What are The Elements needed to transform teaching and professional learning? What will accelerate success towards equity and excellence? What are considerations for professional learning across the school year (and beyond)? These questions are answered by our expert guests, Jim Short and Stephanie Hirsh, authors of The Elements: Transforming Teaching through Curriculum-Based Professional Learning (a challenge paper). Listen and learn as they share how the essential elements undergird the framew...
May 14, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast Kymyona Burk is the Policy Director for Early Education at ExcelinEd , where she supports states pursuing a comprehensive approach to K-3 reading policy through successful policy implementation. She gives context as to what led her to this position - her previous experiences as State Literacy Director for Mississippi and the Executive Director of Teaching & Learning with Jackson Public Schools - and how these roles and her teaching experiences influenced her current policy work (read about h...
May 07, 2021•54 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast Wondering how school leaders can support teachers in this work? Jovanni Ramos is a former school leader from NOLA and champion for supporting teachers using HQIM! Jovanni set teachers up for success on their Wit & Wisdom ELA implementation journey by setting clear priorities and communicating to all stakeholders. Most importantly, he articulated an expectation of implementation with fidelity while simultaneously providing direct support as a side-by-side partner in the work. Visit our websit...
Apr 29, 2021•43 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast Rachel Arnold is an intervention and special education teacher at Clayton, ES in Colorado. Her journey to HQIM began when she asked herself the question: How can we use the science of reading research to help us teach ALL kids to read and write? Listen in as she shares her experience and approach to this work! To read more about how Rachel and team made the shift to a content focused curriculum, check out this blog post . Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www....
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast UDL is invisible when done well in HQIM! In this episode, Sue Sabella and Vivian Nourse share how HQIM are designed with UDL embedded within. See below for a quick refresher of the three principles of UDL. If you'd like to read more, visit CAST UDL Guidelines . Engagement: Why am I learning this? Learners differ in the ways they can be engaged or motivated to learn. Representation: What am I learning? Are students able to access the learning? Action & Expression: How will students share...
Apr 24, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast Educator Shanita Rapatalo shares how "literacy, liberation, and opportunity go hand in hand" both on the podcast and in her recent blog post located here . She discusses the mindset shifts needed to make the change to evidence-based practices, what changed once these practices were implemented, and why it's an equity issue. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/ Connect with Melissa & Lori: Twitter Instagram Facebook We a...
Apr 16, 2021•46 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast Meet Daisy Salazar-Garza, an incredibly thoughtful school leader at KIPP SOCAL, who shares her anti-bias and anti-racist approach to implementing Wit & Wisdom ELA. How is Wit & Wisdom aligned to KIPP's anti-bias & anti-racist approach? What aspects of curriculum could have missing pieces of marginalized perspectives? How do we address these in teacher planning? Daisy shares that it's difficult to locate a rigorous curriculum that affirms students' identities… but there...
Apr 09, 2021•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio considers science of reading research the backbone of their programming at all levels: undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral. On today's episode, we talk with Amy Murdoch, Reading Science Program Director at MSJ. Amy shares specifics about the courses and programs, details about student teaching experiences with students who are well-versed in the science of reading, thoughts on how we can begin to shift the mindset of higher ed and state agencies. Visit...
Apr 03, 2021•48 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast What goes on behind the scenes at EdReports.org ? Tricia Parker and Jess Box share the gateways that EdReports uses to reviews curricula: standards alignment, quality, and usability. We ask the questions we all really want to know: Who are the curriculum reviewers? How do reviewers ensure standards alignment? What does it really mean for curricula to meet grade level standards? What does 'all green' really mean? How do complex texts, tasks, TDQs build over time to shape knowledge and c...
Mar 25, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Errick L. Greene, Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools , shares the district's transformation journey and how he level sets on what excellence looks like: HQIM Seeing is believing Professional learning opportunities (frequent, ongoing) Inquiry Most importantly, he asks and answers crucial questions, such as: Why HQIM? Where are resources best utilized? How do we serve children in the way they need to be served and leave space for professionals to be professionals? How do we systemat...
Mar 12, 2021•49 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast Laura Stewart from The Reading League discusses evidence-aligned instruction to support universal understanding around the science of reading. She discusses how practice CAN transform belief to help our students live a literate life. Sharing another fabulous literacy podcast - Teaching, Reading, and Learning with Laura Stewart. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/ Connect with Melissa & Lori: Twitter Instagram Facebook Today is a grea...
Mar 05, 2021•55 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast How is professional learning is different with HQIM? How do we define high quality professional learning (HQPL)? Why should HQPL be content focused? Who is best suited to provide support for implementation of HQIM... and why? Answers to these questions and more with Rivet Education! Rivet is passionate about all teachers receiving access to HQIM... AND that the professional learning and development supports help them to use materials as intended. One notable resource from Rivet Education is the ...
Feb 23, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast Margaret Goldberg & Lani Mednick from The Right to Read Project share why we should give equal importance to the ENTIRE reading rope ( Scarborough's Reading Rope )! We ask some tough questions, including Why and how are knowledge-building HQIM the epitome of EQUITY? How can we professionalize the teaching profession? How can leaders support teachers? Listen in to learn from their incredible experiences... Lani is currently an assistant principal, and Margaret is currently a classroom te...
Feb 19, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast Joey Hawkins & Diana Leddy of The Vermont Writing Collaborative share how educators can support students in creating and communicating their understanding through writing. The three pillars for writing for understanding are: Backward design (envision the final goal!) Build understanding (talking about text, writing about text, acting it out, and more!) Direct instruction (writing models, structures, organizers) Writing is a powerful way of working with knowledge - a coherent chunk of knowled...
Feb 13, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast Adam Tyner , Associate Director of Research at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, joins us to unpack his recent research findings on Social Studies Instruction and Reading Comprehension: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study . A snapshot of this study is highlighted in EducationWeek's article, Does Social Studies Build Stronger Readers? A New Study Suggests So. We ask Adam about possible reasons why and how social studies instruction impacts reading comprehension, and make conn...
Jan 27, 2021•52 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast How do primary teachers take a ' both and ' approach to literacy - building foundational skills for word recognition alongside knowledge and vocabulary for language comprehension? Jen & Sam, two primary teachers from Baltimore, share their experiences with Wit & Wisdom ELA (and the digital component, in Sync) as well as Geodes. How do high quality instructional materials (HQIM) impact the primary grades? Find out from Jen and Sam. They'll share the impact of HQIM, the stru...
Jan 16, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast Melissa and Lori reflect on the highs and lows of 2020, and share who they'd like to pod with in 2021! Join us to reflect and reset as we begin the new year. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/ Connect with Melissa & Lori: Twitter Instagram Facebook Today is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and t...
Jan 02, 2021•51 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast Liz Hembling's daughter, Mia, attended a public elementary school. Liz noticed early on that she struggled terribly learning to read. In second grade, the school placed Mia in a remedial reading group, without communicating this to Liz. When Liz expressed her concerns, she was repeatedly assured that Mia was “on grade level” and “fine.” But... she wasn’t fine. Liz knew there was something wrong. This sent Liz on a quest to understand what's happening in the public school system. How co...
Nov 24, 2020•57 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy Heilman, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Sioux City, NE, shares how her district shifted from a standards-driven, balanced literacy approach to Wit & Wisdom ELA. She's led the charge during COVID to transitioning both materials and mindsets to facilitate access to high quality instruction. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/ Connect with Melissa & Lori: Twitter Instagram Facebook We answer your q...
Oct 07, 2020•56 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast The article Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA Classroom is a must-read before or after listening to this podcast! Meredith Liben and Sue Pimentel share the true intentions of the CCSS vs. the way they are currently interpreted. They also provide observations about how the Standards play out in classrooms and schools - within HQIM and what happens in absence of HQIM! We ask the gals some tough questions: What does this mean for assessment, especially "data-driven" ...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Kyair and Katie are just exceptional humans with the biggest hearts! Two fabulous teachers from Baltimore join us (again!) to chat about virtual school, share tips and tricks for virtual learning, the benefit of having HQIM during this unprecedented time, and how they'll support students' SEL needs. Connect with them on Twitter: Kyair - @kyairb Katie - @kstoryscotti Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/ Connect with Melissa &...
Aug 27, 2020•1 hr•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Jared Myracle shares the process and focus on curriculum adoption and implementation during his time as CAO of Jackson-Madison County Schools, where he learned that "people want better, but they don't like different." He unpacks his latest post, Reading Assessments Need an Upgrade , to dissect how and why curriculum should drive assessment (not vice versa), what we can all learn from LA DOE, and the power of 'warm' reads. And, be sure to listen for his advice about virtu...
Aug 15, 2020•49 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast Kristen Wynn (MDE State Literacy Director, K-12), Jill Webb Hoda (MDE Assistant State Literacy Coordinator, K-3), & Jessica Crosby-Pitchamootoo (Elementary Curriculum Lead Division 1, Jackson Public Schools), join Melissa & Lori to share the larger context of literacy in Mississippi, as well as why they decided to focus on high quality instructional materials - and HOW they did it! They outline the path they took to adopt Wit & Wisdom ELA, from the moment they knew they needed a HQC ...
Jul 18, 2020•56 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast Melissa has a conversation with Dr. Molly Ness, an associate professor in childhood education at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education about how to help parents support their students with reading at home, how to instill a love of reading, and the real challenges that face us all as parents right now! Learn more from Molly on her podcast: End Book Deserts Podcast or on her website: www.drmollyness.com Resources: Read Aloud 15 Minutes The Enchanted Hour by Megan Cox Gurdon Storyline O...
Jul 18, 2020•35 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast How is SEL embedded into high quality curricula? Hear from an expert: Chi Kim, CEO at Pure Edge, Inc. Chi shares what this looks, sounds, and feels like... intentional conversations around information gleaned from texts (have you heard the phrase 'mirrors & windows?'), strategies and resources to support student agency and action, and how we as educators can purposefully embed SEL best practices that build relationships and grow content understanding. Most importantly, she undersco...
Jul 06, 2020•46 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast We had the opportunity to talk (again!) with Natalie Wexler about tips for effective remote learning (read her full article located here ), the current intersection of students' virtual learning and strategy-focused instruction (due to lack of knowledge-based, high quality curricula) and how parents are noticing! How can we teach strategies in context while building knowledge? Listen to find out! More recently, Wexler wrote a piece titled How Reading Instruction Oppresses Black and Brown Ch...
Jun 08, 2020•59 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast Listen as second grader Presley shares 'knowledge nuggets' about her virtual learning experience with Knowledge on the Go by Great Minds. In only seven short weeks of using a knowledge-based curriculum vs. isolated standards/strategy-based approaches, she is using strategies to access content in context effectively - and speaking and writing to share what she's learned. Her sweet voice shares that she loves learning 'facts' about what she reads while accessing grade leve...
May 21, 2020•14 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Melissa and Lori chatted with Mark Feiring, the Executive Director of the Maryland Book Bank, to hear how the organization is supporting the community during this time. He shared some fabulous ideas - building partnerships with other community organizations such as The Baltimore Hunger Projects as well as community schools - and thinking outside of the box to get books into kids' and families' hands during this time is critical. So far, the Maryland Book Bank team has sent over 25,600 ...
May 11, 2020•23 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Rachel Stack, CAO of Humanities at Great Minds, talks all things Knowledge on the Go, Great Minds' free, virtual, knowledge-building lessons led by teachers to support students, teachers, districts, and families in this time of quarantine. We discuss the role of knowledge-building in our new virtual learning world, and share successes - both big and small - to highlight the power of knowledge. To access Knowledge on the Go: Greatminds.org --> Knowledge on the Go 7 Tips to Help Make Remot...
Apr 27, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast We talked with the fabulously candid Tim Shanahan about his recent blog post Prior Knowledge, or He Isn't Going to Pick on the Baseball Study that garnered much attention. Should we teach reading strategies? How important is building knowledge? What are reading skills vs. strategies? How frequent should strategy instruction occur in concert with knowledge building? He also weighs in on the current crisis to share his thoughts on how families and educators can best serve students at home. Vi...
Apr 19, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast 
