ER&D Courses

Quest Professional Develoment

ER&D COURSES

BEGINNING READING INSTRUCTION

This course focuses on how children learn to read and the best ways to teach beginning reading from kindergarten to the end of second grade. Because the course contains considerable information on how students develop basic decoding skills, it is also useful for teachers and paraprofessionals working with older students who are still having difficulty with decoding and fluency. The course presents a synthesis of the research consensus for beginning reading instruction. In addition, the most effective strategies for teaching beginning reading are provided with an emphasis on helping students develop phonemic awareness, knowledge of the alphabetic system, phonics/decoding skills, print awareness, fluency and comprehension.

FOUNDATIONS OF EFFECTIVE TREACHING I

This core ER&D course addresses the fundamental aspects of teaching and learning that are relevant for teachers and classroom paraprofessionals in all grade levels and subject areas. It examines proven practices for establishing and maintaining classroom management, maximizing use of learning time, questioning and feedback skills, homework, interactive guided instruction strategies and scaffolding techniques. Covering core topics critical to successful classroom practice, Foundations of Effective Teaching I is recommended as the primary offering for all ER&D local sites. It is frequently used as the basis for induction, mentoring and peer assistance programs. This course is an essential part of Local Site Coordinator training.

MANAGING ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR

The anti-social actions of a small but powerful number of students in school not only put their own academic success at risk, but threaten the learning environment for everyone. This course presents research on emotional and behavioral problems of students who consistently act out. Participants will learn strategies to reduce and/or prevent the occurrence of disruptive or dangerous outbreaks.

READING COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTION

This course focuses on the research and exemplary practices that help students acquire strong reading comprehension skills. It provides participants with a synthesis of the research base on reading comprehension instruction and vocabulary development. Participants examine, discuss and evaluate the appropriate application of a range of instructional strategies from explicit to implicit teaching of comprehension skills. Strategies are presented for increasing student comprehension of both narrative and expository texts—including content area textbooks. In addition, approaches are presented to help students monitor their own comprehension and apply appropriate “fix-up” strategies when comprehension is not achieved. Practice in using these instructional strategies and examples of student work are embedded in each unit. This course is appropriate for all K-12 teachers who need to help increase their students’ comprehension of text—whether that text is a literature selection or a subject area textbook.

STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

This course covers the following areas: Constructing Effective Classroom Assessments, Addressing Student Behavior and Anger in the Classroom, What Effective Schools Do When Students Don’t Succeed: The Power of Collaboration, Vocabulary Strategies, Making Parents and Guardians Partners in Educating Students and Using Questions to Teach and Learn.

STRONG BEGINNINGS

Strong Beginnings is a professional development program designed by the PFT Health and Welfare Fund to improve the quality of novice teachers in the School District of Philadelphia. This course emphasizes professional development in Classroom Management, Student Discipline, Behavior Management, Improving Teaching Practices and School Climate Issues. This course is for teachers with three years experience or less.

THINKING MATHEMATICE 1: TEN PRINCIPLES, ADDITION/SUBTRACTION COUNTING

This course focuses on research about how children learn mathematics and how these findings can be applied in the classroom. Ten Principles capture practices that lead to a better understanding of math for all students and are applicable at all levels. In this course, they are exemplified through the research on counting, addition and subtraction. The course takes a broader look at the importance of patterns and relationships throughout math, addresses the kind of questioning that promotes thinking in math class and provides a framework for thinking about curriculum and lessons.

THE SCHOOL-HOME CONNECTION: PARTNERSHIP SUPPORTING STUDENT LEARNING

The primary function of this course is to help school staff understand how they can assist parents to better support their children as learners. Topics explored include: (1) using effective communication strategies to develop learning partnerships with families; (2) designing more productive homework assignments to involve families; (3) explaining classroom work and grading systems to parents; and (4) developing school wide parent involvement plans.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT