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Whole School Training
When working with a whole school, we include all general education teachers and
special education staff in a four-day intensive training that provides a general understanding of the scope and design
of the EmPOWER method. Teachers acquire a common language and framework for teaching the writing process explicitly.
They leave this training with knowledge of the EmPOWER steps and strategies and how these can be used immediately within their
classroom to support students with writing.
From this experience, we provide scheduled follow-up workshops, classroom observations,
model lessons, and/or teacher mentorship designed to refine instructional practices with writing across the curriculum and
support each grade level teachers' literacy goals.
Teachers also may elect to deepen their knowledge of and expertise with using EmPOWER
by obtaining Level I Certification.
Level I Certification Competence
Level I Certification in EmPOWER is obtained over the course of a school year.
The course provides a mentored experience for educators and related professionals who desire an in-depth understanding
of the EmPOWER method. Training requires participation in a four-day intensive workshop and 5 monthly seminars.
Course participants are required to submit monthly reflections, complete assigned
readings, and show evidence of their use of EmPOWER in their instructional setting. Our goal is to shape, enhance, and
refine the instructional practice of classroom teachers and/or special educators involved with teaching students to write.
Completion of Level I Certification prepares participants to use all facets of
the EmPOWER approach within their instructional setting. Those who earn certification are not qualified to provide training
or professional development workshops in the EmPOWER approach. Such training is provided only by the staff of Architects
For Learning.
Certification is appropriate for professionals who teach students in grades 2 and
beyond. Teachers enrolled in the Level I Certification course may register to receive three
graduate course credits from Endicott College.
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One-Day Overview of EmPOWER™: An Approach to Teaching Expository Writing
This workshop provides an overview of the EmPOWER method for teaching
expository writing. We explore how various systems (e.g., cognitive, linguistic, motoric, self-regulatory) support and
constrain the written expression abilities of ALL students. This understanding provides teachers with a common framework
for assessing student writing and designing effective instruction. The workshop provides a basic understanding of the
research base for the method and introduces the first two steps of EmPOWER. Teachers learn strategies that can
be put to use immediately within a general education classroom or specialized instructional setting.
Level II Certification Mastery
The opportunity for Level II Certification in EmPOWER is extended by invitation
to those teachers who have completed Level I and have demonstrated exemplary implementation of the method for teaching writing.
This year-long course provides teachers with a greater degree of mentorship
and support with infusing EmPOWER across their curriculum to meet broader literacy goals, including reciprocal reading-writing
relationships, writing for inquiry and content learning, curriculum refinement and planning, and higher-level problem
solving. Through deeper study, teachers gain a more thorough understanding of research and evidence-based instructional
methods for teaching writing. Training requires participation in 6 monthly seminars and two full-day workshops.
Course participants are required to submit monthly reflections, complete assigned
readings, and show evidence of their use of EmPOWER in their instructional setting.
Teachers who earn Level II Certification are not qualified to provide training
or professional development workshops in the EmPOWER approach, yet they can be resources for their colleagues who have completed
Level I.
Certification is appropriate for professionals who teach students in grades 2 and
beyond. Teachers enrolled in the Level II Certification course may register to receive three
graduate course credits from Endicott College.
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Level III Certification Trainer
Our ultimate goal is to empower teachers to EmPOWER each other as well as their
students. After obtaining Level I and Level II Certification, teachers may pursue further training to become on-site
trainers for their school or school district. Training at this level is extended by invitation to those teachers who
exhibit exemplary use of EmPOWER within the Level II course and demonstrate the ability to teach peers effectively. Trainer
preparation course involves co-teaching (with AFL) the four-day intensive EmPOWER training, co-leading their staff's Follow-up
Workshops, and participating in annual workshops for Trainers.
Following this mentored experience, teachers may provide in-school or in-district
training, with scheduled consultation, mentoring, and support from AFL.
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