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Literacy Unbound seeks to unbind traditional approaches to the teaching of reading and writing, troubling the divide between critical and creative thinking, demonstrating that intellectual rigor ultimately requires both.
Predicated on a belief in the power of play in the classroom, our approach brings teachers and students together as creative collaborators to reimagine challenging, classic texts through multiple modalities. We reinvigorate classroom communities using arts-infused, project-based, collaborative curricula developed around a shared text, increasing student engagement and building community in the process.
While many arts-integrated organizations work primarily with students, we believe that by positioning this work as teacher education, we can create enduring practices with sustainable impact. |
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Our Summer Institute supports high school students and K-12 teachers as they work alongside one another to unpack a shared piece of literature through arts-integrated remix, transmedia storytelling, and literary studies. The institute allows ample opportunity for creative, curious individuals to discover all the ways in which stories can be unpacked and reimagined.
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[
"Read"
] crafting invitations 
Crafting Invitations to Create
If a prompt is like a camera lens, pulling your task into focus, an invitation is like a colorful string you can’t resist pulling to see what happens next. [
"Read"
] don't just read literature 
Don't Just Read Literature, Experience It
Give students the chance to move — intellectually, physically and emotionally — into the world of a text. [
"Read"
] encouraging engagement 
Encouraging Engagement Across Content Areas
Offer your students an opportunity to authentically engage with content, even when learning remotely. [
"Implement"
] three highlights 
Three Highlights
A “during reading” structure designed to invite students to engage with a text three times, each time employing a different modality. [
"Implement"
] awakening itc 
Invitations to Create: The Awakening
Invite students to unpack Kate Chopin's 1899 novel, which explores the complicated world of motherhood and identity at the turn of the century. Recommended for students in grades 9-12. [
"Implement"
] everyday use itc 
Invitations to Create: "Everyday Use"
Invite students to unpack Alice Walker's short story, which considers issues of generational and rural / urban divides within African-American communities and beyond. Recommended for students in grades 9-12. [
"Read"
] litu pod 
Reimagining Texts
How can you support students in moving their reading experiences beyond the book, and allow their creativity to flourish? [
"Participate"
] create multimodal projects 
Design Invitations to Create
Practical, creative ways to engage students in classic, complex, and challenging texts. This course will allow you to create original invitations for a text (or texts!) of your choice. [
"Participate"
] reimagine reading 
Reimagine Reading
Design curricular materials that inspire students to read and respond to challenging texts through multiple modalities. |
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Can Literacy Unbound partner with me/my school?Absolutely! There are a variety of options available, depending on your needs/the needs of your school. We can create a custom partnership that includes (but is not limited to!) the following:
Can a Literacy Unbound project take place virtually?Yes! In fact, this work has already happening online, including in our 2020 Summer Institute. Through a combination of asynchronous and synchronous sessions, teachers and students from around the world worked together to create a virtual performance based on a shared text — most recently, Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies. For customized support that’s tailored to your classroom, we can design asynchronous and synchronous online professional development based on your specific interests. These sessions can focus on support for curriculum planning, creating Literacy Unbound invitations, implementing remixing strategies, and more. Where can I see an example of the Literacy Unbound process?For a look at our approach to curriculum, check out our free resources, which offers engaging multimedia prompts designed to support students in their reading and understanding of a shared piece of literature. Each invitation offers an opportunity to reflect, analyze, and synthesize the text at hand. You can also view past in-person institutes by visiting our video library. Which texts do you work with?We primarily work with texts that are often identified as classic, complex, and challenging. These texts often demand prior knowledge from students, or include topics that may feel distant from student experience and interest. No matter which text you’re interested in working with, we can support you and your students in establishing connections, examining hotspots, and finding meaning in the text. Which grade levels are the best match for Literacy Unbound?Literacy Unbound’s approach to literature is relevant for all grade levels and is customizable for your students, no matter their age. Do I need a background in performing arts in order to partner with Literacy Unbound?No, though it’s helpful if you have an appreciation for the Arts. We use a multimodal approach for engaging with texts that encompasses reading, writing, visual arts, movement, performance, and more. There are multiple avenues for creation — students (and teachers!) do not need to be experienced in performance in order to engage. Where can I find information about your next institute?Information about our 2023 institute can be found here. |
