The Mary and Jean Borg Center for Reading and Literacy in the College of Education at Illinois State University facilitates the development of various literacies among the residents of Illinois through service and research. Through a range of programs, partnerships, and collaborations, the Borg Center seeks to promote the literacy of all residents by providing service, teaching, and research to educators, parents, employers, policymakers, and others.
Teacher candidates
In partnership with faculty in the School of Teaching and Learning, the Borg Center is working with teacher candidates to develop text sets. This is a way for students to learn about the topic from multiple sources and perspectives.
“This is a great opportunity for teacher candidates to provide resources for current teachers and to grow their resumes by having their work published,” said Dr. Deborah MacPhee, director of the Borg Center.
These projects will help create a better connection between students and professors and associate the content in the curriculum standards with reading and writing skills.
Educators
The Borg Center provides professional development opportunities for educators at all grade levels.
Since 2019, the Center offered professional development each semester for non-tenure track faculty in the School of Teaching and Learning (TCH). They offer learning sequences on topics such as teaching in higher education, restorative teaching practices, equity, inclusion, diversity, and innovation. All professional development sessions are led by tenure-track faculty in COE.
In addition, the Center focuses on providing services to professional educators. On this path, the Center offers workshops, short courses, and the Redbird Educator Series, a virtual library of videos in which faculty shared their research and evidence-based practices on relevant topics in literacy education.
Students and Families
The Center’s goals include providing community service to local children who need additional assistance in reading, writing, and comprehension.
“This is an affordable option for local families that is evidence-based and it is critical to have additional support beyond what the school can provide,” said MacPhee.
Through the tutoring process, the center is creating a big impact and receiving positive feedback from families, causing the program to grow yearly.
The center is working on long-term goals and developing ways for students to participate in tutoring programs. They are also looking forward to involving undergraduate and graduate students who want to join the program as tutors.
School Districts
The Borg Center recognizes the importance of research and supports it among university faculty. This purpose is being reached through a range of programs, partnerships, and collaborations. Currently, Dr. Courtney Hattan is leading a multi-year partnership project with Pontiac School District and has been supporting and conducting research on evidence-based literacy practices in first and second grade. The center is also implementing a study that explores students’ beliefs about reading and how their beliefs impact what they do.
“I feel privileged to get to do this work; supporting children across the community has been very impactful to me,” said MacPhee.
Through their services to students, children, the community, and professionals the Borg Center continues to create big impacts and is opening new paths through reading and literacy.
