Opening Session
The Academic Literacy Summit 2009 began with a welcome from Mary Sandy, Academic Literacy Summit Planning Committee Co-Chair and Director, CRESS Center. In her introductory notes, she set the context by explaining the day's theme, Academic Literacy: The Language of Content and Community. In addition, she helped to build connections between the community of learners in the room by asking teachers, professional developers, administrators, and researchers to stand group by group. This was then followed with welcoming notes from Dean Harold Levine, UC Davis School of Education, John Roina, Director, Curriculum & Instructional Services, Yolo County Office of Education, & Dr. Angela Fairchilds, President, Woodland Community College.
The Opening Session also featured Steven Athanases, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UC Davis School of Education & Summit Planning Committee member, and Juliet Wahleithner, Academic Literacy Summit Planning Committee Co-Chair & Ph.D. Student, UC Davis School of Education, sharing their findings from research collected at the Academic Literacy Summit 2008. Key to their findings was the complexity with which participants who attended last year's Summit defined the concept of academic literacy.