Including All Learners

ABOUT THE COURSE | FAQ

Strategies for SWD and ELLs
March 22 - May 9

Teachers want to help all students feel both supported and challenged. But what happens when a class of 30+ students is full of individuals with different strengths, different learning styles, and different comfort levels with the English language? How can you successfully differentiate instruction for students who work in modalities not typically privileged in schools?

Throughout Including All Learners, we'll explore ways for you to integrate multiple modalities into your lessons and units, and will address the promises and challenges of teaching in heterogeneous classrooms by exploring the principles of differentiation. Together, we'll explore current best practices for instruction in online and blended learning environments; identify, analyze, and apply strategies for differentiated instruction; and discover how to support students in increasing participation and verbal interactions in the classroom.

You can earn up to 12 ELL CTLE credits for participating in this course. 

Including All Learners is a six-week, asynchronous online course. You'll be able to move through this course at your own pace, with no expectation to be online at specific times.

This course is designed to allow for approximately 2 hours of participation per week. While you can interact with each module as often as you'd like, we find that 2 hours per week / 1 module per week works best for participants.

Throughout this course, you'll discover how to:

Explore current research related to teaching in heterogeneous classrooms, including teaching ELLs and SWDs
Apply theories of teaching in heterogeneous classrooms to your current lesson plans and curricula to meet the needs of your students
Collaborate to research, review, and share effective strategies for working with ELLs and SWD
Develop practices for implementing differentiation strategies for online or blended learning

Is this course right for you?
Including All Learners welcomes all educators, but is best for K-12 teachers and instructional leaders who want to:

Gain a deeper understanding of the principles undergirding differentiation and UDL
Explore research-based, differentiated learning activities that can be adapted for unique classrooms
Have an opportunity to plan in an environment that offers support and specific, actionable feedback
Explore differentiation strategies within the context of online and blended learning environments

Still have questions? Check out our FAQ.

Each module will include the following elements:

Instructional talks: A series of 3-4 short videos that break down the topic, provide examples, pose questions, and invite further reflection.
Key resources: Downloadable resources for you to read, review, or use in your instruction.
Discussion prompt: Each module will pose a reflection question, which you can respond to using the discussion board. We want to hear from each person in the discussion board at least one time, and want each person to respond to a minimum of 2 other posts. Discussions must be completed in order to earn CTLE credits.
Assignment: Practical, hands-on assignments that will help you implement the content of the module and reflect on your experiences. Assignments must be completed in order to earn CTLE credits.

Introductions & Goals

Driving question(s): What are some foundational principles for including all learners?

Tiered Vocabulary

Driving question(s): How do we decide which words to teach our students?
How can the concept of Tiered Vocabulary help us in our instructional decisions?

Promising Practices with Vocabulary

Driving question(s): What are promising practices for vocabulary instruction for ELLs & SWD?

Metacognition in the Classroom

Driving question(s): What is the concept of metacognition, and why is it important for teaching ELLs & SWD?

Explorations in Current Research

Driving question(s): What does current research say about educating ELLs & SWD? What online resources are available to educators?

Engaging and Supporting Students with Video in the Classroom

Driving question(s): Why is it dangerous to have a single story of our students? How can we meaningfully engage and support students in using multimedia texts?

Dr. Laura Rigolosi is both practical and creative in her classroom approaches, and finds a way to teach every student! Laura began her teaching career as an English teacher over fifteen years ago, and has since worked with teachers in all disciplines on developing their curriculum. She has lead numerous literacy workshops in NY, NJ, CT, CA and OH. Laura earned her M.A. and Ed.D. From Teachers College, where she also taught in the English Education department.

Jacqui is currently pursuing a P.h.D. in the English Education department at Teachers College, Columbia University. As a former New York City public school teacher, Jacqui has taught in a wide range of English classrooms, from specialized classes for students with disabilities, to inclusion classrooms, to AP Language and Composition. At CPET, Jacqui has partnered with middle and high school teachers to develop engaging Common Core-aligned ELA curriculum, differentiate for students with disabilities, and cultivate productive co-teaching relationships. She looks forwards to another year of supporting hardworking and passionate teachers!

Registration

Where do I enter my promo code?

Click the blue text below that says "Enter promo code". Enter your code, and click "Apply". From there, you can continue with your registration as usual.

Promo codes must be entered before you begin registration; there is no option to add it after you click the "Checkout" button.

FAQ

Registration

What are CTLE hours, and should I register for them?

Beginning in 2016, a registered holder of a NYS professional classroom teaching certificate, educational leadership certificate, or Level III teaching assistant certificate is required to successfully complete 100 Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) hours. Teachers College is a state-approved provider of CTLE hours, and participants can earn up to 12 ELL CTLE hours for participating in this opportunity. Participation will be verified before CTLE credits are awarded.

ESL TEACHERS: If your professional certificate is in English to Speakers of Other Languages or you hold a bilingual extension annotation, a minimum of 50 percent of your CTLE hours must be in language acquisition, including a focus on best practices for co-teaching strategies and integrating language and content instruction for English language learners.
ALL TEACHERS: Everyone else must complete a minimum of 15 CTLE hours in language acquisition.

CTLE information must be included on your registration form. If you decline CTLE hours at the time of registration and change your mind afterward, you'll need to contact us prior to the start of this course. Once you begin, we'll be unable to accommodate new CTLE requests.

Is there a New Teacher Network membership discount available for this opportunity?

No, this opportunity is not eligible for an NTN member discount. You are welcome to register & participate in this course after paying the registration fee, or you can visit our PD Opportunities page to see other opportunities where your discount will apply.

Can I pay for my registration with a purchase order?

Absolutely! Have your school contact cpet@tc.edu to initiate this process.

In your message, please make sure to provide:

your school name & address
contact information (name & email) for the person who handles POs & payments at your school
the number of teachers interested in registering for this opportunity

This information will allow us to provide you with the documentation needed to create a PO. This documentation will include our vendor & DOE contract numbers.

Once we've received a PO, we will provide your school with a promo code to distribute to the teachers they are funding. The promo code will allow you to bypass Eventbrite's payment section, so that there is no out-of-pocket cost to you. You will still be required to complete a registration form.

I have a promo code — where do I enter it?

Please see the blue text in the registration section that says "Enter promo code". Click that text, enter your code, and click "Apply". From there, you can continue with your registration as usual.

This course has already started. Can I still register?

Yes! You can register through March 29, 2021.

How do I change or cancel my registration?

If you need to change or cancel your registration for any reason, contact us at cpet@tc.edu.
If you choose to cancel your registration, we will be able to offer you a refund as long as you have not yet accepted the invitation to join the course.

Access & participation

How do I access this course?

Once you've registered, you will receive an email invitation to join our digital platform from Teachers College Canvas. From there, you will be able to set up a username and password.

Go to MyTC Portal (my.tc.columbia.edu)
Click on the "Non-UNI Canvas Login" link
Enter your email and password. If you didn't create one or have forgotten, simply click on the "Forgot Password?" link on the Canvas login page
On the Canvas dashboard, accept any course invitations, if prompted
You may also access the course on your mobile device through the Canvas Student App
Course materials will be accessible immediately following your acceptance of the invitation

If you register before March 22, you can expect to receive the invitation by the time the course begins.
If you register after March 22, you can expect to receive the invitation within 48 hours of registration.

What does a module include?

Each module will include the following elements:

Instructional talks: A series of 3-4 short videos that break down the topic, provide examples, pose questions, and invite further reflection.
Key resources: Downloadable resources for you to read, review, or use in your instruction.
Discussion prompt*: Each module will pose a reflection question, which you can respond to using the discussion board. We want to hear from each person in the discussion board at least one time, and want each person to respond to a minimum of 2 other posts.
Assignment*: Practical, hands-on assignments that will help you implement the content of the module and reflect on your experiences.

*Must be completed to earn all CTLEs

How much time will it take me to complete this course?

While you can move through the course at your own pace, we find that approximately 2 hours per week / 1 module per week works best for participants.

Will I be expected to be online on specific days / at certain times?

No; this course is asynchronous. You can move through each module at your own pace.

How do I earn CTLE credits?

CTLEs are based on participation and completion of the course assignments and discussions (tasks). Completion of a task equals 1 CTLE credit.

Do I need to complete this course by a specific date?

All modules must be completed by the end of the course — May 9, 2021 at 11:59pm.