Writing about Research Microcredential
Program Description:
This comprehensive online microcredential is designed to support upper elementary and middle school teachers with research-based strategies to help students write effectively about research using multiple sources. It is intended for teachers of grades 3-8 and emphasizes practical classroom applications, responsive teaching techniques, and evidence-based practices that support all learners, including multilingual students.
Each microcourse will provide teachers with the theoretical foundation and practical tools needed to guide students through the complex processes of reading critically across multiple sources for information, taking effective notes, and composing research-based writing.
Across the microcourses, participants will explore current research on writing instruction, examine relevant standards (including WIDA standards), and learn concrete strategies for coaching students through every stage of the writing about research process. Through video demonstrations, student work samples, and assessment tools, teachers will gain confidence in supporting students as they move from initial research through final composition.
Enroll today and lead the way in writing excellence! Microcourses may be taken individually. Badges and certificates of participation will be given for completion of each microcourse. To earn the microcredential, learners must complete all three microcourses. Cost is $125 for each microcourse, or $325 for the full microcredential.
Microcourse 1: Research-Based Writing Instruction: Writing from Sources to Build Comprehension, Knowledge, and Vocabulary
Participants will explore the theoretical foundations of writing about sources to support students with knowledge and vocabulary development and the synthesis of information from multiple sources. Participants will then learn practical strategies for supporting notetaking and synthesis.
Microcourse 2: Responsive Teaching and Coaching Students to Develop Knowledge Through Writing About Sources
Through video demonstrations and guided student work sample analysis, participants will learn to coach students effectively on writing to develop and synthesize knowledge in both small-group and individual settings.
Microcourse 3: Research-Based Writing Instruction: Composing Writing About Research
Participants will focus on supporting students as they compose longer, more complex pieces of research-based writing that draw on multiple sources.
This microcredential is made up of three asynchronous microcourses. Microcourses may be taken individually. Badges and certificates of participation will be given for completion of each microcourse. To earn the microcredential, learners must complete all three microcourses.
Format: Asynchronous Online Microcourses
Full Microcredential (Microcourses 1-3) Price: $325 - a $50 bundle discount
Individual Microcourse Price: $125 per microcourse
Please Note: This microcredential and its individual microcourses have rolling registration. Once registration is complete, learners will have 6 months to complete their chosen course(s).
For more information, questions or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
Instructors
Molly Picardi is a staff developer, classroom libraries specialist, and on the data specialist team at TC Advancing Literacy. She works with teachers, coaches, and school leaders in the New York City area and across the country to strengthen their reading and writing instructional practices and to design engaging, student-driven classroom libraries. Prior to joining Advancing Literacy, Molly taught primary and upper grade special education in New Orleans and New York City. She is especially passionate about fostering inclusive classroom communities and helping all students to fall in love with reading and writing.
Learning Objectives
- Learn and apply research-based strategies for teaching students to write about sources in the content areas and beyond, including the synthesis of information across multiple texts and sources
- Align instruction with relevant reading and writing standards, including considerations for multilingual learners
- Implement effective note-taking strategies and organizational systems for students
- Coach individual and small groups of students through the writing-about-reading process
- Create engaging, multimodal learning experiences that build knowledge and vocabulary
- Design and use assessment tools for evaluating student progress in source-based writing
- Explain how writing from text sources enhances reading comprehension, knowledge development, and vocabulary acquisition
- Design research-based writing tasks that simultaneously address multiple standards in reading, writing, and language acquisition
- Curate multimodal text sets that build content knowledge and reinforce vocabulary within a topic or theme
- Implement notetaking and summarizing strategies that help learners engage with source material, and organize thinking
- Purposefully distinguish between the use of teacher-generated prompts and student-led notetaking strategies for building content knowledge
- Implement three research-based notetaking strategies: annotation, sketchnoting, and summarizing
- Apply responsive teaching practice to support diverse learners with writing to learn from sources
- Facilitate productive student conversations to support learning from texts
- Analyze student writing about research to inform instructional decisions
- Apply effective coaching techniques to guide students through each stage of composing research-based writing, from planning and drafting to revising and finalizing.
- Use responsive teaching practices during writing conferences and small-group instruction to address the immediate needs of individual students as they write about research.
- Support students in transforming their annotations, notes, and summaries into well-organized written responses across multiple genres, including text-dependent responses, informational texts, and argumentative pieces.
- Assess student research writing using standards-based rubrics and tools that evaluate content knowledge, organization, use of evidence, and language conventions.
- Differentiate instruction based on the purpose of research-based writing (informational, analytical, or argumentative) and teach students the appropriate structures and strategies for each type.
Who Should Attend
These microcourses are open to 3-8 educators and all educators who wish to deepen their knowledge of research-based writing instruction.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete all three microcourses of this microcredential will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that showcase your commitment to professional growth and can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios. View our sample microcredential badge below.
Additionally, a Certificate and Digital Badge will be awarded for each individual microcourse completed, recognizing your achievements every step of the way. View our sample microcourse badge below.
Sample Badges:
Licensed educators in NY state are also eligible for a Continuing Teacher Leader Education (CTLE) certificate for a total of 9 CTLE hours for the microcredential or 3 CTLEs for each individual microcourse.