Making an Impact in a DN
Language Arts Classroom
Doug Elmer
City Year Summer Academy 2013
Objectives for this session
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Understand the structure of DN Language Arts courses at the
middle school and high school level
• Identify the appropriate corps member support strategies in
various phases of the class
• Develop a draft set of next steps that engage the instructional
coach, facilitator, and teachers to effectively integrate corps
members into the ELA classroom.
Agenda for This Session
•
•
•
•
Introductions/Warm-Up
The Structure of the DN ELA Classroom
Integrating the Corps Member
Working Together To Plan, Prep, and Perform
Block Party!
• Read the data strip you’ve been given and spend a moment
thinking about the meaning of the passage and what it means
with regards to the work you do.
• Make eye contact with someone in the room you do not know
very well and that has a numbered passage. This will be your
first partner.
• Share your passage with your partner and discuss its
implications for your work. Switch roles. (5 minutes)
• Thank your partner and find a new partner.
• Repeat for total of three rounds.
Time to Share
Share ideas and questions around the data.
Share ideas, responses, or questions about the
Block Party as an instructional tool.
What do the ideas mean for curriculum and
instruction as a teacher or instructional coach of
a reading intervention course?
Adolescent Literacy: Facing The
Challenge
Only 52 percent of high school graduates
tested on the 2011 ACT met the reading
readiness benchmark, which represents the
knowledge and skills a student needs to
succeed in credit-bearing, first-year college
courses.
Alliance For Excellent Education 2011
Adolescent Literacy:
Facing The Challenge
Four of every 10 new college
students, including half of those at
two-year institutions, take remedial
courses.
A Blueprint for Reform
The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
March 2010
Adolescent Literacy:
Facing The Challenge
Literacy Demands Change
Secondary students are expected to learn new
words, new facts, and new ideas from reading,
as well as to interpret, critique, and
summarize the texts they read.
Time to Act
An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success
Carnegie Corporation 2010
Adolescent Literacy:
Facing The Challenge
Literacy Demands Change
•
•
•
•
•
•
Text become longer
Word complexity increases
Sentence complexity changes
Graphic representations become more important
Conceptual challenge increases
Texts begin to vary widely across content areas
Talent Development Literacy Initiative
What is it?
Comprehensive Approach To Literacy
Provides a Variety of Learning contexts
Students Build and Apply a Range of Knowledge
Skills, and Strategies
Teachers Interact with Students through:
Discussion, explicit modeling, inquiry, research
and cooperative learning.
Talent Development Literacy Initiative
Guiding Principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Student Motivation
Literate Environment
Teacher Expectation
Instruction with Guided Practice & Immediate Feedback
Student Engagement
Teacher Modeling
Cooperative Learning Teams and Text-based Discussions
On-going Formative and Summative Assessment
Talent Development
Middle School Curriculum and Instruction
ELA
Student
Team
Literature
TD Writing
Program
Savvy
Readers’
Lab
Math
Everyday
Math (district
program)
Transition
Math &
Algebra
Math
Acceleration
Lab
Science
FOSS & STC
science
support
Hakim’s
Story of
Science
Social
Studies
Climate &
Character
Hakim’s
History of US
High Five As &
Bs Climate
Program
District
program
support
Mastering the
Middle Grades
curriculum
Talent Development Literacy Initiative
Framework
Grade 9
1st Semester
2nd Semester
Strategic Reading
English 9
Grade 10 Reading & Writing
in Your Career
Grade 11 College Prep
Reading & Writing
(Double-Dose Courses)
English 10
English 11
(Required Courses)
__________________________________________________
Triple-Dose Course
Accelerating Literacy For Adolescents
ALFA Lab
(Tutorial)
Strategic Reading:
The Four Components
Reading
Showcase
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
20
minutes
Self-Selected
Reading or
Learning
Centers
20 minutes
Student
Team
Literature
30 minutes
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
Strategic Reading:
The Four Components
Reading
Showcase
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
20
minutes
Self-Selected
Reading or
Learning
Centers
20 minutes
Student
Team
Literature
30 minutes
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
Reading Showcase
20 minutes
• Teachers read aloud while students listen.
• Teachers model a variety of reading strategies for students,
particularly thinking aloud (sharing thoughts and strategies of a
reader.)
• Teachers demonstrate use of background knowledge from a
reader’s perspective.
• Students visualize as they listen.
• Students give predictions and opinions about the text to which
they are listening.
• Teachers explicitly demonstrate how meaning aids the reader.
Menu of Showcase Strategies
• Make and elicit predictions
• Self-question and pose questions
• Highlight the author’s choice of vocabulary and model how to
use context clues
• Identify the author’s use of literary elements and devices
• Summarize
• Elaborate
• Share “mind movies”
• Make and elicit inferences
• Make and elicit connections between the text and
self/world/another text
Strategic Reading:
The Four Components
Reading
Showcase
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
20
minutes
Self-Selected
Reading or
Learning
Centers
20 minutes
Student
Team
Literature
30 minutes
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
Focus Lesson
20 Minutes
• Teachers use a mini-lesson format to teach skills and strategies.
• Teachers target specific skills and strategies (as needed by the
students in each class.)
• Teachers model and conduct guided practice.
• Students will have the opportunity to apply skills and strategies
independently.
Focus Lesson
Instructional Delivery
Cycle of Instruction
Introduction of the Instructional Target
• Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
• Teacher Modeling
• Monitoring / Immediate Feedback
• Summarizing and Reflecting
Independent Practice
Focus Lesson
What is taught?
• Procedural and Content Knowledge
– Reading Comprehension Strategies
– Writing Skills
– Literary Elements and Devices
– Background knowledge
– Procedures and Protocol
– Benchmarks/District mandates
Strategic Reading:
The Four Components
Reading
Showcase
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
20
minutes
Self-Selected
Reading or
Learning
Centers
20 minutes
Student
Team
Literature
30 minutes
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
Cooperative Learning
• The Vehicle that drives the Student Team Lit Process
Benefits of Cooperative Learning
Increased Achievement
Increase in Positive Relationships
Greater Intrinsic Motivation
Higher Self-Esteem
More “On-Task” Behavior
Better Attitudes Toward Teachers and School
A MIXED-ABILITY LEARNING TEAM
LOW
HIGH
The
Literary
Critics
AVERAGE
Partnership A
AVERAGE
Partnership B
Student Team Literature
30 Minutes
• Students extend their knowledge of word meanings
and vocabulary usage.
• Students read anthologies and novels on their
instructional levels.
• Students work in peer teams.
• Students use partner discussion guides to either
discuss comprehension and inferential questions or
complete literature-related writing assignments or
extension activities.
Before
Reading
Opportunities
Teacher Presentation
• Introduction/Review of Reading Selection
During
Reading
Opportunities
Partner/Team Practice
•Silent / Partner/Team Reading
• Build Background Knowledge
• Introduction/Rapid Review of Vocabulary
•Introduction/Discussion of Essential Questions
• Partner/Team Discussion of Reading Selection and Vocabulary
in Context
•Partner/Team Checking for Understanding
After
Reading
Opportunities
Assessment
• Writing Meaningful Sentences/ Reinforcing Vocabulary
Extension
Opportunities
Application
• Literature-Related Writing
•Crafting Written Responses
• Checking for Understanding
•Reviewing for Assessments
• Literature-Related Projects
• Self-Selected Learning & Learning Centers
Student Team Literature Partner
Discussion Guides
A Partner Discussion Guide (PDG) is
• A tool to facilitate student discussion and debate
• A guide to determine student comprehension
• A resource to provoke student thinking
A PDG is not
• A workbook
• A source of busywork
Student Team Literature
Instructional Approaches
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Introduce text/background
Introduce/Review vocabulary
Guide silent reading/partner reading
Facilitate team discussions
Conduct whole group discussions around
essential questions
6. Guide literature related written responses
7. Compose meaningful sentences
8. Facilitate writer’s workshop
Student Team Literature Supports
the Use of Strategies
Previewing
Reading
Returning to Text
Responding
Extending
Strategic Reading:
The Four Components
Reading
Showcase
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
20
minutes
Self-Selected
Reading or
Learning
Centers
20 minutes
Student
Team
Literature
30 minutes
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
Strategic Reading:
The Four Components
Reading
Showcase
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
20
minutes
Self-Selected
Reading or
Learning
Centers
20 minutes
Student
Team
Literature
30 minutes
Focus
Lesson
20 minutes
Self-Selected Reading and Learning
Centers
• Self-Selected Reading
– Students select independent reading texts.
• Composer’s Square
– Students respond to provided writing activities.
• Data Central
– Students work to improve information retrieval skills.
• Word Play
– Students engage in activities highlighting the structure of
language.
Reflections:
• 1. How does the Showcase component impact a
student’s reading comprehension?
• 2. Why is guided practice a valuable teaching tool?
• 3. In what ways does Student Team Literature
provide ongoing support with reading literature?
• 4. What are some benefits of using Self-selected
Reading and Learning Centers?
Differences between Strategic
Reading and Student Team Lit
• Strategic Reading is a course; Student Team Lit
is a course component
• Listening Comprehension is a specific
approach to reading showcase
• Direct instruction and independent practice
may not follow specific format
Activity
Let’s see how you do mapping out corps
members strategies in the classroom to a DN
Literacy lesson plan.
Count off in groups of 4.
Activity
• Groups 1 & 3– Look at Lesson #1
• Groups 2 & 4—Look at Lesson #2
• Using the DN/CY literacy strategies crosswalk
(and your own experience!), brainstorm what
strategies a corps members would utilize
during each component of the lesson to best
support students’ learning
Working with the DN team
DN Literacy Team
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•
•
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•
•
Teacher
Corps Member
Instructional Coach
Instructional Facilitator
Regional Literacy Trainer
Department Chair (in some cases)
Areas for Collaboration
• Delivering the Lesson
• Developing Lessons/Units
• Developing and Delivering Professional
Development
• Analyzing Literacy Data
• Developing interventions—and aligning
interventions with instruction
How to get the collaboration party
started!
• Team Leaders and PMs should get proactively
involved in developing the School
Transformation Plan (Pillar II especially focuses
on literacy)
• Schedule a conversation with your ELA
instructional coach and facilitator—and
regional literacy trainer—to develop plans for
Corps Member training before and throughout
the year
How to get the collaboration party
started!
• Engage team in discussion around integrating
corps members into professional development
• Work with instructional facilitator and coach
to propose a lesson plan template that
integrates corps members into the lesson
design
• Brainstorm with ELA teachers about the best
way to engage in co-planning of lessons
between corps members and teachers
How to get the collaboration party
started!
• Develop an action plan for reviewing literacy
curriculum and data in order to align
interventions with instruction
• Connect instructional facilitators and coaches
with regional literacy trainer to get consensus
around specific intervention approaches
Action Planning and Trouble
Shooting
• Take a few minutes to map out your next steps
back at your site with regards to collaborating
with the DN team
• If you have concerns or questions, let’s raise
them as a group and troubleshoot together.
Learning Evaluation Surveys
PITW # 83: Give Immediate Feedback
Follow the link in your email to complete the Learning Evaluation Survey.
or
If you did not receive an email, please go to the Summer Academy 2013
page on cyconnect. Select the “Learning Evaluations” link on the left side of
the page and choose the appropriate survey.
THANK YOU!
• Questions?
• Contact info:
delmer@jhu.edu