Pieces written by Furman Associate Professor of Education Katie Kelly and adjunct education instructor Marie Havran M’12 landed on the International Literacy Association’s list of The Top 10 Most Read Literacy Now Blog Posts of 2020.

“It’s quite humbling. The International Literacy Association is one of the leading organizations in the field of literacy education in this country and the world,” Kelly said. “They have quite a wide readership.”

Kelly’s blog, “Meaningful Remote Learning and Literacy Practices During COVID-19,” offers tips and resources for effective remote learning and sprang from a realization that educators at all levels needed help, and needed help quickly, when students were sent home from schools in late March in response to the pandemic.

“Everybody’s worlds just immediately sort of imploded, and especially families with children. Teachers had to really find a new way to reenvision what teaching and learning look like,” Kelly said. “I wanted to be able to share a little bit of my knowledge and expertise in the field of digital literacy and the latest technology to support learning to hopefully reach a wider audience of folks who were thinking, ‘Man, I have no idea what to do here.’”

In “Encouraging Independent Reading Remotely in the COVID-19 Era,” Havran outlines multiple ways to prompt students to read independently, including hosting a book show-and-tell, establishing online book clubs and leading by example.

“The blogs are able to reach a wider audience,” Kelly said. “They can be shared across social media platforms, and the other