Reading Foundations for Emergent and Early Readers (Grades PreK-2)
The course begins with building a solid understanding of such concepts as phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. Teachers will then strengthen their toolbox of strategies for teaching spelling, word families, decoding, sight words, vocabulary, and fluency. Teachers will also learn assessment strategies such as story retelling and asking students to answer questions using textual evidence. Teachers will learn how to help their students choose “just right” books for their individual reading levels while balancing the types of text they read. To help in this regard, teachers will gain strategies for teaching students the features of nonfiction text. Finally, strategies for making the most of classroom read-alouds will be shared. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will more fully understand how to best help their students master the foundations of reading, and will have gained valuable classroom ideas to incorporate into their everyday teaching.
For more information, visit the website.
Applying The Science of Reading Principles in the Content Areas (Grades 6-12)
| This online course for teachers is designed to guide educators of every content area through a variety of strategies and interventions, all of which are based on reading science so that students’ overall comprehension is positively impacted. The course begins by demystifying the science of reading, and from there, takes a deep dive into both the word recognition strand and the language comprehension strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Teachers are guided through each strand so that they completely understand how decoding, background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge all weave together to create the complex process known as reading. Teachers will also understand how to address the needs of struggling students in any content area through the exploration of root words, prefixes, suffixes, academic vocabulary, and direct instruction. Teachers will learn specific strategies to access students’ background and cross-curricular knowledge as they work to improve their analytical reading and writing skills as they engage with complex texts. Finally, teachers will learn a variety of literacy routines that support content literacy, such as CLOZE activities, choral reading, text puzzles, and student-created tests. By the end of this continuing education course, content area teachers will gain increased confidence and proficiency in effectively facilitating the science of reading principles to increase students’ proficiency as they continue their journey in reading to learn.
For more information, visit the website. |
Digital Projects that Inspire and Support Student Learning (Grades K-12)
| This online course for teachers is designed to help K-12 educators design authentic, multimedia digital projects to showcase students’ learning. The course starts with a discussion on shifting the focus from students consuming knowledge to being producers of knowledge by leveraging technology to enhance learning. Teachers will dive into the Four Cs of 21st Century Learning to foster students’ critical thinking skills as well as explore how the backward design method can aid in designing student projects that align to content standards. The course presents three frameworks for teachers to follow for designing projects that require students to use various thinking skills, engage in inquiry and application to deepen understanding of content, and apply their learning in an authentic and meaningful context. Supporting students as they complete challenging projects is important, so instructional and differentiating strategies are provided to help teachers guide students through their projects. Teachers also gain their own hands-on experience with various digital tools that students can use to create digital content, including eBooks, comic books, infographics, podcasts, videos, websites, apps, and virtual experiences. Additionally, teachers are introduced to artificial intelligence tools that students can use to support their learning. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will have the confidence and skills to design engaging digital projects that inspire and support students’ learning.
For more information, visit the website. |
Best Practices for a Successful Classroom
| *4 courses offered to cover different grade bands
This online course for teachers covers strategies for implementing the grade level standards, while managing time so that all content is covered. Common issues are covered along with overall classroom management techniques. Teachers learn how to maximize the resources which are available to them as well as find innovative ways to gain more resources at little-to-no cost. This course also explores successful strategies for gaining students’ attention and interest, and truly engaging them in lessons. Teachers will also learn how to respond to a variety of teaching challenges, including how to effectively reach their most at-risk populations such as students with special needs and those living in poverty. Mainstreaming English language learners and techniques for differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students is covered as well. Finally, tips for working with parents are also shared. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will feel better prepared to successfully manage their classroom. For more information, visit the website. |
Structured Interventions for Specific Learning Disabilities Grades K-5
Do you need solid strategies to help you address the unique challenges faced by students with specific learning disabilities (SLD)? This online course for teachers of grades K-5 begins with an in-depth overview of dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, as well as additional underlying conditions that are often seen among this student population, including executive function deficits, processing disorders, and specific language impairment. As they progress through the course, teachers will learn how to design structured interventions to help students with SLD become successful in the content areas. Teachers will learn about the science of reading — what it is (including an in-depth examination of Scarborough’s Reading Rope), the data behind it, and how Structured Literacy can be harnessed to turn struggling readers into skilled readers. Teachers will learn about language-based learning disabilities and how to design structured language interventions to improve students’ written and oral language skills. Teachers will learn how to leverage the science of math as they guide their students to develop the five skills of math proficiency while managing math anxiety. Executive function deficits are discussed in detail, as these weaknesses are almost always seen in the learning profiles of students with SLD. Teachers will also explore a variety of supports for students with auditory and visual processing disorders, including assistive technology tools and classroom accommodations. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will have gained valuable insight into specific learning disabilities, and they will feel more confident designing structured interventions as they guide their students to greater success in the content areas.
For more information, visit the website.
Write from the Start: K-2 Writing Strategies V2
| This course is designed to assist K-2 educators in strengthening their knowledge of writing instruction, based on the developmental stages of their students. Participants will learn about the writing process, gain strategies for integrating meaningful writing activities into the curriculum, and identify ways to incorporate feedback to build student writers’ skills.
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Unlocking Literacy: Science of Reading Strategies for Multilingual Learners
As states and districts across the country embrace the science of reading, do you find yourself wondering if those same principles and best practices can also be used with your multilingual learners? Or does this “special” population need to rely on a completely different approach to literacy so that they can simultaneously master English and content successfully? This online professional development course provides K-12 teachers with a deep dive into the unique challenges faced by multilingual learners as they strive to master content standards while simultaneously learning English. Teachers will explore the various stages of new language acquisition, and they will understand the differences between a student’s social language (BICS) and their academic language (CALP). From there, teachers will thoroughly explore the science of reading, including all five areas of the “Big 5” of reading instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension), along with a variety of strategies to engage multilingual learners in a culturally relevant way. Teachers will learn how to overcome the challenge of trying to align second language acquisition with the science of reading including how to stimulate students’ growth mindsets while embracing several different co-teaching models to further engage their multilingual learners in the learning process. Research-based assessment best practices for multilingual learners are shared, including specific assessments for students’ language ability as well as how to assess and monitor their academic progress across all areas of the “Big 5” using both formative and summative assessments. Teachers will also learn how to use the WIDA Can-Do Descriptors to guide their students to greater understanding while simultaneously providing them with equitable grading practices. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will feel more confident and successful in their quest to combine science of reading best practices with research-based strategies to help their multilingual learners become more literate readers.
For more information, visit the website.
Understanding Print Awareness
| Print Awareness for Early Literacy. Print awareness is often understated in the literacy continuum but it is worthy of study as we continue to think about best practices for instruction. This course is intended to ground our understanding of Print Awareness and this grounding will loop with us as we move through the continuum of Early Literacy skills. |
Braiding Sweetgrass: A Book Study
Course participants will gain knowledge of designing and implementing a book study for their staff or student group. This includes selecting texts, setting professional learning outcomes, organizing meeting sessions, and facilitating engagement activities and discussion. This course highlights Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults to illustrate the book study process.
Best Small Group Practices to Reach All Readers and Writers (PreK-5)
| Do you find yourself searching for high-yield strategies to support your students’ widespread literacy needs? With the diversity of today’s classrooms, it is becoming more difficult to meet every student’s literacy needs. This online course for PreK-5 teachers takes a deep dive into the various stages of literacy. Teachers will explore evidence-based small group practices that are centered around how best to support the needs of their readers and writers across all literacy stages —emergent, beginning, transitional, and fluent and independent — in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. The course begins by presenting teachers with assessment practices geared toward getting to know students’ literacy needs so they can be better served in small groups. The course then guides teachers through all phases of literacy — from emergent to independent — so that they not only have a solid understanding of each phase, but they also have thoroughly explored several small group strategies for each of the foundational skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing), all of which are based on reading science to better support the specific needs of their readers and writers. Teachers will also gain strategies for working with students who are English language learners, have disabilities, and/or have experienced trauma, poverty, and/or have missed a significant portion of school. By the end of this continuing education course, teachers will feel more confident in their quest to leverage small group practices to better support their readers and writers throughout all the stages of literacy.
For more information, visit the website. |