LDT200

Course Description

In this course, teachers will learn how to effectively set up and start their reading block, including whole groups, independent small groups, and guided reading instruction. This course will guide the teacher through the logistics of grouping students together, what activities to have at each center, how to take notes, successfully integrate technology, and how to avoid the question of, 'what are we supposed to do?'

Learner Profile

This course is for reading teachers or subject area teachers who would like to add center rotations to their classes. Teachers taking this course could be first-year or veteran teachers. It will be essential to provide extra resources for newer teachers. It is also important to give a level of support to older teachers who may need extra assistance with the technology part of this course. If there is a level of frustration on how to integrate technology, it may become necessary to give one-to-one support on how to use Google Suite and iPads.

Learning Gap

When starting out a new school year, it can be hard to know where to start with your instruction, integrating technology, and classroom schedule. You have anywhere from 15-20 students all with different abilities and attitudes towards school. With this course, you will be able to have a solid plan from day one that students will love. You will be able to quickly and easily set up your learning environment so that every student is working to the best of their ability with material that is challenging, engaging, and fun. You will also be able to monitor all student activity and behavior management without interrupting your classroom flow. As a teacher, you know it's important to have lots of data, so the next time a parent asks, 'how's my child doing?' you will have tons of data at the ready. This will make team meetings, parent conferences, and data chats smooth and easy. You can also use this course for all subjects in your class, not just reading!

Terminal Objective

By the end of this course, teachers will be able to create, plan, and execute a reading block including whole-group and small-group instruction with data collection forms.

Course Learning Objectives

Teachers will be able to...

create homogeneous groups based on student data.
design a student rotation chart and schedule with desired centers.
organize data forms for student binders for progress monitoring.
plan for the first weeks of school.

Instructional Strategies

Some instructional strategies that I would like to include are;

A visual breakdown of the schedule
Video lecture on how to create lessons in Google Classroom and how to make a slideshow for center rotations
Examples of how to group students by ability/skill
Examples of the center rotation slideshow
Have the teachers go through the reading block.
Model of how to take notes, save work samples, and progress monitor
Have teachers pair up and discuss behavior concerns and come up with ideas for behavior management systems
Group subject area teachers together to discuss how they can use this in their classrooms

Assessment Strategies

This assessment will be a portfolio. At the end of the course, teachers will have prepared

a center rotation chart with students sorted into their groups.
a binder with their data recording sheets
Google Classroom is set up with an assignment for each center.

This portfolio will encompass all the learning objectives. Teachers will have the option of how they want to submit the portfolio. They can share a Google Slide Show and add a teacher to Google Classroom so the instructor can look at the assignments the teacher has created. For the data recording sheet, teachers can email a copy of the form they either created or found to the instructor.

Educational Resources

Teachers Pay Teachers- With this website teachers can find thousands of teacher-created resources for sale or free. This can include templates for guided-reading notes, slideshows for center rotations, no-prep word work, writing activities, and anything else they might need but do not have time to create themselves.
Super Teacher Worksheets- This is a yearly subscription service where teachers can find hundreds of resources from math, science, social studies, and more.
Youtube- Here you can find tutorials on the course provided by hundreds of teachers including me!
Google- If there is any troubleshooting for Google Classroom needed. Typing your question in Google will generate answers to most FAQs.

Learning Model: Understand by Design

The model that I will be using is Understand by Design. As an educator for the past 16 years, it is one that I am comfortable with. When I began teaching, 'begin with the end in mind' was a large part of how I lesson planned. With the material that is going to be taught in the course, I have a very solid grasp of what the final product is. As a side note, it's good to be the instructional design as well as the subject matter expert!

Learning Theory: Andragogy

For this course, the learning theory that I have chosen is Andragogy. The course fits several different pieces of this learning theory. It solves a problem that teachers have. This is important so that teachers can see and understand the relevance. It takes into account that teachers who are going to be the learners come with a multitude of experiences and that is taken into account when designing the course content. Some parts of the module are self-paced, and the teachers will have the time to fit the course into their busy schedules.

There is also a secondary learning theory which is social cognitivism. I am including this here because my vision is to get other teachers to talk to one another and share ideas. This may be through discussion posts and/or video conferencing.

Course Sequencing

In module one, teachers will begin by learning how to put students into heterogeneous groups.
In module two, teachers will then be instructed on how to set up the centers and given examples on Google classroom of assignments.
In module three, teachers will be shown how to create a center rotation chart on Google Slides with instructions on inputting timers.
In module four, teachers will be shown how to find, organize, or create note-taking templates on the teacher-led portion of the center rotation.
Teachers will then have all the pieces of the center rotation together, and the modules will all be put together.

Assessment Strategies

Teachers will be given a mock group of students (or use their own class) and put into groups with the academic data.
Teachers are expected to create an assignment on Google Classroom. A rubric will be provided.
Teachers will then have time to either find a center rotation chart they like on one of the resources provided (TeachersPayTeachers website), or they are welcome to design one of their own.
Like the above assessment, teachers will find or create and organize a student binder for tracking students' progress monitoring data. A rubric will be provided.
Teachers will have their portfolio, including; student groups, assignments loaded in Google Classroom, a center rotation chart, and a student data binder ready to go!

Alignment

This aligns with the sequence exactly because teachers can learn the material and then use it immediately.
Alignment with the sequencing is evident here, with the expectation that teachers are going to set up an assignment that matches the subject they teach.
This aligns well because teachers are creating the products they will need to get started.
Alignment here is present by having the product of this module be precisely what they will use in class and meets the stated objective.
The modules, objectives, and assessments align with the course that I have created. When teachers submit their portfolios, they will be graded against a final rubric.

Course Standards/Syllabus

It is crucial to have a syllabus so students do not have to send an email every time they have a question about a late assignment or any other frequently asked questions that they might have. Below are elements that I will include in my course syllabus. Many of the parts that belong on the first page of a syllabus are included in the rest of this portfolio, so this will be dedicated to the portion that is not included.

Late Assignments: If an assignment is going to be late, you are required to contact the teacher to let them know. You will receive a lower score on the rubric if an assignment is turned in late with no communication. Assignments more than a week late with no communication will not be graded.

Technology Use: This class is taken mostly online so ensure you have a reliable computer and internet service.

Academic Policies: In this course, you may choose to purchase materials from websites for part of your portfolio. Please include the proper documentation to credit the original creator.

Course Requirements and Assignment list: This course's final assignment will be a portfolio of all the modules put together. Each module will have a rubric to guide students through the expectations. The assignments are as follows;

a mock or real student grouping list, along with a short paragraph explaining the grouping.
a completed center rotation chart.
at least two assignments for each center, along with a summary of why the assignment was chosen.
a completed student data binder.

Communication Protocols: Learners should all be using the learning management system where this course will be hosted. Learners should check in two to three times a week for updates, and assignments are due at the end of each week. Learners wanting to connect with others outside of the LMS can do so at their own risk.

Executive Summary

I will train teachers to make the most of their small-group center rotation. For the past few years, teachers have been moving to less whole group and more small group instruction. There is a good reason why, because it works! Teachers are constantly asked about student progress by administrators and parents, and with this course, you will always have an answer with the data to back it up. In addition, students will be engaged and eager to learn and will never ask again, 'What am I supposed to be doing?'

With this course, teachers are able to make the most out of small-group instruction and close the achievement gap. Small-group instruction gives teachers the time to be with a smaller group of students to guide them on their level, comprehensively understand their needs and improve skill deficits, give students tailored instruction, collect more data, and improve independence and interdependence. This course also helps teachers maximize technology use in the classroom. With Google Classroom, teachers can now share with parents what kids are doing daily. This will create the bridge between home and school communication, where parents are in the know with a few clicks of a button.

This course recommends that even more technology be integrated into small-group instruction with teacher training from Nearpod, Epic, IXL, Khan Academy, and many other learning platforms.

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