As you continue to navigate your remote teaching and learning experiences we invite you to take a moment to watch our free & curated selection of literacy author webinars below:
Digital Media Literacies in the ELA Classroom: Empowering Student Voices through Production and Critique – Presenter: Ernest Morrell
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. WEBINAR COMPLETE – Watch the presentation on-demand below:
How to Unite Equity Work, SEL, and Literacy Instruction – Presenter: Lacy Asbill
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. VIEW THE WEBINAR ON-DEMAND BELOW
Ways to Recognize, Celebrate, & Share Learning—Wherever Students Are – Presenter: Freddy Hiebert
Join Freddy 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. VIEW THE WEBINAR ON-DEMAND BELOW
Keeping Your Upper-Elementary and Middle School Students Hooked on Words While at Home – Presenter: Shane Templeton
In this webinar, we address how to organize, plan, and provide “deep” vocabulary and spelling explorations that directly support your students’ reading and writing. These individual and collaborative explorations may take place in your school’s online learning environments with which students are already familiar. Excellent print and online resources are provided for exploring and learning about words and how they work. WEBINAR COMPLETE – Watch the presentation on-demand below:
The (Untold) Science of Reading: Teachers and Caregivers Collaborating to Get Students Actively Engaged with Literacy – Presenter: Jim Cummins
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. VIEW THE WEBINAR ON-DEMAND BELOW – View the presentation slides >
This is Not What I Learned in School: Tips for Teaching in Times of Transition – Presenter: Frank Serafini
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. VIEW THE WEBINAR ON-DEMAND BELOW – Download Teaching in Times of Transition_Dr. Frank Serafini Final and FS Webinar Online Resources
Teaching Comprehension…Long Distance – Presenter: Judy Wallis
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. VIEW THE WEBINAR ON-DEMAND BELOW
How to Talk about Phonics and Spelling in a Digital Environment: Principles and Practices of Words Their Way Word Study in a Virtual World – Presenter: Marcia Invernizzi
In this webinar, we address the basic elements of a Words Their Way phonics and spelling lesson and discuss how to respond to your students’ word work in a digital environment. These individual and collaborative explorations may take place in your school’s online learning environments with which students are already familiar and will support their continuing development in reading and writing. Excellent print and online resources are provided for exploring and learning about words and how they work. WEBINAR COMPLETE – Watch the presentation on-demand below:
Meeting Our Students in Their Digital Backyard and Still Enjoying Teaching Literacy – Presenter: Jocelyn Chadwick

Empowering Student Readers & Writers – Presenter: Kelly Gallagher
Join author and literacy leader Kelly Gallagher as he shares best practices in teaching students to read like a writer and to write like a reader. Kelly has an extensive resume of experience on the topic and will share not only his knowledge but his passion for the subject. Come learn, explore new ideas, and share your own experiences with Kelly as he discusses how to build deeper readers and writers. WEBINAR COMPLETED – ON-DEMAND VIDEO NOT YET AVAILABLE
Join us Nov. 12th for our FREE K-12 Literacy Symposium featuring presentations on the Science of Reading, Culturally Responsive Learning, Evidence-Based Practices, and more! REGISTER to save your spot today: https://t.co/EO149uB7Zd #elachat #edchat #teacherleaders #engchat pic.twitter.com/8F1XUXffKK
— Savvas Learning (@SavvasLearning) October 29, 2020