ACPS Talent Development

Professional Learning Website

Focus on Student Discourse

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Did you know that student discourse, or students talking on-topic in an academic environment, is vital to language acquisition, student engagement, and ultimately student achievement? The ACPS Professional Learning Website  has many videos focusing on student discourse practices both at the primary and secondary level. Since student discourse routines need to be explicitly taught to students and reinforced in order to be most effective, it is essential that teachers have many discourse routines in their repertoire.

Check out our videos on some essential student discourse routines:

  • Classrooms in Focus- Student Discourse: This video looks at student discourse routines in an ACPS secondary history classroom. Students take part in high level discourse at the partner, group and whole class level. The routines seen in this video are appropriate for both primary and secondary classrooms across content areas.
  • Classrooms in Focus- Collaborative Learning: This video focuses on collaborative learning practices in a primary (4th grade) math class.  Students demonstrate discourse at the partner, group and whole class level. The collaborative practices seen in this video are appropriate for both primary and secondary classrooms across content areas.
  • Coach’s Cut- Random Reporter: These two videos look at a routine designed to increase student discourse and individual accountability. One video shows random reporter in a primary (1st grade) classroom, the other in a secondary classroom.
  • Coach’s Cut- Think/Pair/Share: This video looks at a discourse routine in a primary classroom (1st grade). The routine seen in this video is appropriate for both primary and secondary classrooms across content areas.
  • Student Discourse Videos from the Teaching Channel: These ACPS vetted videos from the Teaching Channel show various strategies and routines for discourse and are divided up into Pre-K, Primary and Secondary examples (with examples from both middle school and high school).

Coach’s Cut Videos

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Last week we added a video on the instructional practice: Framing the Learning (best practice in opening a lesson or a unit) did you see it?

If you did, you may now want to check out our video on Anchoring the Learning (best practice in closing a lesson or unit). Effective practice of Anchoring the Learning helps students to understand and retain new content. Check out the video and the tips & tricks we have on the Anchoring the Learning page! We add new videos of ACPS teachers often, so check back in regularly.

Classrooms in Focus

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The ACPS Office of Professional Learning is proud to present- Classrooms in Focus.  This series of professionally produced videos provides ACPS teachers and instructional leaders with a deep look into the classrooms and instructional practices of some of ACPS’s highly effective teachers. The Classrooms in Focus series covers a range of research proven instructional practices and includes elementary, middle school and high school examples in a variety of content areas. The videos teach the viewers the research proven strategies through authentic classroom footage coupled with the teacher’s explanations and guidance as to how to bring the strategies into instructional practice. In addition, the videos are paired with all the necessary tools, texts, and templates needed to bring the instructional strategy into a teacher’s practice, as well as a link to additional videos on the topic. The videos are also accompanied by the lesson plan and all the materials used with the students in the video.

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Classrooms in Focus Topics:

Professional Learning On Demand (All Schools)

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Check out Professional Learning on Demand to gain insight into what teaching at ACPS looks and sounds like and pick up tips for effective instruction!

See ACPS master teachers and students in action with our Classrooms in Focus video series! Get expert advice from instructional coaches through our Coach’s Cut videos and learn how to use ACPS programs or unpack important ACPS documents with our How-To series of videos! In addition, view embedded, ACPS vetted videos from the Teaching Channel, Edutopia, Teachers College and other education sources to strengthen your instructional practice! All of our videos are paired with the tools, texts, and templates necessary to bring the research proven strategies seen in the videos into your instruction.

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Explore Professional Learning on Demand below: