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COURSE TITLE:

ACCESSING FREE ONLINE LITERACY RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

NO. OF CREDITS:

6 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 4.00 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:  
OREGON PDUs:  
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:  		 60
60
60

INSTRUCTOR:

Rachelle Mulder
rachelle.mulder@mead354.org

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Accessing Free Online Literacy Resources for Teachers will be a game changer in your literacy instruction.  This interactive and practical course will give you the opportunity to explore a wide range of FREE literacy tools.  These online resources support you in enhancing your instructional practices and promoting literacy skills in your students.  We will dive into reputable websites such as FCRR (Florida Center for Reading Research) and UFLI (University of Florida Learning Institute), which offer evidence-based strategies and research-driven approaches to literacy instruction.  You will also delve into online resources like ReadWorks, Reading A-Z, The Six Shifts, and videos, providing a wealth of literacy materials that will make teaching easier and more effective.

You will leave this class with a whole new set of tools for your literacy toolkit of excellent online reading resources to enrich your teaching and empower your students’ literacy growth.  Join me and unlock the potential of these incredible resources for your classroom!

The course is PERFECT for teachers to take individually or with your grade level team to bring about change in your school and students.  It is appropriate for elementary teachers, including SPED and LAP teachers. 

No book is required for this course … all the resources are FREE!

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

  1. Been introduced to a variety of free online literacy tools.
  2. Created personalized classroom routines that will enhance your student’s literacy instruction.
  3. Engaged in research, activities, and evaluations to evaluate the effectiveness of these online resources.
  4. Integrated new literacy resources into the classroom routine.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

The use of artificial intelligence is not permitted. Assignment responses found to be generated by AI will not be accepted.
 

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.

 

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

  1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
  2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
  3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

 

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

None - all reading is done online.

None. All reading is online.

MATERIALS FEE

None.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. 
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

Assignment #1: Introduction: Reasons for taking this course.

1.     Watch the video, The Simple View of Reading, by Linda Farrell.
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhpHr3SC7hk

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BhpHr3SC7hk

2.     Make a video answering the following questions.

  • Introduce yourself, where you teach, what you teach, how long you have been teaching, and the demographics of the students you teach.
  • Tell me about your family, pets, hobbies, and anything that will help me know you better.
  • Talk about the things you love about teaching.
  • Discuss one of the challenges you are facing with your students.
  • Share a little about your background information/knowledge about teaching children to read.
  • What are three things that you hope you learn in this class?

Post a link to your video

Assignment #2: Exploring the Florida Center for Reading Research

  1. Read the first half of the article, Reading is Rocket Science 2020, by Lousia Moats. https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/moats.pdf (pgs. 1-13)
  2. Log onto the Florida Center for Reading Research, https://fcrr.org/
  3. Spend time exploring the different aspects of their site. (Excluding the FCRR student center activities tab – we will focus on that in Assignment #3)
  4. Take 1-2 pages of notes about things you noticed about the site and how you might use them in your classroom; make these useful for you.

Post your response.

Assignment #3: Florida Center for Reading Research Student Center Activities

  1. Read the second half of the article, Reading is Rocket Science 2020, by Lousia Moats. https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/moats.pdf (pgs. 14-28)
  2. Go to the Student Center Activities Tab on FCCR site https://fcrr.org/student-center-activities and watch this quick loom video about the site. https://www.loom.com/share/e89cf06a5f3243e1b2f3177baae1e5fe
  3. Select 5 resources to research and make for your students.
  4. Fill out the following Google Form about the resources you chose.  You will be answering the following questions:
  • What activity did you choose? 
  • Why?
  • What grade level is it for? 
  • What skill will the students be practicing?
  • How will you organize student materials?
  • When will you use it in your classroom? 
  • What are some potential challenges with the resource, and how will you plan around those challenges?
  • If you were able to try it with your students, what was their response?https://forms.gle/g4RbfGyeWXN1d2UZ6

+++(don’t forget to click “submit” on the Google Form when you are done, and on the Heritage site, you can just type “submitted.”)

Post your response.

Assignment #4: The Six Shifts (Part 1)

  1. Read the article, Dear Literacy Educator.
    https://thesixshifts.com/2021/08/dear-literacy-educator-a-message-from-jan-and-kari/
  2. Watch this introductory Loom video.
    https://www.loom.com/share/a94072644ac14701b36aac37569bd547
  3. Explore the free downloadable resources found here:
    https://thesixshifts.com/downloads/
  4. Create an engaging 4-5 slide PowerPoint titled: Free Literacy Resources from Jan Burkins and Kari Yates.  This PowerPoint could be geared toward sharing with your colleagues.  Please highlight 4 or 5 tools that they share and how you could use them with your students.

Post your response.

Assignment #5: The Six Shifts (Part 2)

  1. Read this free E-book.
    https://www.flipsnack.com/janburkins/a-teacher-friendly-guide-to-reading-research/full-view.html
  2. Choose 1 resource from their downloads section that you would like to make and implement in your classroom.
  3. Choose, make, and organize this resource for your class. 
  4. Write a 1 to 2-page paper or 3-5 minute video  answering the following questions:
  • What activity did you choose? 
  • Why?
  • What grade level is it for? 
  • What skill will the students be practicing?
  • How will you organize student materials?
  • When will you use it in your classroom? 
  • What are some potential challenges with the resource, and how will you plan around those challenges?
  • If you were able to try it with your students, what was their response?

Post your response or video link

Assignment #6: ReadWorks Background Information

  1. Read this article, The Magic of Words.
    https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1043526.pdf
  2. Watch this quick Loom video about how to create a free ReadWorks account. https://www.loom.com/share/511f65d4d7d44ce083f6dbb6cc61e05f
  3. Watch two videos–one a quick overview and the second a 50-minute video on all the reading tools you can use on the ReadWorks site: 
    https://www.readworks.org/teacher-guide/introduction-to-readworks.html
  4. Take 1-2 pages of notes while watching the videos that include key learning, things you want to explore further, or ideas you don’t want to forget when using the site in the future.

Post your response.

Assignment #7: ReadWorks

  1. Read the articles, Building Background Knowledge and Growing Vocabularies https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VnFxXvVoLjZZyaN5MwBp_bsrgDKccB5rDbkzJ8YCX2o/edit
  2. Choose two (2) articles on the bibliographies list that you are interested in and are applicable to your professional growth.  This quick loom video directs you to the articles you can choose from.  https://www.loom.com/share/8ddad200ece2459a8ba0e34a23405ea8
  3. Create a PowerPoint (minimum of 5 slides) describing the important components of vocabulary instruction from the two (2) articles that you read.

Post your response.

Assignment #8: UFLI-Virtual Teaching Resource Hub

  1. Go to this website and watch all of the videos listed there.
    https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/resources/teaching-resources/webinars/

   2. Record a 3-5 minute video or a 1-2 page reflection paper about some of the important
       things you learned about the UFLI site, what resources you plan to use in your
       classrooms, and what questions you still have and what resources. 

Assignment #9: UFLI-University of Florida Literacy Institute/Decodable Text

  1. Explore these resources for decodable text:
    https://www.thereadingleague.org/decodable-text-sources/?utm_source=The+Reading+League+Membership&utm_campaign=de721ecebc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_June_Newsetter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0c1a78d340-de721ecebc-376747082&mc_cid=de721ecebc&mc_eid=4ec0b831de
  2. Spend 1-2 hours exploring all the decodable resources, including decodable texts from the UFLI website.
  3. Write a 1-2 page letter to other teachers (who teach your same grade level) telling them about 3-5 decodable text resources that are available and how they might use them in their classrooms.

Post your response.

Assignment #10: Digital Online Apps and Websites

  1. Go to Apps and Websites to Build Literacy Skills: Top Picks from Common Sense Education. https://www.readingrockets.org/resources/literacy-apps
  2. Explore each of these subject areas:(all on the above website)
  • Beginning Readers
  • Phonics
  • Spelling
  • Vocabulary
  • Elementary school resources
  • Storytelling
  • Writing
  • Assistive technology for reading 

   3.  Write a 2-3 page newsletter highlighting some of the great apps and websites you discovered that will help other teachers in your building teach reading.

Post your response.

Assignment #11: Reading A-Z or RAZ kids

  1. Go to Reading A-Z (https://www.readinga-z.com/)
  2. Sign up for a free 14-day subscription
  3. Explore all the tools that are available-

Assignment #12: Jan Richardson guided reading videos - The Next Step Forward

  1. Watch: https://www.scholastic.com/content/educators/en/pro/thenextstepforwardinguidedreading.html
  2. Put in the password-”results”(without quotation marks)--watch this Loom video for directions: https://www.loom.com/share/c5e5e55cd41c4800a092d4115f4affc1
  3. Fill out this Google form about 16 videos that you watched, four (4) from each level-https://forms.gle/EaWrZAV8WXFZ3n7X7
  4. Make sure to click SUBMIT at the bottom.

Post your response on the Heritage site that says, “Submitted Google Form.”

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. ​Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

 

Assignment #13: Online Reading Resources

In a 2–3-page reflection paper, analyze your strengths and areas of growth as a teacher when reflecting on all you have learned during this course.  Please focus on things that you are currently doing as a teacher that support ALL the learners in your classroom as well as areas that you want to improve on or implement new strategies to meet your student’s needs.

Post your response.

Assignment #14: Lesson Plan Development

Complete one (1) of the following options:

Option A)

  • Adapt/create a lesson using a tool you have learned about in this class. 
  • Implement your lesson with students in your classroom.
  • Write a 450-500 word commentary on what worked well and what could be improved.
  • Include any student feedback or noteworthy student products.
  • Submit your lesson to your instructor via the lesson tab below.
  • Share what you've learned with other teachers taking our courses by checking the lesson library box when you submit your lesson.

OR

Option B)   

Use this option if you do not have a classroom or students available.
Adapt/create several lessons using the new tools in this course with differentiated instruction to reflect
what you’ve learned in this course. (Do not implement it.)
Write a 500+ word article concerning any noteworthy success you’ve had as a teacher with one or more
students.

  • Please refer to the guidelines for our blog What Works: Teaching at its Best prior to writing your article.
  • When you submit your article to your instructor, please email a copy to Renee Leon (renee@hol.edu), the THI blog curator. Please indicate whether or not you are OK with having your article considered for publishing on our website.
  • Submit your article to your instructor via the Response field and the modified lesson via Submit Lesson.
  • As you submit your lesson, consider sharing it with other teachers taking our courses by checking the lesson library box.

Post your response.

Assignment #15: Implementing a new resource as a class-wide system

  1. Choose a new tool that you want to use for all your students next year.
  2. Create a 6-8 slide PowerPoint presentation that answers the following questions:
  3. What resource will you use?
  4. Why did you choose this tool?
  5. What are the steps you will take to implement it class-wide?
  6. What potential roadblocks do you anticipate?
  7. What are the benefits for your students of using this literacy tool?
  8. What organizational systems do you need in place for this to be a success?

Post your response

Assignment #16: Letter to Parents

Reflect on all the reading and videos you have watched for this class and write a 1-2 page letter to your students’ parents.  Share with them five (5) potential resources that they could access to help support their children at home.  

Post your response.

Assignment #17: Focal Student

  1. Select an individual student you work with that needs further support in reading.
  2. Track that student over the next week and keep a log of the things that you notice.
  3. After the week, please write a 2-3 page reflection or create a 2-minute video on what you learned about this student and what next steps you will take to continue meeting their individual needs or better meet their reading goals. 

Post your response.

Assignment #18: (500 Level ONLY) Research Project

In addition to the 400-level assignments, complete the following assignment.

  1. Read 5 online articles about effective literacy instruction. Imagine that you are in charge of choosing how to spend a $3000 grant on reading materials to best meet the needs of your struggling readers.
  2. Based on what you have learned in this class and the five (5) articles you read, write a 3-4 page reflection paper or an eight (8) slide PowerPoint that explains how you would spend the money and your rationale behind each purchase.

Post your response.

Assignment #19: (500 Level ONLY)

In addition to the 400-level assignments, complete Option A and one other.

Option A) Presentation

Prepare a PowerPoint, Keynote, or video presenting five (5) new tools that you have discovered for ELA
instruction for an audience of teachers and administrators in your district/school. If you are not currently
teaching, make this presentation a general presentation of information and recommendations about
teaching reading effectively. Include your suggestions for a plan of action to support at-risk readers, a
plan to communicate this need with parents, systems of support you can put in place to help struggling
readers, and accommodations you can encourage throughout your school system to help all students be successful.  Presentations should be a minimum of 8 slides or a video, a minimum of 3 minutes in length.                                                                      
                                                                       AND/OR
Option B) Summary of Work
Choose three additional websites related to reading instruction.  Explore them and then summarize the
key concepts and tools described by the authors.  This should be 3-4 pages (500-750 words).
                                                                       AND/OR
Option C) Create an Assignment
Create another assignment of your own design with the instructor’s prior approval.

Post your response

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #20: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

  1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
  2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
  3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
  4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
  5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Rachelle Mulder received her Master of Science in Education (M.S. Ed.) from Dominican University and her B.A. in Elementary Education from Pacific Lutheran University. Rachelle Mulder is an experienced educator with over 25 years of elementary and college teaching experience. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she has served as an ELA Instructional Coach for the State of Washington. This has provided invaluable experience working with teachers in their classrooms, planning and presenting professional development, and modeling and co-teaching lessons with classroom teachers. Rachelle has had the privilege of working with thousands of students and hundreds of teachers. She has taught Kindergarten-4th grade, Special Education, LAP, Library, PE, and Music. In addition, Rachelle has served as an Instructor at Whitworth University as well as supervising practicum students. She has taught in the following schools and districts; Shining Mountain Elementary, Bethel S.D., Liberty Ridge, Sumner S.D., Laura B. Sprague School, Lincolnshire, S.D, Brentwood Elementary, Mead School District, Prairie View Elementary, Mead School District. Teaching is a calling and privilege in her life.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ACCESSING FREE ONLINE LITERACY RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

ONLINE BOOKS AND ARTICLES:

Flipsnack. “A Teacher Friendly Guide to Reading Research.” Flipsnack,
https://www.flipsnack.com/janburkins/a-teacher-friendly-guide-to-reading-research/full-view.html

Janandkari. “A Message to Literacy Educators from Jan and Kari.” The Six Shifts, 26 Aug. 2021,
https://thesixshifts.com/2021/08/dear-literacy-educator-a-message-from-jan-and-kari/.

Moats, Louisa. “Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to DoLou.” Reading Rockets, 30 Aug. 2022,
https://www.readingrockets.org/guides/teaching-reading-rocket-science-what-expert-teachers-reading-should-know-and-be-able-do.

“Pillars Annotated Bibliography.” Google Docs, Google, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VnFxXvVoLjZZyaN5MwBp_bsrgDKccB5rDbkzJ8YCX2o/edit.

 

WEBSITES:
“Apps and Websites to Build Literacy Skills: Top Picks from Common Sense Education.” Reading, 6 Sept. 2018.
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/apps-and-websites-build-literacy-skills-top-picks-common-sense-education.

“Downloads.” The Six Shifts, 19 Sept. 2022, https://thesixshifts.com/downloads/.

Florida Center for Reading Research, https://fcrr.org/.

The next Step Forward in Guided Reading,
https://www.scholastic.com/content/educators/en/pro/thenextstepforwardinguidedreading.html.

“Reading A.” Z, https://www.readinga-z.com/.

“Resources.” UF Literacy Institute, https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/resources/.

VIDEOS:
“Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization.” ReadWorks.
https://www.readworks.org/teacher-guide/introduction-to-readworks.html.

Farrell, Linda. “The Simple View of Reading.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 Sept. 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhpHr3SC7hk.

Richardson, Jan. “The Next Step Forward.” The next Step Forward in Guided Reading
https://www.scholastic.com/content/educators/en/pro/thenextstepforwardinguidedreading.html.

“Ufli Foundations Quick Preview.” YouTube, YouTube, 16 June 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgf8cfDxCFY.

“UFLI Virtual Teaching Resource Hub.” UF Literacy Institute.
https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/resources/teaching-resources/webinars/

ACCESSING FREE ONLINE LITERACY RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS REV 9/14/23