Learning FIRST - Waupaca
Summer Institute
Course 1: Strategies for Applying John Hattie’s Work in Today’s Schools
Audience: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Coaches and Administrators
Dates: August 13-17
Time: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM with one hour of lunch built in each day
Credits Available: 3 Graduate Credits @ $100 per credit (still needs to be agreed on by UWO)
Instructors: Eric Larsen, Danica Lewis and Don Smith
Materials Required: 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning by John Hattie
Course Description: Professor John Hattie’s Research has revolutionized the landscape of strategies in education. With over 250 influences to consider, schools need to have a process to understand where to put their time and energy to ensure high levels of learning for ALL students. This session is designed to help educators take the critical research presented by Hattie and apply it in today’s educational setting. Taking a practical approach to complex influences provided by Hattie, educators attending this two day workshop will analyze the top four critical influences that are proven to have a positive impact on student learning and apply within their environment.
As a result of this workshop, participants will:
- Review the current research in education as provided by John Hattie
- Examine four key influences that are practical and effective. These influence include:
- Collective Efficacy (1.57)
- Self Reported Grades (1.33)
- Teacher Estimates of Achievement (1.29)
- RTI (1.29)
- Make connections to other influences as provided by Hattie’s research
- Provide examples of how these influences provided by Hattie are being applied in highly successful districts, schools, and classrooms
- Understand the connections to the School District of Waupaca’s High Reliability MTSS Framework
Course 2: PLC & MTSS 101: Understanding the Key Ideas of a Professional Learning Community in an MTSS Framework
Audience: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Coaches and Administrators
Dates: August 13-17
Time: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM with one hour of lunch built in each day
Credits Available: 3 Graduate Credits @ $100 per credit (still needs to be agreed on by UWO)
Instructors: Danica Lewis and Don Smith
Materials Required: Starting a Movement by Tom Hierck and Kenneth Williams, Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work, DuFour, DuFour, Eaker and Collaborative Systems of Support: Learning For ALL by Weber, Hierck and Larson
Course Description: If you are looking for ways to focus on learning and how to create better learning experiences for students, this course is perfect for you and your team. Come spend an intensive week with our instructors to help your school/district move forward with how to best ensure high levels of learning for ALL students through creating a simplified and systematic approach to both Professional Learning Communities and MTSS. Our instructors will customize your learning experience in this course by sharing their knowledge and implementation strategies on best practices in all of these crucial areas. Engage in this process with colleagues on four critical questions that effective PLCs and MTSS are collectively built upon.
- What are the most important and critical standards and targets our students must learn?
- What types of assessments (formative, summative, and screeners) will we use to have our students demonstrate how they have mastered what they need to know?
- What is our collective response to our students when they experience difficulties in their learning?
- What do we collectively do for students that come to us with pre-existing knowledge and already know what we will be teaching?
Schools often become overwhelmed with both the PLC process and MTSS process and continue to struggle to increase student achievement for ALL students. In several cases, MTSS is still looked at as a gateway to special education, versus a method of prevention from special education. Understanding how the different components of MTSS and PLCs fit together can be very difficult to do and schools need an effective, yet practical approach to this framework and process. This course is designed for K-12 teachers and coaches to understand how a clear and simple MTSS and PLC framework can lead to high levels of learning for ALL students. This framework has been implemented successfully in both low and high performing schools, always leading to improved student achievement and results.
Specifically, this week long course will focus on the following elements required to be a successful Professional Learning Community and school that responds to the needs of ALL students:
- Purpose/History of PLCs and MTSS
- Creating a Culture of Learning and Collective Responsibility
- Student Centered Collaboration Tied to Learning
- Essential Instruction in a PLC and MTSS Framework
- Common Assessments and Universal Screening
- Problem Solving Process for Academic and Behavioral Concerns
- Creating Systems and Frameworks of Interventions and Extended Supports
- Progress Monitoring to Review and Make Instructional Adjustments
- Understand the connections to the School District of Waupaca’s High Reliability MTSS Framework
Throughout the course of this week, participants will be engaged in collaborative discussions around the question, “where are we going” with this framework. Through exploration of these critical components, the presenters will provide a clear picture for what this looks like in our schools and districts. Participants will receive materials that will help guide them in this process and will walk away with several steps on to practically incorporate this framework back in their schools or districts. This will ensure success for ALL students.
Course 3: Best Practices in Literacy Instruction in Grades 4K-8
Audience: 4K-8 Teachers, Instructional Coaches and Administrators
Dates: August 13-17
Time: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM with one hour of lunch built in each day
Credits Available: 3 Graduate Credits @ $100 per credit (still needs to be agreed on by UWO)
Instructors: Melissa Bowman, Lisa Nigl and Amy Lubben (two people each day)
Materials Required: The Fountas and Pinnell Literacy Continuum by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
Course Description: During this interactive workshop, teachers will learn together and then have time to apply their learning through team discussions and guided work. Teams will explore the elements of a balanced literacy workshop in writing, language, and reading. We recommend that teachers attend with a team of their grade-level colleagues.
As a result of this workshop, participants will:
- Learn about evidence-based, best practices for literacy instruction.
- Learn and explore the components of the workshop model of instruction for reading, writing, and language.
- Examine their schedules and classroom structures to prepare for implementation of best practices in literacy.
- Learn how to develop instruction for whole class, small groups, and individuals using assessment information.
- Learn how to incorporate the fundamental skills of phonics and grammar into the workshop model of instruction.
- Understand the connections to the School District of Waupaca’s High Reliability MTSS Framework
Course 4: The Forgotten Curriculum: Building Social Emotional Learning Through Relationships in Today’s Schools
Audience: K-12 Teachers and Instructional Coaches
Dates: August 13-17
Time: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM with one hour of lunch built in each day
Credits Available: 3 Graduate Credits @ $100 per credit (still needs to be agreed on by UWO)
Instructors: Danica Lewis (Days 1-2) and Greg Wolcott (Days 3-5)
Materials Required: Lost at School, Starting a Movement, The Forgotten Curriculum
Course Description: The foundation for success in every great classroom is built upon strong relationships; relationships with the teacher and relationships with and between all students. Understanding each child’s background, prior knowledge, and what motivates them to excel is the best pre-assessment any teacher can have toward starting that relationship. Do you know enough about each student to teach them well? Do your students know each other well enough to feel safe, comfortable and confident taking chances within the classroom?
During this interactive course, teachers will learn together and then have time to apply their learning through team discussions and guided work. Teams will explore the elements of a healthy school climate, for adults and students, which lead to successful student learning.
Participants in this course will:
- Discover how having a deep understanding of each learner’s background enhances engagement and provides a launch pad for personalized instruction.
- Understand the importance of consistently setting aside time to allow for students to get to know the teacher and other students in order for individual success to occur.
- Learn about the elements of a healthy school culture and how to ensure that a culture of learning permeates the school.
- Understand the importance of collective commitment amongst the adults in a school in driving student learning and success.
- Leave with a proven framework to create and maintain relationships with and between students.
- Understand the connections to the School District of Waupaca’s High Reliability MTSS Framework
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