Alaska Staff Development Network

Working Together To Make Schools Better

Science of Reading

Featured Webinar Series

How to Teach Vocabulary Across Content Settings

with Dr. Pam Kastner
Dates: September 13, 27 and October 10, 25
Time: 3:45-5:15
Registration: $75/$125 (Level 1/Level 2) 
No cost for LKSD or BSSD educators.
One optional university credit: $164

REGISTER NOW!

  • Target Audience:  Secondary Teachers. School teams are encouraged.
  • Required Book: Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading. Every registrant will receive a copy of this as an e-book. ($8.00) Register early so you have time to read the material. 

We all agree that no child should leave school a poor reader. As a secondary teacher, what can you do to help develop proficient readers in middle and high school? The focus of this webinar series will be on vocabulary instruction, but the series is designed for any secondary teacher who is concerned about their pupils’ reading abilities but does not feel equipped to support them.  The strategies presented here will be more effective if your colleagues participate as school teams.

Session

  • Session 1: Book Discussion: Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading, by James and Dianne Murphy 
  • Session 2: Literacy in the Content Areas: Effective Vocabulary Instruction for the Secondary Teacher 
  • Session 3: Morphology Matters: Using Bases & Affixes to Develop Vocabulary in Students of All Ages 
  • Session 4: Paragraph Shrinking: Combining Summarizing with Peer Feedback to Enhance Comprehension 

Pam Kastner, Ed.D., is an educational consultant at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg, where she serves as the State Lead Consultant for Literacy. Pam currently co-leads Pennsylvania’s Dyslexia Screening and Early Literacy Intervention Pilot Program extension and expansion for PaTTAN. In addition, she is part of a research team investigating the impact of explicit instruction in advanced phonemic awareness on student literacy outcomes. She serves on the statewide Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) team working extensively in the area of literacy, effective instruction, formative assessment, and professional learning communities. She has served in several leadership capacities at the district level and served as a Pennsylvania Distinguished Educator for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Pam is a certified Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) trainer and a certified reading specialist. Pam also has the honor of serving as the President of The Reading League Pennsylvania.

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Science of Reading Leadership Course

Apply Now

In partnership with NWEA®, the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) is offering a joint learning, collaboration, and coaching opportunity that will empower Alaska education leaders to understand effective literacy instruction. The leadership course provides participants with fundamental knowledge in effective standards-aligned and research-based reading instruction and assessment practices for all learners to support their school and district plans in the Science of Reading, as required by the Alaska Reads Act.

Who’s eligible to apply?

Education leaders with responsibility for K–3 literacy instruction.

What’s included?

  • During eight highly engaging sessions, participants will learn about key elements in the Science of Reading that they should be driving their systems toward.
  • Each session will include facilitated conversations with other leaders to form a networked learning community.
  • Participants will engage in their learning through asynchronous learning and the live seminar series.
  • NWEA will lead optional coaching sessions that provide leaders with opportunities to have more personalized support.

When will this occur?

  • Applications are open.
  • Applicants should register for their preferred term (Fall, Winter, Spring).
    • Closed – Fall (August 31, 2023 – December 14, 2023) 
    • Winter (October 26, 2023 – February 29, 2024)
    • Spring (January 9, 2024 – April 25, 2024)
  • The schedule for virtual seminars can be Accessed Here. 
  • Participants will be notified about course acceptance and cohort assignment at least four weeks before the course start date.
  • APPLY NOW!

What else is offered?

  • In partnership with University of Alaska (UA), participants can earn three post-secondary professional development credits at the 500 level. Participants must attend the course orientation, actively engage in seven out of the eight live seminar sessions, and complete the end-of-course performance task to be eligible for course credit.
  • The tuition fee for credit is $125.00.
  • Credit registration is seperate and will be provided to participants once the cohort begins.

Who do I contact for information?

Adrianne Schwartz Alaska Department of Education and Early Development  adrianne.schwartz@alaska.gov 

Athena E. Hill NWEA State Professional Learning Lead athena.hill@nwea.org

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Science of Reading Leadership Course

Applications are open for a no-cost Science of Reading Online Course designed especially for school leaders. In partnership with NWEA®, the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development is offering a joint learning, collaboration, and coaching opportunity that will empower Alaska education leaders to understand effective literacy instruction. The online leadership course provides participants with fundamental knowledge in effective standards-aligned and research-based reading instruction and assessment practices for all learners to support their school and district plans in the Science of Reading, as required by the Alaska Reads Act.

Who’s eligible to apply?

Education leaders with responsibility for K–3 literacy instruction.

What’s included?

  • During eight highly engaging virtual sessions, participants will learn about key elements in the Science of Reading that they should be driving their systems toward.
  • Participants will engage in their learning through asynchronous learning and the live online seminar series. Each session will include facilitated conversations with other leaders to form a networked learning community.
  • NWEA will lead optional coaching sessions that provide leaders with opportunities to have more personalized support.
  • Course registration is open! Applicants may register for their preferred term:
    • Fall (August 31, 2023 – December 14, 2023) 
    • Winter (October 26, 2023 – February 29, 2024)
    • Spring (January 9, 2024 – April 25, 2024)
  • Participants will be notified about course acceptance and cohort assignment at least four weeks before the course start date. The schedule for virtual seminars is online.
  • Optional credit: In partnership with University of Alaska, participants can earn three post-secondary professional development credits at the 500 level. The tuition fee for the 3 credits is $125.00. Credit registration is separate and will be provided to participants once the cohort begins.