pilot of the Math Matrix

As the goal leader for the Florida Chamber’s 2030 vision for getting 100% of 8th grade students reading and performing math on grade level, we are excited to bring the Math Matrix to mathematics educators across the state. Sponsorships from Representative Dana Trabulsy and Senator Alexis Calatayud during the 2023 Florida Legislative Session will allow the Lastinger Center to offer high-quality mathematics professional learning through the Math Matrix at no cost to the participants, as well as provide completion stipends to recognize mastery of content that supports elevating their practice and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.

Literacy

New Worlds Reading launches Year 3 at Book Bash in Miami

On November 4, more than 200 students, parents and caregivers?joined New Worlds Reading at the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami for the annual kick-off event . In addition to celebrating over 4 million books delivered to Florida families, students participated in a book read aloud with Author and Super Bowl champion Malcolm Mitchell, engaged in fun reading activities, and got free books to take home!?

Over $3 million awarded through Literacy Micro-Credentials

As the Lastinger Center approaches the anniversary of the launch of the Literacy Micro-Credentials, we’re excited to share that, through support from the Florida Department of Education and the Division of Early Learning, stipend eligibility has expanded. Now, in addition to early learning stipends, we are able to offer stipends to kindergarten through twelfth grade educators for the completion of the Literacy Micro-Credential and the Reading Endorsement. Since July 2023, the Lastinger Center has awarded over $3 million in micro-credential completion stipends, and we can’t wait to see even more resources go directly into the hands of the educators who have a daily impact on our students.?

Research

Lastinger Center hosts 45th Annual International Conference

The Lastinger Center, with Paige Pullen as conference chair, hosted the 45th annual International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities (IARLD) conference in Gainesville, FL from October 25 through 27, 2023 to discuss research and practice that supports students with learning disabilities. From Taiwan to Tennessee, Finland to Florida, IARLD connects colleagues from around the world and sparks important conversations that inspire the work of the Lastinger Center forward.?

Learning Lab

The Learning Lab showcases projects with partners like UF/IFAS, Kibeam, Microsoft and the Florida Department of Education as they progress from concept, to design and development, to pilot and launch. Explore the Learning Lab to learn more about emerging projects, new products and services, and research initiatives.?

Lastinger Center at a Glance

Submit proposals for LfPL 2024?

The Leadership for Professional Learning Symposium is accepting proposals until November 30. Proposals may be submitted in English or Spanish, and given either online or in-person.

Fostering personal connections?

From early learning to literacy to math, our team has been presenting around the state about our programs and opportunities for partnership.

Annual All Associates Meeting?

Lastinger Center associates from across the country gathered in October for our annual All Associates Meeting to engage and reflect on our work to energize our next phase of growth.

#1 Principal Investigator?

Lastinger Center Director Phil Poekert was named UF’s #1 Principal Investigator for the second year in a row.?