Web-Based Learning Opportunities: Webinars and Webcasts

Webinars - Live
Live online presentations on timely topics include opportunity for questions and answers. More information and frequently asked questions.
 

Webcasts – On Demand
The best presentations pre-recorded are available to extend your professional knowledge at a time convenient for you. More information and frequently asked questions.
 

Teaching and Learning Topics

Oral Language Development: Theory Into Practice (NEW!)
Adria Klein, Allison Briceño, Susan Wray, and Deb Nemecek
Supporting teachers in using best practices for oral language development in the classroom promotes equity and access to instruction for all students including English Learners. The focus of this session will be on best classroom practices including sharing the open website from the New Teacher Center with videos of classroom practice, participation structures that support oral language, and new Language Readers.
This session consists of audio, PowerPoint slides and four video clips of teachers and students.

The Fundamentals of Literacy Coaching
Enrique Puig
This webcast focuses on literacy coaching within three major categories to economize on time and attention for improving instruction. The concept of literacy coaching in three major categories is an economic venue in responding to tight school schedules to ensure that intentional and relevant literacy instruction is taking place. Participants will explore rationales, aesthetics, and procedures as categories.

Inferring: The Heartbeat of Comprehension
Pat Johnson and Katie Keier
Comprehending beyond the literal level of texts is important. And inferring is a big part of being able to comprehend deeply. Participants will first learn how inferring fits into the complex reading processing system and then become better acquainted with the concept of inferring as they reflect on themselves as readers.

How Understanding the Learner’s Brain Can Improve our Teaching
Janet Bufalino and Elaine Stine
In this webinar, participants will learn about how the brain operates and how teachers can best help children learn. Many facets of learning will be addressed, with specific attention to literacy processing and knowledge.

Reading and Writing: Teaching for Reciprocal Gains
Anne Ballantyne
Explore how to teach for accelerated progress in reading and writing by attending to the common elements: increasing control over ideas and story meaning, language structure, vocabulary growth, letter-sound linking, and speedy pick-up of visual information.

Guided Writing: Teaching with Power and Purpose
Jan Richardson
Guided writing is a small group approach to writing instruction that targets a specific skill or strategy students need to learn. Topics include analyzing writing samples to identify a focus strategy, creating powerful minilessons, and providing appropriate scaffolds and prompts that help accelerate students.

Making the Invisible Visible: The Role of Meaning in Effective Literacy Processing
Nancy Anderson
Meaning is the most important source of information for literacy learners; however, it may be hard to value 'invisible' information over 'visible' letters on the page. Understand the critical role of meaning as the guiding force of strategic activity and explore how reading and writing weave together to support effective comprehension instruction that engages learners.

Accelerated Literacy Learning for K-2 - Maryann McBride
This session will assist classroom teachers in making the decision to move children up the levels of a leveled book set for their guided reading instruction.  Topics discussed will be how to set goals for progress of students in guided reading groups, what determines the level of a text and what are the instructional focus for different levels, and how to use assessments to help make placement decisions.

Learning to Read is Not a Race: Exploring Teaching Opportunities within Chapter Books for Transitional Readers -  Jeffery L. Williams, a literacy resource teacher leader, helps viewers develop an understanding of the needs of the transitional reader, plan more explicit instruction, and gain knowledge about the complexities of chapter books.

Prompting for Strategic Activity--Reading Recovery trainers Shannon Henderson and Janet Bufalino discuss reading and writing prompts and how teachers can effectively adjust their prompts for each child and their individual needs.

Negotiating the Literacy Lives of Boys through Building a Literacy Community
An expert in this field, David Booth helps educators understand issues involved in boys’ literacy learning and then provides proven methods to engage them as readers and writers.

Letter and Word Learning in the Early Literacy Classroom – Maryann McBride discusses learning new letters, extending letter knowledge, personal alphabet books, using Elkonin boxes and more.

Closing the Achievement Gap for English Language Learners – Yvonne and David Freeman discuss academic success for ELL students, culturally relevant materials, and teacher stories.

What Counts as Evidence? – Richard Allington, presents five pillars of reading instruction based on research evidence, and reviews their implications for teaching.

Implementation Topics
 

What a Difference a Site Coordinator Makes – Billie Askew and Mary Jackson discuss funding, school teams, key factors in successful Reading Recovery implementation, and more.

Note:  this session is FREE for RRCNA members.  To access the recording, log in to the Professional Development Resources screen (from the home page) and scroll down to the "Advocacy and Funding Resources" section.

Webinars produced as part of the Early Literacy Intervention initiative with the U.S. Department of Education are also available for on-demand viewing.