Professional Fall 2017–Summer 2018 Development For Educators Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning Junior Great Books Grades K–5 ® Great Books Middle School Grades 6–8 Great Books Seminar Grades 9–12 How to Get Started Grades K–12 Great for Students and Teachers What Is the Great Books Foundation? The Great Books Foundation provides outstanding classroom materials and inspiring professional development. We help students get the most out of reading and interacting with their teachers and classmates, while providing instruction and support in Shared Inquiry, a method of learning that gives teachers the approach they need to help their students succeed. In Shared Inquiry, students —guided by their teacher —explore fiction and nonfiction texts by discussing open-ended questions and sharing responses and insights. In schools that use our classroom materials and method of teaching and learning, students consider important ideas, discover how these ideas have shaped events of the past, and learn the critical thinking skills that will prepare them for the future. Teachers who use Great Books K–12 programs: Students who participate in Great Books learn to: • Use great questions to spur deep thinking • Read and understand texts more completely • Engage students through interpretive activities • Listen to others’ ideas and Shared Inquiry discussion • Confidently state their own opinions and back • Use inquiry-based instruction throughout the them up with evidence from the text curriculum • Express ideas in writing “I think Junior Great “ I like when I get to share Books is an important my thoughts with the component of a bal- whole class. It makes me anced literacy program, feel kind of like happy, because it really incor- because everyone is pay- porates the reading, ing attention. It’s great writing, speaking, and because you actually get listening components to share your thoughts that are at the heart of and it makes you feel balanced literacy. Kids are really driving the process. good. You’re being respected and everyone’s listen- They’re driving the discussions. Their thinking is ing to you . and you should do the same thing to at the heart of it.” other people.” —Angela Brito, principal —Spiros, first grader Blaine Elementary School, Chicago, IL Blaine Elementary School, Chicago, IL 2 greatbooks.org Professional Great Books K–12 Programs Development For Educators Features Benefits High-quality texts from a range of Support close reading and in-depth questioning; cultures, time periods, and genres introduce students to a variety of texts Sharing Questions activity Stimulates curiosity while building metacognitive Junior Great and collaborative skills Books® Close-reading activities during Make textual analysis fun and accessible through a variety Second Reading of learning modalities Grades K–5 Shared Inquiry discussion Builds students’ abilities to develop ideas, use textual evidence, and listen and respond to others Vocabulary and “Word Work” Allow students to learn new words and practice foundational activities skills (e.g., spelling or phonics) in a meaningful context Great Books Written Response activities Enable students to build on ideas developed in discussion; Middle School provide an authentic context for writing Curriculum Connection activities Deepen understanding by extending thinking about textual Grades 6–8 concepts to other subject areas Creative Response activities Allow students to respond imaginatively to texts using visual art, drama, music, and other forms Differentiated instruction Engages all students in higher-level reading, thinking, and Great Books discussion Seminar Thematic organization Spurs personal connections and inquiry into concepts such (grades 2–5) as trust, friendship, and resourcefulness Grades 9–12 Assessment and reflection Formative and summative options build a complete picture of students’ progress Teacher resources and annotated Simplify finding and using appropriate techniques; enrich units use of activities How to Get Planning and implementation Make getting started with the program and customizing Started recommendations its use easy Grades K–12 Great Books Professional Development Why Learn Shared Inquiry? Strong inquiry-based instruction has been proven to engage all students at higher levels of reading and thinking. Shared Inquiry enhances all the basic language arts skills—reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, speaking, and listening—and enables students to learn more across the curriculum. Teachers who learn Shared Inquiry: • Improve their questioning strategies to lead productive, text-based discussions • Help build students’ critical thinking skills • Introduce students to rich and diverse literature from around the world • Challenge students to go further with their ideas and opinions • Use a nationally recognized method of learning, proven to improve student performance The Shared Inquiry Essentials Course Cost and Format In this hands-on interactive introductory course, experienced trainers • Course fee is $135–$475 per person, depending on enrollment. model and teach the Shared Inquiry method and help educators learn: • Blended course includes one day (5 hours) of live instruction and • The distinguishing features of Shared Inquiry 10 hours of online learning. • The importance of selecting complex texts • Live course is composed of two 5-hour sessions on consecutive days. • The Shared Inquiry sequence of activities • What types of questions support each Shared Inquiry objective • Close reading activities View currently scheduled courses • How to lead a student-driven Shared Inquiry discussion at greatbooks.org/courses. • How to assess student performance • How to integrate Shared Inquiry into their curriculum 4 greatbooks.org On-Site Training Development Professional Customized Consultation Give your teachers the personalized, specific feedback they need to apply what they have learned in training, and to become highly proficient at the inquiry-based teaching skills that make Great Books programs so successful. Research shows that in-person, teacher-focused professional development supports the implementation of new strategies in the classroom and, over time, mastery of these skills. Our team of educational consultants will work closely with you to customize the best ongoing professional development plan to meet your goals and help you stay within your budgetary guidelines. On-Site Fees • Advanced courses, including: » Single-day: $3,000 Using Shared Inquiry with Nonfiction Two or more consecutive days: $1,800 per day (save 40%) » The Power of Student Questions » The Close Reading Process Schedule our expert instructors to visit your school and work with » The Reading-Writing Connection students and teachers in their classrooms. Choose from: » Assessing Student Progress • In-classroom coaching, modeling, and co-teaching » Interpretive Thinking for Younger Students • One-on-one feedback and goal setting » And much more! • Grade-level and team meetings • Curriculum development—our team of trainers will work with you to customize an inquiry-based curriculum across all disciplines to fit your needs and ensure that you meet state and district Schedule on-site training— standards, using: call 800.222.5870 or email » Great Books programs » [email protected]! Classroom materials of your choice » A blend of Great Books and other materials 800.222.5870 5 Great Books Professional Development Virtual Coaching Great Books Virtual Coaching, alongside our on-site consultation visits, is an effective way to provide the tailored individual support your teachers need to deliver the full benefits of Great Books programs and make the Shared Inquiry method of learning part of the culture in every classroom. More than 90% of teachers believe that filming their instruction would help them improve practices.* With the Great Books Virtual Coaching platform, teachers can reflect on their practice, identify areas of growth, and assess student needs. Great Books Virtual Coaching Features Benefits of Virtual Coaching • Expert support and feedback from our staff on up to 80 minutes • Choice. Teachers select video segments for feedback—allowing of classroom video per license. We recommend teachers submit four them to target specific classes, content, or students—and select who videos of approximately 20 minutes each during the year in order to can view the videos. optimize practice and growth over time. • Convenience. Videos can be recorded on any device and uploaded • Our digital platform, which allows for easy uploading of videos, at any time. time-stamp tagging to share questions, and reviewing of the coach’s • Expertise. Great Books coaches are masters of Shared Inquiry who feedback are focused on supporting teachers and their growth. • Unlimited sharing of videos between teachers from the same group • Personalization. From novice to expert, each user receives • Shared Inquiry framework that describes specific questioning individualized feedback and suggestions for improvement and next and discussion practices and is highly compatible with Danielson’s steps. Domain 3b, as well as other teaching frameworks • A curated resources library of videos and PDFs to provide Virtual Coaching Fees additional support • Single user license: $1,355 / one year • Group of 5 user licenses: $5,500 / one year (includes one view-only *Reader poll, Accomplished Teacher & ASCD Leadership, SmartBrief Education, September 2014. administrator access) 6 greatbooks.org Distance Learning Options Development