September/October

Literacy in the Content Areas

     Supporting reading, writing, speaking, listening and thinking is essential for the content in every classroom and every grade. 

  To engage students in literacy tasks and skills in every classroom, teachers can carefully choose how to respond to students to promote that thinking. Consider these teacher talk stems and metacognitive questions while facilitating content with students.  These talk stems help to get students thinking rather than simply acknowledging an answer as right or wrong. Students can answer these questions in writing, through discussion, or if they can't answer them, this may mean re-reading is needed! 

What did you mean by that?

How does that work?

Can you explain that?

Tell me more.

What did your partner say?

Does anyone have a different idea?

What makes you think that?

Any other details about…..?

Where did you see that in the text?

How did you figure that word out?

Are you making a prediction?

How do you know that?

What was your process for figuring that out?

Talk to me…elaborate.

Did anyone else have an idea about that?

How did you figure that out?

*For more information, check out Reading for Understanding- the companion text to Reading Apprenticeship teacher workshops.

Organized Interaction- 
Clock Buddies for Partnering  

        As a former English teacher, I frequently partnered students for discussion, peer editing, and reading. One thing I used consistently and found very useful was the Clock Buddies organizer. Clock Buddies is meant to be a quick and easy way to create pairs for partnered activities while avoiding the problem of kids always having the same partners.  It begins with a clock face, with slots for names at each hour.  Each student has his/her own copy of the clock to make "appointments" with  12 different classmates. Students can keep these to use all semester or year long.  See the whole description on this site, and download a copy of a clock.  

Upcoming Literacy PD at WISD

Writing Collaborative teacher workshops (secondary content areas):

Fall 2013: Oct. 22, 23 and Nov. 14

Winter 2014: Feb. 6, 7 and March 7

Spring 2014: April 29, 30 and May 16

*See flyer here  

Reading Apprenticeship teacher workshops (secondary content areas):

Winter 2014:  Jan. 28, 29 and Feb. 12

Spring 2014:   April 22, 23 and May 14
 *See flyer here

Early Literacy: 

Tim Shanahan on Early Literacy:  March 11, 2014

*All details, costs, and registrations can be found on WISDGoSignMeUP! 

August

International Literacy Day

 September 9, 2013

   
     International Literacy day shines the spotlight on literacy needs around the world. There are still 780 million adults worldwide with no literacy skills.  This year, the International Reading Association's theme is "Invent Your Future" to focus on literacy skills adults and children need in school, work, and life.  See the IRA website for a Twitter Chat schedule.

   

    Michigan also joins in the celebration with their Michigan Reads! book of the year, Woolbur.  See the Michigan Reads! website for a programming guide, touring information, pictures, author and illustrator information, and a recorded webinar. 

Other ideas to celebrate literacy on any day of the year include:

• Stage a Fun Run for Literacy and provide donated books to participants.

• Use newspapers to go global — conduct a scavenger hunt for country names or compare how stories are covered by newspapers from different parts of the world.

• Invite students, parents, or guests who have lived in other parts of the world to read a story or to talk about classrooms in other countries.

• Have older students make books to share with younger students or donate to childcare centers.

• Invite a publisher to your classroom or school to discuss how books are developed.

• Ask a local bookstore to donate books to disadvantaged children or for reading contest prizes.

Literacy in Social Studies

     Teacher's College at Columbia University lists some recommended nonfiction journals and online sites that may help you expand your access to complex nonfiction. The online sites provide access to a wide range of educational videos and databases. The journals often provide access to the online archive as well as multiple classroom copies. As you can see, this covers K-12.

Sites for Digital Texts:

http://www.nypl.org/

 The NYC Public Library site. Access ‘research’ and choose from online databases, such as Amazing Animals of the World, andHistorical Newspapers, and a digital archive of historical photographs.

http://dsc.discovery.com

 The Discovery Channel site. This site gives you access to educational videos and interactive websites. For instance, for interactive global warming and weather issues, look at: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/project-earth/project-earth.html

http://www.timeforkids.com

 Provides accessible digital texts, including videos of current news in science, sports, entertainment, and world events

http://video.pbs.org/

 Watch award-winning documentaries, including current episodes from Nova and Nature, as well as archived videos

http://www.history.com

 Video clips and full length shows on history topics from Ancient China to the Vikings to Watergate.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Visit the home page, the video selection, or the ‘kids’ section, for a wide range of educational digital texts

Nonfiction Journals That are Particularly Print-Rich, Include Complex Texts, and Are Engaging:

• Click –  introduces fascinating science topics (grades K-2)
• Ranger Rick –  includes several-page spreads on an endangered animal or other natural science topic (grades 2-4)
• Zoobooks –  these expository books are each dedicated to a single animal (grades 3-8)
• Cobblestone –  focuses on American history (grades 5-7)
• Dig –  Archaeology for kids, grades 5-7. Each issue is themed (grades 4-8)
• National Geographic for Kids  – comes in two levels (grades 1-3 and grades 4-6)
• Sports Illustrated for Kids  – covers issues, players, and teams, with an emphasis on achievement stories (grades 3-6)
• Junior Scholastic  – provides coverage of current news issues and investigative journalism (grades 4-7)
• Upfront –  the New York Times  Magazine for teens. Focuses on investigative journalism (grades 7-12)
• Sports Illustrated

Literacy and Technology 

     At a recent conference, literacy consultant Cornelius Minor asked the question what do you want kids to do with technology?  His point was that the outcome is not just to learn another cool technology tool, but for kids to express their thinking and learning and collaborate with others through using technology. Technology is a tool, not a learning outcome. This is food for thought as we sift through and learn the plethora of new tools out there which allow teachers and students to read, write, speak, and listen in various modes.  

Upcoming Literacy PD at WISD

Writing Collaborative teacher workshops (secondary content areas):

Fall 2013: Oct. 22, 23 and Nov. 14

Winter 2014: Feb. 6, 7 and March 7

Spring 2014: April 29, 30 and May 16

*See flyer here  

Reading Apprenticeship teacher workshops (secondary content areas):

Fall 2013:      Sept. 24, 25, and Oct. 17 

Winter 2014:  Jan. 28, 29 and Feb. 12

Spring 2014:   April 22, 23 and May 14
 *See flyer here

Early Literacy: 

Tim Shanahan on Early Literacy:  March 11, 2014

*All details, costs, and registrations can be found on WISDGoSignMeUP! 

July

Looking Ahead at Literacy PD at WISD

 Knowing how busy schedules can get, many literacy trainings have been arranged for the whole 2013-2014 school year so that you may plan ahead.  See below for dates that are now scheduled, keeping in mind that this may be added to or changed as necessary. 

Writing Collaborative (secondary content areas):

Fall 2013: Oct. 22, 23 and Nov. 14

Winter 2014: Feb. 6, 7 and March 7

Spring 2014: April 29, 30 and May 16

Reading Apprenticeship (secondary content areas):

Fall 2013:      Sept. 24, 25, and Oct. 17 *This is a change from the August dates 

Winter 2014:  Jan. 28, 29 and Feb. 12

Spring 2014:   April 22, 23 and May 14

Early Literacy: 

Tim Shanahan on Early Literacy:  March 11, 2014

*All details, costs, and registrations can be found on WISD GoSignMeUP! 

Educational Technology

•     Graphite will soon be launched as a tool for educators to search for digital tools by grade, subject, platform, price and other variables and then view comprehensive reviews and ratings for each one. Think of it as the Consumer Reports for ed tech. In addition to including reviews from Common Sense Media’s own editorial team of former teachers, the site enables teachers to contribute their own evaluations with the technology. Each review page also includes the key standards supported by that particular ed tech tool. See more about Graphite. 

•  Google Teacher Academy is a free professional development experience designed to help primary and secondary educators from around the globe get the most from innovative technologies. Produced by CUE, each Academy is an intensive, two-day event during which participants get hands-on experience with Google’s free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, receive resources to share with colleagues, and immerse themselves in a supportive community of educators making impact.  Those who attend become Google Certified Teachers (GCT’s), which allows you to put a little badge on your website showing off your achievement, but lays out a number of expectations following the completion of the actual academy.  Interested?  Read How to Join the Google Teacher Academy.

Summer Reading

     No July Literacy Newsletter would be complete without mentioning summer reading.  Enjoy these fun infographics!

June

Summer Professional Development Opportunities for Literacy

**click on titles for informational flyer on registration details**

Reading Apprenticeship (Middle and High School): WISD August 19, 20 and September 24.  Learn the framework that both teachers and students use to grow as literate thinkers and in their comprehension as they speak, read, write, and listen across the curriculum. 

Washtenaw Writing Collaborative (Middle and High School): WISD August 21, 22, and September 25.  Learn best practices in writing built on the spirit and principals of the Reading Apprenticeship framework, and develop an implementation plan for your classroom. 

Michigan Model ELA Model Curriculum: Professional Learning for Literacy Leaders (K-12):  Lansing, MI June 24-27.   Learn the writing units aligned to ELA CCSS with current reading and writing theory and practice supporting UDL and RtI approaches, formative and summative assessments.

 

11th Annual Summer Literacy Conference- RLTC (K-8) August 13, 14, 15, 2013 in Hillsdale, MI.   Attend 1, 2, or all 3 days.  Topics include Writing and the CCSS, Close and Critical Reading, and Nonfiction. Nell Duke is the guest speaker on Day 3.  

Internet Resources

     In his Knowledge Quest article, Michael Edson (Smithsonian Institution) recommends several websites with resources for librarians, teachers, and students:

            • The Encyclopedia of Life http://eol.org/about has a wiki   

               page for every species on Earth.

            • Zooniverse http://zooniverse.org enables citizens to

              contribute to scientific research (for example, accurately

              modeling global climate change).

            • OpenStreetMap www.openstreetmap.org is a free,

              worldwide map in the fashion of a wiki.

            • Ancestry.com http://ancestry.com has 900,000

              participants who have created more than 26,000,000

              family trees.

            • Kickstarter www.kickstarter.com is a crowd-funding

              project that has raised $319 million for various projects.  

Pedagogy Wheel

   This wheel, originally designed to show Blooms Taxonomy levels, was adapted to consider pedagogy possibilities for mobile devices.  It gets us thinking about how Bloom's levels from 1956 can be pulled into the 21st century with the technology that exists today for students and teachers.  

SBAC Resource 

The SBAC Practice Test is set to be available today!

      Available nearly two years before the assessment system is implemented in the 2014-15 school year, the Smarter Balanced Practice Tests allow teachers, students, parents, and other interested parties to experience the features of online testing and gain insight into how Smarter Balanced will assess students’ mastery of the Common Core.

    The Smarter Balanced Practice Test is available to schools and districts for practice and training purposes, professional development activities, and for discussions with parents, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders.

You can find the practice test at:  http://sbac.portal.airast.org/Practice_Test/default.html

May Literacy Newsletter

Digital Literacy- BYOD? 

Mobile Devices for Learning:
What you Need to Know! 

        As I think about the definition of literacy today, the meaning certainly incorporates being digitally literate.  How do we read, write, speak and listen with digital texts and tools?   What does it look like to Bring Your  Own Device (BYOD?)  Edutopia provides a free Mobile Devices Learning Resource Guide.   This details the pros and cons of mobile devices in the classroom, bridging the digital gap, knowing devices, getting started with using them in the classroom, K-12 apps and web tools.

    Using Digital Book Talks to Engage Reluctant Readers

       Book trailers are just like movie trailers. These book trailers can be found through Digital Book Talks  and are  a collaborative effort from Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Gunter at the University of Central Florida.  On the Digital Book Talk site, you will find high quality book trailers that will whet your students appetite for a good book.  Teachers and students can search for books by content, level, and interests in grades K-12.  

Check out the student created Digital Booktalk Book Trailer for Esperanza Rising.

Inside the Common Core Classroom

     No doubt you've spent time reading and deconstructing the Common Core State Standards, and maybe even started aligning your assessments to them, but a big question now is what does it look like to teach the standards?  AdLit offers a glimpse Inside the Common Core Classroom with professional development video modules for ELA and content area classroom teachers in grades 6-12.  

Each module has a lesson, strategies, alignment to CCSS,reflection, and expert comments.

April Literacy Newsletter

     Free Webinar on the CCSS Shifts

     Need a review of the shifts of the CCSS?  Educational experts have been conducting Webinars on the topic over the last few years, and many are starting to post these online for free access.  Check out this one by Dr. Timothy Shanahan, a current professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Director of the Center for Literacy, and past president of the International Reading Association, among other leadership roles in elementary literacy.   This Webinar is one hour long, but is very informational and time well spent if you still have questions surrounding the CCSS, especially for K-12 literacy.

Digital Literacy 

 No one can deny that the definition of literacy now includes being able to read and write digital text.  Recent research suggests that teachers can provide targeted instruction in the early grades to help students learn to read critically online. 

Specific focus areas might include strategies for:

1. Identifying the author of a website

2. Determining how current the information is.

3. Integrating website content together with background knowledge to judge the usefulness and variety of information.

4. Examining the URL to determine whether a site serves commercial or educational interests (.com, .org, .edu...)

(from "Technology in the Literacy Program" in Best Practices of Literacy Leaders, 2012). 

 How do we interact with digital text?

     I've often wondered how to interact with digital text in a way that might be similar to holding traditional text in hand with my pen and sticky notes.    I've discovered Diigo. Diigo allows highlighting, annotation, and bookmarking of webpages. Readers can use it solo, belong to a group, such that the highlights and annotations they add to a webpage are instantly visible to other group-members who view that webpage.

The version of Diigo for educators allows:

For class use, you can create student accounts for an entire class with just a few clicks (and student email addresses are optional for account creation).

Students of the same class are automatically set up as a Diigo group so they can start using all the benefits that a Diigo group provides, such as group bookmarks and annotations, and group forums.

Privacy settings of student accounts are more restricted.

Ads presented to student account users are limited.

To learn more about how Diigo is being used in classrooms and to get some lesson ideas, please check out:

         Using Diigo in classroom >>

         Using Diigo for Intentional Learning >>

         Power of Diigo for building a PLN >>

         Diigo in Education video >>

         Save, Share, and Teach with Diigo >>

Resources for CCSS

     You may have a few resources on CCSS for educators, but how much do parents know about these standards that are changing our curriculum and instruction?   The National PTA provides parent guides on the ELA and Math CCSS. These include what students should be learning in ELA and Math now, how parents can support this learning at home, and how to build relationships with teachers.   These are free to download.

 Professional Development

     The WISD offers both Reading Apprenticeship and Washtenaw Writing Collaborative training in April.  See the WISD registration site and the AI Team Weebly site for all information. 

     Webinars are gaining popularity, and many are free! Check out the following sources for a list of upcoming and archived webinars for educators:

• PBS Teachers- topics include literature, social studies and technology.

• The Center for Learning - topics include CCSS, instruction and technology

• Education Week- topics include CCSS, technology, instruction, parental involvement. 

Integrating Technology in the Classroom

    When using technology in the classroom, the same factors for effective strategies are true as traditional methods.  The technology must meet the needs of various learners, with audio, video and accessibility. It must also keep the learner engaged and motivated to learn the topic.  If the technology breaks down, the teacher must have a back-up plan, just as in the traditional classroom. 

     Integrating web based technologies makes me think about which tools are the best to use in my environment, for my audience, and for my teaching style. While PowerPoints aren't always the answer, new technologies such as Camtasia may be more flexible and better hold the attention of the audience. 

      I've met my goals by adding to my toolbelt of available technologies to use.  I find myself getting stuck on the same few technologies (Blogs, Wikis, PowerPoints), and rarely venturing out of my comfort zone.  I used a Weebly for an assignment, as well as revisited Webquests. 

     I would like to re-do my StAIR project to be a truly stand alone resource. If done well, perhaps on Camtasia or a Weebly, I believe it could be a good resource for teachers learning CCSS and literacy resources in the content areas.