Developing an Online Course: A Road Map for the

ProcessEnglish Language Arts 3-5: Vocabulary

Overview: What were we trying to create?

An online professional development course for elementary teachers (grades 3-5) about vocabulary

Course content based on current research on effective vocabulary instruction

Course goals aligned with NCTE standards Six sessions--4-5 hours per session--for

teachers to investigate vocabulary teaching practices

A course that will increase children’s word knowledge

Gather a Team

ELA content specialist Professional development curriculum

developer Technical consultants Videographer

Determine what you want to accomplishTailor professional development to meet

the specific requirements of schools Needs of children in district:

What do you want students to achieve? Needs of teachers:

What do teachers need to know to accomplish those student outcomes?

Identify standards and research base National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) State standards International Reading Association: What Research

Has to Say about Reading Instruction Texas Reading Initiative: Promoting Vocabulary

Development: Components of Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Pacific Resources for Education and Learning: A Focus on Vocabulary

National Reading Panel: Vocabulary Instruction

Write your goals What do you want teachers to know and be able

to do Consider outcomes for students

Goal Teacher Know Teacher Skill or Practice

Student Outcome

Select important

words to study

Criteria to select high-utility words for instruction

How to use criteria to identify Tier Two words within text

Students build vocabulary of high utility words

Planning Chart: Roadmap

Session Reading Activity Video/

Interactive

Discussion Classroom

application

Final project

1. Choosing words to teach

Select the most important topics Design elements to support the topic and goals Consider coherence across 6 sessions

Design session elements to support the topic and goals Identify focus for individual session Plan elements with focus in mind

Topic of the session Reading Other input: video or online interactive Activity Discussion question Application to classroom Final project

Look at the big picture: Evaluate coherence across the sessions Do the sessions build on each other? Is there a logical progression? Is there a thread between the discussions Do the assignments help teachers make

connections across the course? Do the assignments contribute to a final

project?

Plan individual sessions: Timing Plan for a five hour learning experience

Plan for a 4 hour session Allow at least one hour for web discussion--where much

of the synthesis of learning takes place Consider how much time intervenes between

sessions: Allow enough time for teachers to do reading,

activity/assignment, and then reflect on them in discussion

Consider time in academic year: Will teachers be working with students? Will the online course be available in the summer?

What makes an effective session? Topic focus: What will really make a difference with students? Clear objective: What will teachers know and be able to do by

the end of the session? Importance: Rationale for learning and applying the new

knowledge Readings: Online Instructional strategy: Step-by-step process Application: Does the activity prepare teachers to apply

learning? Reflection: Will the discussion question further teachers’

thinking?

Plan individual sessions: Good instructional design

What supports do teachers need to be successful?

Modeling through video Graphic organizers for vocabulary Lesson template Guidelines for final project

Plan for individual sessions: Provocative discussions can… Create a community of learners--

Teachers who feel safe to question Teachers who can support each other in trying

new skills Launch a discussion thread Challenge and stretch teacher’s thinking

Consider the assignments and final project What do teachers need to apply or practice? Will a final project allow the teachers to

synthesize the information in the course across sessions?

Plan for assessment

How will you know that teachers have accomplished the goals for the course?

Plan for an evaluation of the course

How will you know the course has accomplished its goals?

How will you evaluate the outcomes for children over time?