Upcoming Webinars

Webinar: Literacy and Technology in the Classroom: The Thinking Reader Study

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

12:00–1:30 PM EDT

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HOSTED BY
Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands

PRESENTERS

• Teresa Duncan, Principal Investigator, American Institutes for Research; REL-NEI
• Kathryn Drummond, Evaluation Director, American Institutes for Research; REL-NEI
• Peggy Coyne, Implementation Director, CAST
• Carole Urbano, Moderator, Education Development Center, Inc.; REL-NEI
• Discussant (TBD)

OVERVIEW
REL-NEI’s Thinking Reader multiyear study is looking at the impact of a computer-based program on reading achievement in 32 high-need schools in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The goal of the program is to help advance literacy development, especially comprehension and vocabulary skills, among middle-grade students. The Thinking Reader software presents digital versions of nine popular, multicultural, award-winning novels in an interactive environment; students read the novels online and are provided with a variety of supports, including text-to-speech, animated coaches, embedded prompts, and comprehension checks. During the Thinking Reader Study, sixth-grade teachers at participating schools and their students used the program as a supplement to their regular English language arts curriculum. Data collection was completed in spring 2009, and the final report is expected to be released in spring/summer 2010.

At the webinar, members of the study team from the American Institutes for Research and CAST will talk about the study's design and methodology and demonstrate the Thinking Reader program. A discussant will comment on the meaning and implications of the study, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and conducted by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

• Thinking Reader Study brochure
• Thinking Reader Study website
• EdEvidence Newsletter article
  

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
National, state and local policymakers; state education leaders; district and school administrators; representatives of professional associations and unions; teachers; and parents interested in learning more about this study and participating in a conversation about how rigorous research can inform our understanding of important educational issues.

SIGN UP TODAY!
Register online. Select the desired event and complete the registration form. Please forward this invitation to a colleague. On the day before the webinar, registrants receive a confirmation e-mail and instructions for logging in.

REL-NEI Webinars provide an interactive forum for state education agencies, superintendents, principals, district level specialists, association heads, state legislatures, teachers unions, and parent associations seeking applied education research to make policy and practice decisions leading to improved student achievement and reduced performance gaps. These sessions not only present findings but place a special emphasis on connecting applied education research to the work of field practitioners.