The Tie That Binds Barb Williams Elaine Hoffert

The Tie That Binds: Reading, Writing, and Assessment

Goals • To identify for all courses the connections among – Standards – Texts – Strategies – Assessments (Writing)

Clear Target Become cognitive of best practices needed for TN Standards/CCSS R. 9 -10. 1, 11 -12. 1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. W. 9 -10. 4, 11 -12. 4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Overarching Question What are the best practices needed in order to equip students with the ability to read closely to determine what the text says explicitly? What do I want my students to know and be able to do by the end of this lesson?

• Content understanding requires comprehension of text: written, auditory, visual + • Comprehension is achieved through strategic reading = All teachers are teachers of reading!

Practice: The Shillybog • Last night after closty, my flimers and I went downtown to the shillybog. It was late and my other flimers were already there. Some of them were trogging and others were lutzing to the blane. I’m not a very good lutzer, but I love to listen to the blane. My friends nelled me a few trogs and pretty soon I was lutzing, too! I don’t really sartle it clearly. I woke up this morning in my warban with a terrible kerfufle. My roommate gave me two sloves to vipax, so I should feel twiggle soon. I hope so because I don’t want to be late for Lynn’s molentale!

Practice: The Shillybog • 1. Where did the writer go last night? • 2. Who went with the writer and what did they do? • 3. How did the writer feel this morning? Why? • 4. How did the writer solve the problem? • ON HANDOUT

Connections Standards Texts Strategies Assessments

Standards Content Examples Literacy • WG. 7 Analyze and explain how different cultures use maps and other visual images to reflect their own interests and ambitions. • CCR 7: • Social Studies 9 -10: Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e. g. , charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text • Science /Technical Subjects 910; Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e. g. , table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e. g. , in an equation) into words.

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge • Level 1 Recall • Level 2 Skill/Concept • Level 3 Strategic Reasoning • Level 4 Extended Reasoning • Webb, Norman L. and others. “Web Alignment Tool” 24 July 2005. Wisconsin Center of Educational Research. University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge vs Blooms Taxonomy • Teachers were encouraged to pay attention to Bloom’s verbs to identify the level of cognitive complexity / rigor. • 4 th Grade: Identify examples of effect. • 6 th Grade: Analyze examples of cause and effect.

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge vs Blooms Taxonomy Many new standards require teachers to look beyond the verb to determine the level of cognitive complexity. • 1 st Grade: Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story using key details. • 2 nd Grade: Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. • 3 rd Grade: Describe characters in a story (e. g. , their traits, motivations, or feelings), and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Standards What is it we want all students How will we know the to learn? students have mastered the essential learning? Power/ Essential Standards Common assessments and rubrics. Tie to where they are coming from & where they are going to. Include curricular information (pacing guide, etc. ). Know what data we are looking for Identify/model exemplars for students to reference. Formative assessment data Identify who is proficient and who is not & define the criteria.

Standards: What we know is normal • There are too many standards to cover in one course on state or national lists • Content teachers are not typically trained in teaching reading • Use data to determine student preparedness • Plan and use formative assessments • Respond to data from formative assessments • Keep track of student progress (students take ownership of this)

Standards: What we can/can NOT control • Work with 2 shoulder partners • Discuss 3 things you can control and 3 things you can not control regarding the standards you teach in your classroom. • 5 minutes Then share with another trio • ON HANDOUT

The CCSS Requires Three Shifts in ELA/Literacy (FROM CCSS) 1. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction 2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational 3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language 18

Texts • CCSS shift to complex texts • Content texts are already complex • Teachers supplement textbooks with other text • Text selection is at discretion of teacher, school, district

Features of Complex Text • • Subtle and/or frequent transitions • • Longer paragraphs Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes Density of information Unfamiliar settings, topics or events Lack of repetition, overlap or similarity in words and sentences Complex sentences Uncommon vocabulary Lack of words, sentences or paragraphs that review or pull things together for the student Any text structure which is less narrative and/or mixes structures 20

Complex Text: Finding Readability • http: //office. microsoft. com/en-us/help/test-your-document-sreadability-HP 010148506. aspx 21

Complex Text: Finding Readability 22

Complex Text: Finding Readability 23

Complex Text: Finding Readability 24

Complex Text: Finding Readability 25

Texts • Identify 2 texts that pose difficulty for students in your course. E. g. , • A textbook chapter on “Technology and the Constitution” • An internet article on “Teen Economy: How Teens Can Manage Their Limited Finances” • List one reason for the difficulty each text poses. E. g, • Vocabulary is too complex • Students lack background knowledge on topic

Strategies • Reading Strategies are the key to unlocking text and opening the door to comprehension. • Teachers use strategies without realizing that they are literacy or reading fix-ups • Strategic use of these empowers students to comprehend regardless of their existing abilities or the complexity of the texts

Strategies

Strategies Reading Strategies: Three major divisions • Before Reading • During Reading • After Reading

Strategies • • Start small Be consistent Use the language of the strategy Select a resource and stick with it

Strategies: Before Reading

Strategies: Before Reading Passage Prediction • Sort key vocabulary words into categories • Predict the content based on the words & categories Sets purpose, creates anticipation, engages students in constructing meaning before & during reading

Strategies: During Reading

Strategies: During Reading Think Aloud • Verbally describes steps used to think & question as we encounter text • Shows how to make sense of text and develop concrete questions about confusion related to concepts in text Develops an inner voice for how to think through unfamiliar text, provides models of how to develop comprehension, shows teacher how students are thinking through content.

Strategies: During Reading Marginalia • Insert written notes, charts, other marks in margin of printed text • Provides record of what the reader is thinking Develops focus during reading & helps remember key ideas, identifies misunderstanding so teachers can effectively reteach

Strategies: After Reading

Strategies: After Reading Somebody Wanted But So (SWBS) • Identifies elements of process text • Provides framework for summaries • Can be developed during entire reading process Creates a record of main information & cause/effect elements that work toward a result, focuses on key information, identifies misunderstanding so teachers can effectively reteach

Strategies: After Reading Somebody Wanted But So (SWBS) Somebody Wanted But So People (concept) involved Goal; motivation; process Conflict Resolution

Strategies: After Reading Vocabulary Rubric • Identifies learning by using language of lesson • Focuses on meaning of words introduced throughout the lesson • Analyzes how well students understand vocabulary Overload on vocabulary creates gaps in understanding; rubric gives student & teacher chance to see which words need re-teaching for comprehensions

Strategies: After Reading Vocabulary Rubric: List content vocabulary under the column that shows self-assessment of knowledge. Clueless Heard of it, I think I know but don’t know it Expert

Assessments Formative • • • Daily Non-Graded Homework Quizzes Ungraded Benchmarks Summative • • • Chapter Unit District Common State Assessments National Assessments

Assessments • Why • What • When

Assessments • Why • To know where students are in their learning path • What • Objectives; Goals; Standards • When • Daily (Formative) • When Students are ready

Assessments Content teacher responsibility is to assess content in ways that reflect WHAT students really know about the content. Must be standards – based Writing is the best way to know what students really know. Content teachers feel anxiety when first presented with this approach Formative assessment: Exit card – students tell in a few sentences what they know about the day’s clear target

The Close Reading Process: Tying a Close Reading Lesson to Writing and Assessment

Reading Practice

Perspective • • • Viewpoint Standpoint The way we see things Outlook Point of view

Perspective • The green moss-filled pond presented itself as we came over the hill. • Read the sentence from the perspective of a swimmer. Would the swimmer be excited? Do you think s/he would want to dive in? Why or Why not? • Read the sentence from the perspective of a fisherman. Would the fisherman be excited? What do you think s/he would be thinking?

The House • How do our backgrounds and ideas influence what we read? • What are some disadvantages if we only read material through our perspective?

The House • Vocabulary that might be troublesome to the reader: • observe • musty • brag • naturalist • peer

The House • Choose a partner and decide who will read as the robber and who will read as the home buyer. • Highlight the information that would be important to that person. • When finished, discuss what you highlighted. • Was the information highlighted different? Was there anything both partners highlighted? What accounts for the similarities and differences?

The House: Assessment • Read several ______about the same event and as a group rewrite the text from a perspective different from the original. • Local editorial articles • Internet articles • Reviews • Textbook sections • Images

Questions

Resources Jan Rozzelle & Carl Scearce. Power Tools for Adolescent Literacy. http: //www. usingenglish. com/amazon/us/1934009350. html Chris Tovani. Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? http: //www. amazon. com/Do-Really-Have-Teach. Reading/dp/1571103767 Mike Schmoker. Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning. http: //www. amazon. com/Focus. Elevating-Essentials-Radically-Leadership/dp/1416611304