Penn+Literacy+Network

**PLN 1: Critical Reading and Writing in Support of Learning**
==**Participants will investigate the PLN Frameworks of The Five Read-ing/Writing/Talking Processes and The Four Lenses of Learning, apply these concepts and frameworks to their classroom materials and content texts/lessons, and make adaptations based on their own contexts and**==

**curriculum frameworks.**
Courses that can be offered for fee:

Participants investigate the PLN Frameworks of The Five Reading/Writing/Talking Processes and The Four Lenses of Learning, apply these concepts and frameworks to their classroom materials and content texts/lessons, and make adaptations based on their own contexts and curriculum frameworks. Participants also engage in learning experiences that are rich in problem-solving, critical thinking, and logical reasoning. Educators learn how to engage students in transacting with text (comprehension), composing text, extending reading and writing through a workshop format, investigating language, and learning to learn activities that encourage students to metacognitively reflect on their own learning. Participants are asked to bring classroom curriculum materials and content texts to the course for practical applications of course concepts and strategies. **(This course can be offered as an online seminar starting in the summer of 2012.)**
 * PLN1: **Forming & Reforming Reading/Writing/Talking Across the Curriculum**, Pre-K to 4** **(EDCE533)**

A focus for secondary school teachers (MS and HS) is increasing students’ active reading and writing about content area texts. PLN 1 Secondary offers practical strategies and applications that help establish a literate classroom environment in support of learning that links subject areas, with a focus on depth of learning. Teachers, specialists, and administrators learn approaches to create learning experiences that are rich in problem-solving, critical thinking, and logical reasoning based on The Five Reading/Writing/Talking Processes and The Four Lenses of Learning. **(This course can be offered as an online seminar starting in the summer of 2012.)**
 * PLN1: Critical Reading and Writing in Support of Learning,** **5–12** **(EDCE533)**

PreK-12** **(EDCE649)** School leaders need to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the most current information related to leadership, literacy instruction, and creating change to act as catalysts for organizational learning and the development of professional learning communities within their school districts. School administrators need to learn and model the practical strategies and applications that help establish a priority on literacy instruction across all grade levels and subject areas. Instructional leaders reinforce that school teachers need to be involved in the constant process of increasing students' active reading and writing about content area texts within the high-pressure environment of state accountability. PLN 1 for School Leaders integrates leadership standards, change theories, and literacy strategies based on The Five Reading/Writing/Talking Processes and The Four Lenses of Learning to increase student engagement which leads to student achievement. School leaders learn approaches to help them establish literate school environments that are grounded in problem solving, critical thinking, and logical reasoning - concepts that are focused on state and national standards. They employ practical techniques that investigate and connect content in all subject areas to the real world. Administrators learn to foster professional learning communities that increase the intelligence of their organization.
 * PLN1: School Leaders-Leading to Positively Impact Student Literacy,

PLN 1 for School Leaders is structured to allow participants the opportunity to explore strategies and concepts for leading their administrative team to increase students’ reading and writing proficiency. Participants are encouraged to try out the strategies discussed in class and reflect on this implementation with colleagues and facilitators, as well as inform their practice through professional readings. They also complete a final project: a district or school specific action plan based on local standards. Through this final project they model and lead their district’s administrators and teachers to positively impact the literacy skills of their students.

This seminar brings participants to the next level of involvement with The Critical Literacy Experiences of PLN 1. Participants collaborate with colleagues and reflect on the PLN literacy frameworks and their current practice as they engage in goal-planning and congruent assessment approaches in their classrooms and schools for the year (or years) to come. The seminar emphasizes curricular planning, discussions about classroom/district/state benchmarks and standards, curricular problem-solving, document review of student work, and revisiting and extending reading/writing literacy approaches from PLN 1.
 * PLN 2: Integrating Teaching/Learning/Assessment in Reading/Writing Literacy** **(EDCE564)**

In this seminar, participants explore the significant role of good literature in classrooms and try out practical suggestions for initiating independent and group activities using literature and oral/written composing. At the elementary school level, the seminar focuses on integrating children’s literature across the curriculum, supporting independent and collaborative reading, and analyzing author’s craft and book art as scaffolds for students’ own writing. At the secondary level, participants investigate the use of young adult fiction for building student engagement, connecting to curricular themes, and addressing social issues. One particular emphasis of the PLN 3 seminar is the implementation, management, and assessment of literature discussion groups using rich literature for children and adolescents.
 * PLN 3: Implementing a Literature-Centered Classroom for Children and Adolescents** **(EDCE680)**

In this seminar, elementary and/or middle grade teachers learn about the implementation of Reading/Writing/Talking Process #4: Investigating Words and Sentences using evidence-based concepts and resources in the areas of decoding, grammar, and spelling. The focus is on the integration of explicit and systematic instruction of decoding, spelling, and Standard English sentence patterns. Educators learn how to help students develop word attack skills, spelling knowledge, and context-appropriate use of Standard written and oral English.
 * PLN 4: Investigating Language Using Explicit and Systematic Learning Experiences, K–8** **(EDCE670)**

Participants explore the use of Word Making and Sentence Making with students as well as other active learning approaches that focus on best practices: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension.

In this seminar, participants use PLN frameworks to explore the genre non-fiction discuss strategies to increase opportunities for students to read and write using informational texts. At the elementary school level, participants explore practical suggestions for informational texts in read aloud sessions and as “mentor texts” for writing. Participants investigate the features on informational texts, the use of non-fiction example as models of authors’ craft, and the pairing of fact and fiction “twin texts” to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of both genres. This seminar provides ideas for using informational texts along with content-area textbooks to support student research. In secondary schools, the vast majority of reading and writing students do is informational: they must navigate the demands of reading in content areas such as science, social studies and mathematics. In this seminar, secondary teachers use the PLN frameworks to develop strategies for helping students access and produce the academic language of content area text. Areas of focus include reading textbooks, primary source materials, writing informational and persuasive papers, note making, response building, and research writing. In this seminar, participants use PLN frameworks to explore the genre of non-fiction and they discuss strategies to increase opportunities for students to read and write using informational texts. Areas of focus include: investigating features of informational texts and the relationship between fiction and non-fiction, using textbooks and primary source materials, and building and assessing student engagement with text through note-making, response-building, and research writing. Course topics include: The Four Lenses of Learning, The Five Reading/Writing/Talking Processes, Building World Knowledge, Reading and Writing with a Disciplinary Stance, building engagement with high quality literature across the curriculum, learning the craft of non-fiction authors' texts and embedding key language, developing sentence and paragraph knowledge, creating/enhancing composing structures in the classroom and meta-cognitive awareness. The PLN 5 course also includes ongoing journals integrating professional readings from the PLN 5 online bulk pack and classroom strategy try outs, a final project 3-5 page essay (“Pulling It All Together”) that integrates course experiences and insights into a comprehensive paper that focuses on the implications of the course. A separate assignment is an Independent, Job Embedded Write Up that links course concepts and strategies into a practical school based plan that will be implemented in your school and/or classroom between classes 2-4. Some options include: two study groups with colleagues and school leaders, two presentations with colleagues and school leaders about PLN 5 concepts and strategies, two classroom demonstrations and two follow up discussions with colleagues, and/or two parent workshops with home literacy strategies and concepts learned during the course. **(PLN1 is a pre-requisite)**. **(This course can be offered as an online seminar starting in the summer of 2012.)** This seminar explores the relationship between inquiry-based learning and technology. Participants investigate the process of developing essential questions to guide research through a variety of techniques, such as I-Search and We-Search. The skills and processes of technology are examined as an integral part of non-fiction reading, writing, and the presentation of information.
 * PLN 5A: Informational Reading and Writing (PreK to 12),** (**EDCE611)**
 * OR**
 * PLN 5B: Informational Reading and Writing (K-8): Building World Knowledge and Reading/Writing with a Disciplinary Stance (_____)**
 * PLN 6: Research, Non-fiction Reading, Writing and Technology** **(EDCE620)**

Participants critically reflect on the role that technology plays to support, enhance, and change literacy teaching and learning as they adapt classroom instruction to the learning needs of their students. The seminar provides practical, hands-on experiences with graphic organizers, Internet research techniques, web page development, and multimedia presentations.

Basic computer skills are recommended for PLN 6 participants.

This seminar provides support for educators as they implement a dynamic science program that blends discussions of current theoretical concepts with hands-on science activities. The focus is on integrating developmentally-appropriate literacy activities within content curriculum frameworks. At the elementary level, work includes development and/or enrichment of thematic science units across the curriculum. At the secondary level, there is a focus on scaffolding academic literacy activities (such as lab reports, observation notebooks, and science journals) as tools for deepening the learning of science concepts. Throughout the seminar, teachers explore and problem-solve issues of practice that arise from their implementations.
 * PLN 7: Reading/Writing/Science: Implementing an Integrated Curriculum** **(EDCE635)**

This seminar provides opportunities for teachers to create bridges for their students between the Web and relevant and related content areas. A WebQuest integrates the PLN framework with a compelling problem/question or challenge for students to investigate utilizing online and offline resources. Participants develop original learning experiences for students through the scaffolding WebQuest structure. A WebQuest enables educators and students to experience the Web as more than a fact-finding encyclopedia because it encourages them to analyze and synthesize information to make meaningful connections in an authentic context, and to increase their understanding of concepts in a variety of content areas. This seminar can be conducted online to provide flexibility for participation. ...[|More online courses]
 * PLN 8: WebQuests Interactive Web-based Lessons** **(EDCE508)**
 * ONLINE COURSE**

In this seminar, participants learn how to address the language, literacy, and learning needs of English Language Learners in their classes through active, hands-on experiences that model the concepts and strategies that are to be applied in their schools. Practical activities are informed by research on second-language acquisition, bi-literacy development, and content-based second language instruction, and they are blended with discussions of current research-based literacy concepts as presented in many state language arts frameworks. Teachers explore strategies to teach reading/writing/talking across all content areas to ELLs, and work to establish literate classroom environments that are accessible to all students. This seminar is designed to foster collaboration between mainstream teachers and ESL teachers within and across schools while strengthening collegial support and problem-solving in the implementation of the PLN frameworks. Participants get an overview of the management and evaluation of a literate environment that is accessible to ELLs while focusing on the development of curriculum plans that integrate content and language.
 * PLN 9: Forming and Reforming Reading/Writing/Talking Across the Curriculum: Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners (ELLs)****(EDCE612)**

In this seminar, participants take a closer look at what it means to be a teacher and a student in a PLN classroom. Participants examine the learning experiences of two specific students and reflect on the implications of this seminar learning for all students in their classrooms. Based on The Reading/Writing/Talking Processes and The Lenses of Learning, participants explore ways to construct learning experiences that help their students grow to be co-constructive, resilient problem solvers. Participants draw on teacher observations, samples of the students’ work, and any additional sources of information to create a portrait of two students. During the seminar, participants explore ways to engage students in reflective dialogue and writing. They also participate in Curriculum Problem Solving, Document Review and Reviewing a Child with Care based on the integrated work of Pat Carini (The Prospect School) and Dr. Morton Botel (PLN/University of Pennsylvania).
 * PLN 10: Inquiry into Student Learning to Inform Practice** **(EDCE630)**
 * Prerequisite: 2 PLN Seminars preferred (PLN 1 and an additional seminar. PLN 1 is required.)**

The rewards of teaching and school leadership are diminished by the stress that educators face each time they walk into their classrooms and schools. At times, the insistent demands in and outside of the classroom can overshadow the joys of education. This seminar focuses on learning to successfully manage the stressors that face educators and recapture the deeper satisfactions of teaching and school leadership.
 * PLN 11: Re-Energizing Our School Communities: Helping Teachers and Administrators Manage School Stress through Mindfulness Training** **(EDCE615)**

This seminar helps participants make fundamental changes in how they react to stress through a series of techniques grounded in a traditional form of meditation known as mindfulness. Mindfulness-based techniques are pragmatic tools that help educators re-energize their capacity to teach, learn, and lead schools while managing day-to-day stress. These techniques have been adapted for use in education and are presented in a straightforward, practical fashion. Participants learn what prevents them from maintaining relaxation and balance in their personal and professional life, discover how to undo those obstacles, and then start to actively recapture the enthusiasm that initially led them to education.

Experts encourage the education of at risk students within the least restrictive environment. This inclusive approach results in classroom communities of learners with a range of learning styles and needs, many of whom are diagnosed with special needs or are thought to be exceptional. The purpose of this seminar is to demystify the special learner; to understand what the special learner goes through in his quest to learn. Teachers understand, accommodate, modify and reach out to their special needs students from the moment they enter the classroom. Teachers learn highly adaptable strategies they can plug into their curriculum across grades and ages to foster student engagement. Application of PLN pedagogy to immediate practice empowers teachers and students from the first to the final class. In this seminar, participants learn how to address the language, literacy, behavior and learning needs of at-risk learners in their classrooms. To inform practice, journal articles and texts draw on research-based frameworks from the special education field and the PLN literacy frameworks. Teachers explore modifications and accommodations relevant to their students' learning needs, allowing them to reach all learners in their classroom.
 * PLN 12A (Part 1): Helping Students Needing Learning Support in the Inclusive Classroom** **(EDCE636)**

Seminar participants weave the PLN philosophy with a variety of easy to use interactive learning strategies that can be immediately applied. Educators have the opportunity to share their adaptations with peers in order to facilitate understanding of best practices for all learners. To allow for ecologically sound practice, a wiki space is utilized in this course, where articles and strategies are stored for download and a discussion board is provided for posting and responding to journals. Final projects provide a way for participants to pull together their understanding and application of their seminar learning and experiences.

Experts encourage the education of at risk students within the least restrictive environment. This inclusive approach results in classroom communities of learners with a range of learning styles and needs, many of whom are diagnosed with special needs or are thought to be exceptional. Expanding upon pedagogy of The Four Lenses and their application through practice begun in PLN 12 A, PLN 12 B take a deeper cut into the curriculum addressing rich strategies to increase comprehension, engagement and success. Brain processes that derail students such as memory, attention, processing speed and executive functioning are experienced, understood and addressed to allow teachers to foster academic and behavioral gains in their students. In this seminar participants have the opportunity to explore brain based learning and behavioral issues to increase their ability to address the needs of all students. As the success of special needs students require articulation among staff members as they move through the grades, participants gain a broad understanding of how special education works and how to navigate the system to ensure no student falls through the cracks. Educators have the opportunity to follow their own at risk students and collaborate on effective and adaptive teaching strategies, in order to facilitate their understanding of best practices for all learners. To allow for ecologically sound practice, a wiki space is utilized in this course, where articles and strategies are stored for download and a discussion board is provided for posting and responding to journals. Final projects provide a way for participants to pull together their understanding and application of their seminar learning and experiences. This seminar provides an opportunity for educators to take an in-depth look at a research-based, professional text that focuses on best practices in reading/writing literacy or numeracy across the curriculum. Past seminars have explored texts on supporting English Language Learners, helping all students succeed through understanding cognition, content area writing, supporting special needs learners, and implementing a Writer’s Workshop in the language arts classroom. Districts may choose a variety of Study Group seminars tailored to their needs, and a professional text is selected with consideration to school/district input.
 * PLN 12B (Part 2): Helping Students Needing Learning Support in the Inclusive Classroom (EDCE _____)**
 * PLN 13 A, B and/ or C: Literacy Study Group** **(EDCE613/638)**

In addition to in-depth exploration connected to the content of the selected text, participants learn a variety of ways to approach book talks that encourage rich, meaningful discussions. Participants engage in a range of group reading talks and strategies for accessing text content, and are encouraged to try these techniques with their students. Participants purchase their course text. These are study group texts that PLN districts have used with great success:

//In the Middle: Writing, Reading, and Learning with Adolescents//, Nancie Atwell //Living Between the Lines//, Lucy Calkins //Immigrant Students and Literacy: Reading, Writing, and Remembering//, Gerald Campano //Readicide//, Kelly Gallagher //The Energy to Teach//, Donald Graves //Make It Real: Strategies for Success with Informational Texts//, Linda Hoyt //Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America//, Jonathan Kozol //Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success: It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend//, Richard Lavoie //A Mind at a Time//, Mel Levine //Advancing Formative Assessment in Every Classroom,// Connie Moss & Susan Brookhart //Literacy at the Crossroads: Crucial Talk About Reading, Writing, and Other Teaching Dilemmas//, Regie Routman

//Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for Responsive Teaching//, Carol Tomlinson //I Read It, But I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers//, Cris Tovani

The seminar integrates the PLN critical literacy experiences with Google Tools to support the use of technology as a mind tool. Participants bring communication and collaborative tools into their current curriculum instruction. They create collaborative documents and presentations to explore all content areas. Blogging and podcasting with Google Tools provides a user-friendly protected space for teachers and students to journal, share ideas and interact to enhance the social nature of learning. Google Earth’s and Maps’ interdisciplinary instructional capabilities foster geographical thinking by investigating literature road trips, examining the power of images and their impact on history and current events, and traveling the earth’s geography, explorations, migrations, and history. Guides and examples of teachers using Google Tools in innovative ways provide support for replicating and creating activities. In addition to Google applications Google power searching strategies to develop critical thinking about keywords and research skills are covered. ... [|More online courses] In this seminar participants will investigate what motivates a digital learner. The PLN framework will be used to investigate ways in which technology can improve teaching and learning in the digital age. The Four Lenses of Learning as well as The Five Reading/Writing/Talking Processes will be examined through a variety of Web 2.0 applications such as: Google docs, Voice Thread, blogs, wikis, and Vimeo and social networks. Participants will identify an area of need in their classroom and use the PLN frameworks to develop learning activities incorporating the Web 2.0 tools.
 * PLN14: The PLN Google Experience **(ONLINE COURSE)****
 * PLN 15: Engaging Students through Digital Learning Environments**

The seminar is structured to provide participants with the opportunity to explore applications of technology that facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. Participants are expected to try out the strategies and tools explored in class and reflect on their application with colleagues and inform their practice through professional readings. Recommended before taking PLN 15: PLN 1

The literacy program is effective for parents with children ages 4-10 and it works particularly well for ELL and Special Needs students up to age 12. The numeracy program is effective for parents with children ages 5-7 and up to age 8 for ELL and Special Needs students. These literacy and numeracy activities can help prepare students for successful classroom learning. The PLN facilitators support parents as they explore books, lesson plan guides and language investigation activities (emphasizing decoding, sentence making and vocabulary activities) during both workshops. This is a program for parents, teachers, tutors, after school staff, and parent educators based on the work of Dr. Morton Botel, Emeritus Professor, PLN Founder, PLN Senior Advisor, Former President of The International Reading Association (IRA), and a member of The IRA's Reading Hall of Fame. In this PLN seminar, participants explore the writing process. Activities will focus on strategies to increase opportunities for students to write, while adapting to the required needs of teachers' varied curriculum. Using the following writing techniques, participants learn and explore practical suggestions and instruction on how to implement Writers Workshop, Kid Writing, Written Conversation, Memoir, Informational Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing/Short Stories, Guided Writing (unprompted), and Journal Writing. This seminar will integrate the The Five Reading/Writing/Talking Processes and The Four Lenses of Learning. Participants are expected to respond to assigned readings, design classroom try outs, respond through ongoing class participation, class discussion and written dialogue. The creation and implementation of a final project reflects the PLN strategies and concepts introduced in this seminar. Participants will experience and learn a variety of concepts and techniques for teaching and implementing successful and varied writing programs for their classrooms. Participants are invited to take a fresh look at writing. Through collaborative, hands on experiences, participants continue to realize the interactive partnership of how reading good, rich literature inspires students to become good writers. This seminar continues to explore making sense of the writing process with ongoing discussions of what some of the experts have to say.
 * PLN 16: What is the Family Literacy & Numeracy Program?** The PLN Family Literacy and Numeracy Program includes interactive workshops conducted by veteran PLN facilitators.
 * Family Literacy**: Families are given a collection of leveled paperback books at the first workshop along with teaching guides and investigation activities to keep in their home library. The books are enjoyable and engaging, and provide many opportunities for parents and children to have conversations about these stories as a paradigm for learning together using other books that they have at home or in school.
 * Family Numeracy**: The Math Workshop Program consists of two levels, equivalent to first grade (Level A), and second grade (Level B). The materials include a parent guide and a parent/child activity book focused on real life math, problem solving, composing and math skills such as number sense, counting, addition and subtraction. These skills are reinforced in a parent guide and the student activity book.
 * How the program works**: Parents participate in two 2-hour workshops with a veteran PLN facilitator. Each family signs an agreement to work together at home at least twice a week. Parents are provided with a variety of resources to work with their children in reading or math.
 * PLN 17: Teaching Writing: Composing Text** **(EDCE642)**
 * PLN 18A: Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum, (EDCE647)**

Through the introduction of a variety of writing strategies, teachers have the resources to be able to guide their students to continue to meet the goal of increasing opportunities for even reluctant writers to be actively engaged in the writing process. Participants explore practical suggestions about how to implement writing techniques and their appropriate application, while adapting to meet their varied needs across the curriculum. Breathing new life into writing is an active part of this course. Some of the strategies participants explore are: Writing From Text, Poetry, Writing a Good Sentence, Descriptive Writing, Writing a Transition Sentence, Finding Focus in Student Writing, Honoring Student Writing, Using Writing Portfolios to Enhance Instruction and Assessment, Exciting the Reluctant and the “Out of the Box” writer. This class is the fusion of technology and writing for beginner to intermediate technology users. Participants are invited to take a fresh look at writing and more generally, The Five Reading/Writing/Talking Processes and The Four Lenses of Learning as writers themselves. Through collaborative, hands on experiences, participants continue to realize the interactive partnership of how reading good, rich literature inspires students to become good writers. This seminar continues to explore making sense of the writing process with ongoing discussions of what some of the experts have to say. Web 2.0 tools relevant to the writing process are explored. Participants bring communication and collaborative tools into their current writing curriculum instruction. Collaborative documents and presentations to explore all content areas are a part of the process. This course is designed to invite and support those reluctant and those who embrace the partnership of technology and writing. Through the introduction of a variety of writing strategies, teachers gain the resources to be able to guide their students to continue to meet the goal of increasing opportunities for even reluctant writers to be actively engaged in the writing process. Participants explore practical strategies and suggestions about how to implement writing techniques and their appropriate application, while adapting to meet their varied needs across the curriculum. Breathing new life into writing is an active part of this course. Guiding and inviting teachers to use, and become comfortable using Web 2.0 Tools in innovative ways will provide support for many writing strategies. We encourage a supportive learning environment for making connections as we explore and introduce our writing strategies. Participants can expect to participate in one to three online sessions.
 * Prerequisite: PLN 1 and PLN 17. PLN 3 is suggested, but not a pre-requisite.**
 * PLN 18B: Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum Infused with Technology, (EDCE______)**