Word+Generation

info for Word Generation participating schools

Word Generation Summer Institute - June 2009

=**SERP Institute and Harvard Graduate School of Education**= =**PPE Summer Institute**= =**Word Generation – The Big Picture**=

WHAT: The summer institute is a two and a half day professional development course held on the campus of the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, MA. Sessions will be led by Harvard Professors Catherine Snow and Richard Elmore, Boston University Professor Catherine O’Conner, SERP Word Generation Program Director Claire White, and other Word Generation contributors and Boston practitioners with experience in implementation. By the close of the final day, institute participants will have a solid grounding in the theory and research driving the program, will understand how to use //Word Generation// as a vehicle for infusing academic literacy development into content areas across the school, and see how //Word Generation// can be used as a platform for building a culture of collaboration and capacity for instructional improvement.

RECOMMENDED FOR: The summer institute is highly recommended for the designated district and school site Word Generation coordinators. The institute would also be appropriate for district partner organizations interested in becoming local professional development providers for Word Generation.

COST: Institute Cost: $950.00 per person, which includes tuition, breakfast and lunch, course materials, and 4 internet based Elluminate sessions throughout the following school year. //Please note that this is a subsidized introductory rate!// The interactive Elluminate web-based sessions will be tailored to questions or concerns that arise at the school or district level during implementation. Participants will have the opportunity to submit topics for these sessions ahead of time. Participation in the Elluminate sessions is //not// limited to those who attended the Summer Institute.

Housing: The Harvard office of Programs in Professional Education (PPE) will provide information on housing options. Group rates are provided at local hotels. The rate at the Sheridan located two blocks away is $239/night. Lower cost options are being identified which may require a subway ride.

WHEN:
 * June 18-20, 2009**

=**Word Generation Summer Institute**= =**Areas of Focus**=


 * Why Focus on Academic Language?**


 * How is oral language related to reading, and therefore, to learning?
 * How can schools capitalize on this relationship?
 * What is the role of vocabulary in student comprehension of text?
 * What is quality student writing, and how can Word Generation provide a framework for efficient, weekly writing practice and assessment?


 * How does Word Generation work?**


 * How does the design of Word Generation foster academically productive talk and reading comprehension across subject areas?
 * What do each of the four subject-area components of a Word Generation week look like in practice?
 * What challenges have local teachers, principals and coaches encountered in the implementation of Word Generation and how have they overcome them?


 * How do we implement Word Generation?**


 * Which teachers and students will engage in the first year of the program?
 * How will we organize for a collaborative implementation?
 * How will we schedule our pretest, launch date, and ongoing PD?


 * How will we know Word Generation is effective for //our// students?**


 * How can we assess our success in-house using the pre- and post-test?
 * How can our school participate in a study to track Word Generation’s efficacy in new situations?
 * How can we use that information to continually improve our implementation of Word Generation?


 * Word Generation as a Platform for Internal Accountability and Organizational Capacity.**


 * How can the cross-curricular implementation of Word Generation serve as a platform for the broader work of school improvement?
 * How can school and district leaders capitalize on Word Generation as a means to foster collaboration, lateral accountability and data-driven instructional talk among faculty?