Professional Development for Teachers

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.

The superior teacher demonstrates. The great

teacher inspires.”William Arthur Ward

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Many teachers in international schools are risk takers……

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Few teachers in international schools have all the knowledge they need to teach reading and

writing in a differentiated classroom…

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For example… A commonly used reading methodology in reading

is Round Robin Reading & yet it is not a valid methodology:

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It can hamper listening comprehension

It can work against all students working to their full potential

It can potentially cause faulty reading habits

It can be a source of anxiety and embarrassment for students

It can cause unnecessary sub-vocalization

Source: Michael F. Optiz and Timothy V. Rasinski

Teachers often assume students know how to write appropriate genres…

For example…

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Teachers often think they are teachingcomprehension when they are actually testing it…

For example…

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Achievement % Mins. reading/day Words per year90th 40.4 2,357,00050th 12.9 601,000 10th 1.6 51,000

• Kids need books they can read• Kids need to learn to read

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Kids need to read a lot (1988 Wilson & Fielding)

fluently

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“Kids need to develop thoughtful literacy”Source: “What Really Matters for Struggling Readers” Richard Allington

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A commonly used methodology with children with difficulties in reading is to teach children to sound out words…

“Children need to learn to read fluently” [Allington et al.]

For example…

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• More likely to be reading material that is too difficult for them• More likely to be asked to read aloud• More likely to be interrupted when they miscall a word• More likely to be interrupted more quickly• More likely to pause and wait for a teacher to prompt•More likely to be told to sound out a word

The struggling readers are:

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• More likely to be reading material of appropriate difficulty• More likely to be asked to read silently• More likely to be expected to self-monitor and self-correct• More likely to be interrupted only after a wait period or at the end of a sentence• More likely to be asked to reread or cross-check when interrupted

While better readers are:

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The Balanced Literacy Program:provides training to ensure teachers are experts in teaching literacy.

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Brian Cambourne’s research shows that the most effective method for improving student learning outcomes is though providing quality professional development.

Balanced Literacy

The Balanced Literacy Program is custom designed to meet the specific professional development needs of individual schools.

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The company has been operating since 1999 in the United States and Australia.

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Genre

•Narrative•Exposition•Reports•Procedure•Recount•Explanation

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Writing

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Guided writing Interactive writing Grammar

Shared writing Language experience Spelling

Model writing Independent writing Punctuation

Reading comprehension

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Prior knowledge Summarizing

Visualization Synthesizing

Questioning Fluency

Making connections Vocabulary extension

Inferring Self-monitoring

Reading

• Shared reading• Guided reading• Literature circles• Language experience• Learning centres• Independent reading

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Assessment in reading, writing & spelling

• Running records &analysis• Observation Survey –

Marie Clay• Phonological awareness• Writing analysis• Strategies with struggling

readers & writer

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Early Childhood

• Developing sound, letter, word knowledge• Developing comprehension strategies with young

children• Engineering writing activities to engage all children• Oral language as a spring-board for developing

reading and writing• Gain insights into talking to parents about children’s

literacy development• Gain an understanding of literacy expectations from

birth to 5 year olds

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Parent workshops

• Helping your child with reading

• Helping your child with writing

• Helping your child with spelling

• Helping when your child struggles with reading and writing

•  

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Training

Training can be provided through:

• Whole school workshops

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Training

• Coaching and demonstration programs

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The Balanced Literacy Program is effective because:

• We tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of teachers

• We build relationships with teacher 

• We practice what we preach

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“The person who can make hard things easy is the educator.”Ralph Waldo Emerson

Costs

• The program would be tailored to suit the needs of the school

• Cost per day for a consultant is $1800 USD + expenses

• This equates to $60USD per person

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Example Budget 1

• Two days training

• $3600 USD + expenses

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Example Budget 2

• One day of training • One after-school training session• ½ day training with Upper Primary teachers• ½ day training with Middle Primary teachers• ½ day training with Junior Primary Teachers• two days of coaching and demonstration

lessons• $9000 USD + expenses

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Barriers• We don’t know what we

don’t know • Cost• Transient teacher

population• Availability of substitute

teachers• Integrated curriculum

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School Outcomes:

Increased literacy skills

Increased student confidence and self-esteem

Satisfied/happy parent body

Improved teacher methodology

Increased teacher self-esteem and confidence

Greater retention rate of teachers

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Margaret MennerAdvance Teacher Training

Ph: 8354 0801 Fax: 8354 0260

Mobile: 043 976 8163margaret@menner.com.au

www.advanceteachertraining.com.au

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