This is a summer unlike any other! As you prepare for the next school year during these unprecedented times, we invite you to take a moment and join us for a special Savvas Learning Summer Literacy FREE webinar series to stay connected to other educators and continue to navigate remote/hybrid teaching and learning. It’s summer- so watch these webinars on your schedule! Note that Certificates of Continuing Education/PD will be provided on the Monday following the conclusion of each webinar.
Digital Media Literacies in the ELA Classroom: Empowering Student Voices through Production and Critique
Presenter: Dr. Ernest Morrell
When: June 15th-21st
Register to View On-demand FREE: Click here
Description: How do we help our students to become more critical consumers and producers of digital media? How do we help them to develop essential 21st-century literacies without sacrificing our commitments to teaching literature and writing? This webinar will frame media literacy education in the context of student engagement, academic development, and student voice. We will discuss how teachers can help students to ask hard questions of the media they consume and how students can experience greater joy and connection to their everyday literacies. We will conclude by exploring exciting ways that teachers can integrate digital media into their traditional literature-based units.
The (Untold) Science of Reading: Teachers and Caregivers Collaborating to Get Students Actively Engaged with Literacy
Presenter: Dr. Jim Cummins
When: June 22nd-28th
Register to View On-demand FREE: Click here
Description: During the past year, there has been renewed attention paid to what has been labeled ‘the science of reading,’ but one set of scientific findings has been conspicuously absent from these discussions, namely the central role that literacy engagement plays in determining students’ reading comprehension. The logic underlying this relationship is very clear: we find academic language primarily in two places – classrooms and written text (e.g., digital and printed books). When students can’t go to school, reading books and engaging in oral and written online discussion of these books can help bridge the gap. The presentation will provide an overview of the research on literacy engagement and suggest ways in which teachers and caregivers can work together to help students become enthusiastic readers and writers.
Meeting Our Students in Their Digital Backyard and Still Enjoying Teaching Literacy
Presenter: Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick
When: June 29th-July 5th
Register to View On-demand FREE: Click here
Description: Literacy today includes the physical text along with digital literacy—a totally different definition and experience from the very first time we all explored the term in the 80s. Since 2012, Dr. Jocelyn A. Chadwick has integrated instructional expectations with the technology our students embrace naturally—in person and virtually. Join Dr. Chadwick in this session as she explores close reading, writing, inquiry, and speaking and listening approaches to encourage students to find their own voice, perspective, and relevance in assigned texts and activities. She also focuses on how we can read familiar texts through our students’ 21st century lenses, thereby creating a robust teacher-student experience. Digital platforms—Zoom, Google Docs, apps, and open source databases—allow us to leverage further student engagement and “sticky-learning.”
This is Not What I Learned in School: Tips for Teaching in Times of Transition
Presenter: Dr. Frank Serafini
When: July 6th-July 12th
Register to View On-demand FREE: Click here
Description: How do we navigate the transition to distance learning as we seek to serve our students? How do we implement elearning effectively? Dr. Serafini has been conducting research on visual and multimodal literacy working with contemporary picturebooks to support young readers’ comprehension. He is also developing a visual literacy curriculum and has been investigating digital and mobile applications in literacy education. Join Dr. Frank Serafini, literacy expert, and teacher educator, as he shares guidance and suggestions for teaching in times of transition
How to Unite Equity Work, SEL, and Literacy Instruction
Presenter: Dr. Lacy Asbill
When: July 13th-July 19th
Register to View On-demand FREE: Click here
Description: Are you looking for ways to seamlessly integrate English Language Arts instruction with your students’ social and emotional development? Present your students with reading experiences that are culturally relevant and help them explore their identities. Save time prepping thoughtful lesson plans that help young people make meaning of real-world topics like bullying, inequality, and social justice. Learn more about Reading with Relevance, a CASEL-certified SEL resource that uses novels to impact student learning.
Ways to Recognize, Celebrate, & Share Learning—Wherever Students Are
Presenter: Dr. Elfrieda Hiebert
When: July 20th-26th
Register to View On-demand FREE: Click here
Description: Join Dr. Freddy Hiebert as she describes the ways in which caregivers and teachers can support students in keeping track of what they are learning. As importantly, the ways in which students can be guided in celebrating and sharing their learning will also be highlighted. Regardless of the form of a learning environment, recognizing, celebrating, and sharing knowledge is at the heart of successful educational experiences.
Teaching Comprehension…Long Distance
Presenter: Dr. Judy Wallis
When: July 27th-Aug 2nd
Register to View On-demand FREE: Click here
Description: Teaching comprehension is challenging! It becomes even more so if we are supporting students in remote settings. Modeling and scaffolding are still key. Join Dr. Judy Wallis as she shares strategies for teaching comprehension remotely.
