11 Courses
Book Studies
The Classroom Community Collection - Book Series Study
- 4 Hours
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Course Description: In Shannon Olsen’s 5-book collection of read-aloud picture books, students of all ages can learn how to build community and collaboration while feeling safe, included, and loved. In this book collection discussion, participants will read (or watch a read-aloud of) all five books in the Classroom Community Collection:
Then, join your fellow educators on PEARL to discuss how these books can be used to build a sense of welcome and community among the students you teach. While these books are written for elementary grades, middle and high school educators can also use many of these to engage students in building relationships.
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Course Completion Criteria: To complete this course, participants must:
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Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
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Book Studies
The Food Group series by Jory John & Pete Oswald
Course Description: Jory John and Pete Oswald bring “charming and enduring text” and “bold, expressive illustrations” together in their series of books focused on foods and their behaviors. The Food Group series includes well-known, bestselling books including:
The Good Egg;
The Bad Seed;
The Cool Bean;
The Couch Potato;
The Smart Cookie; and
seasonal versions of these stories.
In this book discussion, participants explore applications for how these books can be used at all levels to promote social and emotional skill fluency and help prevent bullying during the learning process. Picture book are not just for the elementary kids anymore, so middle and high school educators should consider joining as well.
Participants must access and read at least three Food Group series books to participate in this course.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
- 4.5 Hours
Book Studies
How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Course Description: In this asynchronous, online book study, participants will prepare for, read, and discuss Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be An Antiracist for a total of 15 Act 48 hours or a certificate to submit for 15 Chapter 14 hours (per district approval). The New York Times called this book “a groundbreaking approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society—and in ourselves.”
During the Prereading activities, participants will learn about the book and author. Then, they will explore strategies for critical reading from their lens as an educator. Then they will engage in two activities i: one focused on identifying perspectives and another on applying this practice to students.
During the actual reading, participants should read the book critically and complete chapter-by-chapter reflection prompts throughout their reading journey (not just at the end) to help them remember key points in the text.
During the Postreading activities, participants will engage in forum-based dialogues about their reactions, learning, and applications for the material in the school setting. Participants will leave this session with knowledge and resources to apply what they read with students at any level.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 15 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
The hours breakdown is
10 hours for reading,
1.5 hours for pre-reading activities
2 hours for reflection prompts
1.5 hours for post-reading activitis
Total: 15 hours
- 15 Hours
Book Studies
The Introverted Educator
Course Description: The Introverted Educator by Dr. Rochelle Green features reflections from six introverted educators on how they incorporate their more reserved learners into their lessons. As these teachers share the positives and negatives of their own childhood educational experiences, they discuss strategies for meeting the needs of a variety of personality types present in the classroom.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
The hours breakdown is: 2.5 hours for reading, 1.5 hours for discussion prompts, and 0.5 hours for reflection. Total of 4.5 hours.
- 4.5 Hours
Book Studies
Little Legends/Dreamers/Leaders by Vashti Harrison
Course Description: Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) are often under-represented in the standard K-12 curriculum, challenging educators to bring these important histories to students in other ways. Author and illustrator, Vashti Harrison, introduces readers to dozens of influential BIPOC figures in her series of Little Leader Books including:
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History;
Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World; and
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History.
Participants in this book series study must access and read either one entire book (40 histories) or any combination of 40 histories from all three books to participate in this course.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
- 4.5 Hours
Book Studies
The Questioneers Book Study
Course Description: The Questioneers by Andrea Beaty (author) and
David Roberts (illustrator) is a series of picture books and early-reader
chapter books written between 420 and 820 Lexiles. Each picture book introduces
a new ‘questioneer’ as they come to realize their own strengths including Ada
Twist (Scientist), Rosie Revere (Engineer), Iggy Peck (Architect), Sofia Valdez
(Future Prez), and Aaron Slater (Illustrator). The chapter books take their
stories deeper and allow students to follow the students as their growth
mindsets take them further into their passions. These books may be elementary
focused, but the lessons learned are valuable for learners at any level! In
this book discussion, you may read any 1 picture book and any 1 chapter book in
the series for a total of 2 books. These two books will require 2 ½ hours
of reading time with 2 hours of complementary PEARL-based content (1.5 hours for the discussion questions and 0.5 hours for reflection items) for a total of 4 ½ total hours of learning.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
The hours breakdown is 2.5 hours for reading,
1.5 hours for discussion activities
0.5 hours for reflection prompts.
- 4.5 Hours
Book Studies
Science and Engineering Practices Picture Book Study
- 8.5 Hours
Course Description: New Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) academic standards will be implemented starting in the 2025-26 school year. These standards align to the eight (8) Science and Engineering Practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which connect students to the ways that scientists and engineers engage in learning and discovery. Get a head start on your science implementation or learn how to support the new standards through art and literature. This course is designed for teachers, paraprofessionals, and school librarians but all are welcome.Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 8.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
30 minutes to read each book, (30x8=240)
30 minutes for completing Discussion questions for each book (30x8=240), and
30 minutes for the reflective questions
...for a total of 8.5 hours of Act 48 or a certificate of completion.
Book Studies
What You Do Matters series by Kobi Yamada
Course Description: Children’s literature, including picture books, offer powerful tools to bring learning to students at all levels. In this book series discussion, readers will Kobi Yamada’s three award-winning, New York Times best-selling books as featured in the What You Do Matter boxset:
What Do You Do With An Idea?;
What Do You Do With A Chance?; and
What Do You Do With A Problem?
Each of these books offers a unique take on elements that students face daily and are growing to better understand presented through the combination of Mae Besom’s gorgeous illustration and Kobi Yamada’s unique take on symbolic narrative. The course will focus on parallels between these books and social and emotional skills development to facilitate a greater collective knowledge about how to engage students in critical self-reflection and self-management.
Participants must access and read all three Kobi Yamada books to participate in this course.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
- 4.5 Hours
When You Wonder, You're Learning
Course Description: When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids by Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski shares the never-before-seen side of America’s favorite neighbor and Pennsylvania native, Mr. Rogers, in his essential work with the “tools for learning” in school, work, and life. “These tools can boost academic performance, social-emotional well-being, and even physical health. They cost almost nothing to develop, and they’re up to ten times more predictive of children’s success than test scores.” Perfect for educators at any point of their career, this book shares a fresh and human-centric approaches to learning for anyone who cares about children.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 10 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
- 10 Hours
Book Studies
Author Studies
Course Description: This course explores the purpose of author studies to get students reading and provide differentiation through leveled texts. Author Studies provide an opportunity to connect readers to a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. Author studies can be used to enhance the curriculum, explore types of writing or simply get students reading great texts! Author studies get your students reading and writing. It provides the teacher with an engaging tool to differentiate instruction and teach high interest text.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1 HOUR of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
- 1 Hour
Book Studies
Wonder Women: The Importance of Strong Females in Children’s Books
Extended Course Name: Wonder Women: The Importance of Strong Female Characters, Everyday Heroes, and Making Connections to Children’s Books
Course Description: Children’s books have always included spunky, feisty female characters like Ramona and Beezus Quimby, Matilda, and Harriet the Spy. But is spunky and feisty enough? The blockbuster success of the 2017 Wonder Woman movie and 2018’s Black Panther indicates there is room for much more - in movie theaters and children’s books. Female characters that overcome obstacles, solve problems, break stereotypes, and empower others have great appeal to both boys and girls.
This class focuses on choosing books for our classrooms and libraries that affirm positive roles for girls and boys. Ms. Bissonette discuss the assumptions we make when we think in terms of “girl books” and “boy books”; the effect gender stereotypes have on young readers (and the publishing industry’s puzzling role in perpetuating those stereotypes); and the role children’s books have in developing empathy among young readers (which can lead to reduced bullying among other things). Partiticpants explore the evolving theory about children’s books as "mirrors, windows, and sliding doors" and how reading the right books helps students rehearse for and succeed in real life situations. Finally, children's author Aimee Bissonette talks about the reactions and responses she's gotten from girls and boys with whom she has shared her own “strong women” books
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
- 2 Hours
