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WordSift: A Free, Interactive, Web-based Vocabulary Development Tool

WordSift: A Free, Interactive, Web-based Vocabulary Development Tool. CABE 2010 Presenters: Lisa Ernst, Diego Román, Karen Thompson, and Tina Cheuk. This work has been generously supported by the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation. Agenda. Introductions and background on our work

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WordSift: A Free, Interactive, Web-based Vocabulary Development Tool

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  1. WordSift: A Free, Interactive, Web-based Vocabulary Development Tool CABE 2010 Presenters: Lisa Ernst, Diego Román, Karen Thompson, and Tina Cheuk This work has been generously supported by the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation.

  2. Agenda • Introductions and background on our work • What is WordSift? • WordSift lesson examples: • The school context • An integrated social studies/language arts lesson • An integrated science/language arts lesson • Questions

  3. Strategic Education Research Partnership • Mission: Stimulate innovation in education through sustained collaborations among distinguished researchers, educators, and designers • Three current field sites: Boston, San Francisco, and the Minority Student Achievement Network • San Francisco partnership: • Focus: Improve middle school student achievement in math and science • Embed attention to literacy within the content areas • Ongoing collaboration among teachers, administrators, and researchers since 2007

  4. Role of Vocabulary in Reading Comprehension • Word knowledge is the BEST predictor of reading comprehension. First grade vocabulary predicts 11th grade reading comprehension. (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1997) • Wide disparities exist in students’ vocabularies, with English learners and students from low-SES backgrounds tending to have smaller vocabularies in English (cf. Hart & Risley, 1995). This poses challenges for reading comprehension.

  5. Characteristics of Effective Vocabulary Instruction From the National Reading Panel (2000): • Repetition and rich support are necessary for vocabulary learning • Effective vocabulary instruction requires active engagement on the part of students • Vocabulary should be taught both directly and indirectly • Technology can support vocabulary learning

  6. WordSift • Let’s take a tour! • http://wordsift.com

  7. Different Applications of WordSift • Preview texts • Explore word meanings • Facilitate writing activities • Assess students’ understanding of content and/or vocabulary

  8. Different Technological Capabilities, Different Uses of WordSift • Computer lab: Students use WordSift individually or in pairs on their own computers • LCD projector + computer: Teacher projects WordSift for the whole class • Overhead projector: Teacher makes transparencies of WordSift cloud, images, word webs, and/or sentences • At home: Students and/or teachers use WordSift independently

  9. School Context • 6th grade core classes • Mandarin/Cantonese/English immersion K-8 school

  10. Students’ Home Languages

  11. Students’ English Proficiency

  12. Social Studies/Language Arts Lesson: Background

  13. Social Studies/Language Arts Lesson: Background • Students have been reading The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt, which is set in 1967. • The lesson is designed to build on the book’s references to the historical times, including Martin Luther King.

  14. Introducing Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech • Give each child a copy of “I Have a Dream Speech” by Martin Luther King. • In large group setting have the students read silently the first three paragraphs of the speech. • Have the students individually circle the words that they are unfamiliar with. • In a pair-share, have the students share the words that they are unfamiliar with, and generate a list of words that they have in common on a post-it. • Then in a large group setting, read aloud the first three paragraphs.

  15. Reviewing Strategies for Determining Word Meanings • Then in large group setting, share the words that the students are unfamiliar with from the speech. The teacher generates the list on the board. • As a group, have the students vote on the words that they (class) have difficulty with. • Where to go from here? Have the students discuss how they find a meaning of a word. • As the teacher, using the first three paragraphs, use context clues to help the students find the meaning of the words. (Demonstrating Context Clues)

  16. Introducing WordSift • At this point, introduce WordSift to the students. • As the teacher, I showed the students the speech before I actually sifted the speech. Then I sifted the speech. • As we looked at the speech, we looked for the words that were prominently used in MLK’s speech, such as “Freedom”. • Then I asked the students to read the rest of the speech. As they read, I asked them to circle words that were unfamiliar.

  17. WordSift Cloud for the Speech

  18. Day 2: Text Analysis and Poetry Writing • I asked the students what they felt or understood of the speech. • Then I showed the students the actual video of Martin Luther King speaking his speech in Washington D.C. (using WordSift) • The students shared their feelings about the speech, from the experience of reading and using WordSift, as well as watching the video. • At this point, we looked for four components that made up this speech, which included faith, prosperity, nature, and time. • I started on the analysis of the poem. There was great discussion with the students. • Then I turned it back to the students to label on the sides of the poem where they could identify these components.

  19. Day 2 (continued) • I gave each person two attached ten-tab notebook foldables. For the first one, I asked each student to place in the title section: Martin Luther King’s Speech, “I Have a Dream”. Then on each slot a vocabulary word. • The student then used scissors to cut and glue it to lined paper. With their partner, they had to define the word under the slip. (They used WordSift, as well as dictionaries) • The second ten tab-foldable, I had the student use the speech to identify where the word was used. Then that foldable was attached over the vocabulary word ten tab foldable.

  20. Worksheet for Vocabulary

  21. Students’ Poems • Inspired by themes of the speech • Included at least 8 vocabulary words • Went through a peer editing process

  22. Science/Language Arts Lesson: Background • The students have been studying earthquakes. • We are using a variety of sources to enhance the curriculum, including • The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco www.sfmuseum.net/1906/ew8.html • USGS-Did you feel it? http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/ • Seismic Sleuths, which is published by FEMA online at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3558 • I am trying to connect to the region/community/geography of the Bay Area.

  23. Introducing the Topic: The 1906 San Francisco Quake • Introduce the Mercalli Scale to the students by using the lab from Seismic Sleuths which can be located at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3558 • The teacher should explain the chart on how earthquakes were measured. • After completing the lab, the students will be given the Mercury Herald 1906 Newspaper/Letter of a first account. • Have the students discuss what types of evidence the newspaper/letter represents. • Have the students read the newspaper/letter and circle words that they are unfamiliar with. • With a partner using a post-it, generate words or terms that they have in common. • Generate a list of words on the board.

  24. Using WordSift To Discuss Vocabulary • Then introduce the students to WordSift, and how the newspaper article/letter can be sifted. • Make sure to Sift for not only academic words, but identify scientific terminology. • Go back to the list of words on the board, and try to identify academic words, using a green marker, and scientific vocabulary using a red marker. Circle the terms or words that could be classified under both, by using a blue marker. • Have a discussion about vocabulary.

  25. WordSift Cloud for Article(Words from the Academic Word List in orange)

  26. Comparing Sources • Give each student an Intensity Map of the 1906 Earthquake, along with data that was collected and aligned to the Roman Numerals. • At this point, the students can pair share - Now using three sources, are there any items from the newspaper/letter that are like the chart?

  27. Extension Activities • To add another first source (another piece of literature or media), the students could use a variety of first account letters from the website www.sfmuseum.net/1906/ew8.htm; the letters could also be used in WordSift as well. • To include a relevant application of this Science Lab, show the students how they can report on the USGS website, http://earthquakes.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/ -Did you feel it?

  28. Reflection Sheet

  29. Why use WordSift? • WordSift can help students: • Preview texts • Compare texts • Understand word meanings • Make connections between words • WordSift can also help integrate literacy activities into content-area instruction.

  30. Questions?

  31. Acknowledgements • Kenji Hakuta and Greg Wientjes, Stanford • Deb Farkas and Jeanne D’Arcy, SFUSD • Middle School Science Teacher Co-developers, SFUSD • Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, SFUSD • The S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation

  32. For more information: WordSift www.wordsift.com Strategic Education Research Partnership www.serpinstitute.org Contact: Tina Cheuk tcheuk@serpinstitute.org 415-379-7884

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