This ~6-hour asynchronous training module engages VNG members with the what, how, and why of The Visual Non-Glossary. Educators participating in this training will interact with others and see the VNG applied across subject areas and grade levels.
To start the training, download the module via the link to the right and follow the embedded links and instructions.
6-hour PD certificate available
Several times a year, we publish a volume of Tips and Tricks: 2-3 simple strategies that quickly and easily get students engaged with visuals and academic language.
See all of how videos: how-to’s and explainers, modelling of the VNG in classrooms, and more!
The Visual Non-Glossary trainers – Isaac, Julie, and Stephen – are renowned for their engaging, hands-on, and transformative professional development. Our trainings support diverse classrooms and diverse learners, including students of varying academic readiness, students with special needs, students acquiring English, and economically disadvantaged students. Furthermore, these trainings can all be adapted to the dual-language setting.
This training serves as an orientation to The Visual Non-Glossary. Participants will access their VNG accounts directly and participate as a student in structured conversations using the VNG. In 3-hour sessions, participants will also plan out a VNG lesson and practice implementing structured conversations.
90-minute 3-hour
in-person
virtual
licenses required
In this training, participants who are already familiar with The Visual Non-Glossary learn how to leverage students’ voices to extend whole-class conversations for deep exploration and inquiry of academic content. Participants will plan a VNG lesson that incorporates extended academic conversations and other activities that boost academic language.
3-hour 6-hour
in-person
virtual
licenses required
Want to see more reading and writing in content-area instruction? This training shows participants how to teach content and build literacy skills at the same time, by anchoring academic reading and writing with structured conversations and small-group visuals. Participants will learn how to create, differentiate, and structure reading and writing.
3-hour 6-hour in-person virtual licenses required
Inquiry is at the heart of the learning process. Learn how to transform students’ curiosity into wondering, and wondering into probing questions and investigation in Science, Social Studies, and Math classrooms. Participants in this training will engage with strategies that get students asking questions, making predictions, and justifying reasoning.
3-hour 6-hour in-person virtual licenses required
This training helps administrators, instructional coaches, and district staff develop their teachers by coaching through a lens of academic language, engagement with structured visuals, and student-centered pedagogy. In this training, participants will practice the coaching cycle and learn a clear, step-wise approach to developing teachers. Furthermore, participants will engage in a structured approach to supporting all teachers in the coaching cycle.
3-hour 6-hour in-person virtual licenses required
Professional development is not a one-and-done deal. It is continuous throughout the school year, and we are here to support! We have a proven approach that meets teachers where they are at and helps teachers grow, one step at a time. We also work to develop the coaching capacity of campus leadership through modelling coaching, coaching on the coaching process, and administrative walk-throughs.
For cohorts of ~6 teachers, we go through the coaching cycle (pre-conference, observation, post-observation conference) several times throughout the school year. In each cycle, we focus on making one or two enhancements to lessons from the lens of engaging students with academic language and structured visuals.
Looking to develop your instructional leadership teams? We also encourage campus and district leadership to observe our coaching, then debrief about the effective coaching practices that help their teachers grow.
4-8 days per year per cohort licenses optional
Are your teachers looking to improve their craft by seeing specific strategies in action? We can model a specific strategy with a teachers’ students, then debrief with that teacher afterwards. This can be incorporated as part of the coaching cycle or as a standalone practice.
2-6 days per year per cohort licenses optional
A great alternative, or addition, to a single-day training: we spend 40 to 80 minutes modeling a single high-yield strategy to PLCs or teachers with shared planning times. In these mini-trainings, we also devote time to planning out the strategy in an upcoming lesson and reflecting on implementation successes and challenges with other strategies.
4-6 days per year licenses optional
What is the lens for structured conversations and student engagement around visuals? We conduct short (10- to 20-minute) walk-throughs with instructional leadership teams and debrief about what we see holistically and how the campus can leverage its strengths to enhance instruction in every classroom.
2-4 days per year licenses optional
This training helps administrators, instructional coaches, and district staff develop their teachers by coaching through a lens of academic language, engagement with structured visuals, and student-centered pedagogy. In this training, participants will practice the coaching cycle and learn a clear, step-wise approach to developing teachers. Furthermore, participants will engage in a structured approach to supporting all teachers in the coaching cycle.
Note: VNG licenses are encouraged with this training, but not required.
3-hour 6-hour in-person virtual licenses optional