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Instructor: Tara Warmerdam

Dr. Tara Warmerdam is an educator, literacy specialist, and writing consultant with a passion for reading, writing, and helping teachers strengthen their practice. Her expertise includes reading and literacy, English language arts, and creative writing. She holds an EdD in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education from Indiana University, an MS in Reading and Literacy Education from CSU Fullerton, and MA and BA degrees in English from UC Davis, along with a Professional Clear Teaching Credential from Fresno Pacific University. A native of Hanford, California, Dr. Warmerdam has served as a teacher, reading and literacy specialist, writing consultant, and business owner. She creates positive, energetic, and creative learning environments where educators collaborate, grow professionally, and help students become lifelong readers and writers. Through her professional development courses, she provides relevant, engaging strategies that teachers can apply directly in their classrooms. She believes learning is a lifelong journey for both educators and students.

Classes by this instructor

ECE-906: Early Literacy and Core Standards

English language arts and literacy are important in the Common Core Standards, and this course will help you understand the Core standards and address the standards without being constrained or limited. The course focuses on the fundamental aspects of literacy, a solid foundation for reading and writing, student inquiry, differentiated instruction and culturally relevant best teaching practices.

ELA-917: Poetry in English Classroom (7 - 12)

Inspire and engage students with a love of poetry! This online, standards-based course explores a variety of methods for single-subject teachers to bring poetry into their classroom. Students are naturally drawn to poetry. This course will invite teachers to use a variety of approaches with poetry in their classroom and discover poetry that is both appropriate and accessible for their students.

ELA-921: Content Comprehension: Helping Students Read & Understand

This content comprehension course helps teachers understand the struggling reader. The course offers practical strategies that help students succeed with reading in their content area classes. Teachers apply these strategies in the classroom with the reading material they are already using, helping students to understand, make connections and ultimately succeed within their content area classes.

ELA-923: Teaching Literary Elements (6 - 12)

Are you interested in creative ideas for teaching literary elements in your classroom? Teaching Literary Elements (6-12) is an online, standards-based course, designed to introduce and explore new tools and strategies for teaching literary elements. Particular attention is given to character, setting, point of view and theme. Students will have the opportunity to design practical, hands-on activities that will engage students with a variety of texts.

ELA-928: Close Reading Strategies (4-12)

Are you ready to learn more about close reading strategies and how to help your students become more active, thoughtful, engaged and independent readers? This online, standards-based course introduces and explores the idea of close reading with narrative texts in grades 4-12. Using self-selected novels, teachers will examine and learn how to create effective and engaging lesson plans using close reading, signposts, anchor questions and reading assessments, all aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

ELA-929: Picture Book Power (PreK-3)

Picture Power Book (PreK-3) is an online professional development course that helps educators harness the power of picture books to support early childhood literacy development and student engagement. Picture books and children's literature offer rich opportunities for building reading skills, fostering comprehension and creating meaningful connections to text.

ELA-930: Successful Independent Reading (4-12)

Independent reading can be a dynamic and powerful experience that will help your students become more proficient readers! In this class you will learn about engaging readers, building motivation, creating a reading community, encouraging accountability and developing critical readers all through independent reading. You will explore and design an effective and supportive independent reading structure for your classroom.

ELA-931: Teaching Graphic Novels (5-12)

Graphic novels are growing in popularity across all grades as students discover engaging and exciting texts. Learn about graphic novels, visual literacy, and how to engage students with fun, accessible, and interesting texts on a variety of topics. Students will have the opportunity to read and engage with fiction and non-fiction graphic novels of their choice, as well as develop dynamic lessons that will support all readers and writers in the classroom.

ELA-932: Multicultural Literature & Teaching

Providing a diverse and culturally sensitive curriculum is essential in today's classrooms. In the online Multicultural Literature & Teaching course, educators engage in discussions and learning opportunities for supporting diverse learners and exploring multicultural literature with their students.

LIT-913: Teaching Shakespeare

Looking for a new approach to classic literature? Teaching Shakespeare offers you an opportunity to explore a variety of new, innovative teaching strategies for approaching Shakespeare in the classroom. This online, standards-based course includes special attention to Shakespearean vocabulary, comprehension and fluency, as well as current resources for teaching Shakespeare.