West Georgia RESA
Fall Updates
Dear Educators,
Check it out!
New PL Offerings!
New Endorsements!
Leadership Job-Alike with Dr. Mark Wilson!
We are so excited about the new opportunities being offered at West Ga RESA!
We have recently added 5 new endorsement programs: Online Teaching, K-5 Reading, Dyslexia, K-5 Math, and Computer Science.
Check out the news below to learn more!
Our Endorsements
Dyslexia Endorsement
Begins January 2021
$350 per course *total of 3 courses
In the Dyslexia Endorsement, Candidates will develop an understanding of language processing, instructional strategies to support learning to read, aspects of cognitive behavior that affect reading and writing development, and the phases of typical development of oral language, phoneme awareness, decoding skills, printed word recognition, spelling, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and written expression.
K-5 Reading Endorsement
Begins January 2021 (complete Google Form below if you are interested)
$350 per course *total of 3 courses
With a focus on the foundational concepts of reading, including the pillars of Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Fluency, Vocabulary, and the ultimate end of Comprehension, candidates will increase their knowledge of the reading process by examining theory and research as a foundation for making instructional decisions for planning and implementing effective literacy programs. In order to inform such decision-making, candidates will explore current issues, materials, strategies, and approaches to reading instruction and assessment.
Computer Science Endorsement
Begins January 2021 (complete Google Form below if you are interested)
$600 per course *total of 4 courses (includes textbooks and digital coding resources)
The Computer Science Endorsement program will prepare candidates who demonstrate computational thinking
skills to formalize a problem and express its solution in a way that computers (human and machine)
can effectively carry out a variety of tasks. Candidates will learn about networking basics, logical programming, and Javascript.
Online Teaching Endorsement
Begins January 2021 (complete Google Form below if you are interested)
$350 per course *total of 3 coursesAligned with the International Association for K-12 Online Teaching, this 3-course endorsement provides candidates with the tools to increase understanding of best practices in online instruction. Upon completion of the course-work, candidates will be eligible to add the endorsement to their Georgia Professional Educator Certificate.
K-5 Math Endorsement
Begins January 2021 (complete Google Form below if you are interested)
$400 per course *total of 4 coursesParticipants in this endorsement will gain knowledge of highly effective practices in numeracy and mathematical concepts. The endorsement will prepare teachers to more effectively help students meet changing and challenging math standards and expectations.
Gifted Endorsement
Begins January 2021 (complete Google Form below if you are interested)
$275per course *total of 4 coursesThe Gifted Endorsement courses at West Georgia RESA allow you to develop expertise in gifted instruction. You will develop expertise in assessment, including a variety of informal and performance-based assessments as well as placement and achievement assessments. You will gain knowledge of current research in gifted education and the related fields of learning theory to support decision-making as trends move through the field of practice.
GLRS- Special Education
Calling all building level administrators (Principals, APs, Special Education Leads, Lead Teachers) who support students with disabilities. Are you looking for a place where you can learn more about supporting students with disabilities, their families, their teachers and all service providers? We have a group for you!!!
In this Building Level Administrator Collaborative, we will engage in collaborative conversations around best practices related to the following topics: - special education teacher evaluations - discipline/manifestations - collaborative planning - specialized instruction/UDL, serving as the LEA, assistive technology, master scheduling and other topics determined by the collaborative group.In Mastering the IEP Process, special education teachers will take an in-depth look at the entire special education process from referral to dismissal/graduation/aging out.
Topics such as managing the IEP meeting, case management best practices, establishing present level of performance, goal setting, FBA/BIP development/implementation and collecting and monitoring data will be covered through 4 sessions.Participants will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with peers to develop compliant IEP's.
Mental Health and Wrap-Around Services
Join us for our virtual monthly meeting that focuses on support and collaboration for schools and systems with Mental Health Support and Wraparound Services.
PBIS
Are you interested in learning about restorative practices? Do you need your cup to be refilled? Are you looking for ways to connect with your students virtually, face-to-face or in a hybrid setting. Join us in this experience in building a positive school climate.
PBIS Early Learning Virtual Classroom Training
The Georgia Department of Education is now offering a virtual Early Learning Classroom training. The PBIS Early Learning Classroom Modules are a series of eleven professional development workshops designed to help teachers structure positive learning environments that help prevent challenging behaviors from occurring and set the stage for social-emotional learning through the direct teaching of essential social-emotional competencies. Based on the Pyramid Model framework designed for young children, these modules extend to kindergarten through 5th Grade classes, equipping teachers in early learning as well as elementary environments with a toolkit of developmentally appropriate strategies to support the whole child and in turn, help teachers better manage behaviors inside the classroom.
This training includes four 1.5 hour sessions.
ELA Offerings
Using Lexile Data to Support Differentiation in ELA
Deepen your understanding of the role Lexile level plays in the differentiation of learning.
Participants will examine the connection between Lexile level and text complexity in order to further understand the true intention of Lexile measurement information in the instructional planning and delivery process.
We'll explore free, online resources that offer multi-leveled reading resources for teachers and their students and practice "text leveling" for appropriate consideration of content for readers of differing readiness.
Virtual Learning Academy
Don't miss out on the latest tools and tricks to engage your students virtually!
This is a BEGINNERS introduction course
This course is an introduction to creating a virtual classroom space in Google Slides with an option to include a Bitmoji avatar. The completed space may be linked to or embedded in any webpage or online learning platform.
Instruction will be delivered via Zoom and Canvas
Offering participants both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities
Sessions will be a combination of live, facilitated sessions and online course resources.
ESOL/ ELL Training and Support
Join Dr. Margaret Baker as she discusses WIDA ACCESS Data Literacy.
This session will focus on understanding WIDA ACCESS test results in relation to the difference between language growth vs. progress towards English proficiency. Teachers will analyze their own students’ ACCESS data and design ways to use it for decision-making processes in schools.