Shared Inquiry Webinars
“I think Junior Great Books is an important component of a balanced literacy program, because it really incorporates the reading, writing, speaking, and listening components that are at the heart of balanced literacy.”—Angela Brito, Principal
Blaine Elementary School, Chicago, IL
Summer Courses for K–12 Educators
The Close Reading Process
July 11, 2017 • 2–3:30 p.m., CDT • $80 • Register
Upper elementary and high school teachers can attend this course to help develop students’ reading comprehension of informational texts. Teachers will learn how to:
- Improve students’ reading and thinking
- Work through concrete steps that help students manage difficult texts
- Learn questioning methods to improve students’ comprehension
Blended Shared Inquiry Essentials Two-Day Webinar
July 20 and 21, 2017 • 10 a.m.–12 noon, CDT • $275 • Register
Two days (2 hours each day) of live webinar training, plus 10 hours via self-paced online modules. This course introduces Shared Inquiry discussion and prepares people to begin using it and the Great Books programs. Includes interactive, hands-on:
- Demonstration discussion
- Reflection on elements, benefits, and research base
- Types of questions and how to prepare effective questions for discussion
- Effective use of follow-up questioning strategies
- Practical considerations, including supporting all learners, group sizes, etc.
Interpretive Thinking for Grades K–1
August 2, 2017 • 2–3:30 p.m., CDT • $80 • Register
August 25, 2017 • 10–11:30 a.m., CDT • $80 • Register
This course will help you introduce the basic principles of Shared Inquiry—listening, wondering, and sharing—to students in the primary grades.
- Help students in grades K–1 begin to respond interpretively to a story
- Engage students in listening, asking questions, and sharing ideas
- Use the new Junior Great Books K–1 program to engage students in higher literacy and inquiry
Shared Inquiry Advanced Review
August 21, 2017 • 3–4:30 p.m., CDT • $80 • Register
This course provides participants with a review of the essential elements of a Shared Inquiry discussion and the Great Books interpretive reading activities. Teachers will:
- Solidify their understanding of their role as a leader
- Learn how Shared Inquiry connects to state and district standards
- Discover the ways Great Books inquiry-based programs improve students’ reading, critical thinking, writing, and oral communication skills
The mission of the Great Books Foundation is to advance the critical, reflective thinking and social and civic engagement of readers of all ages through Shared Inquiry™ discussion of works and ideas of enduring value.
