Learning Lab Classrooms

1. Learning Lab Classrooms Chrissy Gettle, Margie Owen, Leslie Parish Dallastown Area School District 2007

2. What is a Learning Lab? • A classroom where the components of the Comprehensive Literacy Model are in place • A classroom where seamless literacy instruction is planned throughout the day, across all subjects • A classroom where children are engaged in meaningful literacy tasks (reading, writing, speaking and listening) throughout the day • A classroom where we can try new methods/materials and the teacher is always learning

3. What is a Learning Lab? • A classroom where teachers can visit to see the balanced literacy framework in action, make connections, and learn from each other • A springboard for problem-solving discussions and discussions about how children learn

4. A Learning Lab is NOT: • A “perfect” classroom • Exactly how everyclassroom needs to look or sound

5. Setting up a Learning Lab • We observed the Learning Lab classroom to become familiar with the teacher and students and the routines in place • We completed a Comprehensive Literacy Classroom Environment scale which focuses on the routines, materials, assessments, and teaching in the classroom

6. We had discussions with our Learning Lab teachers about what a Comprehensive Literacy Classroom looks like • We set goals and decided on our roles in the classroom • We modeled components when necessary, observed teaching, and had many discussions with the teachers

7. After our initial Learning Labs were established, we also spent 2 weeks in other classrooms focusing on one aspect of the Balanced Literacy and the Comprehensive Literacy Model • We model lessons in other classrooms when asked; observe lessons and coach teachers, and help with teacher resources

8. Visiting Procedures We developed procedures for Learning Lab visits: • Visitors request to visit Learning Labs through the building Literacy Coaches. • A pre-conference is held with a Literacy Coach before the visit (the same day). During the pre-conference a focus for the visit will be determined • The visitor takes notes in reference to the focus for the visit • A post-conference is held with the Literacy Coach in order to discuss the observation, reflect on new learning, and determine how the information can be used in his/her own teaching

9. Observations do not have to be limited to the teachers’ own grade level • Observations will not last for entire reading blocks or for an entire day; we are aiming for short, meaningful experiences