Assessments

Synthesis:

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas (Chapter 19)

The text discusses the importance of secondary literacy assessments and how we can use the results of assessments to learn how to best assist our students. Assessments help teachers understand the needs of their students. "Effective teachers meet students at their current levels of ability and then scaffold attention and learning so students can move to the next levels of achievement" (p. 349). Teachers need to understand a student's current knowledge and skills and work to extend their abilities. Common Core has changed in recent years and has left students and teachers with more to learn and more to teach and higher standards for standardized assessments. The texts they are required to read are more complex and students must use higher levels of thinking strategies.The use of multiple literacies can aid in helping students conquer these higher demands.

The text mentions an assessment that sounds very useful, called CARI (content area reading inventory). This assessment is used to assess students' reading, thinking, and study processes with content-area texts. The CARI is very flexible and can be very useful for teachers who wish to learn more about how to assist their students, such as finding out about potential problem areas in the text and skills that a student may lack that could be helpful for effective reading. Teachers can use the results of the inventory to determine strengths and needs of each student.

As students proceed through grade school, self-awareness becomes more and more important. Teachers can give students a vocabulary self-awareness chart before beginning to read new material. This is a chart that students can continue to revise and add new information as students read. Students can monitor their own growth with their vocabulary knowledge, and teachers can also track their progress.

Afflerbach

How do we assess? Why do we assess? What do we assess? These are questions that were discussed in this reading and they are questions that teachers must constantly think about. We have to know the answers to these questions to create assessments that will be helpful for both teachers and students. When creating an assessment, we have to keep in mind 3 things- cognition, observation, and interpretation. There are many ways that teachers can assess their students, the simplest being everyday classroom observations. Teachers need to constantly be assessing their students and their own teaching. Professional development can assist teachers with creating successful assessments.

Moje

Culturally responsive teaching is very important in today's world. Teachers need to know their students and their background, and respect everything about the student and his/her family. Teachers also need to understand youth culture and pop culture and use this knowledge to build bridges and connect with students. Teachers need to be respectful of all students and strive to create a classroom community. The text also discusses using culturally responsive pedagogy to navigate different discourses.

Responses:

(text to text)
I am taking another course right now called "Measurement and Evaluation". We discuss how to create effective assessments and what to avoid when writing test questions. I know how important assessments can be and how we can use the scores to help our own teaching and also help our  students.

(text to self)
Assessment is a scary topic. Tests were always scary to me as a student, and they are still daunting to me as a teacher. I am happy to have many resources available (such as these texts) and to have professional development that can help with creating assessments that are effective.

(text to world)
Common Core and state standardized assessments have made the job of teachers and students more difficult. It is important that teachers use efficient teaching strategies and design assessments that align with these new standards.

Questions:
1.  What do you think is the key to creating effective assessments? Any advice for a newbie who has never created an assessment?

Thanks ladies! :)

Multiple Literacies, New Literacies, and Multimodal Learning

Synthesis:

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas
(Chapter 4)

This chapter outlines the benefits of the Discourse study. "Discourse organizes and constrains thoughts, words, and actions" (p. 64). Discourse helps teachers value the different literacy identities, interests, and abilities represented in the classroom. Primary Discourses are acquired at home, while Secondary Discourses are learned outside the home by another source (school is a Secondary Discourse). Each Discourse has its own set of rules that make it unique. Matches and mismatches of discourses can affect a student's literacies and learning. Discourses can allow for a greater understanding of different types of literacies. This instructional strategy:

1. values literacies within print and non print text 
2. employs explicit instruction to develop meta-awareness 
3. develops multiple perspectives 
4. analyzes structures of Discourses to identify agency and power to affect change 
5. creates conscientious citizenship 

These are skills that are important for students in the 21st century classroom. 

(Chapter 16) - Multimodality and Literacy Learning

Classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse with varied student populations, cultures and languages, and academic abilities. At the same time, students are being raised in a society that has gown up in a multimodal world. They have access to any sort of information they desire right at their fingertips. Multimodal (visual, auditory, gestural, and kinesthetic) learning uses this access to technology and celebrates diversity as an advantage for the classroom.

In one of the examples of multimodal learning in the classroom, Deborah uses three different text types: a reading, a photograph, and a video clip. The students were able to think about the different text types and engage in different interpretations of a historical event. Deborah engaged her students in critical thinking and her teaching also exemplified how the Common Core State Standards can be taught using different modes of literacy.

Teachers should teach for conceptual understanding. This requires that students use various strategies to help them make connections to their own lives and knowledge. Multimodality and having a "new literacies stance" help students to reach a conceptual understanding. A teacher who uses a new literacies stance uses new types of literacies in the classroom and believes in a dialogic and collaborative classroom. A teacher in this type of classroom knows that using multimodal texts requires students to use skills and abilities beyond those required for conventional print materials. Looking at different types of texts helps students see different points of view and makes them question what is and what is not represented in the text.

Kim and Kamil

• Computerized Instruction: 

The computer can be a good tool to help students and teachers alike. This technology can help make material more comprehensible for students and allows for differentiation in the classroom. Students can use computer practice activities to prepare for standardized testing. Computer instruction can be especially helpful for vocabulary instruction and guided reading. This type of instruction can be used to supplement usual classroom instruction. Before students participate in computer activities, explicit instruction is needed for students to understand how to navigate and properly use computer resources safely. 

• Social Technology: 

Electronic communication can help students engage in literacy. Students have to use their words to make their point and have to learn to explain themselves in a way that is understandable. This type of communication can be valuable for someone who is shy to face-to-face conversations. 

• Adolescent Attitudes Toward Technology: 

Gender and age can affect a student's relationship or attitude towards technology. A student's socioeconomic status or their access to technology at home can also affect a student's knowledge of technology and their engagement. Some students may need more assistance with using the technology and becoming comfortable with it.

Coiro

This text discusses how to foster the development of students' online literacy. Reading online texts can be much different than reading a paper book. Students need to know how to use these types of texts and interact with them to help their comprehension. Cairo gives 5 guidelines for helping students with their online literacy development:

1-  The effective online literacy teacher understands and makes explicit for students relationships between offline and online reading comprehension strategy use.  
2 – The effective online literacy teacher honors the literacies that students bring to school from their daily lives.  
3 – The effective online literacy teacher explores and clarifies expectations about new classroom roles and relationships embedded in problem-based online collaborations.  
4-  The effective online literacy teacher provides time for students to develop positive dispositions toward learning and communicating on the internet.  
5-  The effective online literacy teacher uses self, peer and teacher assessments as inquiry to inform reading strategy use and classroom instruction.  

Responses:

(text to text)

The Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas text discussed how multiple literacies can be used to accommodate to the diversity of the classroom. We have discussed diversity in great detail in another one of my courses: Culture, Language, and Literacy. Technology can be a great tool to improve comprehension of all students, even those that come from diverse language and cultural backgrounds.

(text to self)

I am a huge fan of technology. I use technology in my everyday life for personal reasons, but I also use and sell technology for my job. I work at the One University technology store. We have a lot of cool resources available to students to use and buy. Many of these technologies can be used in the classroom to help engage students. For example, the 3D printer can be used to create real-life representations of material being studied in class.

(text to world)

I think this reading was extremely relevant to the world that we live in. Students are growing up in a technological world and teachers have to be adaptive to it. No longer is it acceptable to only use conventional texts.

Questions:

1. What are the main types of technology you use in your classroom?

2.  How do you think that we can better support multimodal learning?

Helping ELLs

Synthesis:

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas:

This week's text discussed how we can make content-area concepts understandable for English Language Learners and students who are struggling with the language. The text also mentioned another term, EALs, which means that these students are learning English as an additional language. As teachers, we need to focus on a student's progress and academic achievement, rather than only their lack of English knowledge. Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas discuss several strategies that teachers can use in the classroom to help their students improve their English while also improving their content knowledge:

• deconstructing "juicy sentences" 
• helps students to understand sentence structures 
• text annotations 
• can support text comprehension and gives students an opportunity to think about their thinking while reading 
• discussion in the classroom 
• students can use and hear academic language and can share their thinking and knowledge 
• this classroom talk needs to be focused, planned, and scaffolded for students to receive the most benefit 
• written journaling and assignments 
• students can think about and question content and use academic language to show learning 
• active, rather than passive learning 
• allow students to be an active part of the learning process 

Garcia and Godina:

It can be very difficult for a student to transition into an English-speaking classroom environment. There are many barriers that can keep ELLs from excelling in school. Sometimes these students may have other responsibilities at home or some may not have much help from their parents due to work commitments. This text focuses on how teachers can foster and support ELL learning. Many ELLs need scaffolding and teachers need to implement strategies to support their academic achievement. The article offers suggestions for teachers who are working to meet the needs of their ELL students. Districts and schools should offer teacher and staff development to give tips and strategies that can be geared towards ELLs.

• Teach students to make connections between cognates (for example - delicious in English is delicioso in Spanish) to boost comprehension 
• Integrate students sociocultural knowledge into lessons and assignments 
• Give students opportunities to show knowledge in their native language 
• Continue to foster the development of the native language 
• Design lessons that give students the chance to read, write, speak and listen 
• Writing instruction should allow students to create multiple drafts and revise
• Include the option for student choice with reading and writing 

Responses:

(text to self)

In Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas text, writing is addressed as an important way for students to demonstrate their knowledge and express their thoughts. This reminded me of this very thing that we do each week - blogging. I have found this blog to be a great way that I can process the information from the text and also learn from others. Responding to reading and reading the writing of others is a great activity that should happen in the classroom.

(text to text)

This week's texts connect directly to another class I am currently taking - Culture, Language, and Literacy. We discuss how a child's native language and cultural background affects them in the classroom and how we as teachers can best assist them. I designed a website with a partner (Brandy Walters) that has strategies for teachers to use in their multicultural classroom.

http://brandywalters.wix.com/how-to-thrive-4-5

(text to world)

I think that these texts were some of the most relevant that we have read this semester to the current situation in many schools today. Schools are continuing to become more diverse, and it is more important than ever to know strategies that we can use to help and support ELLs in our classroom.

Questions:

1.  What are some of the best strategies to motivate ELLs?

2.  How can you get parents of ELLs involved in the classroom and overcome the language barrier?

Helping Struggling Readers

Synthesis:

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas:

Chapter 5 discusses the importance of understanding the reading identities of the students in our classroom. Students often get stuck in categories: good readers, average readers, or poor readers. This can affect the way that students are treated in the classroom by teachers and peers, and this reading identity can also affect how students see themselves. "How students understand themselves as readers plays a significant role in their reading development" (Page 85). The goal is for all of our students to have positive reading identities. Positive reading identities will likely motivate students in the classroom and encourage them to participate in discussions. The text offered suggestions for teachers to use in their classroom to help students improve their view of themselves as readers:

• Learn how students identify themselves as readers and how they would like to improve 
• We need to ask students questions or ask them to provide written responses about their reading abilities.
• Create instruction that works to achieve the goals the students have for themselves and the goals we have for them 
• Celebrate and tackle reading struggles head-on in the classroom 
• Students should know that comprehension difficulties are a usual part of reading and nothing to be embarrassed about.
• Have classroom discussions about reading difficulties and how students could work through them 
• Students can put these strategies in practice and share what they learned in a future discussion.

Chapter 15 focuses on how to help students comprehend textbooks. It is no secret that textbooks can provide some difficulties for students when it comes to reading and taking meaning from them. "Adolescents themselves describe textbook reading as "just hard and really boring"" (Page 267). Many students are not motivated by textbook reading because they do not know effective strategies to comprehend the often dense text. They also do not understand a deeper purpose to the reading other than reading for a grade. The text offered strategies for teachers to help these students gain meaning from textbooks:

• Involve students in prereading activities 
• Ask students questions to get them thinking and motivate them to dive into the reading 
• Anticipation guide 
• Problem posing 
• Provide a pop culture bridge 
• Teachers can find a "text twin" such as a newspaper, magazine, or online article that relates to the textbook 
• Invite students to read critically 
• Students think about points of view and possible errors in textbooks 
• Embedded strategy instruction 
• Teachers make teaching reading strategies for understanding texts a part of the normal content instruction 
• Students need to know when to apply strategies and when to use them 
• Explicit strategy instruction 
• Strategies for comprehending vocabulary and text features 
• Teachers guide the use of these strategies and reinforce them often. 

Chapter 18 discusses how we can use differentiated instruction to help our students who struggle. Differentiated instruction means that we as teachers need to vary our instruction depending on the student to help meet their academic needs. This requires specific planning and a clear sense of the learning goals. Strategies were provided for teachers: 

• Multiple Intelligences: 
• Teachers focus on student's strengths and design instruction to best benefit them. Some students may respond best to reading or listening, some with visuals, or some with moving or acting. 
• Universal Design for Learning: 
• Teachers design their lessons around technology and media to meet all students learning styles and needs in one lesson. Students interact with lessons and texts in multiple ways - listening, reading, writing, and viewing. 
• Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol: 
• Teachers use explicit instruction and provide scaffolding to students to help all students understand content. This model is helpful to ELL students who have a limited English proficiency. 

Fisher and Frey:

This article discussed strategies for struggling readers when it comes to writing. The authors took on a journey with a ninth grade class. Throughout the semester, the instruction shifted from teacher-controlled to student-directed. At the beginning, the class took on the Language Experience Approach - students would share their thoughts on a topic, the teacher would write it on the board, and the students would copy the writing in their notebooks and add their own writing. The class also used Interactive Writing. The students take more of the responsibility with this strategy; the students write the words on the board and it is repeated by the class. Writing models was another strategy that was used - using existing writing to help students with new writing. The students gradually moved to independent writing.

Responses:

(text to self)
I wish I had more teachers who worked to make reading more motivating. Especially textbook reading can be very disinteresting in high school. I love the idea of working to make the text interesting and motivating students to want to read and learn.

(text to text)
Chapter 15 discussed explicit strategy instruction. This was discussed heavily when we talked about different types of disciplinary texts.

(text to world)
I think that child "labels" are a big problem in today's schools. We put children into categories in what they can and cannot do. I really enjoyed the section about improving students' reading identities. It makes a big difference to encourage students and not limit them.

Questions:
What technology do you use to differentiate instruction?

Do you ever discuss pop culture in your classroom by using a "pop culture bridge"?

Thanks :)

Disciplinary Writing (Narrative and Argumentative)

Synthesis:

McKeough (narrative writing):

The text discusses the writing process of a narrative and how teachers can foster this type of writing in the classroom. The author used the Common Core Standards as a tool to help explain the different writing landmarks of the grade levels. There is importance in teaching the students about character development and plot structure, and we must model for students the techniques of good writing. The text also mentions that we need to constantly adjust our writing instruction to meet the needs of each student in our classroom. Teachers need to apply strategies based upon personal observations and other professional opinions. 

 McKeough outlines some guidelines for teachers: 

• look at all grade level standards to develop an understanding of the advancement of knowledge and skills 
• evaluate each student to understand his/her knowledge base 
• put practice into place to help improve students' skills 

Teachers should look for progress in narrative writing as students develop and mature.
- First grade: Children create characters with mental states and create a breach for the character.
- Third grade: Stories become more complex with more characters.
- Fourth grade: More complicated storylines and characters with problems
- Fifth grade: Authors able to create resolutions for the characters.
- Middle school: Characters go through multiple states and have multiple troubles
- High school: Writers create stories with flashbacks, foreshadowing, perspective talking, etc.

The text mentions the strategy of Reading with a Writer's Eye. This is a critical thinking strategy that helps to train the reader to become a better writer and reader. The reader interacts with the text many times - thinking about the text, writing about the text, and talking about the text, researching the text, and re-reading the text.

Ferretti and Lewis (argumentative writing):
Students need explicit instruction to develop their argumentative writing skills. The text gives tips for teachers to help their students:

• Students need to talk about their opinions and learn about the opinions of others. The text stated that argumentative writing is like having a conversation with two people who have opposing views. 
• Teachers need to help students plan their arguments and revise them as needed. The text related argumentation to problem solving. Writers should constantly be striving to find a new way to make their argument stronger. 

Teaching students self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) involves teaching them specific skills that will help with their argumentative writing. This can help students form a clear argument that is supported and well thought-out. 

Responses:

(text to self)
I really liked the critical thinking strategies that were introduced in the text. In my experience with writing instruction, my teachers would tell me what I should include (introduction, body, conclusion) but sort of left us on our own to form our arguments and get to our final product. I think that dialogue can be so helpful. Writing does not have to be a solo activity. 

(text to text)
The texts discussed the importance of students talking with their peers and with their teacher about their writing. We have seen several texts this semester that hit on the value of conversation in the classroom. 

(text to world)
I think that if all teachers taught Reading with a Writer's Eye, we could transform children into better readers and writers. Students need to interact with the text many times and in multiple ways. Too often, students will just look at the text for face-value and not gain a deeper understanding of what the author is trying to convey. 

Questions:
1.  What is your favorite strategy you use to teach writing? How do you implement this strategy in the classroom?

Writing Instruction

Synthesis:

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas:
This chapter focuses on the writing process and how teachers can foster and support students with their writing. We need to let students have plenty of experience with writing, including allowing them to write freely about topics of their choice. Students need to be able to write for all sorts of purposes and to different audiences. The teacher needs to assume the role of a writing coach instead of just being the audience for the student's writing. The text discussed the fact that many times, writing instruction can turn into "this is correct" and "this is wrong". Yes, students need to learn spelling and grammar and how to form complete sentences, but students also need to be able to express themselves and write freely. Sometimes, a student may be discouraged from writing simply because he/she is unsure how to spell something. Teachers should strive to create a classroom environment that encourages taking risks. Spelling is not as important as the thought behind the writing.

Hansen and Kissel:
This text discusses different guidelines for writing instruction.
1. Writers are decision makers - We need to teach our students to make choices about what they want to write about and how they would like to structure their writing. Hopefully, students will be motivated and find enjoyment in the writing process if they are able to write about something they find of interest.

2. Writers consider their audience - Teachers need to teach students how to make writing decisions based upon who they are writing to. For example, a student should would write to the Governor of Oklahoma differently than he/she would write to a best friend. Likely, the student would use different vocabulary and portray a more professional voice writing to the Governor.

3. Writers evaluate their drafts - Teachers need to provide their students with many different types of texts so the students know how to write for different occasions. The goal is for students to be able to read their own writing and understand how it can be improved, and then make those changes.

All three of these guidelines should be goals for teachers of writing. But, it is likely that it will take time. Teachers cannot expect students to be great writers at the beginning of the year. It should be our role as teachers to be encouragers and to create an environment where students feel comfortable.

Sweeny:
This text discusses the use of new literacies (mainly technology) and how these literacies can be used for writing instruction and to benefit students. Twitter, wikis, blogs, and other online tools can be used to motivate students with their writing. It may also give them a sense of purpose and real-world connection. We must also teach students how to use technology and the internet responsibly, but it can have huge potential in the classroom.

Responses:

(text to self)
I currently work at the ONE U (Technology) store in the student union. At the store, we sell laptops and iPads and various tech tools and accessories. I really like the idea of incorporating technology into everyday teaching, and I think it can be a big difference maker in the classroom. One of my undergrad professors told us that "Technology does not make a good teacher, but it can make a good teacher great." The tools we have are limitless!

(text to text)
In another one of my classes, we are discussing how technology can be used to benefit literacy instruction. We have learned about some of the technology tools that were discussed in the Sweeny text. This technology can especially help students who may be ELL or do not respond well to traditional instructional or writing methods (paper and pencil).

(text to world)
I think that today's educational world is so focused on testing that sometimes teachers can lose track of what writing and writing instruction should be. Writing should be a way of expression. The students shouldn't feel so constricted and feel scared to write. I really like the idea that the texts shared about creating an environment that encourages students to take chances and learn through experience.

Questions:

What do you think about the incorporation of technology into writing instruction? Do you think this makes handwriting less important (Is that a good or bad thing?)

Disciplinary Literacy - History and Arts

Synthesis:

Jetton and Shanahan:
The text discusses protocols for reading historical texts. We should want our students to be exposed to and have multiple opportunities to read history texts because it helps us build a deeper understanding of the past. Despite the importance of historical texts, many students find it boring or difficult for one reason or another. In the text, we are introduced to Brad and Ayesha. Brad struggles with "cognitive noise" and doesn't like having to think hard to arrive at an answer. He desires for the answer to be simple and concrete, and does not like broad historical questions. He prefers easier texts compared to texts that are complex and difficult to comprehend. I believe Brad represents a large portion of students today. On the other hand, Ayesha welcomes the "noise" and enjoys reading about multiple accounts and ideas. She waits to form her own ideas until she completes all the reading she can on the subject. She reads each account carefully and evaluates it for its validity. In the life of a historian, Ayesha's way of understanding historical texts is right on target. The focus of teaching should be on historical questions that make our students think.

Chapter 9 discusses literacy in the arts. According to No Child Left Behind, music and visual arts are considered core academic subjects. Music education can include the use of textbooks, but learning usually occurs through the use of non print objects like symbols, sound, musical scores, or interpretations. Instead of reading words, students read music. The notes and symbols are very specific, just like words and punctuation. Students "pick up meaning from notated text and transfer that meaning to their performance" (236). Students that are enrolled in a music class use a variety of literacies that challenge them to think and grow as a person and musician: performance, listening, creating, and contemplating. Music students must use specific skills in class such as notation, improvisation, sight-reading, rehearsal, memorization, intonation, expression, composition, and body movement.
Art education also needs to be a valuable part of the academic curriculum. Children create, problem-solve, reflect, and critique their own art and art of others.
The text suggests using a constructivist approach when teaching to increase student engagement, motivation, and achievement. We must allow students the opportunities to solve problems, with scaffolding from peers and teachers. Modeling is an important component in the teaching process for both musical and visual arts. Also, we need to allow our students to be able to read different types of text and write to respond to the reading and share their thinking.

Hinchman and Thomas:
The text focuses on the struggles of teaching historical texts. We know that reading and writing is an important part of learning history. The challenge is teaching students how to navigate these texts and understand them. But how can we get students interested and teach them in a way that makes sense? The text makes it clear that history is so much more than facts. We have to get away from the idea of memorization and instead focus on meaning making and analyzation. "The main job of the history teacher is not to tell students the information from the history books, but to enable them to make sense of this information in a sophisticated and appropriate manner" (233). We should try to get our students to THINK when learning history and looking at historical texts. When was this written and what was the historical context? What is the author's background and what was he/she trying to accomplish? Are there any conflicting points of view across the texts? Students need to learn about these thinking processes through teaching and modeling to be able to understand their historical texts.

Responses:

(text to self)
I am a person who loves creative arts, and especially music. I can memorize a song quickly and my connection with music is special to me. I loved anytime that my teacher integrated music into a lesson. I wish it would have happened more.

(text to text)
For the last few weeks, we have been discussing the different types of disciplinary texts. We have read and learned about how each discipline is unique and comes with its own challenges. These are challenges that affect student learning and should affect the way teachers teach these disciplines.

(text to world)
I know there is such an emphasis put on testing and academics in schools, but the text reminded me of the importance of allowing students access to the arts. The various arts require students to use many higher level thinking processes that I believe school administrators forget about. Creating, listening, analyzing, evaluating, reflecting, collaborating - just some of the skills students use in music or art class.

Questions:
1.  What are your ideas to better integrate the arts into the classroom?

2.  Do you have any tips to help students "think like a historian"?


Thanks! :)

Disciplinary Texts: Science

Synthesis:

The focus of our texts for the past few weeks has been how to help our students navigate through different types of text. This week was all about science.

Hinchman and Thomas Ch. 17:
Throughout this chapter, we got to follow Eduardo through his 11th grade year in Mr. Brown's chemistry class. As a reader, I was able to see the amount of progress that Eduardo made during the year and the strategies that Brown used in the classroom to guide him. What a transformation to read about a student who lacked confidence and motivation to start the year to a completely different student who is a leader in the classroom. It seemed that many of Eduardo's don't-care attitude spurred from his previous struggles in school. As an ELL, Eduardo had been used to not succeeding, and had come to not expect anything more of himself. But as a teacher, Mr. Brown knew that Eduardo was capable of more!! He encouraged Eduardo and guided him towards success.

The best part of the chapter, for me, was reading about the Reading Apprenticeship classroom that Mr. Brown created. I had never heard of this term. This kind of classroom centers around "the frequency and nature of reading opportunities, explicit strategies instruction, collaboration and metacognitive support, and science inquiry" (313). His classroom created an open and honest environment for learning. Students were constantly involved in discussion with their classmates and Mr. Brown. Brown was able to "coach students through the otherwise invisible thinking processes of science" (313). He was able to get the students interested in the content and motivated to want to perform well in class.


Jetton and Shanahan Ch. 6:
Students can have a difficulty navigating science texts if they do not have support from their teacher. Some important points of the chapter include:

• the importance of explicit vocabulary instruction. The vocabulary in science texts is dense and words can have multiple meanings that students do not know how to interpret. 
• teaching students about the text structure and how to make sense of graphical information. Science is a subject that tends to have a lot of charts, graphs, pictures, and labels that supplement the reading. This can make reading science texts seem daunting to some students. Teaching students how to move through the text and understand it will help to improve comprehension and fluency. 
• students need to be able to write about what they learn. Students need to write "not only explanations but lab reports that included the parts of the scientific method (rationale and hypotheses, methods and materials, findings, and conclusions" (161). 

Reflections:
(text to text)
While I was reading the Hinchman and Thomas chapter, I was thinking about previous readings from this class, and also in my Culture, Language, and Literacy class. We frequently discuss the importance of conversation in the classroom and it's value, especially for ELL students. As teachers, we must let our students converse with each other about their ideas, and let them know that we want to hear what they have to say as well.

(text to self)
I have never heard of the term "Reading Apprenticeship classroom" but I know that this is the ideal type of classroom I would like to have. The encouraging, motivating, supportive, collaborative classroom environment that Mr. Brown has is I think what teachers should strive to create.

(text to world)
I have heard of teachers using science inquiry in their classroom before. In one of my classroom observations, I saw a teacher that had students keep a science journal that they could write down their thoughts about science experiments. I think this is a good way to incorporate writing into science and get students thinking.

Questions:
1.  Have you ever heard of a Reading Apprenticeship classroom? What do you think about it?

2.  The texts emphasized the importance of conversation in the classroom. How do we guide these discussions to stay focused on the content?

Thank you! :)

Disciplinary Literacy - Math

Synthesis:

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas:
The text this week focused on strategies that teachers can use to help their students when it comes to learning math concepts.

• We want students to use their prior knowledge that they gained in previous years of math instruction to help them understand new concepts. Through teacher guidance, we can help students unlock this knowledge to benefit them in the learning process. This reference to student background knowledge needs to occur at the beginning of the lesson. 
• We want students to make connections while learning. They need to make connections to knowledge that they already have, and connections to their own lives. Teachers need to explain how the students can use the math skill outside of the classroom. The students will greatly benefit if they understand the real world application of the concept. Ohterwise, it will just be a useless skill with no real meaning. 
• If students make these connections, it can also improve engagement and motivation towards the topic. 
• Students need to write and talk about these connections. Discussion and writing can be powerful ways for students to express their thoughts and feelings about a topic. The students can learn from one another during the conversations to help their understanding. Teachers can gauge student learning by reading student writing, and hopefully be able to see if the students understood the teaching or need more instruction. 
• Students need to see the teacher modeling how to perform the math operation, and ALSO modeling the correct mathematical language in the correct context. This will help student learning as they are able to see the appropriate way to use the math term. 
• Teachers need to provide feedback to students throughout the learning process. The teacher can clarify meaning of mathematical language during discussions and mini lessons. Periodical one-on-one or small group conferences can also be beneficial to monitor learning and help students. 
• Once students have learned the math concept, they can show their learning by writing mathematical texts and problems. The students become the teachers as they create the problems and they can allow other students to solve them. 

Jetton and Shanahan:

This chapter focused on the planning of math lessons, and how the reading teachers (and reading specialist) and the math teachers can work together to improve literacy in math. Teachers need to:

• Identify texts to be used. Teachers need to choose texts that include real world examples to allow students to make connections. 
• Plan the reading and writing required for the lesson. The students need to read and write throughout the process, along with discussing the concept and asking questions. This part of the learning should involve student and teacher collaboration to learn mathematical vocabulary 
• Develop a plan that allows the students to make sense of the text through application. Text is just text until the students are able to make sense of it. 

Moje: 

The presenter discusses literacy across the disciplines. The contexts of the literature in secondary schools becomes much more complicated as students progress throughout school. Although the texts in secondary settings can be complex, teachers need to avoid the focus on learning facts. We want students to ask questions throughout the learning process and think for themselves about the content.

These "E"'s can help teachers and students when learning the disciplines:

• Expose - help students of all ages navigate the text
• Engage - practice generating and communication knowledge to foster learning
• Elicit and Engineer - teach skills and practices that help students make meaning of the text
• Examine - teach how words are used in a given discipline and model the use of this language
• Evaluate - figure out why you should use these methods and when it is not useful 
• We also need to Expect the best from our students and challenge them to reach new goals.

Moje stressed the importance of taking the navigation journey of the texts WITH our students. We need to read often and closely with our students, and discuss, question, and analyze the reading together. The students should have the opportunity to write responses and read their peers' writings.

Responses:
(text to self)
The Jetton and Shanahan text spoke to me, because I want to be a reading specialist after I graduate. Jumping straight into grad school after I graduated, I knew that I was passionate about helping students who struggle with reading. But there is a whole other aspect to being a reading specialist that the text discusses. Reading specialists also need to work with other teachers across the disciplines to offer insight for reading instruction.

(text to text)
The text this week connects to the text from last week. Although ELA and math are completely different subjects of learning, these disciplines both involve the learning of vocabulary and language. Students go through a similar process of learning, no matter the discipline.

(text to world)
The text this week (and weeks past) have discussed the importance of students making connections with the text. This got me thinking about my student teaching experience. My mentor teacher would give the students sticky notes to write thoughts or connections while they were reading. Sometimes she would give them a guide to use to help them process each part of the text. I think this can be a powerful way for the students to analyze the text.

Questions:

1.  What is your strategy for identifying what text to use? Do you base it more on student opinion/interest or textbook/district suggestions?

2.  How do you help students to make real-life connections if they don't have the real-life experiences to understand?

I look forward to reading your posts and hearing your input!!! :)

Disciplinary Literacy - ELA

Synthesis:

Jetton and Shanahan:
The reading this week focuses on literacy - how we can best teach literacy to help students be able to read, write, and communicate to the best of their ability. we need to expose our students to multiple types of texts and lessons. We need to model reading, writing and thinking strategies for students to be able to understand how to become independent students of literacy. We want students to make connections to their own lives and also connections across each discipline.

The text also discusses multiple literacies and the challenges of learning in the 21st century. The days of paper and pencil are coming to an end as students are learning through blogs, twitter wikis, and e-readers. Students are now expected to use advanced skills while learning and showing their knowledge. Students have to problem solve and work together to learn together. Then students demonstrate their critical thinking and technological skills when presenting information. Technology literacy is important, and will only become more important in the future.

The reading mentions multiple challenges when it comes to teaching writing. We cannot just assign a writing prompt to our students and expect them to write a great essay. We need to show our students different types of texts and genres. Exposure to text is an important part of improving vocabulary knowledge and literacy in general. We also need to teach our students about writing for different audiences, and how their writing should change depending upon who will be reading their work.

The text discusses the reading process in detail, from before it starts to after it ends. Questions are a vital part of this process. We need to ask students questions before they read that allows them to make personal connections to the text and engage them for the learning. Students can also write their thoughts and discuss feelings about the text or topic with peers. These discussions should talk about textual elements, themes of the story, and author intention. While reading, students need to continue writing, commenting on their thoughts and questions that they have about the story. After reading, students need to be able to demonstrate their comprehension of the text in multiple ways, including writing and speaking.

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas:
This reading discusses reading in every subject and how we can help improve student literacy in each subject area.
History- The students should interpret the text and be able to explain the text without repeating the author word for word. The students should also ask their own questions about the historical event and about the author. They should make connections to their own lives and connections to other subjects they are learning.
Science- Teachers should allow students to not only learn from textbooks, but also from online articles and magazines that can give students another perspective. Many times these articles will allow the students to make a real world connection to the topic.
Math- Reading for math can be challenging. It is important that students understand the mathematical vocabulary to comprehend the text.

The text also discusses how we can improve student engagement and motivation towards texts. Interest surveys and allowing choice with reading can be a big factor to help encourage students with their reading.

Responses:
(text to self)
While reading, I was thinking about how I could help my students in the future improve their literacy skills. I know that there is a lot that I can learn from my students since they are growing up in an era that they have always had technology at their fingertips. I know technology can help motivate students, so I want to use technology to help students learn and show their knowledge whenever it is possible.

(text to text)
The readings this week have connected to texts we have read in this class and texts I have read from the past about how we can help our students on their literacy journey and understanding text. We have read a lot about how modeling and teaching students to make connections is an important part of the learning process.

(text to world)
The text made me think of my experiences in middle school and high school. In schools today, motivation is such a huge issue. My teachers did not always create lessons that were relevant to us or that engaged us with the learning. I think this could have been improved if we were able to show our knowledge in ways other than a written test.

Questions:

1.  What are some teaching strategies that you like to do with your students every time you discuss a text?

2.   What are some different ways that students can demonstrate their knowledge of the text, other than the tradition written exam?

Thanks for reading! :)

Text Complexity - How do we teach disciplinary texts?

Synthesis:

We know that as students progress throughout school, the texts that they read become more difficult and complex. In order for students to be able to navigate these texts, we must explicitly teach skills and strategies to help them grow as independent readers. We need to teach our students the importance of these strategies, and model how to use them effectively while reading.

• Setting a purpose for reading can be the first step to increase student comprehension. If students don't know why or how the reading is useful to them, they will be less likely to pay attention or want to understand the text. Teachers must explain why the text is relevant before using it in a lesson. 
• One factor that makes content-specific texts so difficult for students is the vocabulary. These texts use tier 2 and 3 vocabulary words that must be explicitly taught for students to be able to understand. We cannot expect our students to know these words walking into the classroom. 
• Exposing students to various types of text is important to help build background knowledge. The students in our classroom may not have access to many books at home, so allowing our students to see and have experience with lots of books is vital. This includes balancing challenging texts with easier texts. Allowing students to have input and choice when it comes to text is important too, and can help with motivation and comprehension. 
• Teaching students how to monitor their own comprehension can be hugely helpful for students while they are reading. Some students can just be tempted to skip parts of the text they don't understand to stop reading all together when they run into a challenging section. Students need to know how to break down vocabulary words into meaningful parts or how to use context clues to gain understanding. 

Text to text: 

The readings from this week reminded me of the chapters from the previous two weeks about teaching vocabulary and comprehension. We must teach specific strategies to students to allow them to be able to understand the text while reading independently. 

Text to self: 

It can definitely be frustrating to not have all the knowledge needed to understand a text. I have personally been affected by this in the past. Because I did not have the strategy knowledge, my motivation was reduced and I gave up trying to understand on my own. 

Text to world: 

I think this is a common occurrence among students. If we teach our students reading and comprehension strategies, hopefully this will help this problem and allow our students able to understand the content-area text.

Questions: 

1.  What are some effective strategies to use to motivate students to want to read content-area texts? 

2.  As a future reading specialist, what can I do to help content-area teachers learn how to effectively teach reading strategies? 

Comprehension is the goal! How do we get there??

Synthesis:

The readings this week focused on the importance of comprehension, the different components of reading that affect the reader’s comprehension, and various strategies that teachers can use to facilitate their students’ comprehension in the classroom.

We know that we want our students to comprehend what they are reading. Comprehension is the entire purpose and goal of reading. If our students are not comprehending what they read and gaining understanding from the text, reading will simply be seen as a meaningless and boring activity to them. But there are multiple factors that can interfere with reaching comprehension. Texts become more difficult during the secondary school years, specifically by containing content-specific vocabulary and more complex sentence structures and ideas. Texts are expository and informational, and require a higher level of thinking.

According to Fisher, Frey, and Ross, these variables can influence student comprehension:

• ·      Reader variables (age, ability, motivation)
• ·      Text variables (genre, features)
• ·      Educational-context variables (environment, task, grouping, purpose)
• ·      Teacher variables (knowledge, experience, attitude, teaching strategy)

Now, how do we help these students? What can we do as their instructors to help foster their comprehension of these difficult texts? The readings this week had some answers for us.

(Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas)

• 1.     We need discussion in the classroom. Comprehension will be strengthened when the students have the opportunity to listen and learn from one another. Teachers need to introduce and dialogue with students about the academic language of the content area during these discussions.
• 2.     It is important to ask students quality questions to check for student understanding of the text. We should ask students questions that make them look at the text again and reread. These questions should make students think critically and may spur other discussions.
• 3.     In-depth vocabulary instruction is vital to understanding the reading. We cannot just expect our students to skip over the vocabulary that they do not know. We need students to be familiar with the vocabulary, or be familiar with different ways that they can problem solve to figure out words (such as looking at structural analysis, examining the context of the vocabulary, or looking to other resources).
• 4.     We have to set a purpose for reading before our students even open the text. This will focus the students’ attention and will motivate students to read the text carefully and meaningfully.
• 5.     Modeling can be helpful for students to see how they should be thinking while reading. If we can let our students get inside our brain for a second and see how we problem-solve and make sense of the text, it may help our students do the same.

(Jetton and Shanahan)

• 6.     We need to concentrate on planning lessons and picking text that is engaging and meaningful. Taking into account student interest and prior knowledge are two other important factors that we should remember while planning.
• 7.     Social and cultural views may affect comprehension and learning in the classroom. We must consider the different cultures and backgrounds of our students when planning lessons, and make sure that all of our students will benefit from the teaching.
• 8.     Mental imagery can be a key factor in the brain comprehending the text. Choosing texts that students can visualize, and letting students talk with one another about their images can be valuable to comprehension.
• 9.     We can teach students to make inferences while reading. This is an important strategy for students to construct meaning from informational and narrative texts.
• 10. If students can monitor their own comprehension, it can definitely help their level of understanding. Students should be taught that going back to reread, accessing prior knowledge, and using vocabulary analysis strategies are great ways to help build comprehension.

(Fisher, Frey, and Ross)

• 11.  Reciprocal teaching allows students to become leaders in the classroom. This method allows students to boost their comprehension by teaching and learning from their classmates.

These points are for ALL teachers. Every subject of learning needs to incorporate comprehension instruction and teach strategies to students to help figure out the text.

Responses:

(Text to self)

Many times in middle school and high school, I remember reading something for class and thinking, “Why in the world am I reading this?” I don’t think many of my teachers did a very good job of sharing with us a purpose for reading. I remember it greatly affecting my motivation to complete the reading, and in turn affected what I remembered and took from the text. I understand the importance of showing the students the purpose behind the reading, and also making sure that the text is relevant to the students.

(Text to text)

Once students reach upper elementary, the focus of school takes a turn from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”. I remember hearing this many times in my undergraduate courses. These chapters discussed how we can help this “reading to learn” process. It can be a difficult transition once students reach secondary school because the text becomes much more complex. This just proves the importance of teaching the comprehension strategies.

(Text to world)

In today’s educational world, where there is such a focus on testing, I can’t help but relating the comprehension strategies to testing strategies. Teaching our students to go back and reread and use vocabulary analysis to figure out words are two big methods we can teach our students to help them during important tests. 

Questions:

• 1.     How can I make sure that I am picking texts that are relevant to both the content and the students’ lives?
• 2.     How can I help build up my students’ background knowledge to help them comprehend various texts? 

I want my students to have access to various texts that are relevant to the content and also are relatable to their lives. This seems like a challenge to me that I would love to have your input!

Thank you for reading! J

Vocabulary Instruction

Synthesis:

The readings this week all dealt with vocabulary instruction. I learned through the readings just how important vocabulary instruction is for students in all levels of schooling. According to Hinchman and Thomas, “the words an author uses can cause many middle school students to stumble as they read conceptually dense subject area material.” Many texts that adolescents are exposed to in school are informational texts, which “require students to have a functioning knowledge of many conceptually loaded terms” (Harmon, Wood, and Medina). This means that no matter the subject-area, teachers of adolescents should involve vocabulary instruction into their daily teaching time. 

Despite the importance of students’ vocabulary development, statistics show that the time spent on teaching vocabulary in schools is not sufficient for many students. According to the Manzo, Manzo, and Thomas article, “research indicates that the vocabulary level of U.S. college-bound 18-year olds has dropped very sharply in recent years.” A lack of vocabulary knowledge can affect a student’s academic performance dramatically.  

Vocabulary in the text influences comprehension drastically. A student’s vocabulary knowledge can affect 70-80% of what students understand from the reading, according to the Hinchman and Thomas text. Many words that appear in the text will be words the reader is already familiar with. These words are tier 1 words (high-frequency words) and tier 2 words, which appear in a variety of subject areas. The main words that can be troublesome to students are known as tier 3 words. These vocabulary words are specific to a certain subject area. It can be difficult to determine the meaning of tier 3 words just by using the context clues. These words require direct instruction. This means that the instructor must educate the students in-depth about not only what the word means, but also how the word is used. The teacher can also associate the tier 3 words with other words the student knows to help the student fully comprehend the meaning. There are many strategies that were discussed in the reading that teachers can use to improve their vocabulary instruction. These strategies include peer teaching, using K-W-L charts, and educating students on how roots and morphemes can make analyzing word meanings an easier task. Also, different technology tools can be incorporated into instruction to motivate students when studying vocabulary. 

Responses:

(Text to Self)

I do not remember my teachers providing me with in-depth vocabulary instruction in middle school. Sadly, most of my vocabulary “instruction” memories involve the teachers telling us to write the definitions of words from the chapter that we were studying. We did not learn these words in a meaningful context. I wrote down definitions but never made any connections to other words. I realize now that there are so many other ways to teach words that would be so much more valuable to students.

(Text to Text)

I wrote a research paper while I was an undergrad about effective vocabulary instruction for beginning readers. Although this class and the readings discuss mainly adolescent literacy, I still made a connection this week to my readings and my paper that I wrote 3 years ago. In my paper, I wrote about strategies that teachers could use to help their young readers. I mentioned the importance of direct and explicit instruction, multiple exposures, and small group instruction, along with other techniques. These methods, when used appropriately in the classroom, were shown to improve vocabulary knowledge for students in various studies.

(Text to World)

I think the topic of vocabulary instruction is an important one to discuss. I think more time should be spent on developing vocabulary in schools, especially the vocabulary that is vital to comprehending texts. Each teacher needs to realize that he/she is still a reading teacher even if the subject is math, science, or history.

In the United States, there is such a large focus on standardized tests. Teachers have pressure to prepare their students for these high-stakes tests that show what they have learned during the year. In the article written by Manzo, Manzo, and Thomas, vocabulary development is described as “one of the most important things teachers can do for students cognitively, culturally, and socially and is good preparation for standardized tests.” There is no excuse for teachers to omit vocabulary instruction due to test prepping.

Questions:

1.     How can I balance tier 3 vocabulary instruction with tier 1 and 2 instruction (for my struggling readers)?

I think that sometimes struggling readers can get overlooked when discussing vocabulary instruction. Of course, it is important to learn content-specific words to understand subject area text. But for students who have a difficult time with reading, they may need instruction with more than just the low-frequency words. My goal is to be a reading specialist so I can help these kiddos learn the reading techniques and the high-frequency vocabulary they need to know to become successful readers.

2.     How do I make sure that students truly understand the words that I teach them?

I’m always afraid that no matter how I explain something, there may still be students who don’t fully comprehend the material. Especially if the students do not have the prior knowledge or experience with the word, it can make the explanation difficult.

Thank you all for reading my post!!! I look forward to reading your responses about vocabulary instruction.