THE INTEGRATED READING & WRITING SYLLABUS:
From Conceptualization to Implementation
D r. L e t a D e i t h l o f f
T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s a t A u s t i n
THE FOUNDATION
FIRST OF ALL…YES! THEY REALLY CAN!
“My students aren’t there yet”
Recast your expectations (higher) and your views of their training (not
challenged as much as missing information)
 Move beyond content-specific skills
 Provide strategies for tasks
They need:
 Practice
 Scaffolding
 Success
 Increased motivation and self-efficacy
Proof? Track performance in subsequent semesters: equals or betters
their exit level status.
REMINDER: REASONS FOR IRW
“Reading and writing should be viewed as a single act of
literacy” (Straw, 1990, p. 295).
Integrated reading and writing instruction “eliminates the
artificial boundaries of current separated courses” (Fry &
Ecung, 1998, p. 35).
 Analyzing readings makes you a better writer.
 Writing makes you a more critical reader.
But...teaching writing does not automatically lead to gains in
reading and vice versa (Shanahan, 1984).
 The two should consistently be a focus of every assignment and every text (Holschuh &
Paulson, 2012).
INTEGRATION PRINCIPLES
Envision the end goal: what do they need for the next level? Students must:
 Engage with, process, respond to, and analyze varied texts across disciplines,
 Present well-considered opinions with support, and
 Deepen their analytical thinking and “critical” voice.
Build ability, self-efficacy, and motivation with success on small tasks
 High-stakes vs. low-stakes (Elbow, 1997)
 Introduce strategies and apply to new texts/tasks.
 Example: literature = inferencing & layered textual meaning; pair with current issues
reading with lots of subtext. Discuss similarities and differences. Practice.
Use critical analysis and “reading with two minds” (Hjortshoj, 2009) as a basis for
evaluating all reading and writing samples (what authors say & how they say it)
Know what they’re good at (stating their opinions/comprehending readings they like),
model where they need help (supporting reasoning/unfamiliar texts and deep
analysis), and scaffold until you bridge the gap
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR…
Reading Tasks
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Textbooks
Articles
Novels
Essays
Theoretical constructs
Research reports
Business documents
Graphs, charts & data
And more…
Writing Tasks
Students must work beyond summary
to
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Analyze
Critique
Compare
Evaluate
Synthesize
Create
Research
Argue
Conclude
“If they’re going to have to read books and write essays at the college level, that’s what
they should be doing in their preparatory experiences” (Hern, 2013, 9).
SCAFFOLDING PRINCIPLES
Start: Comprehension (reading) & duplication (writing)
becomes → analysis/evaluation (reading) & opinion +
evidence-based support (writing)
Transfer knowledge to different disciplines and writing formats
Incorporate interest when possible to foster student involvement
Practice → Evaluate → Discuss → Repeat
Monitor progress by varying: Whole-class practice →group work
→partner activities →individual work
DECIDING YOUR FOCUS
Consider:
 Depth: Students’ current challenges (differs by semester)
 Goal: Where you need them to be for their next high-stakes assignment
And select:
 Text: should meet the needs of your consideration
 Response: class discussion or individual written response
Focus: There are no poor readers/writers, just those that aren’t prepared.
 Determine the Task: reading and writing
 Necessary background knowledge
 Necessary strategies (determined by the task and discipline)
Justification: Writing
tasks lead to reading tasks and vice versa
depending on the disciplinary demands (Shanahan &
Shanahan, 2012)
EXAMPLE
Have students read “On Compassion” by Barbara Ascher in class and model how it
should be processed (discuss content AND structure)
Answer questions about it (next slide)
Option: watch Ted video and compare messages and strategies
Option: Icarus activity (to follow); compare messages; how would the author/painter
feel about the other’s work?
Have students read “The Glass Castle, Chapter 1” by Jeannette Walls and “On
Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner for homework.
Conduct Comparative Essay discussion
Links:
 Ted Video: http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_goleman_on_compassion.html
 Glass Castle: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/books/chapters/0313-1stwalls.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&position=&
 “On Compassion” and “On Dumpster Diving” from 50 Essays
COMPREHENDING “ON COMPASSION” (1986)
Throughout her essay, Barbara Ascher questions why certain New York citizens offer
compassionate donations to the homeless they encounter: “Was it fear or compassion
that motivated the gift” (36). She later offers pity and care as possibilities.
What is your answer to that question? Why do people act compassionate?
What “conditions” does Ascher suggest “finally give birth to empathy” (37)?
Does Ascher feel that compassion can be learned? Prove this.
Do you feel people can learn compassion? Why or why not?
What role does description play in this essay? What is its effect?
Look at how and where she includes story-like elements. Then look at where she
places her opinions and questions about the content. What does Ascher’s strategy
seem to be?
ICARUS ACTIVITY (GALLAGHER’S IDEA)
BRUEGEL, PIETER, LANDSCAPE WITH THE FALL OF ICARUS, C. 1558
HTTP://WWW.ARTCHIVE.COM/ARTCHIVE/B/BRUEGEL/ICARUS.JPG.HTML
POEM 1
LANDSCAPE WITH THE FALL OF ICARUS (1960). WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring
a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry
of the year was
awake tingling
near
the edge of the sea
concerned
with itself
sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings' wax
unsignificantly
off the coast
there was
a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning
POEM 2
MUSEE DES BEAUX ARTS (1940). W.H. AUDEN
About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there must always be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Brueghel's Icarus,for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
have heard the splash, the foresaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
COMPREHENDING “THE GLASS CASTLE” (2006)
The first chapter of Jeanette Walls memoir begins with a contrast: “I was sitting in a
taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and
saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster” (1).
What is the intent of this contrast?
Wall’s descriptions of her mother in paragraph 2 are also a contrast. Explain how.
Based on this description, how do you think she feels about her mother? How do
you know?
Walls herself is an emotional contrast. What feelings is she torn between?
Besides the fact that she roots through dumpsters, what do we know about Wall’s
mother? Describe her traits and personality.
This reading excerpt acts as an introduction to the rest of the book. Considering the
goals of an introduction, is it effective? Why or why not?
What do you think the main struggle will be in the memoir? How do you know?
COMPREHENDING “ON DUMPSTER DIVING” (1991)
Lars Eighner describes not just the act of Dumpster Diving, but rather a culture, one
with its own standards, rules, and common practices. The reaction created a
movement of Dumpster Diving, celebrating the lifestyle in books, movies and even
youtube videos.
What is your reaction to this essay?
Is Eighner intelligent? How do you know?
Why is Dumpster capitalized (both here and in “The Glass Castle”?
Why does Eighner prefer the word scavenging to the word scrounging?
In Eighner’s world, there are the good guys and the bad guys. Which group of people
represents each label?
Is the author’s characterization of college students accurate? Why or why not?
What hardships does Eighner face? Which trials does he gloss over? (For starters, look
at the third to last paragraph.)
Is Eighner content with his life? How do you know?
What is Eighner’s purpose for writing this essay? Use the text to support your answer.
Do you agree with how he wrote it? Why or why not?
GUIDED COMPARATIVE RESPONSE
1.
How do Eighner and Walls’s mother fit into Ascher’s essay?
2.
Would Ascher believe we should feel compassion for them? Why or why not?
3.
Do you think Eighner wants compassion? If so, what kind of compassion would
he want? What kind of compassion does he NOT want? Defend your answer
with evidence from the text.
4.
Do you think Wall’s mother wants compassion? If so, what kind of compassion
would she want? What kind of compassion does she NOT want? Defend your
answer with evidence from the text.
5.
What is similar between Wall’s mother and Eighner? What is different?
6.
Do these two “characters” represent a typical portrayal of homelessness? Why
or why not?
7.
How do you think these characters would answer Ascher’s questions about
why people act compassionately? Do you think they feel compassion is
genuine? Why or why not? Make sure you address each person’s perspective.
8.
How do these three readings address, advance or question the idea of
homelessness?
OUTCOME
Write an essay comparing the
readings.
APPLICATION TIME
1. Why are you here? What do you hope to learn?
2. What is your course’s end goal? What will your students need for the next level?
3. What might be your biggest challenge?
4. What are some key concepts you have to include?
5. What are some concepts you’d like to include?
6. What are your goals for this course?
7. Which of the suggested reading & writing tasks might work for you?
8. What ideas did the Compassion example give you?
SOME SPECIFICS
TEXT TALK: CHOOSING YOUR TEXT
Move beyond a traditional reading/writing textbook
Authentic college-level tasks
 Only 50% of students are prepared for literacy
requirements of a typical first-year college course (ACT,
2006)
Multiple disciplines and formats
TEXT OPTIONS
Alexie, S. (2009). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York, NY: Little,
Brown and Company.
Cisneros, S. (1984). The House on Mango Street. New York, NY: Vintage Books.
Cohen, S. (2010). 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska: A novel. New York: Dutton Children's Books.
Kaku, M., and J. Cohen, eds. (2012). The Best American Science Writing 2012. New
York, NY: Harper-Collins Publishers.
Lunsford, A.A. (2010). The Everyday Writer (4th Ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Mayfield, M. (2010). Thinking for Yourself: Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through
Reading and Writing (8th Ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Mueller, G.H. (2012). The Brief McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues across the Disciplines.
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Sepetys, R. (2011). Between Shades of Gray. New York: Philomel Books.
Course packet or online access to the “must-have’s”
A Journal
QUESTIONS FOR ANY READING
What is the author’s purpose?
Who is the intended audience?
What strategies or techniques does he/she employ?
Was the goal met? Why or why not?
Evaluate: Opinion + evidence with supporting analysis
 How does the evidence justify the statement?
 Did the author answer “so what”?
Analyze how well authors follow this technique
Apply the technique to writing
METACOGNITIVE QUESTIONS FOR WRITERS
What is your goal?
Who will you reach?
How can you effectively convince, persuade, influence
your reader to consider your viewpoint?
How will the conventions of the task and the genre
influence your text construction?
What does writing show you about your reading process?
APPLICATION ACTIVITY
1. Preview reading.
2. What pre-reading strategies should we employ? (What context/background will
the students need to understand this reading?)
3. What questions should we ask to help students process the reading?
4. What questions will help them evaluate the reading?
5. How much emphasis should this activity receive during the semester (small or
large focus)?
6. What writing activity should we pair with this reading?
7. How should we asses the writing activity (essay response, debate activity,
discussion opportunity, or somewhere in between)?
PLANNING YOUR SEMESTER
“LET’S START AT THE VERY”…END?
Work backwards. What is
your end goal?
REALISTIC BENCHMARKS?
Determined by assignment
By Assignment 1 (narrative essay or musical rhetorical analysis)
 Reading: easier, so establishing purpose and use of evidence/reasoning
 Writing: learning about claims, effective support, showing not telling, flow in an easy to write about
topic—themselves
By Assignment 2 (comparative theme analysis)
 Reading: tougher; read two short books and track themes through each book; fiction so genre is more
formal/friendly
 Writing: comparisons can be tough; lots of scaffolding (theme tracker, Tumblr, zero draft); goals =
deeper analysis; using evidence (text) effectively; solid, purposeful structure; show me WHY
By Assignment 3 (short essay response)
 Reading: genre-specific = science; understanding how to read less familiar information; analyze more
challenging content with an interesting topic
 Writing: forming a clear, persuasive argument; using evidence (still textual) to ground your opinion;
practice for short answer reading responses; grammar should be less of an issue
By Assignment 4 (researched argument)
 Reading: using and understanding essays, articles, and other college-ready readings; know strategies
for filling in gaps
 Writing: research strategies; using research; writing and supporting an argument; structure should be
solid and functioning; grammar should not interfere (or student should know how/where to get help)
POSSIBLE ASSESSMENTS
Provide smaller daily assignments to build confidence (Elbow’s, 1997, “low stakes” writing)
Larger assignments assess progress and student’s current status (“high stakes” writing)
All assignments = practice
Current Coursework (Based on a 100 point-scale):
Assignment 1: Musical Rhetorical Analysis (10 total points)
* Prewrite Activity: 5 points
* Final Draft: 5 points
Assignment 2: Comparative Theme Evaluation (25 total points)
* Topic Proposal: 5 points
* Tumblr Presentation: 10 points
* Zero Draft
* Final Paper: 10 points
Assignment 3: Short Essay Reading Responses (10 points)
Assignment 4: Researched Critical Analysis (20 total points)
* Topic Proposal: 5 points
* Rough Draft: 5 points
* Final Paper: 10 points
Homework and in-class Activities (25 points)
Journal Entry (10 points)
OTHER ASSESSMENT EXAMPLES
Learning Narrative Essay
Comprehension and supported opinion checks
Journal entries (for metacognition & student perceptions of readiness)
Focused Reading Reponses
Short essay exam (analyzes, compares, and evaluates concepts across readings)
Creative Modeling Response (in the style of a certain discipline or author)
Critical or rhetorical analysis essays
Perspective or thematic tracing essays
Comparative viewpoint or genre essays
Research reports
Evidence-based arguments
Multiple choice exam (only if discipline dictates)
NON-THREATENING NARRATIVES
“This I Believe” readings
Narrative novels
Responses that incorporate epistemological beliefs
Focus on “showing not telling”
How do you make someone feel your experiences?
What information/writing strategy makes you consider a new
viewpoint?
What should you include if you want to be persuasive?
LITERATURE RESPONSE IDEAS
1. Track a theme throughout a book and explain its
development (watch for plagiarism; tumblr, etc.)
2. Compare a character’s relationship to a theme
with your own (catalyst, symbols, reactions,
consequences, etc.).
3. Compare themes across books (characters,
events, portrayal, etc.).
DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC LITERACY: Preparation
Process “Beautiful Brains” by David Dobbs.
 What does the reading say?
 What does this reading mean in terms of science or to you personally? (What
are the implications?)
 Point out textual details: “Through the ages…” (1); paragraph structure (main
point, evidence, and reasoning) in “For starters…” (2).
 Find the spots that show what the evidence proves. Why see the gobbledygook?
 Why does the author call it “this view” (3)? Where does the article shift its
focus?
 What kind of acts qualify as “teen behaviors?”
 Do you agree with the reasoning (Ex: does “thrill seeking” = “an openness to
the new”)?
 What is the argument that justifies teen behavior in this stance? What
evidence backs it up? Is it reliable?
 What is the argument about the impact of culture? Agree?
 Explain the part of parents. How do you feel about it being in the article? Who
benefits from that piece?
 Intended audience? Purpose?
 Evaluate intro and conclusion.
Prepare for “Criminal Minds” by Fischman.
SCIENCE-BASED SHORT ANSWER PROMPT
1.
What are the implications of David Dobb's argument in "Beautiful Brains"? Really think
deeply here and decide what all might be affected if his argument is true.
2.
What are the implications of Josh Fischman's argument in "Criminal Minds"? Think deeply
here as well. What all is affected if his argument is accurate?
About.com states that the nature vs. nurture debate "centers on the relative contributions of
genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development". (If the terms are
unfamiliar, search the terms "genetic inheritance" and "environmental factors" on the website for
background information.)
3.
How would the authors of "Beautiful Brains" and "Criminal Minds" answer the question: is
nature or nurture more influential on adult behavior? Use the texts as support.
4.
How would you use each of these articles as support for YOUR opinion on whether nature or
nurture is more influential on adult behavior? (Use each of the articles at least once as
proof for your argument.)
5.
If brain research came out today saying that nutrition has a "significant" impact on brain
formation, how would that finding affect each of these articles' arguments? Address specific
portions of text.
RESEARCH-BASED ARGUMENT IDEAS
1. Respond to a current article with an analytical,
opinion-based response.
2. Analyze one of the discipline-specific articles from
the semester.
3. Choose an article from a different discipline and
have students perform a rhetorical analysis of it.
JOURNALS
Reading comprehension: “Red Versus White”: Why is grandma’s
death revealed: 1. suddenly and 2. with the rest of this
information in this chapter? Find two important quotes that
show the impact of this chapter.
Opinion-based responses: “Identify an event going on in the
world right now. Consider all involved parties/angles. Why
should others care?”
Assignment specific: “How does context influence a song’s
purpose and message?”
Metacognitive:
 “What or who defines you?” Write without stopping (freewrite)
on this topic for 5 minutes.
 “What was your best moment in this writing assignment? What
area still needs work?”
APPLICATION TIME
Create an outline of an assessment that
meets your course needs and
specifications.
GRADING & ASSESSMENT
Task determines assessment method
Writing is a natural means, even without integrated
requirement
No need for multiple choice unless discipline/genre dictates
it
Grading as authentic grammar “intervention”
To rubric or not to rubric?
Class discussion as a means of assessment
SAMPLE RUBRIC: 1ST ESSAY
Audience/ Purpose
A
B
C
D
F
_______ x 15%
The essay is written for appropriate audience and for appropriate purpose
The essay tells a story
The essay keeps the reader engaged throughout the essay
Thesis/Central Idea
A
B
C
D
F
_______ x 20%
C
D
F
_______x 30%
F
_______ x 20%
F
_______ x 15%
The essay has a single focus
The essay is built around and supports that focus
Ideas
A
B
Ideas are thoughtful and insightful
Ideas are focused
Ideas are thoroughly explained, well-developed, and supported by details
Organization
A
B
C
D
Writing is clear and coherent
All writing contributes to the meaning and quality of the paper
Progression of thought is smooth and controlled throughout the paper
Transitions and logical shifts connect ideas
Introduction and conclusion are strong and effective
Mechanics
A
B
C
D
Grammar (including punctuation, capitalization, and usage)
Tone and Style
Varied syntax
Spelling
Correct paper format
Overall Evaluation: _____________
SCAFFOLDING ACTIVITIES
“KNOWLEDGE IS A PROCESS, NOT A PRODUCT”
(BRUNER, 1966, P. 72).
Focus on reading stages and the strategies/purpose for each
 Pre (anticipation guides, discussion, reflection)
 During (outlining, graphic organizers, annotation, questioning)
 Post (theme tracker, visual literacy, directed or student-led questions,
metaphor activities)
Focus on the writing stages with strategies/purpose for each
 Pre (outline, zero draft, rough draft, graphic organizers, image analysis,
Tumblr)
 During (quote integration, revising with purpose, as needed skill-building,
research strategies)
 Post (self and peer evaluations, genre/task reflection, application to other
writing tasks)
PRE-READING/WRITING EXAMPLES
For “On the Sidewalk, Bleeding” by Evan Hunter
Pre-Reading Activity:
 What do you know about gangs?
 Why do people join gangs?
 What do members have to do to join?
 What does it mean to be in a gang? How do you think the members might
feel?
 How do you know if someone is in a gang?
 How do others tend to feel about gangs and their members?
 How easy is it to leave a gang? What must someone do if they want to
leave?
 For those who choose to leave, what do you think makes a difference in
whether or not they are successful in their attempts?
“ON THE SIDEWALK…” ACTIVITY CONTINUED
During Reading Activity:
Notice any of the words that are printed differently (all capitals and italics).
What do they mean?
Notice the references to time and identify what is happening each time it is
mentioned. What do the references mean?
Who are the main characters? Write down three words to identify each
person you “meet”.
Star each main event or detail that you discover as you read. Consider
what might be the consequence(s) of that event. Consider also why you
think those events are happening. Write a key word or phrase beside
the star that summarizes what has happened and why it’s important.
DURING READING QUESTIONS: Theme Focus
Describe the message behind this
picture.
Which of these portrayals best
describes him?
Which of Arnold’s names (Arnold
or Junior) applies to the division
shown here?
What characters and events make
Arnold feel this way?
Is this division real or imagined?
DURING READING: Inference in Literature Focus
“Four Skinny Trees” from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them.
Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do not
belong here but are here. Four raggedy excuses planted by the city. From our room we
can hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t appreciate these things.
Their strength is secret. They send ferocious roots beneath the ground. They grow up
and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with
violent teeth and never quit their anger. This is how they keep.
Let one forget his reason for being, they’d all droop like tulips in a glass, each with
their arms around the other. Keep, keep, keep, trees say when I sleep. They teach.
When I am too sad and too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so
many bricks, then it is I look at trees. When there is nothing left to look at on this
street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach.
Four whose only reason is to be and be.
“SKINNY TREE” QUESTIONS
What information (context) do you need to know in order
for this to make more sense?
Which words or ideas seem important? What do they
suggest?
What feeling do you get from this reading?
Who or what are the skinny trees?
What are the skinny trees doing?
What do you think this is about?
How might this chapter relate to the rest of the novel?
POST-READING: Modeling The “Right Kind” of Thinking
After reading The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, consider:
Critics of Cisneros’s House on Mango Street claim that the author portrays
Mexican American men in an unfavorable light by reinforcing stereotypes; in
particular, she creates a picture of Hispanic men as controlling and abusive.
Critiques also accuse her of not placing enough blame on the male
characters of her novel. For example, after Eperanza’s assault, she appears
to be angrier with her absent female friend for giving her false visions of love
and romance than she is at her attackers.
1. Is Cisneros guilty of stereotyping? Do you agree with the idea that she
fails to hold the men in her book accountable for their actions? Use
your text to defend your statements.
APPLICATION ACTIVITY
With a partner, create/adapt an activity
using the “right kind of thinking”.
OTHER EXAMPLES &
CONSIDERATIONS
PERSUASIVE READING & WRITING EXAMPLE
Pre-read “The Fourth of July” by Audre Lorde, 1982
 Go through stages of pre-reading carefully
 Encourages reliance on multiple “reading drafts”
 Helps students learn inferencing and nuancing
Students read. Then, discuss the reading.
 Analyze each paragraph for purpose and contribution to essay. (Notice tone, pacing, and
style used to establish detail.
 Evaluate the introduction, transitions, and pacing.
 Examples of effective description? Analyze the conclusion.
 Did the author achieve her purpose? Why or why not?
Discuss Figurative Language. Apply to “The Fourth of July”.
Explore Frederick Douglass’ speech “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”, 1852 and
compare.
Discuss the relationship between texts. Analyze style, message, purpose, and reception.
Written response: easy (related personal story) to more challenging (discuss similarities
and differences between the texts, including context, author’s choices, audience,
intent, etc.)
Congrats! You just incorporated two core standards (figurative language and use of
a historical text) into a memorable lesson.
INCLUDING THE “TOUGH ONES”
Grammar
 “Top 20”
 Student drafts skill-based revision
Vocabulary
 “The Science of Monogamy” + online science dictionary
 Malcom X
 http://www.gotbrainy.com/words
Be natural and authentic in your
incorporation. It has to make sense to students or
it’s just memorization.
DEVELOPING INFERENCES
Title: “What the World Press Photo of the Year Means for Photography”
Caption: Feb. 26, 2013. African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city at night, raising
their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighboring Somalia.
Djibouti is a common stop-off point for migrants in transit from such countries as
Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, seeking a better life in Europe and the Middle East.
Link: http://lightbox.time.com/2014/02/24/world-press-photo-what-itmeans/#ixzz2uusuQyDm
NEXT LEVEL INFERENCES
A sociology professor wrote on the board, “A woman without her man is nothing” and,
with a smile, asked students to punctuate the sentence correctly. The men all wrote,
“A woman, without her man, is nothing.” However, the women wrote, “A woman:
Without her, man is nothing.”
Which two inferences seem relevant?
A. The professor was definitely a man.
B. The professor did not believe students could punctuate the words correctly.
C. The professor knew there was more than one way to punctuate the words
correctly.
D. The professor is not a good teacher.
E. Gender differences caused students to read and punctuate the professor’s
words differently.
from The Advanced Reading-Writing Connection by John Langan
ISBN-13: 978-1-59194-425-6
Then, select a paragraph or an essay and apply 3 observations and 3 inferences
activity.
THE SYLLABUS STRATEGY
 Assessments should be authentic, purposeful, and progressive
 Teaching as a process rather than a product
 Include metacognition
 Students recognize/internalize their own reading and writing
milestones when asked to think about them.
 “I don’t know what I’m thinking until I think about it.”
 Use your team: what’s working? What isn’t?
 And…
THINK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE
“The shift to a thinking curriculum involves re-envisioning what we
ask students to do, and how we use class time” (Hern, 12).
Focus on…
Developing deep thinking and quantitative reasoning
Analyzing NOT summarizing
Inferencing (working between the lines)
Making comparisons
Choosing and incorporating quotes effectively
Source selection and inclusion
Dissecting and writing arguments
“Underprepared students are best served by rigorous engagement with
issues that matter” (12).
Remember…
“Regardless of their mastery of discrete
procedures or grammatical rules, students
need to enter the world of ideas that
higher education represents and be
welcomed into its conversations-inprogress” (Hern, 13).
APPLICATION TIME
Time to create your course. Ask
unlimited questions and/or use your
peers as support.
Questions?
Leta.deithloff@gmail.com
REFERENCES
Bruner, J. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
El-Hindi, A.E. (2003). Connecting reading and writing: College learners’ metacognitive awareness. In N. Stahl & H.
Boylan (Eds.), Teaching developmental reading (pp. 350-362). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin Press. (Reprinted
from Journal of Developmental Education, 21(2), 10-12,14, 16, & 18.)
Elbow, P. (1997). "High stakes and low stakes in assigning and responding to writing" In Sorcinelli, M. D., and
Elbow, P. (Eds.), Writing to learn: Strategies for assigning and responding to writing across the disciplines, New
Directions for Teaching and Learning No. 69.
Hern, K. (2013). “Toward a Vision of Accelerated Curriculum & Pedagogy: High Challenge, High Support
Classrooms for Underprepared Students”. California Accelerated Project:
http://www.learningworksca.org/accelerated-pedagogy/.
Jago, Carol. "Opening the literature window." Educational Leadership 69.6 (2012): 40-43. Educators Reference
Complete. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
(http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA332810586&v=2.1&u=4104mtnla&it=r&p=PROF&sw=w&a
sid=f1d67d4ebcace3556e1e3809ccd1ae48)
Kucer, S. L. (1985). The making of meaning. Written Communication, 2, 317-336.
Langer, J, & Applebee, A. (1987). How writing shapes thinking: A study of teaching and learning (Research Report
No. 22). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2008). Teaching disciplinary literacy to adolescents: Rethinking content-area
literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 40-61.
Simpson, M. L., Stahl, N. A, & Francis, M. A. (2004). Reading and learning strategies: Recommendations for the
21st century. Journal of Developmental Education, 28, 2-15.