Literacy Session: Teaching
Reading – My Job
Presenter: Lorrie
Morales – she has
taught for over 30 years and has recently "retired". Most of her
experience has been with middle school, high school and adult learning in
Humanities and Literacy. She has been on numerous committees such as
Professional Development, school lead teams, and has attended and presented at
multiple Professional Development workshops, conferences and sessions. Lorrie
was previously on the executive for the Middle Years Council of
Alberta and is presently serving as an Associate Instructor and a Designer
of Professional Learning.
"The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don't tell you what to see."
Alexandra K. Tenfor
On January 19, 2017, Lorrie Morales, a teacher in the field of Humanities and Literacy shared her expertise in a literacy workshop called Teaching Reading – That’s My Job!
Lorries’s presentation covered cross-curricular and Universal Design of Learning (UDL) strategies for teachers to use in classrooms. She covered questions like, “how do we apply multiple literacies in all subject areas?” In the past, reading was taught (and in some cases still is) as a fragment skill; when in fact, it should be taught across all subject areas. Reading is essential for students in order to problem solve, manage information, communicate, analyze, and criticize. These are skills required in all subject areas.
Based on the book, Visible Learning for Literacy – Implementing Practices that Work Best to Accelerate Student Learning, teachers must intentionally design classroom experiences at three levels: the surface, deep and transfer. Here are some practical strategies you can start using in your classrooms today in order to enhance skills at each level:
The Role of Literacy Across the Content Areas
Surface: introducing new knowledge by building on knowledge students already have.
Strategies:
1.
Introducing a new concept: have your students
relate that concept to something they are already familiar with. When
introducing your students to new vocabulary, use the new vocabulary words
in your classroom and encourage teachers of other subject areas to use the
vocabulary word in their classrooms so students have multiple exposure to the
word. This promotes higher order thinking and learning because learning becomes
more relevant and meaningful to their own lives. For more strategies like this
visit http://wordgen.serpmedia.org/
2. Summarizing: there are
multiple ways for students to determine essential ideas and consolidate
important details to support them. Have students highlight or circle key words
in an article that they feel are important, next have them identify their top
10 words and write each one down on 10 index cards. Have them partner up with
someone else to compare/contrast the words identified. They will sort
through the index cards and between the two of them, choose their NEW 10 words
(10 cards). Finally use those words in a few sentences to summarize the
article. For more strategies like this visit http://www.readingquest.org/strat/
3. Feedback – provide timely
feedback during class or short quizzes, specific questions from the unit,
understandable to learner with a rubric and actionable feedback so students can
take next steps to improve or they can for instance, revise and resubmit. Here
is an interactive website designed to serve as a supplemental reading program
for students in grades 1 through 12. The website provides a wide variety of
reading comprehension exercises and follow-up essay options for writing
practice. The website assesses student level and presents best-fit material
appropriate for their performance. www.readtheory.org
4. Student engagement: Get students
engaged before they read. Hook students in by introducing icebreakers or begin
your class with a hook.
Teachers need to encourage learners to plan, investigate and elaborate on their learning – not just relying on surface thinking.
Strategies:
1. Word in mind maps: using
visuals and notes to synthesize the information on one page
2. Discussion and questioning:
small group discussions
3. Cloze reading: repeat
reading by reading with a partner and aloud as a class, encourage interactive
note taking by annotating text using sticky notes or visuals, self-questioning
to deepen understanding of the text, discuss content that is being read with
partners. Visit this website for self-questions examples and more information:
Information: http://prel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/QuestionGen_lo_res.pdf question generator - https://umich.instructure.com/courses/824/modules/items/79077 Strategies: http://www.ldonline.org/article/61887/
4. Reciprocal Reading: have
students clarify, summarize, and predict by using strategies that promote
questions, making connections, visualizing, evaluating, and synthesizing. For
strategies visit: http://reading.ecb.org/teacher/resources.html
5. Feedback: Have teachers
assess the following questions: Where am I going? What are my goals? How am I
going there? What progress have I made toward the goal? Where to next?
Learning can be transferred if paired closely with a learned situation (recognition of word in a paragraph).
1. Organization: new knowledge
is draped into existing form. Can use metaphors or analogies with students. Use
of metaphors: http://www.fpce.up.pt/ciie/sites/default/files/IOJES_1041.pdf
2. Relevant: How is the topic
relevant to other areas? Example Topic RENAISSANCE make the connections to
other subjects: Science – body systems, inventions, medicine; Math – Pythagorean
Theory, Architecture; Social – research, geography and trade; Language
Arts/English – biographies, Shakespeare. You can incorporate core subjects one
step further by asking teachers from those subject areas to introduce the topic
in their classes. This cross-curricular technique may/may not work for all
institutions.
3. Problem Solving:
investigate the issue and craft an argument that supports the viewpoint
(debate)
4. Projects: Designing
projects incorporating questions that pertain to connecting and synthesizing
content
Learn more about Visible Learning for Literacy based on John Hattie's books Visible Learning (2009) and Visible Learning for Teachers (2012)
Many of the strategies mentioned above that fall into the
framework of Universal Design for Learning and teaching. There is a wealth of research evidence to
support UDL. There are numerous
articles that explain how to implement
UDL and there are many learning tools for UDL.
Implementing UDL with classes might look overwhelming and seem like a lot of
extra work; but it can be as simple as changing the activities you are using to
supplement classroom lectures or content. These strategies can be as simple as
the ones highlighted by Lorrie Morale in her presentation.
Lorrie Morales will be doing two sessions this spring (April) - Coaching VS Mentoring (based on Dr. Jim Knight and Laura Lipton' research and strategies); as well as Differences or Disabilities - strategies. I am also hoping to do a session based on Kelly Gallagher - Reading and Writing in "Real Life" - but that may have to wait until the fall.
Vicky Minhas BA, B.Ed, MC
Lead Instructor: Literacy, Disabilities and Research CEFL
