Date: 03/15/2025 Time: 9:00-12:00 Location: internet Type: Webinar
Description
Class Cost: $35 Make Payment
Every student deserves access to meaningful, core literacy instruction—regardless of their abilities. Making this vision a reality requires intentional planning, collaboration, and strategic tools.
Join us for an engaging and interactive virtual retreat designed to equip you with practical strategies, evidence-based tools, and inspiring examples to create inclusive literacy opportunities for ALL learners. Grounded in insights from the book Comprehensive Literacy for All: Teaching Students with Significant Disabilities to Read and Write, this retreat offers research-backed approaches to help you make literacy accessible to every student.
Whether you’re a seasoned educator or new to the field, this retreat is your opportunity to expand your toolkit, strengthen your practice, and build a more inclusive approach to literacy instruction for students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and complex communication needs.
Let’s work together to ensure every student has the chance to read, write, and thrive. Join us for this transformative learning experience!
Learning Objectives
- Set Measurable IEP and Instruction Goals: Develop clear, achievable literacy goals for students at all developmental levels, from early communication to advanced language use.
- Evidence-Based Strategies: Explore methods for integrating Comprehensive Literacy for All into the general education curriculum, fostering reading and writing skills tailored to each learner’s needs.
- Innovative Tools and Technologies: Discover cutting-edge resources to enhance student engagement and accelerate literacy growth.
- Collaborative Problem-Solving: Share ideas and challenges with fellow educators and leave with actionable solutions.
- Reflect and Refine: Analyze and improve your current practices to better support students with disabilities in reaching their literacy potential.
Virtual Literacy Retreat Agenda:
Asynchronous Learning: Podcast and Reflection (1 hour)
9:00-10:00 Introduction, Reflection, and Goal Setting
10:00-10:50 Enhancing Practices and Designing Instruction
10:50-11:00 Break
11:00-11:45 Comprehensive Literacy Planning and Collaboration
11:45-12:00 Reflection and Feedback
Presenters
Sarah Kinsella, MA CCC-SLP
Sarah Kinsella is a Speech-Language Pathologist with a passion for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and supporting students with complex communication needs. She holds a Master’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and has worked in the public school setting for 11 years. She also served as the district Assistive Technology Specialist for 7 years, working with multidisciplinary teams and families to support students with a variety of Assistive Technology and AAC needs. She is passionate about her field and thankful for the students with whom she works as they help her learn and grow along the way.
Sara Ayars, MS, CCC-SLP
Sara is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Assistive Technology Specialist with the Special Education Technology Center. She also contracts with the Bellevue School District and serves as an adjunct professor in Western Washington University’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program. With over 17 years of experience in public schools, Sara specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and supporting the communication needs of students aged 3 to 21. She collaborates with educators to provide coaching and to ensure comprehensive care for students with high support needs, focusing on fostering inclusivity, promoting accessibility, and creating meaningful educational experiences.
Amy Connolly, OTR/L, ATP
Amy is an OT and Assistive Technology Specialist for the Bellingham Public Schools in Bellingham, Washington. She provides collaborative consultations and professional development across the state with the Special Education Technology Center. Beyond the school setting, Amy is a volunteer with Empower Spinal Cord Injury, Inc., where she contributes to a second chance at rehab for individuals with spinal cord injury.
Contact
Email Sue Wright at the SETC office
Zoom Link
Clock hours for this webinar and others in this series are available from ESD105 for a small fee. The following Professional Development Enroller link provides more information about clock hours: https://www.pdenroller.org/cwu/catalog/181255