ATLAS Guided Professional Series for Educators, Part Eight: Strengthening the Student Role in Learning Through Formative Assessment

In this course, you will explore what it means for students to take an active role in their own learning—a concept called learner agency. You will examine four building blocks that enable agency: learner autonomy, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and metacognition. You will also explore how formative assessment helps students develop these skills.

Learning Goals

• understand what learner agency means in the classroom,
• understand how assessment expands student agency in classroom assessment,
• see how daily formative assessment routines build students' self-regulation and metacognition, and 
• understand what characteristics of a classroom environment support students in taking on a stronger role as learners.

Success Criteria

• describe learner agency using the four building blocks, 
• understand how the roles of teachers and students change in a formative assessment classroom, and 
• apply strategies to create a stronger learning environment in your classroom.

Literacy Design Collaborative: Developing Literacy with LDC in Arkansas Schools

The Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) offers educators an instructional design system for infusing literacy instruction across content areas while also engaging students in rigorous exploration of subject content. Teachers in Gentry High School adopted the LDC Framework in attempt to improve their instructional practice and student achievement. This course features four high school teachers who implemented LDC in their classroom; each sharing the challenges and achievements with building and utilizing LDC modules with their students. 

This course was taped on location at Gentry High School in Gentry, Arkansas from May 18-22, 2014.

Dyslexia Intervention: The Science of Implementation

Barbara Wilson, author and co-founder of Wilson Language Training, has worked with individuals with dyslexia for many years and has learned a great deal about the implementation of successful dyslexia programs. In this course, Ms. Wilson shares what she has learned about implementation science as it pertains to dyslexia and school reform, including the conditions that lead to full and effective use of evidence-based dyslexia programs. Ms. Wilson also discusses Arkansas dyslexia law and the challenges administrators and teachers are likely to face as new dyslexia programs are implemented. 

This course was recorded at the 2016 Teaching and Learning Conference hosted by Guy Fenter Co-op at the Fort Smith Convention Center on October 6, 2016. It pertains to the implementation of Acts 1294 of 2013 and 1268 of 2015 and the importance of ensuring teachers receive adequate professional awareness training on the characteristics of dyslexia and the importance of providing evidence-based interventions.

Improv in the Classroom: Using Improvisation to Teach Skills and Boost Learning

"Games" are sometimes looked down upon by teachers who overlook the intrinsic value of play in the educational process. Katherine McKnight, Ph.D. shares several creative ways to get students moving and thinking in the classroom. She introduces a brief history of and justification for play in the classroom before calling on several groups of volunteers to help her energetically demonstrate improvisation activities and discuss their application across content areas.

This course was recorded at the Teaching and Learning Conference at the Fort Smith Convention Center on October 6, 2016.

Spotlights on Success: Recognizing True School Achievement

In this course, Dr. Gary Ritter, Director of The Office for Education Policy (OEP) and Misty Newcomb, Director of Outreach of the OEP at the University of Arkansas, highlight five high-performing Arkansas elementary schools. An overview of the growth at these schools is provided and panelists from the five schools observed discuss characteristics of their school's leadership and facility. The culture of each of these schools is discussed and evidence about the role of leadership in closing the achievement gap is given. This presentation was originally a part of the University of Central Arkansas Summer Leadership Institute, which took place in June of 2011.

Five Levers for Learning: Prioritizing Efforts for Powerful Results

In this course, Dr. Tony Frontier focuses on five levers that can unlock the potential for lasting improvement in teaching and learning. He presents a comprehensive framework for analyzing and supporting school improvement initiatives for positive impact. 

For an in-depth study of this work you will need access to the book: Five Levers to Improve Learning: How to Prioritize for Powerful Results in Your School.

This course, presented by Dr. Tony Frontier of Cardinal Stritch University, was recorded at the AASCD annual conference at the Hot Springs Convention Center in Hot Springs, Arkansas on June 9, 2014. 

Education for the 21st Century: Leadership and Academic Innovation

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, describes challenges in modern education and discusses how we might better meet the needs of all students. Through this engaging “storytelling-style" presentation, Dr. Hrabowski questions our educational priorities, emphasizing the need for a balance between STEM education and that of the humanities. He also calls upon teachers to require their students to practice critical thinking in order to maximize their educational experience and future opportunities.

This presentation was taped at the 2015 AASCD summer conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: Making What Matters Happen!

A teacher's goal is to prepare all students to succeed in school and in life. Having effective Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI) is vital to this goal. The terms RTI and MTSS are sometimes used interchangeably, but RTI refers specifically to the three-tiered system of intervention many teachers are familiar with, while MTSS is an umbrella under which many forms of leveled support fall. Dr. Judy Elliott, former Chief Academic Officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, clarifies the common understanding and language of effective MTSS and RTI. She uses her experience to describe when MTSS are most useful, as well as the cultural shifts that often need to occur in order to use MTSS well.  

This presentation was taped at the 2015 AASCD summer conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Grab Your Students By Their Brains with Humor and Passion

In this course, LouAnne Johnson discusses reaching seemingly unreachable students. Ms. Johnson is the author of the New York Times bestseller Dangerous Minds, which was turned into a movie by the same name. The book and movie recount the difficult time she had at the beginning of her teaching career. Ms. Johnson now uses those experiences to teach others how to "grab" their own students "by their brains" using humor and passion, just as she did.

This presentation was taped at the 2015 AASCD summer conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Closing the Attitude Gap

Mr. Baruti Kafele, Principal presents advice to help educators transform student attitudes. He emphasizes the importance of teacher self-reflection, overwhelmingly positive environments, and the students' will to strive. He also explains how students who live goal-oriented lives are more likely to achieve success. By focusing on closing the “attitude gap,” teachers enable students to soar with purpose in their own lives.

This presentation was taped at the 2015 AASCD summer conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas.