Curated Resources:
Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES FACILITATOR’S GUIDE: Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES PARTICIPANT’S ACTIVITIES For the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES VIDEO COLLECTION
Video 10: Sentence Segmentation
Video 12: Syllables
Video 15: Phonemes Linked to Letters
Video 17: Letter–Sounds
Video 18: Word-Building
Speech to Print
Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, and Word Analysis for Teachers: An Interactive Tutorial, 10th Edition
Dig Deeper
Video 1: Inferential Language, Read Aloud & Discussion
Video 4: Narrative Language, Prediction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?Video 5: Narrative Language, Retell
Video 6: Narrative Language, Main Idea
Video 9: Academic Vocabulary in Text
Video 3: Narrative Language, Connectives
Video 8: Morphology
Takeaways From Moderators:
Welcome to Unit 1. We really enjoyed getting to know you all in the orientation unit and hearing a little bit about where everyone's from and your backgrounds and experiences. Now, in Unit 1 we're really ready to dig into the content and start learning together about the foundational reading skills.
So in Unit 1 we're going to explore two big questions; first, we're going to ask, "What is academic language?" And as we work together to build an answer to this question we're going to be reviewing important content related to the kind of language and language structures that we want to help our elementary children build in our classrooms. The second big question is, "How do you build children's language knowledge in K-3 classrooms?" So in pursuing that question we'll be thinking about some important practical, effective ideas for how we can cultivate language knowledge when we work with children.
So as you know, we have organized this course using a framework around the core elements in Teaching Foundational Reading in K-3 classrooms. As we reviewed in the orientation to this MOOC-Ed, there are many different elements that are incorporated into the teaching of reading and this Unit focuses on several of those important areas.
So this Unit, as you can see, focuses really on language and vocabulary, but, of course, as we talked about before, those components are related to all of the other components that are important to teaching reading in the K-3 classroom.
In this Unit we're going to begin by reading Recommendation One from the Practice Guide. And as we talked about, that Practice Guide is based on research so there's a lot to digest there. So we'll have the rest of the activities to help you kind of dig into that recommendation, figure out what skills your students need to know, and how to foster those skills in the classroom. The next thing you'll do is have a chance to try it out yourself as a learner and see what your students experience when they're grappling with some of this language content. And then, you'll get to look into classrooms and see how teachers are fostering these skills with their students through research based activities.
And, in addition to having a chance to discuss with your colleagues some of the things that you notice and learn from those videos, you'll also have a chance to engage in a discussion around some big issues or lingering questions related to how we build academic language in classrooms. After that, you'll hear from our Expert Panel and they will provide some interesting insights from their review of the research related to language knowledge in the elementary classroom, and then, finally, you will demonstrate your learning by analyzing and producing some artifacts that really show off your new teaching knowledge that you've developed from this MOOC-Ed unit. And, of course, we'll also have the resources for digging deeper that you can look at if you're interested in really diving in more to some of the content that you've encountered here.
So Recommendation One is really about academic language and furthering students' speaking and listening vocabulary, language use, and language comprehension in the classroom.
So one important idea that we will be thinking about in this Unit is how we can help children build their inferential language; and by inferential language we're talking about language that we use to describe things that are not happening in the here and now, talking about things that are not directly stated in a text or are not immediately present when we're having a conversation.
So one important idea that we'll be thinking about in this Unit is how we can help children develop inferential language, and by inferential language we're talking about the language that we use to describe things that are not immediately present or directly stated in a text. So, for example, when you are making an inference while you're reading or while you're listening to a speaker, you're having to connect the information they are giving you with something that you already know in your background knowledge so that process of connecting those ideas together and coming up with something that's not directly there is one part of what we do when we think about using inferential language.
Yes, and the other thing, the other type of language we're going to focus on is narrative language, and that is really about both narrative text, but also, inferential text that have a sequence that follow a structure and it can be about oral language too, so telling a narrative in the classroom is also part of what we're talking about with narrative language.
We often think of narrative language when we think about story structure, but in this Unit we're going to really focus on helping kids build that narrative language in all kinds of text and all kinds of forms of talking because even when you're relating true or non-fiction information, you are having to use — you're having to think about how you can sort of clearly show a sequence of events, for example, that may be happening even if you're not talking about a story.
Right, like retelling a text but also telling what happened in a science experiment, or, something like that.
Exactly, exactly.
And then, of course, part of academic language is vocabulary. And so, we're talking about the different types of academic vocabulary that are important to embed in classroom instruction and to help students access and acquire. So this is both the types of language that students encounter in a text, the vocabulary they need to read or listen and understand a text, and also, the types of language you use for speaking and listening in the classroom in different content areas and around general conversation.
And when we're talking about academic vocabulary, we're not just talking about words and the sort of semantics knowledge, we're also thinking about the structures of text that kids will encounter in school talk and also school text.
So some of the ways you can do this in the classroom are to build in opportunities for discussion and conversation talking about text and talking about other content or other opportunities for students to talk with you as the teacher and with one another. And as a teacher you can really model inferential language, use of narrative, use of different types of vocabulary and provide lots of opportunities for students to practice with those in the classroom.
A lot of times you can create those opportunities through the types of questions that you ask during those discussions of text, right, if you ask sort of an open-ended question that will illicit lots of opportunities for children to use that inferential and narrative language to explain their thinking, to justify their reasoning, and things like that; that can be a good way to use your questioning style to build opportunities for language development.
Yep, and I think it's also important to remember that sometimes we think about academic language and English learners and our ELL students definitely need support with academic language with vocabulary and these different types of genres of text and different language skills but all students really need those, particularly, in the K-3 classroom as they're acquiring the language that you use in school.
And it's important to point out that this is isn't just something you think about when you're teaching a reading lesson, these discussions that you can have that build these academic language skills can easily be integrated into your content area teaching as well, and you can really cultivate lots of talk in your science lessons and in your social studies lessons, in addition to the kinds of text that you might be reading during your language arts block.
Sure, building math vocabulary, retelling what happened in a social studies lesson, in a historical event or something like that would all be part of this classroom language use that we're helping to foster.
So we look forward to hearing all of your thoughts in the discussion and engaging with you more in this Unit. Let's get started!
Welcome to Unit 2 of the Teaching Foundational Reading Skills Course
by Jill Grifenhagen - Friday, October 20, 2017, 4:20 PM
Unit 2 of the Teaching Foundational Reading Skills (TFRS) course is now open! This is our second two-week unit and will be structured similarly to Unit 1. In this unit, we will focus on building students'
phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge to prepare them to read and comprehend texts.
We have been so impressed so far at the enrollment, participation, and engagement. You are clearly a group of dedicated educators, and the discussions have been fruitful and interactive. We particularly appreciate the knowledge sharing that is happening on the discussion forums as you all seek ideas and share what has been effective with your students.
In Unit 2, you will again read the recommendation and how-to steps, then get to refresh your knowledge of phonological awareness and letter-sounds by experiencing this content as your students might. We will peek into the classrooms of teachers working with their students on these skills, and discuss the latest research related to invented spelling and foundational reading. There will also be lots of opportunities to hear from our expert panel, access additional resources, and of course engage in discussion with one another. We can't wait to hear your thoughts on this next set of instructional recommendations!
To access Unit 2, scroll down to the bottom of the Course Home page. While the order is recommended, feel free to select the activities and resources that best meet your needs. If you are planning to try to obtain CEUs, remember to review the requirements for a certificate of completion and complete the required activities. Also, continue to encourage your colleagues to join us!
If you experience any technical difficulties, please contact [email protected].
Thank you for joining us on this journey to ensure all of our students are excellent readers!
-- Jill Grifenhagen, Dennis Davis, Marcia Kosanovich, Glenn Kleiman and the rest of the TRFS team
*As we approach the end of the first week of the two scheduled for the Elements of Reading Foundations and Building Upon Students' Language Knowledge unit, there is already lots of great discussion, with many valuable ideas about helping students develop their oral language and vocabulary skills, engaging students in pair-and-share and small group activities, encouraging parents to support their children's learning, addressing the needs of ELL students, and related topics. There are also insightful postings in the Engage With Research discussion about the research on teaching expository text structures to your children. We also have a growing set of postings in the Demonstrate Your Learning activity, and invite you add your own and to review and respond to your colleagues' ideas there.
I'm intrigued by the results of the Try it Yourself activity that uses Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem Jabberwocky. We've had 210 participants complete the short survey about your impressions of word pronunciations, parts of speech, and meanings. There are a wide range of responses, showing how we each actively interpret text, but not necessarily in the same way. For example, 33% of the respondents visualized a Jabberwock to look like a large bird, while about 15% visualized it to look like a dinosaur and 10% a sea creature. I'll begin a discussion topic where you can share your thoughts about this activity.
A reminder, once again, that our MOOC-Ed courses are designed for self-directed, job-connected, and peer-supported learning, and we invite you to engage in whatever ways help you meet your own professional learning goals. Registration remains open, so it is not too late to suggest that colleagues register, and it is valuable to work with local colleagues on the course.
To access each unit, scroll down to the bottom of the Course Home page and you will see each of the units as they become available. Also note the pull-down menu under your name on the menu bar at the top of each page. If you choose Profile you will be able to update your information, add your picture, and access all of your forum postings.
Two final notes: (1) If you are planning to obtain CEUs, please be sure to review the requirements for a certificate of completion; and (2) If you experience any technical difficulties, please contact [email protected].
We are thrilled with your response to this course so far — this is the first time we've run it — and look forward to continuing to learn together.
Glenn Kleiman, Jill Grifenhagen, Dennis Davis, Marcia Kosanovich and the rest of the TRFS team
Next unit of the Teaching Reading MOOC-Ed is open
by Glenn Kleiman - Friday, October 6, 2017, 4:41 PM
Wow, what a great start to the Teaching Foundational Reading Skills (TFRS) course! It's a pleasure to meet everyone online and we are excited about the great diversity of educators who are participating. We have people registered from 40 states and 35 countries, with groups from the Northern Mariana Islands, Thailand, Bahamas, Canada, Nigeria, and Grenada and representation from many other countries. We have large groups from North Carolina and Georgia, where the course has been promoted by state leaders. About 50% of the participants are classroom teachers, 15% special educators, 8% curriculum and instruction leaders, with professional development leaders, school administrators, university faculty, and others represented. In terms of experience, 24% have 5 or fewer years of experience and 23% have more than 20 years, so we cover the full range. Most participants are women — 93% — which is expected given the early elementary focus. Almost all have a 4-year degree; more than half have a masters degrees; and 7% have doctorates. What a wonderful class!
Unit 1, a two-week unit focusing on
Advancing Students' Speaking and Listening Skills, is now open, and the (unnumbered) Getting Started unit remains available. This unit, and each of the following ones, will provide you will opportunities to engage in a reflection activity; read the teaching recommendation and how-to steps; view classroom videos; share ideas and information with others; hear from our expert panel; demonstrate your learning; engage with research; explore additional resources; and complete a short survey. We appreciate your input and suggestions for improving the course (this is the first time it is being run).
Please remember that our MOOC-Ed courses are designed for self-directed, job-connected, and peer-supported learning, and we invite you to engage in whatever ways help you meet your own professional learning goals.
To access each unit, scroll down to the bottom of the Course Home page and you will see each of the units as they become available. You can check off the gray boxes on the Course Home page to help you keep track of pages you have completed. Also note the pull-down menu under your name on the menu bar at the top of each page. If you choose Profile you will be able to update your information and access all of your forum postings.
If you are planning to obtain CEUs, please be sure to review the requirements for a certificate of completion for either 20 or 30 hours of professional development. Also, registration remains open, so it is not too late to suggest that colleagues register. We have found that those who work through the course with one or more local colleagues gain extra benefits. Use this link to invite your fellow educators to join you in your professional learning journey.
If you experience any technical difficulties, please contact [email protected].
We look forward to continuing to learn with and from you in this online professional learning experience.
-- Glenn Kleiman, Jill Grifenhagen, Dennis Davis, Marcia Kosanovich and the rest of the TRFS team
(Edited by Alex Dreier - original submission Friday, 6 October 2017, 4:38 PM)
Teaching Foundational Reading Skills Course is open
by Glenn Kleiman - Saturday, September 30, 2017, 11:27 AM
The start of October also marks the start of the Teaching Foundational Reading Skills (TFRS) course. The one-week Getting Started unit is ready for you to begin. It will be followed by four two-week units, each focusing on one major recommendation for teaching K-3 students to read. (Prior units will remain available as new ones are added.)
Our MOOC-Ed courses are designed for self-directed, job-connected, and peer-supported learning. The course provides a rich array of resources--classroom videos, discussion forums, expert panels, research summaries, activities for you and your students, and additional resources--and we invite you to engage in whatever ways help you meet your own professional learning goals. We understand the busy lives of educators and design our courses so you can engage in the course whenever you have time available.
If you are plan to obtain CEUs, please be sure to review the requirements for a certificate of completion for either 20 or 30 hours of professional development. You will have until the end of December to complete your work, and then the course materials will remain available to you through the next semester. Also, registration will remain open for the first few weeks of the course, so it is not too late to suggest that colleagues register. We have found that those who work through the course with one or more local colleagues gain extra benefits.
In the getting started unit, you will meet the course facilitators, Jill Grifenhagen and Dennis Davis, both faculty of Literacy Education at the NC State University College of Education. They will introduce you to the course and how it is organized. You will then view a "mashup" video showing some of the classroom practices we will explore in depth later in the course, and also meet our expert panelist who you will hear from in each unit. Please introduce yourself and begin sharing your ideas in the discussion forum -- we look forward to meeting you and learning from your ideas and experiences!
To access each unit, scroll down to the bottom of the Course Home page and you will see each of the units as they become available. You can check off the gray boxes on the Course Home page to help you keep track of pages you have completed (some may check automatically). Also note the pull-down menu under your name on the menu bar at the top of each page. If you choose Profile you will be able to update your information and access all of your forum postings.
If you experience any technical difficulties during the course, please contact [email protected].
Thank you for joining us in this online professional learning experience.
Glenn Kleiman, Jill Grifenhagen, Dennis Davis, Marcia Kosanovich and the rest of the TRFS team
Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES FACILITATOR’S GUIDE: Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES PARTICIPANT’S ACTIVITIES For the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES VIDEO COLLECTION
Video 10: Sentence Segmentation
Video 12: Syllables
Video 15: Phonemes Linked to Letters
Video 17: Letter–Sounds
Video 18: Word-Building
Speech to Print
Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, and Word Analysis for Teachers: An Interactive Tutorial, 10th Edition
Dig Deeper
Video 1: Inferential Language, Read Aloud & Discussion
Video 4: Narrative Language, Prediction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?Video 5: Narrative Language, Retell
Video 6: Narrative Language, Main Idea
Video 9: Academic Vocabulary in Text
Video 3: Narrative Language, Connectives
Video 8: Morphology
Takeaways From Moderators:
Welcome to Unit 1. We really enjoyed getting to know you all in the orientation unit and hearing a little bit about where everyone's from and your backgrounds and experiences. Now, in Unit 1 we're really ready to dig into the content and start learning together about the foundational reading skills.
So in Unit 1 we're going to explore two big questions; first, we're going to ask, "What is academic language?" And as we work together to build an answer to this question we're going to be reviewing important content related to the kind of language and language structures that we want to help our elementary children build in our classrooms. The second big question is, "How do you build children's language knowledge in K-3 classrooms?" So in pursuing that question we'll be thinking about some important practical, effective ideas for how we can cultivate language knowledge when we work with children.
So as you know, we have organized this course using a framework around the core elements in Teaching Foundational Reading in K-3 classrooms. As we reviewed in the orientation to this MOOC-Ed, there are many different elements that are incorporated into the teaching of reading and this Unit focuses on several of those important areas.
So this Unit, as you can see, focuses really on language and vocabulary, but, of course, as we talked about before, those components are related to all of the other components that are important to teaching reading in the K-3 classroom.
In this Unit we're going to begin by reading Recommendation One from the Practice Guide. And as we talked about, that Practice Guide is based on research so there's a lot to digest there. So we'll have the rest of the activities to help you kind of dig into that recommendation, figure out what skills your students need to know, and how to foster those skills in the classroom. The next thing you'll do is have a chance to try it out yourself as a learner and see what your students experience when they're grappling with some of this language content. And then, you'll get to look into classrooms and see how teachers are fostering these skills with their students through research based activities.
And, in addition to having a chance to discuss with your colleagues some of the things that you notice and learn from those videos, you'll also have a chance to engage in a discussion around some big issues or lingering questions related to how we build academic language in classrooms. After that, you'll hear from our Expert Panel and they will provide some interesting insights from their review of the research related to language knowledge in the elementary classroom, and then, finally, you will demonstrate your learning by analyzing and producing some artifacts that really show off your new teaching knowledge that you've developed from this MOOC-Ed unit. And, of course, we'll also have the resources for digging deeper that you can look at if you're interested in really diving in more to some of the content that you've encountered here.
So Recommendation One is really about academic language and furthering students' speaking and listening vocabulary, language use, and language comprehension in the classroom.
So one important idea that we will be thinking about in this Unit is how we can help children build their inferential language; and by inferential language we're talking about language that we use to describe things that are not happening in the here and now, talking about things that are not directly stated in a text or are not immediately present when we're having a conversation.
So one important idea that we'll be thinking about in this Unit is how we can help children develop inferential language, and by inferential language we're talking about the language that we use to describe things that are not immediately present or directly stated in a text. So, for example, when you are making an inference while you're reading or while you're listening to a speaker, you're having to connect the information they are giving you with something that you already know in your background knowledge so that process of connecting those ideas together and coming up with something that's not directly there is one part of what we do when we think about using inferential language.
Yes, and the other thing, the other type of language we're going to focus on is narrative language, and that is really about both narrative text, but also, inferential text that have a sequence that follow a structure and it can be about oral language too, so telling a narrative in the classroom is also part of what we're talking about with narrative language.
We often think of narrative language when we think about story structure, but in this Unit we're going to really focus on helping kids build that narrative language in all kinds of text and all kinds of forms of talking because even when you're relating true or non-fiction information, you are having to use — you're having to think about how you can sort of clearly show a sequence of events, for example, that may be happening even if you're not talking about a story.
Right, like retelling a text but also telling what happened in a science experiment, or, something like that.
Exactly, exactly.
And then, of course, part of academic language is vocabulary. And so, we're talking about the different types of academic vocabulary that are important to embed in classroom instruction and to help students access and acquire. So this is both the types of language that students encounter in a text, the vocabulary they need to read or listen and understand a text, and also, the types of language you use for speaking and listening in the classroom in different content areas and around general conversation.
And when we're talking about academic vocabulary, we're not just talking about words and the sort of semantics knowledge, we're also thinking about the structures of text that kids will encounter in school talk and also school text.
So some of the ways you can do this in the classroom are to build in opportunities for discussion and conversation talking about text and talking about other content or other opportunities for students to talk with you as the teacher and with one another. And as a teacher you can really model inferential language, use of narrative, use of different types of vocabulary and provide lots of opportunities for students to practice with those in the classroom.
A lot of times you can create those opportunities through the types of questions that you ask during those discussions of text, right, if you ask sort of an open-ended question that will illicit lots of opportunities for children to use that inferential and narrative language to explain their thinking, to justify their reasoning, and things like that; that can be a good way to use your questioning style to build opportunities for language development.
Yep, and I think it's also important to remember that sometimes we think about academic language and English learners and our ELL students definitely need support with academic language with vocabulary and these different types of genres of text and different language skills but all students really need those, particularly, in the K-3 classroom as they're acquiring the language that you use in school.
And it's important to point out that this is isn't just something you think about when you're teaching a reading lesson, these discussions that you can have that build these academic language skills can easily be integrated into your content area teaching as well, and you can really cultivate lots of talk in your science lessons and in your social studies lessons, in addition to the kinds of text that you might be reading during your language arts block.
Sure, building math vocabulary, retelling what happened in a social studies lesson, in a historical event or something like that would all be part of this classroom language use that we're helping to foster.
So we look forward to hearing all of your thoughts in the discussion and engaging with you more in this Unit. Let's get started!
Welcome to Unit 2 of the Teaching Foundational Reading Skills Course
by Jill Grifenhagen - Friday, October 20, 2017, 4:20 PM
Unit 2 of the Teaching Foundational Reading Skills (TFRS) course is now open! This is our second two-week unit and will be structured similarly to Unit 1. In this unit, we will focus on building students'
phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge to prepare them to read and comprehend texts.
We have been so impressed so far at the enrollment, participation, and engagement. You are clearly a group of dedicated educators, and the discussions have been fruitful and interactive. We particularly appreciate the knowledge sharing that is happening on the discussion forums as you all seek ideas and share what has been effective with your students.
In Unit 2, you will again read the recommendation and how-to steps, then get to refresh your knowledge of phonological awareness and letter-sounds by experiencing this content as your students might. We will peek into the classrooms of teachers working with their students on these skills, and discuss the latest research related to invented spelling and foundational reading. There will also be lots of opportunities to hear from our expert panel, access additional resources, and of course engage in discussion with one another. We can't wait to hear your thoughts on this next set of instructional recommendations!
To access Unit 2, scroll down to the bottom of the Course Home page. While the order is recommended, feel free to select the activities and resources that best meet your needs. If you are planning to try to obtain CEUs, remember to review the requirements for a certificate of completion and complete the required activities. Also, continue to encourage your colleagues to join us!
If you experience any technical difficulties, please contact [email protected].
Thank you for joining us on this journey to ensure all of our students are excellent readers!
-- Jill Grifenhagen, Dennis Davis, Marcia Kosanovich, Glenn Kleiman and the rest of the TRFS team
*As we approach the end of the first week of the two scheduled for the Elements of Reading Foundations and Building Upon Students' Language Knowledge unit, there is already lots of great discussion, with many valuable ideas about helping students develop their oral language and vocabulary skills, engaging students in pair-and-share and small group activities, encouraging parents to support their children's learning, addressing the needs of ELL students, and related topics. There are also insightful postings in the Engage With Research discussion about the research on teaching expository text structures to your children. We also have a growing set of postings in the Demonstrate Your Learning activity, and invite you add your own and to review and respond to your colleagues' ideas there.
I'm intrigued by the results of the Try it Yourself activity that uses Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem Jabberwocky. We've had 210 participants complete the short survey about your impressions of word pronunciations, parts of speech, and meanings. There are a wide range of responses, showing how we each actively interpret text, but not necessarily in the same way. For example, 33% of the respondents visualized a Jabberwock to look like a large bird, while about 15% visualized it to look like a dinosaur and 10% a sea creature. I'll begin a discussion topic where you can share your thoughts about this activity.
A reminder, once again, that our MOOC-Ed courses are designed for self-directed, job-connected, and peer-supported learning, and we invite you to engage in whatever ways help you meet your own professional learning goals. Registration remains open, so it is not too late to suggest that colleagues register, and it is valuable to work with local colleagues on the course.
To access each unit, scroll down to the bottom of the Course Home page and you will see each of the units as they become available. Also note the pull-down menu under your name on the menu bar at the top of each page. If you choose Profile you will be able to update your information, add your picture, and access all of your forum postings.
Two final notes: (1) If you are planning to obtain CEUs, please be sure to review the requirements for a certificate of completion; and (2) If you experience any technical difficulties, please contact [email protected].
We are thrilled with your response to this course so far — this is the first time we've run it — and look forward to continuing to learn together.
Glenn Kleiman, Jill Grifenhagen, Dennis Davis, Marcia Kosanovich and the rest of the TRFS team
Next unit of the Teaching Reading MOOC-Ed is open
by Glenn Kleiman - Friday, October 6, 2017, 4:41 PM
Wow, what a great start to the Teaching Foundational Reading Skills (TFRS) course! It's a pleasure to meet everyone online and we are excited about the great diversity of educators who are participating. We have people registered from 40 states and 35 countries, with groups from the Northern Mariana Islands, Thailand, Bahamas, Canada, Nigeria, and Grenada and representation from many other countries. We have large groups from North Carolina and Georgia, where the course has been promoted by state leaders. About 50% of the participants are classroom teachers, 15% special educators, 8% curriculum and instruction leaders, with professional development leaders, school administrators, university faculty, and others represented. In terms of experience, 24% have 5 or fewer years of experience and 23% have more than 20 years, so we cover the full range. Most participants are women — 93% — which is expected given the early elementary focus. Almost all have a 4-year degree; more than half have a masters degrees; and 7% have doctorates. What a wonderful class!
Unit 1, a two-week unit focusing on
Advancing Students' Speaking and Listening Skills, is now open, and the (unnumbered) Getting Started unit remains available. This unit, and each of the following ones, will provide you will opportunities to engage in a reflection activity; read the teaching recommendation and how-to steps; view classroom videos; share ideas and information with others; hear from our expert panel; demonstrate your learning; engage with research; explore additional resources; and complete a short survey. We appreciate your input and suggestions for improving the course (this is the first time it is being run).
Please remember that our MOOC-Ed courses are designed for self-directed, job-connected, and peer-supported learning, and we invite you to engage in whatever ways help you meet your own professional learning goals.
To access each unit, scroll down to the bottom of the Course Home page and you will see each of the units as they become available. You can check off the gray boxes on the Course Home page to help you keep track of pages you have completed. Also note the pull-down menu under your name on the menu bar at the top of each page. If you choose Profile you will be able to update your information and access all of your forum postings.
If you are planning to obtain CEUs, please be sure to review the requirements for a certificate of completion for either 20 or 30 hours of professional development. Also, registration remains open, so it is not too late to suggest that colleagues register. We have found that those who work through the course with one or more local colleagues gain extra benefits. Use this link to invite your fellow educators to join you in your professional learning journey.
If you experience any technical difficulties, please contact [email protected].
We look forward to continuing to learn with and from you in this online professional learning experience.
-- Glenn Kleiman, Jill Grifenhagen, Dennis Davis, Marcia Kosanovich and the rest of the TRFS team
(Edited by Alex Dreier - original submission Friday, 6 October 2017, 4:38 PM)
Teaching Foundational Reading Skills Course is open
by Glenn Kleiman - Saturday, September 30, 2017, 11:27 AM
The start of October also marks the start of the Teaching Foundational Reading Skills (TFRS) course. The one-week Getting Started unit is ready for you to begin. It will be followed by four two-week units, each focusing on one major recommendation for teaching K-3 students to read. (Prior units will remain available as new ones are added.)
Our MOOC-Ed courses are designed for self-directed, job-connected, and peer-supported learning. The course provides a rich array of resources--classroom videos, discussion forums, expert panels, research summaries, activities for you and your students, and additional resources--and we invite you to engage in whatever ways help you meet your own professional learning goals. We understand the busy lives of educators and design our courses so you can engage in the course whenever you have time available.
If you are plan to obtain CEUs, please be sure to review the requirements for a certificate of completion for either 20 or 30 hours of professional development. You will have until the end of December to complete your work, and then the course materials will remain available to you through the next semester. Also, registration will remain open for the first few weeks of the course, so it is not too late to suggest that colleagues register. We have found that those who work through the course with one or more local colleagues gain extra benefits.
In the getting started unit, you will meet the course facilitators, Jill Grifenhagen and Dennis Davis, both faculty of Literacy Education at the NC State University College of Education. They will introduce you to the course and how it is organized. You will then view a "mashup" video showing some of the classroom practices we will explore in depth later in the course, and also meet our expert panelist who you will hear from in each unit. Please introduce yourself and begin sharing your ideas in the discussion forum -- we look forward to meeting you and learning from your ideas and experiences!
To access each unit, scroll down to the bottom of the Course Home page and you will see each of the units as they become available. You can check off the gray boxes on the Course Home page to help you keep track of pages you have completed (some may check automatically). Also note the pull-down menu under your name on the menu bar at the top of each page. If you choose Profile you will be able to update your information and access all of your forum postings.
If you experience any technical difficulties during the course, please contact [email protected].
Thank you for joining us in this online professional learning experience.
Glenn Kleiman, Jill Grifenhagen, Dennis Davis, Marcia Kosanovich and the rest of the TRFS team