Full Catalog of Upcoming Events

This information was copied directly from the website:  "This is a self-paced professional development unit designed for K-3 teachers who desire to learn more about the science of reading. Participants will move through seven self-paced modules focused on each component of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The phonemic awareness unit will also include a module on sound walls. Estimated time for completion of all the modules is six hours."

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist shares strategies for selecting purposeful text. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE Assessment staff members unpack the knowledge and skills assessed by the opinion essay item on the Georgia Milestones English language arts (ELA) assessment in grades 3-5. Participants explore characteristics of the opinion essay item, navigating the Georgia Milestones scoring rubric and writer’s checklist along the way. Authentic pieces of student writing and their associated scoring annotations will also be examined. This session is sure to enhance assessment literacy around the practice of opinion writing!  After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE Assessment staff members unpack the knowledge and skills assessed by the argumentative essay item on the Georgia Milestones English language arts (ELA) assessment in grades 6-8 and American Literature and Composition. Participants explore characteristics of the argumentative essay item, navigating the Georgia Milestones scoring rubric and writer’s checklist along the way. Authentic pieces of student writing and their associated scoring annotations will also be explored. This session is sure to enhance assessment literacy around the practice of argumentative writing!  After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE staff members describe this workshop in the following way: Do you look longingly out the window on the weekends, only to glance back at the seemingly insurmountable stack of student responses awaiting feedback? The grading load for a secondary ELA teacher can be daunting. This professional learning experience will ground itself in the research but serve as a pragmatic approach to engage in meaningful feedback on students’ writing (while saving your weekend)! If your class incorporates writing (even if it’s not ELA), we will have something for you as well. Participants will leave with actionable strategies and resources to hopefully maintain work/life boundaries while still providing students with the necessary feedback for growth. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist shares information about phonics instruction for kindergarten students. Drawing on the evidence base from the “IES Practice Guides,” Tracy delves into explaining this evidence-based practice. She shares several anecdotes, models the strategy, and provides practical resources/research for teachers. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

 Drawing on the evidence base from the “IES Practice Guides,” the presenter delves into explaining this evidence-based practice. She shares several anecdotes, models the strategy, and provides practical resources/research for teachers. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist shares strategies for making inferences. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist shares strategies for writing in K and 1st Grade. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist reviews strategies for differentiating instruction for a mixed proficiency classroom. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist explains explicit instruction. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist reviews strategies for using reading and writing to emphasize key writing features for secondary learners. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

Cox Campus in collaboration with GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist will address the following:  "This session will focus on literacy workstations. The goals and objectives for this session:  A) Design organized spaces to help children develop language and literacy skills; B) Categorize different types of workstations and their role in literacy development; and C) Develop a plan to create, manage and rotate literacy workstations throughout the year. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist shares strategies for flexible grouping . After registering, participants will receive link information. 

Description:  GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist explores techniques for assessing newcomer English learners at the middle and high school levels. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE provides an overview of commonly used definitions of dyslexia and delineate characteristics that may be present from early childhood through the upper elementary grades. In addition, we dispel dyslexia-related myths and take a peek inside the reading brain. Upon completion of this video, viewers will be able to: A) State the two primary characteristics of dyslexia. B) Explain the relationship between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) category of specific learning disability and dyslexia. C) Dispel common dyslexia-related myths. D) Describe how neurological research confirms differences in the brain activation patterns of individuals with dyslexia and those without dyslexia. E) Delineate early indicators of dyslexia as well as describe secondary outcomes associated with older students with dyslexia. F) Explain the “Simple View of Reading.” After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist shares strategies for scaffolding instruction for struggling readers. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE staff members examine the relationship between reading development and dyslexia. To do this, we address three questions: How do individuals learn to read? What is the relationship between instruction and students’ reading outcomes? Why do some students experience persistent difficulty in learning to read? After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE staff members explore the relationship between dyslexia and services offered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The video is organized around common questions that arise when discussing dyslexia and the law. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE staff members explain what is meant by a structured literacy approach to reading instruction and what this means for students with dyslexia. Structured literacy is an umbrella term that refers to approaches to reading that reflect key instructional features (i.e., how instruction is provided) and content elements (i.e., what teachers teach) associated with gains in reading development. First, we describe the features of explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction and explain how these features can be applied within the delivery of effective reading instruction. Next, we review the content elements of a structured literacy approach, which include decoding, spelling, writing, and comprehension. Finally, we delineate features of instruction specific for students with dyslexia. Namely, effective instruction for students with dyslexia is diagnostic and prescriptive, includes frequent progress monitoring, and involves more repetitions of practice as well as strategic scaffolding. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE Assessment staff members unpack the knowledge and skills assessed by the informative/explanatory essay item on the Georgia Milestones English language arts (ELA) assessment in grades 3-8 and American Literature and Composition. Participants explore characteristics of the informative/explanatory essay item, navigating the Georgia Milestones scoring rubric and writer’s checklist along the way. Authentic pieces of student writing and their associated scoring annotations are also explored. This session is sure to enhance assessment literacy around the practice of informative/explanatory writing! . After registering, participants will receive link information.

You may already be aware of the growing field of mindfulness.  Mindfulness is being aware of the present moment, while calmly accepting your feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.  Mindfulness programs, which often encompass yoga, meditation and breathing techniques, are now in high demand in all over the United States. Besides stress reduction, mindfulness skills help kids improve their memory, organizational skills, reading and math scores.

Moving stress from toxic to tolerable involves increasing the number of protective relationships in children's lives and helping them learn how to regulate their nervous system, which is where mindfulness comes in.  This skill allows children to manage their internal world regardless of what comes at them externally, which is a concept that even younger children can understand.

In this course, you will gain in-depth knowledge into what mindfulness is, learn about the benefits it can offer your students, and then dig into how to actually teach these techniques.  There is no experience needed in yoga or meditation to take this course.  You can easily teach these mindfulness tools using the easy-to-follow videos and resources.

Goals & Objectives

• Articulate the benefits of mindfulness for students ages 4 and up
• Familiarize teachers and educators with the basics of breathing techniques
• Familiarize teachers and educators with the basics of short visualization (meditation) techniques
• Provide adequate tools and resources for teachers and educators to adapt mindfulness for the specific needs of their classes, making it relative to classroom content and beneficial to both teachers and their students

This course will be 5 hours of professional development.

• Video and video demonstrations
• Printable guides for implementation
• One on one instructor feedback
• Certificate of completion
• 24/7 access to course
• Lifetime availability of content

Access information will be sent in the registration email confirmation.

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist focuses on using “question answer relationships to improve reading comprehension.” Drawing on the evidence base from the “IES Practice Guides,” Mignon delves into explaining this evidence-based practice. She shares several anecdotes, models the strategy, and provides practical resources/research for teachers. After registering, participants will receive link information. 

GDOE ELA Virtual Learning Specialist focuses on daily writing instruction. Drawing on the evidence base from the “IES Practice Guides,” she delves into explaining this evidence-based practice. She shares several anecdotes, models the strategy, and provides practical resources/research for teachers. After registering, participants will receive link information.