Tricia KierbachContent LiteracySummer 2010

My jaw literally dropped. Wow! I am inspired and humbled.

1. Great initial questions-not too narrow nor broad and definitely measurable

2. The connections you pulled from Marzano made me want to read it again. “Background knowledge manifests itself as vocabulary.” Then you made a connection to family income. Hart and Risely’s Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young Children findings on vocabulary development fit perfectly with this. You made a great case for connecting background knowledge and socio-economic status. AWESOME! This is an important connection that needs to be considered by those in charge of systematic curriculum decisions. The brain science you pulled (dopamine’s effect on learning) connects with Vygotsky. I was just thinking about that yesterday.

3. Then your knowledge of methods really shines through with strategic use of anchor activities, big questions, student choice, etc.

5. I don’t know where to stop. The use of Bloom’s and interest inventories, anticipatory guides/pre-tests, think-alouds… So often people throw every buzz word they can into a grad project. You incorporated everything in meaningful ways.

6. I rarely read anything without finding a dozen ways to improve it. That’s not the case here. My only suggestion is to not be shy about sharing this level of expertise. Seriously, the thought and research that went into this type of unit is ideally what all teachers should do. At the very least discussions about planning and curricula should involve these concepts.

7. Remember the subtle technique that involves claiming you have a friend that does something or wrote something so that you don’t sound to bossy in a meeting? Another thing I’ve learned works is to talk about some ideas with a colleague before a meeting so that you have at least one other person that has your back and be on the same page. When one person voices an idea it’s just one voice. Add just one other person and it becomes a discussion.

Reading isMaking MeaningWelcome to

Mrs. Kierbach’s Classroom at

Woodland Elementary

Schoolest. 1998

Edwardsville, Illinois

Can using technology in the classroom support learning in the content areas? Will students build better background knowledge and be more engaged and motivated to learn and will this lead to better reading comprehension and increased content knowledge?

Link to Part 1 full document – also posted on teachertube

Students should become empowered not victimized by the assessment process. Appropriate assessment practices in content classrooms offer ongoing reflections of literacy processes and are appropriate to needs. They are embedded within meaningful and engaging learning experiences which help youth become more knowledgeable about what they know, how they learn best, and what they need to reach their academic and personal goals.

(Brozo & Simpson, 2007)

Content Literacy for Today’s Adolescents

Given the relationship between academic background knowledge and academic achievement, one can make the case that it should be at the top of any list of interventions intended to enhance student achievement. It levels the playing field between those who have and those who have not.

(Marzano, 2004) Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement

Information must make it to permanent memory to become part of our background knowledge and the quality of processing in working memory enhances or inhibits the likelihood that the information will reach permanent memory. Effective processing of information in working memory depends on certain critical activities: the information is processed multiple times, detail is added, and associations are made with other information.

(Marzano, 2004) Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement

Background knowledge manifests itself as vocabulary knowledge. Family income is highly correlated with background knowledge

(Marzano, 2004) Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement

Our connections (meaningful) and background knowledge spawn meaningful questions that propel us further down the road to insight. Curiosity spawns questions. Questions are the master key to understanding. Questions clarify confusion. Human beings are driven to find answers and make sense of the world. As adult readers we question all of the time, kids don’t grow up knowing that good readers ask questions. In fact, schools often appear more interested in answers than in questions. We must strive to create classrooms that celebrate passionate curiosity. Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.”

(Harvey & Goudvis, 2000)

Strategies that Work Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding

Dopamine fuels resonance, motivation, and memory-If learning activities are repeatedly linked to pleasurable experiences, students’ brains may become conditioned to seek the pleasurable sensations that accompany dopamine release.

(Willis, 2008) Teaching the Brain to Read

Vygotsky – learning always proceeds from the known to the new. Build connections and background knowledge. Prepared students always have more equal footing.

(Willis, 2008) Teaching the Brain to Read

Zone of proximal development – assisting and instructing students to do complex cognitive tasks…engages them in purposeful, carefully scaffolded learning processes focused on challenging learning tasks in their zpd, the cognitive region just beyond what the student can accomplish alone. With enough assisted practice, the strategy then becomes part of the student’s internalized reading comprehension repertoire and enters his zone of actual development.

(Willis, 2008) Teaching the Brain to Read

We, as teachers, can be the best and brightest and know our strategies and content extremely well. But we are not working with machines. Our students are human beings and for that reason, among others, we must teach them as such.

Today’s students need motivation and curiosity. They are visual and digital learners and we need to meet them where they are. By using well-crafted, integrated and engaging lessons we will activate and build background knowledge for all students to build on. We will teach them to make connections and always question, seek answers, and question some more.

Students will learn to think about their own thinking and learning. They will work collaboratively with one another to solve problems and will have choices in their learning. Challenging, yet scaffolded instruction and pleasurable experiences will help students value school and learning which will increase comprehension and knowledge.

There is a difference between students knowing about comprehension strategies and actually choosing to use them. It’s up to us to know our students well enough to know what will work for them and equip them with tools for success not just for the current school year, but for a lifetime.

My first definition of reading was: Reading is Making MeaningThough the goal in reading is to make meaning I would like to note some new understandings especially noting that reading is a not simply making meaning, but an ongoing meaning-construction process:

Reading is: A complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated. Also important are the situational experiences readers have with particular kinds of text and purposes for reading.

The reading process requires continuous practices, development, and refinement. Reading is really a continual process of problem solving.

Diagnostic Assessment – Assessment performed prior to instruction to determine each student’s strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills.. This type of assessment also helps determine the need for any modifications required to meet the needs of individuals or groups of students.

I will give multiple intelligence surveys, learning styles inventories, and content area and technology interest surveys as well as a chapter pre-test at the start of this unit.

Formative Assessment – On-going assessment used to improve instructional methods and student feedback throughout the learning process. Teachers use the information gained from formative assessments to make decisions in validating or modifying and adjusting teaching practices to reflect the needs and progress of the students.

Students will keep a folder containing contracts, guidelines and daily exit entries which I will review. I will also use observations, questioning strategies, K-W-L’s and various other informal assessments throughout the unit to gauge understanding.

Summative Assessment - Assessments given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what students know and do not know. Summative assessment at the district/classroom level is an accountability measure that is generally used as part of the grading process. Some examples are state assessments, district benchmark assessments, end-of-chapter or unit tests and report cards. Summative assessments, because they don’t happen often should be coupled with formative assessments in order to make instructional improvements during the learning process.

Student videos, think-tac-toe projects, BIG answer pages and post tests will be assessed and graded.

Richard C. OverbaughLynn SchultzOld Dominion University

Before reading strategies to activate prior knowledge, build interest, a set a purpose for reading.

During reading strategies to guide students toward better comprehension and understanding of the reading process as well as metacognition.

After reading strategies to record learning and for reflection.

BIG Question responses to promote synthesis of complex ideas.

Writing and performing in video project to demonstrate learning of content.

Content standards-based choice projects used as anchor activities and products of learning.

Daily exit entries to record learning, questions and concerns along the way.

Beginning of school year get to know students through MI, Learning Styles, Interest Inventory, and Unit pre-test.

Enhance Health Unit on drugs, alcohol, and resistance to these pressures including the ten week DARE program.

Each new concept will be taught through demonstration, modeling, and guided practice, especially via teacher think-alouds.

Students will benefit from a highly integrated curriculum and from the use of technology. My intent is that these efforts will build background knowledge, and cause students to be highly motivated and engaged such that they will comprehend and learn more.

Approximately one lesson each day will be taught.

Each of the six lessons in the unit will introduce students to a new:Pre-reading, during reading and after reading activity and will begin with a teacher-prepared PowerPoint containing relevant pictures and video clips.

The teacher will demonstrate, model, guide, and use think-alouds regarding reading strategies and technology .Students will work with a partner to read each lesson and apply new reading strategies.

Students will be assigned to groups based on interest to one lesson to learn in depth.They will create a video presentation as a product of their learning (a skit, commercial, newscast, explanation, etc.)

The class will use a note-taking guide while watching the other groups presentations.

The note-taking guide also contains a BIG answer critical thinking question from each lesson. BIG answers go in the folder.

Each day students will write an exit entry noting what they worked on that day, what they learned, and if they have any comments, questions, or concerns about the lesson or unit.

Each day students will work on the day’s assignment and then move into project work-time.

Some days we will use our media center which has 12 computers, other days we will be in our classroom which has only 2 computers.

During project work-time students will use the computers, their textbooks, encyclopedias, Mrs. K’s books, library books, newspapers, pamphlets, etc. to gather information and knowledge.

Students’ BIG question answers will be assessed and students will choose a final project from a THINK TAC TOE extension board. The teacher will use a Super Sleuth chart to make and record informal observations of student learning throughout the unit.The teacher will administer an end of the unit survey to assess comprehension skills, computer skills, and attitudes toward learning.

First Week of School – administer all inventories and pre-tests.

Week Two – Begin three to four week unit depending on the prior knowledge of students especially pertaining to their technology skills. Students will learn during the time allotted for Science/Health as well as some language arts and media time as needed.

Day 1 – Begin Unit with Carousel K-W-L activity to assess background knowledge of subject matter. This activity stresses movement, social interaction, and following of oral instructions. Give students Health folders to organize handouts and information during the unit.Give students anticipation guide for videosShow and discuss pre-reading videos embedded in teacher-prepared PowerPointRead Lesson 1 using Save The Last Word for Me strategy with teacher modeling.Introduce Exit Entries and BIG Question and Answer forms.Hand out and explain video project and Think-Tac-Toe Extension MenuStudents will complete the exit entry in the last five minutes of class . The Save the Last Word for Me strategy sheet will be assigned for homework for those who do not finish in class.

Students will be engaged with an anticipation guide, PowerPoint with video clips, during reading comprehension strategy, BIG Question, and exit entry for each of the six lessons in the unit.

Part of each class will be devoted to learning from the textbook using the above strategies. For the remainder of the class periods students will engage in project worktime with each group focusing on a certain lesson and creating a video. Students who are not working on a video will complete Tic-Tac-Toe activities or other research or activities designated by the teacher.

Final grades will be taken from the BIG Answers, video presentations, extension projects and the post-test.

Anticipation GuideShow and discuss video clips relating to effects of tobacco, diseases, warning about advertisers, real-life horror stories, and probable age progression of students who smokeFocus is on the harmful effects of tobaccoTeacher will model double entry journalPartners will read the lesson taking notes on the double entry journalThey will focus on that day’s BIG Question and may help one another with their responsesStudents will work with their groups on the video Students will work on extension activitiesTeacher will make informal observations and evaluation using a Super Sleuth record keeping form.Students will use the last five minutes of class to respond to their exit entry.

Some sample forms for the unit/lesson follow:

How are you SMART?

Let’s find out. See your teacher for directions in taking one of the following quizzes. See your teacher when you are finished.Go to:

Survey from Laura Candler.com Multiple Intelligence Survey orSurfaquarium Multiple Intelligence Survey

How do you PREFER to learn?

Let’s find out. Take the following Learning Profile:Click belowLearning Styles Inventory

See the teacher when you are finished.

Return to the website in your free time to learn more about yourself as a learner.

Students who have already mastered content or who are very proficient with video or PowerPoint skills will work with the teacher to develop alternate activities and will complete them under the contract conditions. Activities will be listed on the back of the contract.

Students will work in a group to create a video representation of their learning from one of the six lessons in Chapter 7. They will preview the text, anticipate some of the content that may be included in the lesson, vote on a strategy to use during reading for comprehension and note-taking purposes.

Students will use their textbooks and other available resources to learn the content which will help them prepare for the presentations.

Groups will decide on a format together. They may perform a scripted skit, mock trial, talk show, debate, newscast, etc.

The teacher will work with each group using Rubistar.com to create a grading rubric for the video projects. Students will rate themselves and evaluate their group and individual progress as well as the final product.

Students will work on completing the Think-Tac-Toe activities throughout the unit as anchor activities. Most students will be required to earn a Tic-Tac-Toe. The chart will be modified for others.

Students will be asked to create a graphic organizer such as the example on the left for each vocabulary word in the lesson they are presenting. All six groups will share the organizer they chose with the class.

Separate pieces of chart paper with major topics within the unit written on them will be posted throughout the classroom.

Students will be divided equally with as many groups as there are charts or topics.

Each group will be assigned a color and the recorder for that group will be given that color marker.

Charts will be marked with a key containing corresponding colors in the order in which that group should respond. For example, a blue dot, green, red, orange, yellow, and pink. The blue group would stop at this chart first. The pink group would respond here last.

When all groups have responded to each topic the class should come together to share what is already known and compile a class list of questions or ideas they want to know more about.

Charts listing the known, what students want to know during and after the course of study, and all that is learned can be referred to throughout the unit.

Anticipation guide will be used before each video clip to challenge and activate prior knowledge.

Link to document

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCBcb1MkjE8&feature=related

Tobacco is Addicting

Advertisers are targeting YOU!

The true story of Sean Marsee:

Death from tobacco at age 19.

Students will

complete an exit

entry each day to

reflect on their

learning and as a tool for teacher

evaluation of learning

and progress

Links to Note Taking and BIG Questions

Lesson 1 Drugs and Your Health

Lesson 2 Alcohol and Your Health

Lesson 3 Tobacco and your Health

Lesson 4 Other Drugs to Avoid

Lesson 5 When Someone Abuses Drugs

Lesson 6 Resisting Pressure

Link to Save the Last Word for Me document

After searching for quite a while I found some great YouTube videos that I think will really appeal to students and will continue searching for probably all of the units I teach.

I will be using more PowerPoint presentations in my teaching and will encourage students to use it more often than in the past.

I have found a plethora of resources including graphic organizers, PowerPoint review games, webs, and outlines in books and on the web and will use them more effectively. I realize now that students have to know about them AND be motivated to use them. Literacy is not all about the which new strategy we use, put students should be armed with choices and find what works for them.

I was already quite familiar with Bloom’s but always tried to start at the beginning and build up to the higher levels of thinking/questioning. I realize now that not everyone needs to do that. Sometimes just asking the more complex questions or assigning a complex project causes students to work through the levels with support as needed.

I love the Baseball Answer idea and will incorporate it in my teaching.

The technology is a great tool for recording students’ learning throughout the year. It’s a portfolio of sorts. I’ll definitely be searching for DVD’s and use the print screen function to create comprehension organizers. Have to have a flip cam. Will try for a grant or will buy one myself if necessary. I’m generally excited to infuse my lessons with much more technology since I feel that is the ticket to getting kids interested and exciting about learning. N computing, hmmmm, I’m looking into that!

Can using technology in the classroom support learning in the content areas? Will students build better background knowledge and be more engaged and motivated to learn and will this lead to better reading comprehension and increased content knowledge?

Through research I learned just how important it is to build background knowledge. Many students, especially those who live in poverty don’t have a lot of experiences to draw from. Research suggests that we can build experiences through field trips, community projects, etc. With the current budget crisis those opportunities will be difficult to provide. What we can do though is increase background knowledge through the use of technology. Students can take virtual field trips, participate in distance learning, watch DVD’s or video clips pertaining to the subject, etc. New literacies make it easier now for students to learn interactively and to produce images on the web and in software programs used by the teacher and students. The possibilities are endless and ever-changing.

I was surprised that so many experts are helping teachers teach students ways to comprehend and understand not only the content, but their grade level textbooks. With such a push toward differentiation I was thinking that maybe textbooks would become a thing of the past. Students need to practice reading at their independent and instructional reading levels, but also need the tools necessary to deal with grade level materials in some circumstances.

With enough background knowledge perhaps students who normally couldn’t handle the text would be successful with it?

I didn’t realize it before, but content literacy and technology is a really hot topic.

I think that I have become more motivated since delving more deeply into technology this summer and that excitement will rub off on student attitudes as well.

New ideas and questions for me will be taking new knowledge about content literacy, technology, gifted education and differentiated instruction to revamp my instruction.

.

Brozo, W. (2007). Content Literacy for Today’s Adolescents Honoring Diversity and Building Competence . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Effects of Smoking video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCBcb1MkjE8&feature=player_embedded

Emphysema video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmZZlkrSu5o&feature=related

Face Value – Effects of Smoking Among Teens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2hORla51lA&feature=related

Harvey, S. (2000). Strategies that work Teaching Comprehension to Enchance Understanding. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse .

Lung Cancer video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMXcW_ujY10&feature=related

Marzano, R. (2004). Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement Research on What Works in Schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Patrick Reynolds anti-tobacco lessons http://www.tobaccofree.org/clips/VideoAddictiveness.htm

Willis, J. (2008). Teaching the Brain to Read. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.