OUR WORK | Literacy

Tools for Learning™ 21st Century
Literacy Project (2010-11)
Lamprey River Elementary School
Raymond, NH

The Tools for Learning™ 21st Century Literacy Project is a New Hampshire ARRA funded (Title IID) project designed to build 21st Century Classrooms. This hybrid professional development model (face-to-face, onsite and online) includes a set of face-to-face training sessions in combination with onsite consultation and training to provide a foundation of skills for the language arts and special education staff to implement the “Tools for Learning” Literacy Intervention Model. Included in this model is a Moodle* site to offer online support, resources and activities, and for the facilitation of a professional learning community.

The goal of the training is for the Tools for Learning™ Literacy Team to integrate technology into instruction to engage all students in literacy instruction and to assist all students in developing independent learning skills and strategies using Netbooks, project software and online tools. The Tools for Learning™ Literacy Team consists of all six third grade and all six fourth grade teachers, special education teachers, instructional assistants, a literacy specialist, and a technology specialist. Two of the grade-level teachers will be designated as grade-level Instructional Technology Coaches and will receive extra training to prepare them for their role as trainers to expand the model to teachers in their school.

The measurable goals of the Tools for Learning™ Literacy professional development design for literacy intervention for the 21st Century Classroom are three-fold:

1. Pedagogy: To improve the “Tools for Learning” Literacy Intervention Team’s instructional practice in effectively integrating technology by applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to differentiate instruction and to engage all students in literacy instruction.

2. Technology Integration: To develop and apply universally designed strategies that support the integration of the Tools for Learning Toolkit for the teaching, learning, and assessment of reading, writing and vocabulary development.

3. Professional Learning Community: To engage teachers in meaningful interaction and dialogue about literacy and technology integration through face-to-face and online environments.