Kevin Hill
Final exam - READ 5318 – Summer III 2015
1. Understand the theories of disciplinary literacy and be able to apply them to the classroom
environment.
Although the term disciplinary literacy was unknown to me, the theory and practice
behind it was present in my approach to how I should teach. I have always been a
proponent of cross-disciplinary (I guess you could say disciplinary literacy) teaching and
learning. For example, I have looked at how I will instruct and assess my students in the
culinary arts, a CTE discipline which is behind the times in disciplinary literacy, by
tasking them to complete a final project on a chef of their choosing. The students would
first conduct internet research on chefs and choose one that they wish to study throughout
the year. Particulars on where the chef was born, the specifics about that countries
location, religion, celebrations and holidays, geography, music, and climate as it relates
to the culinary arts will be broken down into lessons throughout the year.
The students will need to write drafts, edit drafts, use technology in gathering the
specifics, watch videos, create models or posters, and create a signature dish from their
chosen chef. Class presentations will be conducted throughout the process. Prior to
each lesson, I will have a KWL chart for each track their progress. Incorporated into the
KWL will be the Ws that are required to meet standards. This establishes prior
knowledge, student wishes, and what we actually learned available for all to read while
keeping with required objectives. Peer to peer instruction and discussion, as a means of
authentic discussion, both as a whole class and in groups, will assist in comprehension
and spark peer to peer discussions and questions as well. By conducting this type of
practice I will be helping the student become better readers, writers, and researchers
while keeping with my primary focus to teach them the content are specifics of the
culinary arts. The ability to read, write and interpret a recipe is an example of content
specific literacy. This is a holistic approach to allowing the student to become a wellrounded graduate.
I believe I am much more prepared to discuss this issue with mentors being as
knowing the correct terminology gives me more validity as a team member. The
strategies discussed in the textbook also gave me additional strategies to apply toward my
classes.
2.
Identify and implement teacher directed reading strategies for aiding students with special
needs and struggling readers.
First we must realize that each student that walks into our classroom is different. Some
come with great proficiency in reading and writing and have special needs to accelerate
their studies and some arrive struggling and need different approaches. This is an
example of where differentiated instruction is required. Students who need accelerated
teaching, to maintain engagement, should be challenged with more difficult readings.
Students struggling will require different approaches and sometimes easier material than
required within the text, even a change in objectives to allow for progress. Progress or a
sense of accomplishment with struggling students goes a long way.
We should also be familiar with the reasons why students struggle. With each
student that has differentiating abilities, they come with different stories that may be a
factor in their struggles. Some students have physical disabilities such as hearing loss,
vision impairments, orthopedic issues, traumatic brain injury or speech impediments.
Some will come with neurological disabilities such as autism, ADHD, and Multiple
sclerosis to name a few out of hundreds. It is also know that children from low socioeconomic homes struggle with learning. And with today’s ever changing language makeup of our students, ELL students struggle because of a language barrier.
Regardless of the student’s reason for struggling, teachers have at their disposal
several suggested and proven strategies to address the struggling learner. The one I find
most interesting is metacognitive thinking, or thinking out loud about what you are
thinking. By summarizing what you have read, visualizing what you believe to be the
setting of the story, identifying vocabulary, predicting what will occur next and inferring
certain events, one can self-evaluate as they read and the teacher can assess and provide
immediate feedback to the student. This may be a difficult task for the struggling learner
but very effective in teaching comprehension.
Teachers should model the while instructing which requires out loud reading
while demonstrating the task the student has been asked to complete. Students who
struggle should be taught systematically with scaffolding which allows an adaptation to
instruction to be removed upon successful completion. Teachers should schedule
appropriately to allow for the student to practice and have discussion on the lesson being
taught. Teachers must continually monitor progress and provide prompt feedback as to
give the student direction on their progress.
Learning these strategies has given me many new tools to apply in my classroom.
Dividing the class into ability levels will assist in providing instruction while reshuffling
the groups for task completion, with different ability level students in the same group, can
assist in comprehension by peer-to-peer instruction and discussion. Allowing an
accelerated student to be a quasi-teacher’s assistant (mentor) is a means to assist the
learner in being relevant to the class and possibly give the struggling student a role model
to follow and lean on when in need.
3. Comprehend and implement practical forms of authentic assessment for the content area
classroom.
Authentic assessment is contrary to traditional assessment. With traditional assessment
we see teachers lecturing and assessing by asking direct questions via regurgitation. This
does not always assess comprehension. With authentic assessment, students are asked to
demonstrate comprehension by doing. Students can be assessed via many methods and
should be geared toward the student’s abilities or away from their inabilities.
Demonstrations such as papers, oral presentations, posters, shadow boxes and performing
skit can assess comprehension.
To further assist in student comprehension, assessment with a rubric is extremely
beneficial. This sets expectations that the student knows is expected of them and breaks
down the grading into meaningful and specific criteria. When using a rubric, I suggest
coupling self-assessment with teacher assessment. This allows the student to assess their
progress. Within my classroom I will allow students to choose their assessment vehicle
with several tasks but will remain steadfast on certain assessment styles as required by
objectives, such as cook a specific dish that cannot be completed in other manners.
Because of the nature of my discipline, culinary arts, I will be having students
gather their work and placing it in a portfolio. It allows for the student to have proof of
their accomplishments to show future employers but also is an assessment tool for the
teacher. Many of these practices I had planned on utilizing in my class prior to this course
but several were unknown to me. It has been very beneficial to have learned additional
assessment tools.
4. Understand using multiple resources in the classroom.
Using multiple resources in the classroom is imperative to student engagement,
student preferences, authentic instruction and assessment. Sources may include
traditional textbooks, e-texts, the internet, videos, oral recordings, magazines, authentic
documents etc. to allow for the student to choose their learning style preference or
requirements. Preferences meaning the student learns best and stays engaged within their
comfort zone. This does not mean that we should not push them out of their comfort
zone or rely on one means of presenting material. Requirements meaning keeping with
standards, IEPs, and accommodations or modifications to assist special needs students.
In my opinion, scaffolding requires different resources for different students
depending on their specific needs. For those who are ELL students, materials should be
available in their native language for understanding the material while attempting
progress with their command of the English language. I have already purchased
cookbooks in Spanish to assist those who are struggling with reading in English. I will
allow these books to be used by the Spanish speaking students in my class but will also
require that before they attempt to create a specific dish, they translate the recipe into
English to the best of their abilities. In this endeavor, pairing with a bi-lingual student
will allow for task completion and peer-tutoring. Another resource I will incorporate in to
my class is the introduction of pictures and objects that Spanish speakers can compare
English words to the object and translate to Spanish thus giving the lesson material and
assisting with their comprehension.
Applications on iPads or iPhones is another resource available. I have an
application called “Kitchen Boy” that gives graphics of ingredients and lists the
ingredient in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The Spanish vocabulary is given
in five dialects that covers multiple countries such as Spain, Venezuela, and Mexico. The
app also allows for recipe conversion to and from standard US measures and metric.
Thus helping students accustomed to metric and assisting in cross-discipline actions.
5. Select different activities that help shape the match between reader and the material to be
read.
It is important that we always link our students to the material being present
regardless of discipline. If we apply the task at hand, in this case reading, we increase
engagement and add value to the reading. Activities that assist real learning by linking
students to the material can be performed through class discussion, establishing prior
knowledge, comparing the reading topic to previous experiences and comparing readings
to real-world situations. If the reading is a play, as seen within Shakespeare, performing
a play can link the reading to the student by physical activity and the creation of a set. If
the reading has been made into or from a movie, watching the movie can link content to
the student via the visual.
Also, allowing the student to self-select a reading will often find the student
reading what is familiar to them. The link is self-made in many cases. Tasking the
student to compare a reading with an experience they or a family member may have
experienced will create the link. In my culinary arts class, I will be asking the student to
self-select a chef to report on throughout the year. I would suggest that they either
choose a chef that mirrors their preferred cuisine or a chef that was born in the country
where they were born or where their ancestors came from. An example would be
suggesting to Seamus O’Malley to choose a chef that is either from Ireland or specializes
in Irish cuisine.
As seen in the movies Dangerous Minds and Freedom Writers, the teachers
adopted unorthodox means of teaching their students and allowing students to provide
comprehension indicators via things that were meaningful and related to other struggles
they had in their lives. These movies are great professional development tools to show
how linking lesson with students can change lives and produce extremely talented
graduates, all because the teacher did something different. She tried several approaches
until the link was accomplished.
6. Select and put into practice assorted methods for preparing and assessing the learner’s
background knowledge.
Assessing student background knowledge is very beneficial to the teacher to
appropriate plan meaningful lessons that either begins at a basic level or advances to a
more challenging event. Establishing background knowledge also gives the student
ownership and a sense of not being lost before the lesson begins. It builds confidence. I
learned about the KWL strategies for lesson planning and assessment. I plan on using
KWL extensively within my class to assess prior knowledge, keep students engaged, and
assess the progress.
Establishing background knowledge can also be assessed by tasking the student to
create a writing, produce electronic document, partake in an oral discussions, or take a
pre-test on the information that will be covered in the upcoming lesson. Posing direct
questions such as “has anyone ever heard of __________ and if so what are your
thoughts and experiences with __________”. After the initial round of discussion, ask
the students who stated they had no recollection of ___________ if anything that their
peers stated sparked a memory and if it did to add to the conversation. Prior to any pretest the teacher must stress that is only a tool to help teach them appropriately and has no
influence on their grade or your perception of their ability.
Having a show and tell is not only for primary students. If students have objects,
photos, or videos that correlate to the topic, I suggest they bring them to school and
explain to others how it relates to the reading. For example, the culinary arts teacher is
presenting a lesson on Spanish cuisine and there is a student who grows their own chili
peppers, have that student present to the class what they need to do to grow the pepper
and how it has affected them. This assess prior knowledge of that student and gives realworld value to the others.
7. Chose and apply assorted methods for assisting the reader with comprehension and
reflection in the content area.
Many students can read the words of a textbook or document within a specific
discipline, but do they understand what they have read, do the words have meanings?
That is what is meant by comprehension. In order for a student to truly understand what
they are reading requires work on the teacher and student alike. The teacher should
discuss the purpose of the reading after they have read the text themselves. The teacher
should evaluate prior knowledge of their students and predict what outcomes will be
evident after the lesson is complete. The teacher must monitor each student’s progress
and comprehension and adjust individually as needed for those who are excelling or
struggling with the reading. Key points needed for comprehension and thinking aloud and
modeling is a great beginner for the lesson. This is the teacher reflecting on the student
and materials used.
Students should also reflect on the reading. They should ask themselves questions
specific to the reading and how it correlates to other subjects they are taking. Students
should summarize, verbally and in text, what they believe the meaning of their reading
implies. Visualizing, predicting, and inferring as they read will help them better
understand the material or give a means of documenting assistance they may need from
the teacher. These strategies are referred to as metacognition and are invaluable to
comprehension.
Physical representations can allow for student reflections regarding their readings.
To ask the student to draw a picture, create a poster board, model in clay a thought etc.
are not so crazy that they cannot be used as tools in reflecting on what one has read.
Discussing and sharing of reading interpretations will allow for students to question
others interpretations as well as their own. During our metacognitive exercise, we
constructively criticized and gave praise, as peers, to what our reading inferred. It is
often the case that many conclusions, by different students, were arrived at and left up to
interpretation, with no solid meaning actually being contained with a reading. But it led
to discussion which is important in comprehension and reflection.
8.
Be able to select among various methods for improving a learners study skills and
organizational ability.
Studying has changed over the years. In high school, where books are not the
property of the student, highlighting is not allowed therefore notes on paper, your iPhone,
iPad, or laptop are common place today. Technology has changed the way we record our
learning and study. At the collegiate level, books are the property of the student where
they can mark and write directly in the book. In two of my classes at ETBU, I had e-texts
that had many features to assist me in studying. Electronic highlighting, word search,
and magnification all assisted me in my studying.
Notes do not necessarily need to be written like a book. Many tools that add
enhanced visuals can aid in studying and organizing one’s thoughts. Checklists can be
used by the student that tracks ones answering and understand key points such as content,
structure, and conventions of the readings. It allows the student to endure they are
comprehending what they read by answering predetermined questions. Rubrics can be
given that fully explain what is required of the student in which they can refer to
determine their comprehension. As seen in the mathematics chapter, word maps assist in
comprehension and organization of the material within the reading. As seen in the arts
chapter, students can study and organize their thoughts about a visual item by answering
comprehensive questions such as how do you interpret? Or what do you think the artists
is trying to get across to you?
In my culinary arts classes, students will be collecting and organizing materials
they have learned in a portfolio. The portfolio allows for students to revisit information
previously learned, see progress during the year, and have a visual representation of their
creations. Graphic organizers can and will be used within my class to diagram readings
in an attempt to enhance comprehension by Venn diagrams, story maps, outlines etc.
9. Utilize a variety of teaching strategies to increase a student’s understanding and use of words.
An image is burned into my retinas when it comes to vocabulary. The image of
Dr. Sargent demonstrating the Provide multiple exposures…with deep
understanding…and connecting to what they know. The more one reads the more they
are exposed to different vocabulary. I often used the dictionary to define an unknown
vocabulary word and used the thesaurus to find synonyms that can be used in its place.
Many times I knew the meaning but not the word. Sounds strange but when I viewed a
synonym I often found a word that I knew.
Many unknown words within a sentence can be figured out, inferenced, by
reading the entire sentence and hypothesizing what the word means. An example can
be…The boy road his flipflap by peddling the two wheeled vehicle over the dirt pile. In
this example, flip flap is a fictitious word, but can be assumed to be a bicycle. After
assuming its meaning you can look it up in the dictionary and find other words you can
use from the thesaurus. Then you can ask the student to find and antonym to the word.
This builds one’s vocabulary.
A thing to remember that within disciplinary literacy one will find words specific
to the discipline and may comprise of compound words, hyphenated words, acronyms,
and words not used in normal conversations. This is often like teaching a second
language and with ELL students a tertiary language.