This course allows participants to learn how to use, develop, and modify seven comprehension strategies that will increase their knowledge on how to relay comprehension concepts and produce creative, inviting and engaging lessons for students. The course objectives for concrete comprehension are 1) Connecting, 2) Predicting, 3) Visualizing, 4) Monitoring/Clarifying/ Questioning, 5) Determining Importance--Main Ideas and Details, 6) Inferring, and 7) Synthesizing. Each of these areas will be explored.
Upon completing this course, students are fully equipped to enter the classroom with confidence, armed with comprehensive lesson plans and engaging activities.
Number of Units: 3.0 graduate level extension credit(s) in semester hours
Who Should Attend: This course provides continuing education for teachers (K-12, new or veteran).
Course Materials: No text required
Once you have enrolled in this course, you may access Course Instructions upon logging into your account.
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Courses offer a convenient, yet rigorous style of learning that allows you to structure your education to suit your schedule while keeping you on pace toward achieving your educational goals.
Online fixed-date courses are delivered virtually but follow a predetermined schedule, requiring students to complete assignments, participate in discussions, and take assessments by specific deadlines—much like a traditional classroom. The key difference is that while traditional courses are conducted in person at set times and locations, online fixed-date courses allow students to engage remotely, offering more flexibility in where they learn while preserving structure and accountability through fixed timelines. (Note: Any scheduled Zoom sessions will be outlined on the class schedule.) These courses have fixed start and finish dates, but as an online student you will have 24/7 online access to your classroom assignments, syllabus and course resources. Instructor feedback is shared along with the graded assignments.
How is the learning structured? Each online fixed-date course is asynchronous, meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime, although you are required to complete the assignments by specific dates. The course is designed with learning modules where all of the content is grouped into weekly assignments. Each module covers one or more topics. Within each of the learning modules, you can expect the following components:
• Module introduction that outlines what you can expect to learn in the module.
• Required readings (textbook, articles, journals, etc.) and presentations (audio and/or video).
• Assignments with due dates (which may include: written assignments, journal entries, research, blogs, etc.) based on the readings and presentations.
• Discussion forum where you answer prompts from the instructor and interact with your classmates.
• Module conclusion to review the topics and what you should have learned.
Typically, there is a final project, paper, or exam due in the last module that culminates all of the topics covered in each of the learning modules. You’ll find that the design of the learning modules has a rhythm to help you manage your time in the course.
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“This course is both excellent for new teachers, as well as teachers who have been in the profession for a long time. I have been teaching for 24 years now and I still find this information so useful for my first grade classroom. For me, this course reminded me of how I can use the seven reading comprehension strategies in my classroom. I learned these strategies many years ago. I use most of these strategies in my classroom every day (not all in one day) but this course reminded me the importance of teaching each one and gave me ideas to use with my students.”
“I found the assignments to be constructive and well thought out resulting in tools that can be implemented in my classroom immediately. It is rare to come away with knowledge and tools specific to my grade level. It is particularly rare to gain knowledge, activities or lessons that can be implemented immediately. Taking this class has been transformative to my teaching practices. I will be a better reading comprehension teacher in this area going forward.”
As an adult and an educator, if I would have had the skills this class has taught, I would have been a much stronger reader. I am so grateful for this class to be able to help my students be successful readers and become confident in their ability.
The course was easy to follow and the assignments are useful resources.
Thank you for the on-line opportunity to take part in this course. The syllabus was easy to follow. The course definitely helped expand my knowledge as a reading intervention teacher.
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