PD Bursts
From your Elementary PD/CFs
What is a Burst?
- Bursts are 30 minutes long and are concise presentations that focus on a specific topic idea.
- The goal is information sharing, conveyed quickly and succinctly.
- Interested teachers attend a Burst. Grade-level PLCs could also schedule a Burst with the PD/CF.
- Below are some examples of Bursts that could be offered. But they could be created around a topic of interest to a team of teachers or the school as a whole. Just ask!
Math
Number Sense Routines
How can I help my students internalize and deepen their facility with numbers? Learn about several short, easy-to-implement routines that will build students' number sense. Students who never develop strong number sense will struggle with mathematics, from measurement to geometry to algebra.
Developing Addition Fact Fluency
Sometimes students struggle to move away from counting on their fingers to automatically recalling basic math facts. Learn more about the phases of basic fact mastery. We will focus specifically on addition and how to develop addition fact fluency.
Getting Started with Math Interventions
We've developed an easy-to-implement approach to math interventions for struggling learners. Learn more about getting started with math interventions in your classroom, including resources to help.
Reading
High-Yield Literacy Practices
Evidence-based instruction is instruction that research has shown to produce a positive effect on student achievement. Learn which literacy practices have the highest impact on student achievement.
Reading Conferences
"The decline in students' reading outside of school requires that we allow time for reading during school" (Kaiser Foundation 2010). Ah, the bliss of everyone in your class finally reading quietly during independent reading. Time to sit back and relax, right? Wrong! Learn how conferencing with your students during independent reading can help you to monitor your students' reading lives, help you teach strategies, and help you to challenge students to read more complex texts.
Background Knowledge for Reading Comprehension
Research shows that reading depends on broad knowledge of all subjects: history, science, literature, music, and so on. Learn how background knowledge influences and supports reading comprehension and how we can teach it.
Making an Impact with Independent Reading
Research consistently shows tht independent reading has more impact on students' achievement than any other activity in school; therefore, setting aside time for reading in the classroom must be a priority. Learn what students need to be able to grow as independent readers and how to find time for this very valuable practice!
Close Reading
Reading Standard 10 of the Iowa Core defines a grade by grade "staircase" of increasing text complexity. Learn an instructional sequence to help your students read closely to deeply understand complex texts.
Using Your Benchmark Assessments as Diagnostic Tools
We all use EARLYReading, CBMReading, and aReading as our literacy screeners. But we often need more information than what we get from the screener to inform our teaching. Learn how the BAS can be our most valuable diagnostic tool to help us better teach reading.
Science
The "E" in STEM
Our new science units will incorporate engineering. Learn what this means and more about the design process that all K-5 students will use.
Promoting Perseverance & Growth Mindset
Next year, our new science units will ask students to solve problems. Learn more about books, videos, and other resources that can be used to promote perseverance and a growth mindset in the science classroom.
NGSS 101
Have you heard buzz about the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)? Learn about what a standard look likes in the NGSS and the three dimensions of learning.
Social Studies
Technology Resources for Social Studies (Grades 5-6)
Learn about some awesome tech tools and resources for the social studies classroom to make learning more engaging and fun!
Contact Annie
In my capacity as a teacher leader for K-6 Math and Science, I plan and implement professional development to enhance teachers' professional learning in these content areas. In addition, I am available to deliver content-specific input during PLCs around curriculum and assessment. Please let me know how we can partner together!
~Annie
Email: orsinia@wdmcs.org
Phone: 633-6726
Twitter: @AnnieLOrsini
Contact Julie
I have so much information about reading, writing, and social studies to share with you that I could just burst! Thus, Annie and I have created PD Bursts. I am available to come and talk to you about any of the above content-specific literacy or social studies topics during your PLC time, or some other time that works for you. Please let me know how we can come together and learn from each other!
~Julie
Email: demiccoj@wdmcs.org
Phone: 633-6721
Twitter: @Demiccoj