Think Critically, Write Clearly: Tools for Deepening Student Thought{black}
Featuring Seema Tejura and Caitlin Deckard, education experts from The Literacy Architects{black}
https://player.vimeo.com/video/1051717355
Critical thinking is essential for students to become confident writers and for their overall success inside and outside the classroom. But how is critical thinking explicitly taught? In this webinar, Seema Tejura and Caitlin Deckard, education experts from The Literacy Architects, will break down the components of critical thinking and explore the prerequisite skills students need to bring this approach to their writing. They’ll dive into the writing process and its role in supporting metacognition and managing cognitive load, which are crucial for fostering deep thinking.
At the end of the webinar, Learning A-Z team members will demonstrate how Writing A-Z can support integrating writing and critical thinking in daily instruction. Educators will leave with the ideas and inspiration to empower students not only to become stronger writers but to be able to think more critically and analytically across all disciplines.
Meet the Speakers
Seema Tejura
Founder and Managing Director, The Literacy Architects
Seema Tejura has over 18 years of experience leading students, teachers, and leaders towards literacy success. She has served as chief academic officer, reading director, literacy coach, and reading specialist for urban school districts in Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. She founded The Literacy Architects in 2018 to bring knowledge about evidence-based reading instruction to educators across the country.
Seema holds Master’s Degrees in the Reading Specialist and Education Leadership fields and is also a certified reading specialist, Wilson® Dyslexia Practitioner, and Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP).
The Literacy Architects offers virtual communities of practice to support teachers, leaders, and higher education professors in implementing structured literacy routines, and has delivered PD to organizations such as the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), District of Columbia Public Schools, and the Texas Public Charter School Association.
Nicole Nelson
National Curriculum Consultant
Nicole Nelson served 15 years as an elementary teacher and literacy coach in her local school district and was named TN PreK-4 Teacher of the Year for 2008. Nicole has also served as an Account Executive with Pearson, Renaissance, and Learning A-Z. While at Pearson, she also served as a Literacy Solutions Specialist and Curriculum Specialist. Nicole is currently a National Curriculum Consultant with Learning A-Z, where she supports districts across the nation in achieving their literacy goals. Nicole has shared her expertise through national, regional, and state conferences over the last 27 years.
Caitlin Deckard
Science of Reading Specialist, The Literacy Architects
Caitlin Deckard is a Science of Reading Specialist and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Vanderbilt University. She has held various positions in rural and urban school districts, including elementary classroom teacher, literacy interventionist, gifted and talented teacher, RTI coordinator, strategic planning board member, and Title Services program coordinator.
Caitlin prioritizes evidence-based best practices within the MTSS framework, while making research both accessible and approachable to educators. Her belief that literacy is a civil right and a prerequisite for survival and success within our society influences her work designing professional development and social media content for The Literacy Architects.
Explore More Webinars:
Virtual Writing Summit 2.0 With Joan Sedita
Teaching K–5 writing is hard, but with the right resources, writing can be easy to teach and fun to learn! Joan Sedita, author of The Writing Rope, provides educators with actionable strategies to help students at each stage of the writing process – think, plan, write, and revise.
6 Steps to Writing for All Students: Self-Regulated Strategy Development
Barbara Friedlander, co-author of Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, walks through the six steps of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) and provides valuable strategies and resources to support your K-5 writing instruction.
Elevating Writing Instruction: Evidence-Based Strategies
Bring your K–5 writing instruction to new heights with research-based strategies. TXST professors Dr. Collins and Dr. Ciullo share new results from a comprehensive meta-analysis that reveals findings on best practices for foundational writing instruction.