Literacy and Instruction
Examining: 7 Keys to Comprehension
This is a 3 credit hour, self-paced course based on the cutting-edge research in the book 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmerman and Chryse Hutchins. This course gives teachers practical, thoughtful advice about the seven simple thinking strategies that proficient readers use: connecting reading to their background knowledge, creating sensory images, asking questions, drawing inferences, determining what's important, synthesizing ideas, and solving problems. Instructional Practices and Strategies covered include: understanding the importance of reading for life, how to create sensory images, how to make connections, the use of questioning, how to draw inferences, how to determine importance, how to synthesize information, and how to use fix-up strategies The potential results for student learning--reading comprehension will increase learning in all content areas, increase test scores, and boost grades.
Examining: Robust Vocabulary Instruction
Examining: Robust Vocabulary Instruction is a 3 credit hour, self-paced course that provides participants a research-based framework along with practical strategies for vocabulary development with children from the earliest grades through high school. Educators will learn to select words for instruction; create meaningful learning activities, and engage students in thinking about and saying new words both within and outside the classroom. Effective vocabulary instruction has been shown to will increase learning in all content areas, increase test scores, and boost grades.
Examining: Literacy and Learning in the Content Areas
In this is a 3 credit hour, self-paced course built on the research and expertise of Sharon Kane and presented in her book Literacy & Learning in the Content Areas, 3rd Edition, participants will take a unique approach to teaching content area literacy in middle and high school classrooms that will help build the knowledge, motivation, tools, and confidence needed to integrate literacy in the content areas. Rather than passively learning about strategies for incorporating content area literacy activities, educators will get hands-on experience in many techniques.
Examining: How to Differentiate Instruction in a Mixed-Ability Classroom
Teachers in mixed-ability classrooms face multiple challenges at every grade level. In this is a 3 credit hour, self-paced course, participants will learn what differentiation really means, how to create a differentiated classroom with differentiated lesson plans and grading in order to improve the achievement of all students.
Examining: Fierce Teaching
Even the most well-researched best practices can fail to produce the desired student learning outcomes. In Fierce Teaching, participants will examine the 7 underlying, brain-based, core principles necessary for achieving consistent, positive, learning outcomes. Based on the book of the same name by veteran educator and brain expert Eric Jensen, this 2 credit hour, self-paced course will help educators of any subject and of any grade level maximize their students’ potential to learn.
Examining: Grading for the Benefit of the Student
Grades are tools that should reflect student achievement and support student learning. In this 2 credit hour, self-paced course, participants will learn how to implement a consistent, accurate and meaningful grading system that reflects district standards and supports student learning by avoiding common pitfalls that distort outcomes. Grading for the Benefit of the Student builds on the 15 “fixes” recommended by Ken O’Connor in his text A Repair Kit for Grading and addresses common grading errors that distort achievement, reflect low-quality/organization rather than aptitude, make incorrect calculations and reflect behavior, attendance and other extant factors. Participants will investigate what to do with extra credit, poor attendance, late work, incomplete work, academic dishonesty, and more, in order to maintain an effective grading system that benefits students and more clearly represents academic achievement.
Examining: Making Homework A Win/Win!
How do we make homework relevant and effective for all students? How do we get more students to complete homework? Should we even be assigning homework? This 2 credit hour, self-paced course will investigate these questions about homework and more. Making Homework a Win/Win! begins by investigating the theories, purposes and myths about homework, how they compare to the research and how they apply to a new culture of diverse families, students and lifestyles. Then participants will learn how to make homework an effective tool, how to differentiate assignments and how to apply alternative grading methods. Finally, participants will examine ways to increase homework completion and effectiveness by implementing student and family supports.
Examining: Teaching Math to 21st Century Students
Teaching Math to 21st Century Students is a 3 credit hour course that looks at the factors affecting differentiation in K-8 mathematics classrooms. Participants will examine how the shifts in the dependence upon multiple intelligences theory, advances in the neurosciences, broader teaching variables, technology, and RTI are impacting differentiated math instruction. In addition to examining the shift factors, participants will have a number of opportunities to investigate different strategies and technologies that are part of the "New Differentiation."
Examining: How to Survive & Thrive in the Classroom
How to Survive & Thrive in the Classroom is a 3 credit hour, course that builds on the 7 principles employed by master teachers presented by Robyn R. Jackson in her book Never Work Harder than Your Students. The course begins by teaching participants how to assess students’ cultural and intellectual currency to determine where they are, what they value and where they are going academically. Next, participants will investigate how to use supports and feedback to get students where they need to be. The culminating principle, never work harder than your students, will be discovered as teachers move through the guiding tenets for making students successful.
This is a 3 credit hour, self-paced course based on the cutting-edge research in the book 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmerman and Chryse Hutchins. This course gives teachers practical, thoughtful advice about the seven simple thinking strategies that proficient readers use: connecting reading to their background knowledge, creating sensory images, asking questions, drawing inferences, determining what's important, synthesizing ideas, and solving problems. Instructional Practices and Strategies covered include: understanding the importance of reading for life, how to create sensory images, how to make connections, the use of questioning, how to draw inferences, how to determine importance, how to synthesize information, and how to use fix-up strategies The potential results for student learning--reading comprehension will increase learning in all content areas, increase test scores, and boost grades.
Examining: Robust Vocabulary Instruction
Examining: Robust Vocabulary Instruction is a 3 credit hour, self-paced course that provides participants a research-based framework along with practical strategies for vocabulary development with children from the earliest grades through high school. Educators will learn to select words for instruction; create meaningful learning activities, and engage students in thinking about and saying new words both within and outside the classroom. Effective vocabulary instruction has been shown to will increase learning in all content areas, increase test scores, and boost grades.
Examining: Literacy and Learning in the Content Areas
In this is a 3 credit hour, self-paced course built on the research and expertise of Sharon Kane and presented in her book Literacy & Learning in the Content Areas, 3rd Edition, participants will take a unique approach to teaching content area literacy in middle and high school classrooms that will help build the knowledge, motivation, tools, and confidence needed to integrate literacy in the content areas. Rather than passively learning about strategies for incorporating content area literacy activities, educators will get hands-on experience in many techniques.
Examining: How to Differentiate Instruction in a Mixed-Ability Classroom
Teachers in mixed-ability classrooms face multiple challenges at every grade level. In this is a 3 credit hour, self-paced course, participants will learn what differentiation really means, how to create a differentiated classroom with differentiated lesson plans and grading in order to improve the achievement of all students.
Examining: Fierce Teaching
Even the most well-researched best practices can fail to produce the desired student learning outcomes. In Fierce Teaching, participants will examine the 7 underlying, brain-based, core principles necessary for achieving consistent, positive, learning outcomes. Based on the book of the same name by veteran educator and brain expert Eric Jensen, this 2 credit hour, self-paced course will help educators of any subject and of any grade level maximize their students’ potential to learn.
Examining: Grading for the Benefit of the Student
Grades are tools that should reflect student achievement and support student learning. In this 2 credit hour, self-paced course, participants will learn how to implement a consistent, accurate and meaningful grading system that reflects district standards and supports student learning by avoiding common pitfalls that distort outcomes. Grading for the Benefit of the Student builds on the 15 “fixes” recommended by Ken O’Connor in his text A Repair Kit for Grading and addresses common grading errors that distort achievement, reflect low-quality/organization rather than aptitude, make incorrect calculations and reflect behavior, attendance and other extant factors. Participants will investigate what to do with extra credit, poor attendance, late work, incomplete work, academic dishonesty, and more, in order to maintain an effective grading system that benefits students and more clearly represents academic achievement.
Examining: Making Homework A Win/Win!
How do we make homework relevant and effective for all students? How do we get more students to complete homework? Should we even be assigning homework? This 2 credit hour, self-paced course will investigate these questions about homework and more. Making Homework a Win/Win! begins by investigating the theories, purposes and myths about homework, how they compare to the research and how they apply to a new culture of diverse families, students and lifestyles. Then participants will learn how to make homework an effective tool, how to differentiate assignments and how to apply alternative grading methods. Finally, participants will examine ways to increase homework completion and effectiveness by implementing student and family supports.
Examining: Teaching Math to 21st Century Students
Teaching Math to 21st Century Students is a 3 credit hour course that looks at the factors affecting differentiation in K-8 mathematics classrooms. Participants will examine how the shifts in the dependence upon multiple intelligences theory, advances in the neurosciences, broader teaching variables, technology, and RTI are impacting differentiated math instruction. In addition to examining the shift factors, participants will have a number of opportunities to investigate different strategies and technologies that are part of the "New Differentiation."
Examining: How to Survive & Thrive in the Classroom
How to Survive & Thrive in the Classroom is a 3 credit hour, course that builds on the 7 principles employed by master teachers presented by Robyn R. Jackson in her book Never Work Harder than Your Students. The course begins by teaching participants how to assess students’ cultural and intellectual currency to determine where they are, what they value and where they are going academically. Next, participants will investigate how to use supports and feedback to get students where they need to be. The culminating principle, never work harder than your students, will be discovered as teachers move through the guiding tenets for making students successful.
