Teachscape has expanded its TeachscapeLearn Professional Learning Suite. In addition to its online courses about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics, The Common Core Series in Teachscape Learn now offers new video-based, self-paced courses on the CCSS for English Language Arts (ELA) & Literacy. This interactive series, which was developed specifically to help educators understand and effectively implement the new standards, includes case studies, extensive expert commentary and more than 24 hours of course content.
The courses range in length from 15 minutes to two hours and use a multimodal approach to boost educators’ knowledge about the CCSS for ELA & Literacy. Experts include distinguished professors and content experts from several institutions, including University of California, Berkeley; Rutgers University; University of Maryland, College Park; and Stanford University. Teachers from various grades and diverse classroom settings are featured in the courses to ensure educators find relevant content that will inform and shape their classroom practice.
Users can access an overview of the CCSS for ELA & Literacy by starting with the introductory course, which will guide them through the standards as well as the series. Throughout the series, learners will benefit from interviews with leading literacy experts, recommended readings, and reflection questions. Five of the new courses focus on key instructional shifts (changes) that need to be considered as a result of the CCSS, and there is one additional course that focuses on implicit aspects of the standards identified by expert contributors. These courses present a research-based analysis of the CCSS and provide considerations for implementation. Six teaching cases each showcase a full-length, standards-aligned lesson with reflection by the teacher and/or a discussion by one or more experts.
The new courses are part of the Teachscape Learn Professional Learning Suite, which helps teachers and administrators reflect on practice, collaborate with colleagues, and build relevant skills. Teachscape Learn includes a research-based PreK–12 course library, online learning communities, video upload and sharing tools, and personalized learning plans. Teachscape Learn is part of the integrated online Teachscape Effectiveness Platform, which provides districts and states with tools for classroom observation and evaluation as well as professional learning, and supports the development of effective teaching practices throughout an educator’s career.
Source: Teachscape, teachscape.com