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Keynote Speaker - Mark Curcio
Keynote Speaker - Mark Curcio
Dr. Mark Curcio is a high school ELA teacher, adjunct professor, writer, and track coach with over 15 years of experience. A passionate teacher-scholar, he specializes in composition strategies, etymology, and instructional technology, bringing a dynamic approach to literacy and learning.
Dr. Mark Curcio is a high school ELA teacher, adjunct professor, writer, and track coach with over 15 years of experience. A passionate teacher-scholar, he specializes in composition strategies, etymology, and instructional technology, bringing a dynamic approach to literacy and learning.
Keynote Speaker - Sarah Miller
Keynote Speaker - Sarah Miller
Sarah Miller is the Senior Coordinator of Intellectual Freedom and Book Initiatives at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). She is the staff liaison for the Build Your Stack® Committee, the NCTE Children’s Book Awards, and the Committee Against Censorship. Since 2021 she has coordinated the work of the Intellectual Freedom Center, which provides resources and support to educators preparing for or responding to censorship challenges. In 2024 she spearheaded the work of the This Story Matters Teacher Corps, working closely with cohorts of teachers from across the country to create new rationales for NCTE’s rationale database.
Keynote Address
Keynote Address
Mark Curcio
Join Dr. Mark Curcio for a critical discussion on the impact of book censorship on adolescent reading engagement. This keynote will explore how limiting access to books, especially those that foster self-efficacy in teenage boys, shapes reading habits, motivation, and identity development. Drawing on Csikszentmihalyi’s principles of flow and the power of choice, we will examine how censorship disrupts these dynamics and whether its effects differ for boys and girls. Most importantly, this session will equip educators with strategies to navigate situations where students choose challenged books, ensuring they can engage with meaningful literature while fostering a culture of critical thinking and intellectual freedom.
Sarah Miller
Censorship is personal, local, and national, all at the same time. While focusing on one area at a time is often necessary, understanding the connections between all of them is helpful when making actual choices about how to react. Learn more about NCTE’s guiding principles for encouraging access to books and materials, the work being done to advocate for students and teachers, and the various resources available for educators. An introduction to book rationales will be included to set the tone for additional rationale writing and reviewing sessions taking place at the conference.
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