Dear NRC Members and Friends:
It is time to register for the NRC conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque offers an interesting blend of the old and the new Southwest with diverse opportunities for culture and entertainment. To name a few attractions, there is Old Town with its art galleries, shops, and restaurants (http://www.albuquerqueoldtown.com/map.aspx); the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History (http://www.cabq.gov/museum/), with exhibits focusing on the Southwest; the Nob Hill area near the university with its upscale shops and restaurants along Central Avenue, the original Route 66 (http://rt66central.com/route66/albuquerque.html); and, for the more adventuresome, Albuquerque is the hot air ballooning capital of the world (Google “Albuquerque hot air ballooning companies”). George Hruby, conference social organizer, will highlight these and other attractions in subsequent emails, and more detailed information will be available soon on the NRC website.
Of course, the main event is the conference itself and there are the usual opportunities for professional growth and interaction with colleagues, but also some unique opportunities and events this year. If at all possible in these times of restricted travel budgets, we urge you to attend the entire conference from Wednesday through Saturday and to become involved in as many conference activities as possible. If you arrive late, you risk missing the extra measure of energy during the conference’s first day with events such as the first meeting of morning study groups and the presidential address. On the other hand, if you leave early, here are some unique events that you would miss:
Friday night entertainment:
Tom Bean and his musical group "Out of The Blues" will provide dance music, which is a repeat performance of the conference in Los Angeles several years ago.
Saturday morning plenary:
A special plenary session entitled “A Debate With Ourselves About the Contributions of Literacy Research to Practice and Policy.” Two teams, each comprised of four respected NRC scholars, will present several examples to debate whether or not literacy research has produced a knowledge base that can inform practitioners and policy makers. Using digital devices, members of the audience will vote for the position they believe is more convincing for each of the examples and for the overall proposition and results will be displayed immediately.
Saturday lunch with distinguished scholars:
Diane Tracey, is coordinating a luncheon during which members who register for this event can have a discussion with one of 10 senior scholars. Each scholar will address a particular topic at a table with no more than 7 participants. Depending on the response, this may become an annual event. More details and how to register for the luncheon can be found in the online registration materials.
Saturday afternoon:
Although the conference officially ends after lunch, this is a good year to consider enjoying Saturday afternoon in Albuquerque or nearby Santa Fe, and perhaps staying over Saturday night. In addition to activities already highlighted, there is a light rail to nearby Santa Fe. If there is enough interest, we will explore arranging transportation to various sites on Saturday afternoon and perhaps discount lodging in Santa Fe for Saturday night. You will have an opportunity to indicate if you are interested in any of these activities online soon.
This year is the first time for NRC to meet in Albuquerque. It is also the first time we will meet in a convention center and have rooms in two conference hotels, each located conveniently across the street from the convention center. We look forward to your feedback about this arrangement. If all goes well, it will open up new possibilities for future meetings.
Albuquerque promises to be a memorable conference, and we look forward to seeing you there.
David Reinking
NRC President-Elect and Conference Chair
Patty Anders
NRC Vice President and Conference Co-Chair
Diane Tracey
NRC Secretary and Organizer, Lunch with Distinguished Scholars
George Hruby
Conference Social Coordinator
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