NEWS FLASH! A Current Events Approach to CTE Literacy Integration

Michigan Career Education Conference

February 1, 2016

Daniel Yowell

English Language Arts Consultant

Livonia Career Technical Center & Wayne RESA / CTE Perkins Region 25

These materials were developed under a grant awarded by the Michigan Department of Education.

Prepared by Daniel Yowell, CTE Perkins Region 25 (Wayne RESA and Monroe ISD)

INTRODUCTION

According to an article from Business

Insider…

• “Watching a funny YouTube video doubles your productivity”

• Study published in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science

(Source: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/watch-a-funny-video-to-boost-your-productivity-at-work-2016-1/)

RATIONALE • Meet CTE and Common Core Standards

• Improve on Core Performance Indicator 1S1

• Make Real World Connections

MEET CTE AND COMMON

CORE STANDARDS

CTE Standards

From 43.0100 - Law, Public Safety & Security Essential Standards

• 2. Read trade magazines and journals, manufacturers’ catalogues, industry

publications and Internet sites to keep current on industry trends.

From 15.0000 - Engineering, General (2011) Essential Standards

• 6. Comprehend key elements of oral and written information such as cause/effect,

comparisons/contrasts, conclusions, context, purpose, charts/tables/graphs,

evaluation/critiques, mood, persuasive text, sequence, summaries, and technical

subject matter.

(Source: http://ctenavigator.org/)

Common Core

“The Standards insist that instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening,

and language be a shared responsibility within the school. The K-5

standards include expectations for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and

language applicable to a range of subjects, including but not limited to ELA.

The grades 6-12 standards are divided into two sections, one for ELA and

the other for history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. This

division reflects the unique, time-honored place of ELA teachers in

developing students’ literacy skills while at the same time recognizing that

teachers in other areas must have a role in this development as well.”

(Source: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/introduction/key-design-consideration/ )

IMPROVE ON CORE

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR

1S1

Improve on Core Performance Indicator 1S1

(Academic Attainment in Reading/Language Arts)

• 1. Support: CTE students with deficiencies in reading skills will

receive appropriate support services.

• 2. Professional Development: CTE Instructors will receive training on

the integration of reading concepts in their CTE programs and the use

of contextual reading activities.

• 3. Use of Quality Data: Quality data will be used to drive decision-

making to continuously improve CTE student skills in reading.

• 4. Curriculum Integration: The educational agency will align CTE

curricula with reading content expectations aligned to MME academic

competencies.

(Source: http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-6530_2629_53969-351614--,00.html)

MAKE REAL WORLD

CONNECTIONS

Make Real World Connections

The Association for Career and Technical Education Issue Brief on CTE’s

Role in Adolescent Literacy states:

“Research has shown that one of the best ways to help students gain

literacy skills is to motivate and engage them with content related to their

interests. Helping students make connections between reading and

writing and the real world can engage reluctant readers and, at the

same time, improve literacy skills. Students typically find their CTE

courses to be directly connected to their future goals and are often

more willing to engage in reading and writing within the context of

their CTE program. Job-specific vocabulary and authentic work situations

can inspire students to apply themselves to literacy tasks that lack meaning

in other contexts.”

(Source: ACTE Issue Brief, CTE’s Role in Adolescent Literacy, November 2009)

According to another article from

Business Insider…

• Following current events can boost your career

• “Only 45 percent of Americans reported enjoying following

the news a lot while 36 percent enjoy following the news a

little. But here’s the really interesting statistic: More than

a third of those employed full- or part-time say that

keeping up with the news is important to their jobs.”

• Following current events can help students perform better

in job interviews, make better decisions, and become

industry experts

• Are we training the entry-level workers of tomorrow, or are

we grooming the industry leaders of tomorrow?

(Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-following-current-events-can-boost-your-career-2012-10/ )

RESOURCES • Newsela

• Listen Current

• Michigan eLibrary

• The Learning Network: Teaching & Learning with the New York Times

• ISSUU

NEWSELA

Newsela (newsela.com)

• Excellent source for up-to-date, authentic news

articles related to various content areas

• Four new articles posted every weekday

• Daily e-mails highlight updates

• Find articles by topic, grade level, standard, or

keyword search

• Every article is offered at multiple reading levels

that adapt based on student performance (some

articles are even available in Spanish)

• Printable articles

• Aligned with Common Core text complexity (Lexile

levels)

• Common Core-aligned online quizzes

• No advertisements on any page

• Writing prompts (customization and scoring

available in PRO version)

• Text annotation features (advanced features in

PRO)

• Student progress monitoring features (PRO only)

LISTEN CURRENT

Listen Current (listencurrent.com)

• Real public radio clips on a variety of topics

• One new clip posted every weekday

• Weekly e-mail digest highlights new clips

• Find clips by topic, subject, keyword, grade level

• Listening comprehension questions and discussion

prompts for each clip

• Graphic organizers provided for some clips

• Link to Socrative quiz for each clip

• Common Core-aligned lessons (PREMIUM only)

• Online assignment submission (PREMIUM only)

Listen Current (listencurrent.com)

“Volkswagen CEO Resigns Amid Backlash Over Test-Rigging”

Listening Comprehension Questions:

• What did Volkswagen lie about?

• How does this affect Volkswagen diesel car owners?

Classroom Discussion Themes:

• Do you think the executives at Volkswagen knew about the false

emissions tests?

MICHIGAN E-LIBRARY

Michigan eLibrary (mel.org)

Free access to a wide variety of content,

including: • Business Resources

• Chilton Library (Automotive Repair Manuals)

• Computer Database

• Controversial Topics (Opposing Viewpoints)

• Employability Skills

• General Research Databases

• Health Resources

• Legal Forms

THE LEARNING NETWORK Teaching & Learning with the New York Times

The Learning Network

(learning.blogs.nytimes.com)

• Resources: • Teaching with and About Technology

• Writing prompts, lesson plans, and projects related to technology

• 50 Ways to Teach with Current Events • Resources for deciphering an infographic, creating a timeline, summarizing,

researching, and more

ISSUU

ISSUU (issuu.com)

• Free access to a massive selection of

publications on a variety of CTE-related

topics, including:

• Arts

• Automotive

• Business

• Computers

• Construction/Engineering

• Fashion

• Food

• Health

PRESENTATION

MATERIALS

Presentation Materials

• https://sites.google.com/a/livoniapublicschools.org/cte-

literacy/presentation-materials/news-flash

THANK YOU!