Byram Hills Learning Lab

colorful words describing learning & teaching

NOTE: ALL TEACHERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MARKING THEIR ACTIVITIES COMPLETE IN FRONTLINE AFTER COMPLETING ANY LEARNING LAB COURSES.

INSTRUCTIONS ON 'MARKING COMPLETE' CAN BE FOUND HERE

FALL 2023 LEARNING LAB

Shifting the Balance Class 1: How to Get Readers Off to a Strong Start (K-2)

September 12, 2023 - October 22, 2023 (with access through December 3)

Audience: OPEN TO CLASSROOM & SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, AND READING SPECIALIST K-2, OR 3-5 IF THEY COMPLETED CLASS 2.

This course is for you if..

1. You're a teacher, coach, or school leader trying to make sense of the balanced literacy vs. science of reading debate.
2. You want to sort through the most current science about the reading brain but feel overwhelmed about where to start. There's so much!
3. You've learned some things about reading science but are struggling with practical applications in the classroom.
4. You're ready to step into some cognitive dissonance and honestly appraise your current practices.
5. You value responsive teaching but are worn down by trying to sort through the current claims that "everything's wrong” with balanced literacy.
6. You don't identify yourself as either "Balanced Literacy” or "Science of Reading.” You just want to find ways to help more kids read more easily.

*What are the critical elements of beginning reading that set children up for success in learning the alphabetic system and learning to comprehend?
*What is "alphabetic insight,” and why is it so critically important?
*How does phonemic awareness prepare the brain for later reading success?
*How do I thoughtfully and skillfully teach children to decode without teaching them to be "word callers”?
*How does the brain really learn sight words?
*How do I make foundational skills instruction engaging, relevant, and connected to comprehension?
*How do I select the best texts for beginning readers? What about decodable texts?
*What are the most effective ways to prompt beginning readers at the point of difficulty?

TIMES: ASYNCHRONOUS

LOCATION:
VIRTUAL

CREDIT:
1.5 In-Service Credits

COST:
$299 - $329 ($299 EARLY BIRD SPECIAL FEE)

Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Credits will not be awarded until the certificate is uploaded to Frontline PG and the activity is marked complete.

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

AFTER RECEIVEING APPROVAL ON FRONTLINE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL TO REGISTER AND PAY FOR THE COURSE.

Shifting the Balance Class 2: How to Keep Success Going for All Readers (3-5)

September 12, 2023 - October 22, 2023 (with access through December 3)

Audience: OPEN TO CLASSROOM & SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, AND READING SPECIALIST 3-5, OR K-2 IF THEY COMPLETED CLASS 1.

*What does knowledge have to do with reading comprehension and how do we help children develop it?
*Which reading strategies are truly important for students to learn and what is the best way to teach them?
*How do I know what specific vocabulary words are worth teaching and how do I best teach them?
*What do I do if children arrive in the upper grades without all the necessary foundational skills?
*How do I deepen word recognition skills by drawing on morphology (bases, roots, and affixes)?
*What are the components of reading fluency and how can students best practice them?
*How do I select worthwhile texts for different instructional purposes?>br> *How do I revise my reading workshop to be more science-aligned?
*And much more!

TIMES: ASYNCHRONOUS

LOCATION:
VIRTUAL

CREDIT:
1.5 In-Service Credits

COST:
$299 - $329 ($299 EARLY BIRD SPECIAL FEE)

Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Credits will not be awarded until the certificate is uploaded to Frontline PG and the activity is marked complete.

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

AFTER RECEIVEING APPROVAL ON FRONTLINE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL TO REGISTER AND PAY FOR THE COURSE.

Applying Research- Based Literacy Strategies to Classroom Practice (K-5)

September 28, 2023 - May 2, 2024

Audience: OPEN TO PROBATIONARY K-5 TEACHERS IN YEARS 3 & 4

While there are volumes of research studies in literacy, both theoretical and empirical, it can be challenging to translate that research into classroom practice. This course will examine literacy research and its application to classroom practice. Through a collaborative learning community, teachers will study aspects of literacy relevant to their teaching assignments, reflect on their own classroom practice, apply new or revised strategies, and reflect on the effectiveness of instruction and the experience.

Some of the topics may include:
1. The Reading Brain and Scarborough's Reading Rope
2. Orthographic Mapping and Word Study (High-Frequency Word Instruction)
3. How Background Knowledge Supports Comprehension
4. Effective Vocabulary Instruction
5. Thinking Aloud Across All Content Areas & Texts
6. Text Diets and Small-Group Instruction

DATES:
September 28; October 24; November 21; January 9; March 21; & May 2

TIMES: 3:30PM - 5:30PM (with an additional 3 hours of work outside of class)

LOCATION:
Wampus Library

CREDIT:
1 In-Service Credit

For probationary K-5 teachers in years 3 & 4 - payment should be sent at the time of registration.
Please make checks payable to Byram Hills and send to the District Office, Attention: Colin O'Connor.
For this course (15 hours), the fee is $200. Registration cannot be approved on Frontline Professional Growth until payment is received at the District Office.

The registration deadline is September 15, 2023

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Developing Your Leadership Mindset (6-12)

September 28, 2023 - May 2, 2024

Audience: OPEN TO 6-12 TEACHERS IN THEIR SECOND, THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR

Join this course for teachers in their second, third, or fourth year in the District to support and develop individual leadership capacity aimed at creating the greatest impact over time. Build your systems-thinking knowledge and explore ten mindsets for leadership to apply in your work with students and colleagues as contributing leaders in the district.

- Sept. 28: 2:45 - 5:15 - District Office
* Transformations vs. Transactions:
* Leading from Your North Star

- Oct. 19: 2:45 - 5:15 - District Office
* From Nodes to Lines:
* Systems Thinking in Leadership

- Nov. 7: 2:45 - 5:15 - District Office
* From Surface Innovation to Deep Innovation:
* Design Thinking in Leadership

- Jan. 9: 2:45 - 5:15 - District Office
* From Dissemination to Conversation:
* Mastering the Art of Collaboration and Relationship Skills in Leadership

- Mar. 11: 2:45 - 5:15 - District Office
* From Engagement to Empowerment to Efficacy:
* Building the Superskills of Leadership: Part 1

- May 2: 2:45 - 5:15 - District Office
* From Ferry Master to Bridge Builder:
* Building the Superskills of Leadership: Part 2

+ 5hrs Asynchronous 1hr sessions including personalized virtual support with Tanya, your course facilitator

Payment should be sent to the District Office
Please make checks payable to Byram Hills and send to the District Office, Attention: Colin O'Connor.
For this course (15 hours), the fee is $200. Registration cannot be approved on Frontline Professional Growth until payment is received at the District Office.

The registration deadline is September 15, 2023

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Building Executive Function to Support Acceleration (IDE Corp)

September 1, 2023 - October 23, 2023

**ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE**

THIS COURSE IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN 'GETTING STARTED WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTION: DESIGNING LESSON PLANS TO BUILD EXCEUITVE FUNCTION' AND BUILDING EF IN REMOTE LEARNERS

Executive function is critical to all students' academic achievement, and we now know it can be developed and accelerated. Enhance your academic lesson plans by fostering the six key aspects of executive function, intentionally building critical achievement prerequisites in students.

SYLLABUS:

1.Understanding how executive function is inextricably linked to the academic achievement of students at all developmental levels through the lens of six levels of increasingly complex life skills
2.Understanding how executive function develops and how growth can be accelerated
3.Understanding the difference between learning and practice activities, and the importance of purposeful "grappling” with content
4.Developing instructional activities aimed at building executive function across the seven key components: working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning, reasoning, problem solving, inhibitory control, and self-awareness
5.Developing an implementation plan that includes powerful facilitation strategies and purposeful structures to develop executive function and promote learning acceleration for all learners

This course will use Dr. Nancy Sulla's book, ' Building Executive Function: The Missing Link to Student Achievement' as a resource. The assigned book must be purchased in advance.

Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Completion of this course also requires a 5 Hour Independent Action Research Component. Credits will not be awarded until the certificate and component are uploaded to MLP and the activity is marked complete.

Payment should be sent to the District Office
Please make checks payable to Byram Hills and send to the District Office, Attention: Colin O'Connor.
For this course (30 hours), the fee is $400. Registration cannot be approved on Frontline Professional Growth until payment is received at the District Office.

The registration deadline is September 15, 2023

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Using Formative Assessment to Drive Instruction (IDE Corp)

November 6, 2023 - December 22, 2023

**ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE**

Explore the structures and strategies you can use to gather formative assessment data to drive instruction that is targeted for increased student achievement. Design formative assessments for use with your students that can be used remotely or in person.

SYLLABUS:

1. Developing formative assessments across four categories: temperature gauges, breakpoint assessments, student-directed assessments, and comprehensive assessments
2. Using formative assessment data to differentiate classroom activities
3. Using formative assessment data to drive facilitation in any environment
4. Designing formative assessment grids to allow participants to easily collect and track assessment data from students working in class and remotely

Participants in this course will use ' Reinventing the Classroom Experience' by Dr. Nancy Sulla as a resource. The assigned book must be purchased in advance.

For those taking this course for In-Service credit, payment should be sent at the time of registration.
Please make checks payable to Byram Hills and send to the District Office, Attention: Colin O'Connor. The fee is $400.
Registration cannot be approved on Frontline Professional Growth until payment is received at the District Office.

Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Completion of this course also requires a 5 Hour Independent Action Research Component. Credits will not be awarded until the certificate and component are uploaded to MLP and the activity is marked complete.

The registration deadline is November 20, 2023

GET APPROVAL HERE!

INFORMATION

Professional Growth (My Learning Plan) Registration Instructions:

Payment Information for Credit; Auditing a Course; and Stipends

1. Payment for in-service credit:

Payment should be sent to the District Office at the time of registration.
Please make checks payable to Byram Hills and send to the District Office, attention: Colin O'Connor.
For a ½-credit course (7½-hours), the fee is $100.
For a 1-credit course (15-hours), the fee is $200.
For a 2-credit course (30-hours), the fee is $400.
For a 3-credit course (45-hours), the fee is $600.

2. Audit a course:

At times, certain courses may be offered for "audit." To audit a course means that the District will pay for the course, however, teachers are not provided a stipend for participation.

3. Stipends:

At times, certain courses, offered in the summer only, may provide teachers a stipend for participation at the current summer curriculum workshop rate.

Registration Guidelines

All registrations are to be done through My Learning Plan

Course registration is limited. Teachers will be admitted to the course in the order in which they submit payment. Approval will not be granted until receipt of payment.

Please note that courses may be cancelled if the minimum enrollment requirements are not met within 5 days prior to the start of the course.

Teachers who withdraw from a course must provide notice no less than 5 school days prior to the start of the course in order to receive a refund.

Byram Hills