Content Literacy Practices 2011

1. Content Literacy Practices 2011 Day Two

2. Parameters • Everyone is a participant. • Silence technology (cell phones, computers, etc.). • Minimize side bar conversations. • Abstain from electronic conversations. • Respect time. • Be receptive to learning and others’ opinions. • Have fun learning together. 

3. Research On the 2006 dropout report, Alabama had 5,352 students drop out of school. Students who enter 9th grade in the lowest 25% of their class are 20 times more likely to quit school than are the highest performing students (Carnevale, 2001).

4. Building a Plane

5. Strategic Lesson Planning Step by step guide to implementing strategic teaching in the content areas

6. What is Strategic Teaching? • It is a process of incorporating active engagement and academic literacy into all lessons planned. • It requires explicit instruction. • The main focus is student learning.

8. Purposeful Planning Agenda Daily outcome: Participants will use the components of purposeful planning to analyze two classroom lesson plans. Before: Conversation Stems During: Graphic Organizer After: “We Think” Statement

9. Conversation Stem 1 When a teacher tells the students, “I want you to learn…” what is he/she really saying?

10. Conversation Stem 2 What is the difference between learning and memorizing?

11. Scenario One: “Mrs. Jones” • Examine the steps for planning. • Use what is known about strategic teaching to critique the scenario.

12. Highlight 5 Components The lesson framework for strategic teaching includes: One Outcome Two Instructional Practices (chunking, student engagement) Three Parts of the Lesson (before, during, after) Four Steps to Explicit Instruction (I do, we do, y’all do, you do) Five Components of Active Literacy (TWIRL)

13. Step 1: Determine the Outcomes • Decide what it is the students will be able to do TODAY as a result of this lesson. • The outcome(s) of the lesson should move the students closer to mastery of content standards. • Decide on assessment(s) that will be used to determine if outcome has been met.

14. Step 2: Plan a “Before” Strategy Consider the purposes of before strategies: • activate prior knowledge • build background knowledge • generate questions • make predictions • discuss vocabulary • establish a purpose for reading

15. Choosing a Strategy Is it a new concept? Plan a strategy that will build some background knowledge. Is it a review or continuation? Plan an activity that will activate prior knowledge. Is there new or unfamiliar vocabulary? Plan a strategy that will involve discussion of unfamiliar words. Are there particular parts of the content that need to be emphasized? Plan a strategy that draws attention to important concepts.

16. Reflection Think about the strategy and purpose(s) of this part of the lesson. Are they connected and related to the daily outcome(s)?

17. Step 3:Plan a “During” Strategy Consider the purposes of during strategies: • engage with the text • verify and formulate predictions • summarize text • self-monitor comprehension • construct graphic organizers • use mental imagery • integrate new information with prior knowledge

18. Choosing a Strategy Is the text challenging to comprehend? Choose a strategy that will require students to stop periodically as they read and self-monitor comprehension. Is the text structure unfamiliar or challenging? Consider using a graphic organizer to help students organize information from the text. Is there a large amount of text to be read? Consider chunking the text and choosing a strategy that will allow small groups of students to read portions of the text and share important information with the entire class.

19. Reflection Think about the strategy and purpose(s) of this part of the lesson. Are they connected and related to the daily outcome(s)?

20. Step 4: Plan an “After” Strategy Consider the purposes of after strategies: • reflect on the content of the lesson • evaluate predictions • examine questions that guided reading • respond to text through discussion • respond to text through writing • retell or summarize

21. Choosing a Strategy • Does the content of the lesson build upon previous learning? Consider a strategy that makes connections and evaluates new information. • Does the content lend itself to visual representations? Consider graphic organizers as a format for organizing information and concepts. • Does the content contain challenging vocabulary? Consider a strategy that will lead to student ownership of important vocabulary. • Is the content open to interpretation? Consider a strategy that will promote discussion and critical thinking.

22. Reflection Think about the strategy and purpose(s) of this part of the lesson. Are they connected and related to the daily outcome(s)?

23. Step 5: Plan for Assessment of Outcomes Ultimately, how will we know the lesson outcomes have been met? Consider: • work products • separate assessments • exit slips • observational data

24. Scenario Two: “Mr. Smith” • Examine the steps for planning. • Use what is known about strategic teaching to critique the scenario. One Outcome Two Instructional Practices (chunking, student engagement) Three Parts of the Lesson (before, during, after) Four Steps to Explicit Instruction (I do, we do, y’all do, you do) Five Components of Active Literacy (TWIRL) • Take notes on the planning graphic organizer.

25. “We Think” Statement Complete the following statement: “After comparing and contrasting the two scenarios, we think…”

26. Purposeful Planning Lesson Daily outcome: Participants will use the components of purposeful planning to analyze two classroom lesson plans. Before: Conversation Stems Purposes: activate prior knowledge; set a purpose for reading During: Graphic Organizer Purposes: organize information; engage with text After: “We Think” Statement Purposes: reflect on content through writing and discussion

27. Stretch Break

28. Transforming a Classroom

29. Active Engagement Agenda Daily Outcome: Participants will determine key factors in creating a classroom as a place of learning. • Before: Interview Response • During: Reciprocal Teaching • After: Collecting Keepers

30. Before: Interview Response Directions: • Interview question: What are the characteristics of an effective learning environment? 2. Interview three people - ask the question, record the response, then move to another person. 3. Summarize findings on the back of the note card.

31. During: Modified Reciprocal Teaching Tasks • Questioner – makes connections to the text by asking questions • Word Builder – selects vocabulary that is important to the understanding of the text and try to define • Keeper – chooses details and facts that stand out • Summarizer – describes the text in a comprehensive and concise statement Chunk text-Handout 19 (Go to groups of 4)

32. Labeling Your Paper for Reciprocal Teaching Job (Word Builder, Keeper, Questioner, Summarizer) Fold your paper into 4 squares and label chunks 1-4.

33. During: Modified Reciprocal Teaching Tasks • Questioner – makes connections to the text by asking questions (blue) • Word Builder – selects vocabulary that is important to the understanding of the text and try to define (green) • Keeper – chooses details and facts that stand out (red) • Summarizer – describes the text in a comprehensive and concise statement (yellow) Handout 20

34. Modified Reciprocal Teaching Directions • Assign initial tasks • Read and complete task • Share information • Pass cards to the right • Repeat process

35. “A Tale of Two Classrooms: Transforming a ‘Place’ of Learning” The contradiction exemplified so eloquently in the first paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens poignantly creates a metaphor for the possibilities of creating a classroom as a positive learning environment. For one classroom, it can provide the best of times, the age of wisdom, the epoch of belief, the season of Light, and the spring of hope. In comparison, another classroom can experience the worst of times, the epoch of incredulity, the season of Darkness, and a winter of despair. How does a brick building transform into a place of learning? How can individual rooms within this place become ones in which “learning” turns into a tangible and desired need not only for students but teachers as well? The answer lies within the assumptions that students have about learning and the use of active engagement as a means to address these assumptions.

36. Job Examples “A Tale of Two Classrooms: Transforming a ‘Place’ of Learning” • Word builder – contradiction – disagreement in meaning; transform – to change; assumptions – making an opinion based on information • Keeper – • Students assumptions about learning • Assumptions affect engagement and learning • Summarizer – Classrooms are places of learning that can be positive or negative experiences for students. • Questioner – How can I, as a teacher, transform my class into a positive place of learning?

37. Modified Reciprocal Teaching Directions • Read and complete task • Share information • Pass cards to the right • Repeat process

38. After: Collecting Keepers Directions: • As a group, decide on the five most important keepers. • Record the keepers on chart paper. • Explain the importance of these details as they apply to the understanding of the concept.

39. Active Engagement Lesson Plan Daily Outcome: Participants will determine key factors in creating a classroom as a place of learning. Before: Interview Response Purposes: build background knowledge; summarize During: Reciprocal Teaching Purposes: engage with the text; identify vocabulary; summarize; generate questions; identify main ideas After: Collecting Keepers Purpose: analyze and evaluate key information

40. Parking Lot Postings Reflect on the learning from the morning • Questions • Concerns • Comments This is the exit slip for lunch. The purpose is to let the facilitator see whether or not learning has taken place. The questions, concerns, and comments will be addressed in the afternoon.

41. Lunch

42. A Lesson about Learning

43. Strategic Biology Lesson: Classifying Organisms

44. Biology Lesson Agenda Daily Outcome: Students will explain the way in which living organisms are sequenced and classified using key terms. Before: List-Group-Label During: Reciprocal Teaching After: Magnet Summary

45. Spiraling Standards Alabama High School Graduation Exam Objective 1: Distinguish among the taxonomic groups by major characteristics. Course of Study Standard #9 Differentiate between the previous five-kingdom and current six-kingdom classifications systems. 7th Grade Life Science Course of Study Standard #4 Describe organisms in the six-kingdom classification system by characteristics. recognizing genus and species as components of a scientific name identifying contributions of Aristotle and Linnaeus to the early history of taxonomy

46. Before: List-Group-Label • List living organisms. • Group these organisms into logical categories. • Label the categories. • Write an explanation of the logic behind the grouping.

47. Making Connections Real life examples of organization that are present in daily living: • iTunes: search by genre, author or artist, album name and title • Post Office: mail is sorted by country, zip code, street and house or apartment number • Shopping in a grocery store: like items are organized together - fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meats, canned goods and cereals

48. During: Reciprocal Teaching Job Bank: • Word Builder – selects vocabulary that is important to the understanding of the text and try to define • Keeper – chooses details and facts that stand out • Summarizer – describes the text in a comprehensive and concise statement • Questioner – makes connections to the text by asking questions Directions: • Read text and write notes • Share note taking • Discuss additional thoughts • Pass the card to the right and continue process

49. Reciprocal Teaching Modeled Section 1: Biodiversity Biologists have named and classified almost two million species. However, they estimate that the total number of species on Earth is much greater. Over time, scientists have created various systems of classification to organize their knowledge of the tremendous number of species. Each system places species into categories based on particular characteristics.

50. Job Examples • Questioner: Why is categorizing species important? What species am I? • Word Builder: Classified – to name; Species – types of living things • Keeper: • 2 million species • categorized based on particular characteristics • Summarizer: Systems of classifying species were developed to organize the millions of species on Earth.