College of Education News

When elementary teacher Amanda Miller heard that the illustrator of one of her favorite children's books, Thunder Rose, was coming to Urbana, she knew her plans for the weekend.

"You're my favorite illustrator," Miller said as she handed a copy of We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball to author and illustrator Kadir Nelson to sign. "Something about [his illustrations] just strikes me."

Nelson presented and signed copies of his work at the Champaign Public Library and The Urbana Free Library on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009 as part of the second annual Youth Literature Festival sponsored by the College of Education and the Chancellor's Lincoln Bicentennial Committee.

The theme of this year's festival, "Abraham Lincoln: Teaching and Learning About the Greatest President" was part of the Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration. The festival featured Kadir Nelson and Deborah Hopkinson, both authors of popular books about Abraham Lincoln.

In addition to these presentations and signings, the College hosted a symposium for educators that focused on how to teach students of all ages about Lincoln, and what lessons they can learn from the legendary president.

Violet Harris, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and co-chair of the festival, said this year's event was a continuation of the success of last year's inaugural festival, and the overall theme shaped the event.

In his presentation, "Lessons from the Past: What Every Citizen Can Learn from Abraham Lincoln," Associate Professor of Educational Policy Studies, Christopher Span showed educators how Lincoln's quotes can be used to encourage students to examine what certain ideals meant in Lincoln's time, and how to apply these concepts to current issues. Specifically, Span shared quotes from Lincoln regarding democracy, freedom, education, honesty and respect. He said this exercise was applicable to almost any grade.

"At each level, we can ask how we can be responsible members of society, and how we use the past as a reflective lens," Span said.

Other speakers at the symposium included Elizabeth Pleck, Professor in Human and Community Development and Gender and Women's Studies; Susan Noffke, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction; children's author Deborah Hopkinson; Sandra Yamate of J.D. & Publisher, Polychrome Publishing Corporation in Chicago; Urbana District 116 teachers Tiffany Clark and Matt Buckles and keynote speaker Wilma King, Professor of African American History at the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Harris said the symposium was a learning experience for everyone, and she cannot wait to get started planning next year's third annual Youth Literature Festival, which she said will feature Illinois authors and illustrators.

For more information about the College of Education, contact our Communications Office at 217-244-8335 or email communications@education.illinois.edu