Pre K

Session Title: Literacy Phase 2 Little Readers Become Strong Readers

Presenters: Mary Rose Bianco-Rion, Pam Chadwick and Susan Neal

Maximum Group Size: 40 participants

Target Audience: Pre K teachers who have already taken Literacy 1

Description: In this Literacy Phase 2 workshop of a three part series, participants will deepen their knowledge of the cognitive development of emergent literacy in the preschool years. Participants will explore strategies, activities, and materials to support decoding and comprehension development in the preschool years necessary to develop confident and strong readers. Each participant will continue to use our anchor text, "So Much More than the ABCs: The Early Phases of Reading and Writing", to foster the foundational skills of oral language, listening, speaking and understanding to build the bridge to formal reading.

Learning Targets:

• I will learn how the foundation for success in learning to read and write develops throughout the early years.

• I will develop an understanding of the components of emergent literacy.

Resource: Literacy Phase 2 Slide Deck

Session Title: Developing and Teaching Digital Large Group

Presenters: Ashley Moss-Fox, Emily Dorsey and Michelle Richardson Wilson

Maximum Group Size: 25 participants

Target Audience: Veteran Pre K Teachers with a minimum of 5 years teaching experience

Description: In this course teachers will review the components of an effective HighScope Large Group Time lesson, discuss ways for modifying Large Group Time lessons for synchronous and asynchronous instruction, explore platforms for asynchronous Large Group Time creation, and modify and/or create new Large Group Time lessons for synchronous and asynchronous instruction.

Learning Targets:

• I will explore methods, materials, and platforms for creating synchronous and asynchronous Large Group Time activities.

• I will develop standards-based, developmentally appropriate engaging and effective Large Group Time activities for synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Resource: Developing and Teaching Digital Large Groups

Session Title: Seesaw & Choice Boards

Presenters: Thea Delahanty, Vanessa Stewart, Kelly Holborn and Julie Engard

Maximum Group Size: 40 participants

Target Audience: Pre K Teachers

Description: Seesaw is the platform that the RCSD has adopted for synchronous and asynchronous learning. It is a tool that allows communication to occur between the teachers, students and families. It enables teachers to collect assessment information to help drive instruction and meet the needs of all learners. In this workshop, teachers will learn to design choice boards that will allow teachers to observe and collect specific information pertinent to the COR Assessment.

Learning Targets:

• I will be able to utilize the Seesaw platform as an assessment tool

• I will be able to customize Choice Boards for the collection of specific data.

• I will be able collaborate with colleagues with their Choice Boards

• I will be able to use this tool to communicate with families and students.

Resource: Seesaw and Choice Boards

Session Title: Play and the Pandemic (Group 1)

Presenters: Katy Arzuaga and Meredith Paris

Maximum Group Size: 40 participants

Target Audience: Pre K Teachers

Description: This workshop will focus on the importance of play as creative, imaginative, and necessary for both children and the adults engaged with them. What happens when the social, interactive nature of play shifts to digital spaces, children’s homes, and in isolated corners of socially distanced classrooms? Dr. Haeny Yoon will focus on the importance and centrality of play in widening our social imaginations, thinking concretely about how to mobilize and analyze children’s play in physical and virtual spaces while attending to our own affinity to play as educators and learners. Join us in viewing Dr. Yoon’s recent research on play as well as examining our own philosophies on play-based learning.

Learning Targets:

• I will be able to examine recent findings surrounding the importance of play in early childhood.

• I will develop skills to analyze children’s play in physical and virtual spaces.

• I will reflect on personal definitions/theories of play.

Resource: Play and the Pandemic (Group 1)

Session Title: Play and the Pandemic (Group 2)

Presenters: Kathy Gaffney, Betsy Wing Schroeder and Anissa Libardi

Maximum Group Size: 40 participants

Target Audience: Pre K Teachers

Description: This workshop will focus on the importance of play as creative, imaginative, and necessary for both children and the adults engaged with them. What happens when the social, interactive nature of play shifts to digital spaces, children’s homes, and in isolated corners of socially distanced classrooms? Dr. Haeny Yoon will focus on the importance and centrality of play in widening our social imaginations, thinking concretely about how to mobilize and analyze children’s play in physical and virtual spaces while attending to our own affinity to play as educators and learners. Join us in viewing Dr. Yoon’s recent research on play as well as examining our own philosophies on play-based learning.

Learning Targets:

• I will be able to examine recent findings surrounding the importance of play in early childhood.

• I will develop skills to analyze children’s play in physical and virtual spaces.

• I will reflect on personal definitions/theories of play.

Resource: Play and the Pandemic (Group Two)

Look for the survey for your session in the chat at the end of the workshop.