Professional Learning Courses and Programmes
Professional learning experiences are generally designed to meet specific needs in a school. In addition, a variety of programs and processes are available.
In School Workshops 2010
The following professional learning experiences are adaptable to the specific needs in a school. Some are available as packages that can be run in schools by a member of staff, others will require one of our consultants to facilitate the process in your school.
All professional learning experiences are designed to meet individual school needs and may be available as a staff meeting, short presentation, or long-term staff development.
Personalised Staff Development
Contact
us for information on consultancy support in schools and classrooms to enhance
the teaching of literacy from Kindergarten and Year 6.
A proposal for your school will be developed in consultation with the Leadership Team and the school Literacy Leader. There is a range of options including staff meetings, individual support, mentoring, in class demonstrations of key literacy strategies and development of school Literacy plans.
The range of professional learning opportunities include:
Developing a Whole School Literacy
Plan
A whole school Literacy plan is essential to provide the staff with shared understandings that in turn will provide students with consistent
teaching and learning across the school. With a plan in place to guide teaching and assessment, the teachers can build on the skills and knowledge
learned from year to year.
We can assist in the development of your Whole School Literacy Plan and provide a plan for annual review to ensure the document remains useful and current.
The development process is time efficient ultimately resulting in a practical user-friendly document.
Mentoring
We can provide skilled mentors to work with individual staff whether they be beginning teachers, teachers returning to the work force, teachers seeking promotion or teachers seeking to improve approaches to teaching and learning. Alternatively we can support and/or mentor the leadership team planning whole school change in Literacy.
Guided Reading for
Better Outcomes
This session includes a definition and demonstration of Guided Reading. In
addition the use of small group instructional reading groups (Reciprocal Reading,
Literature Circles and Readers’ Circles) within a balanced reading program
are described in detail.
During the session it is explained how to incorporate the use of comprehension
strategies before reading, during reading and after reading in order that the
teacher can facilitate the small group sessions for maximum benefit.
What Are the Others Doing?
This session explores setting up the classroom for Guided Reading and effective small group learning. The classroom management necessary to set up the classroom for group work is discussed. A range of suitable activities for individuals or small groups are described in addition to ways to facilitate engagment. Links will be made to outcomes.
Writing in a Balanced Literacy Program
The session explores
modeled, shared, guided and independent writing as useful approaches to the
teaching of writing if used at the point of need. The session will look at the role of audience and purpose in the teaching of writing. The teaching of text types and the role of process in becoming a writer are also covered. The
workshop can stand-alone or be run in conjunction with the Spelling and Reading
days.
Teaching Writing: Understanding the Role of Process, Purpose,
Audience
This session is based on Writing Instruction K-6: Understanding Process,
Purpose, Audience (2006) by Turbill and Bean published by Richard Owens
Publishers NY
It is a practical session with lots of samples to show the impact of the reading/writing connection
on student writing at all ages.
Book available from: http://www.rcowen.com/index.htm
or MTA in Australia: http://www.teaching.com.au/pd_conferences.asp
Reading for Meaning
This whole day session will focus on deeply understanding the reading process
in order to examine current practice and reading materials in use. Participants
will be guided to explore major teaching strategies including Guided Reading,
Reciprocal Teaching, Shared Reading, Modeled Reading and Readers’ Circle. The workshop can stand-alone or be presented in conjunction with the days on
Spelling and Writing.
Spelling in a Balanced Literacy Program
This session guides participants to explore approaches to teaching of spelling. The focus is on teaching strategies to improve students'
use of correct spelling when writing. The session explores strategies students use when
spelling as well as strategies for teaching spelling. The workshop also explores the use of proofreading as a strategy to improve spelling. Recent research in schools has
demonstrated that the approach to proofreading used, called ‘Read
and Spell’ results in rapid improvements in the student's use
of correct spelling when writing, that is the transfer of explicit teaching of spelling skills when writing. Student work samples are used to demonstrate
this strategy. This workshop can stand-alone or be presented in conjunction
with the days on Writing and Reading.
Parents
Parents and caregivers are essential partners in the learning process. Our
parent program 'Read to Me', gives participants an understanding of the reading
and writing process.
The course gives many practical suggestions to use at home to develop an interest
in reading and writing as well as supporting your child with Literacy at school.
Social Skills
'Successful Behaviours' is a social skills program with a literacy focus. It
was developed and trialled in a local school with outstanding results. The
main aim of the program is to improve student behaviour by building self-esteem
and empowering children to use language in effective ways. The power of the
program is in the whole school approach.
The program aims to put in place a discipline and social skills program that:
- Is used in conjunction with the school discipline policy.
- Prevents most misbehaviour.
- Redirects behaviour positively.
- Promotes trusting relationships between the teacher and students.
- Is accepted as fair by students.
- Engenders parental support and assistance.
- Is efficient and easy to use.
- Is firm, consistent and is driven by high expectations.
Teaching Writing Is Not Teaching Genre
In many parts of Australia the teaching of writing is becoming formulaic as
students are simply taught the formulae for various text types. We assert that if we broaden teachers’ focus on writing and move away
from this current classroom practice teachers can begin to identify quite different
criteria as to what makes ‘good’ writing. Such criteria help teachers
understand the relationship between audience, purpose and linguistic choice.
This session explores the features of good writing by examining excerpts from
children’s literature and student writing samples. Participants
will be given the opportunity to explore the relationship between audience,
purpose and linguistic choice. Finally we will demonstrate what this means
for the teaching of writing in K-6 classrooms.
This session is based on Writing Instruction K-6: Understanding Process, Purpose, Audience (2006) by Turbill and Bean published by Richard Owens Publishers NY
It is a practical session with lots of samples to show the impact of this approach on student writing at all ages.
Book available from: http://www.rcowen.com/index.htm
Exploring School Culture
This session leads the Leadership Team and/or staff through a process to examine
the school culture. School
culture is discussed within the interdependent categories of school community,
values and beliefs, processes and conditions.
Using a model as a framework, this session aims to summarise some of the considerations
related to these quadrants and provide background research so that you can
begin to think more deeply about the existing culture in your school from a
range of viewpoints. It provides
a starting point for some reflection through useful tools to use with
staff.
Rubrics for Student and Teacher Assessment
This session explains how to develop rubrics for the classroom. The session
provides a range of examples of student and teacher rubrics to assist in
quality classroom assessment that is consistent and non-judgmental.
Other Topics presented recently
Developing a Balanced Approach to Teaching Literacy
Developing an Effective Literacy Block
Whole School Approaches to Spelling
Improving Spelling Scores Through Proofreading
Reading in the Early Years - Process and Strategies
Reading in the Primary School - Process and Strategies
Major Reading Strategies: Guided Reading, Reciprocal Teaching, Reader's Circle
and Retelling.
Authentic Assessment
In 2009 afternoon workshops were available in a range of locations.
Term 1 we presented practical workshops on the following topics:
- What are the others doing?
Organising the classroom for Guided Reading
Summary of PowerPoint used in the session
- Teaching and Writing Narrative
Understanding the NAPLAN rubric
Summary of PowerPoint used in the session
- Reading with Comprehension
Identifying and teaching comprehension strategies
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