Monday, February 2, 2004 – Eighth Class Session

Design Framework:  Cooperative Learning Groups – Base Group and Content Groups

Equipment needed:  Tables session/ upfront chairs/Computer and Projector

Materials needed: Entry poster, Agenda map, Table tents for Content Groups / 1st draft of Block Participation Rubric / PowerPoint for Review of Tovani points and questions raised on Friday / Group worksheet #2 for Tovani book, Log #3 to turn back.

Assumptions about Learners: They are beginning to identify some of their own reading strategies—as well as some of the roadblocks they experience when reading difficult text.  They are beginning to get a sense of which reading strategies might be a match with their content area. 

Agenda:  Test out the 1st draft of Block Participation Rubric; In large group review Access Tools; Consider the Content Area Questions; Break; Spend time in Content Area Groups Charting Appropriate Strategies; Next Steps…

TEACHING & LEARNING STANDARDS:  Arriving at conclusions; Generalizing; Raising Questions; Applying Ideas; Forming Generalizations—The goal is for these entry-level teachers to see the importance of engaging adolescents, helping them gain a sense of  competence, which leads to feelings of confidence, and allows them to gain new meaning.

Timeline:

Looks Like…

Sounds Like…

Multiple intelligences

8:00

Explain plan for the day—Agenda

Provide a visual map with icons of today’s work and purposes behind activity.  (continue with the PowerPoint format)

Thinking Like a Teacher….Part II

Testing Participation Rubric

Review Access Tools

Answer Questions re: Tovani #1

Break

Content Groups Appropriate Strategies

Reporting Out

Next Steps

 

Visual

 

Verbal

 

 

 

8:05

We’ll begin with students in their Base Groups ready to examine their composite Participation Rubric.   Copies of the composite—one per group member—will be in the middle of the tables.  Leslie will call attention to how the rubric was constructed with all groups input. 

 

They will be asked to “test” out the usability of the rubric by having the original process observers talk to the group about how they participated in the first few class sessions. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a wrap-up to this session, they will be asked to think about how the rubric might help them set personal participation goals, as well as give feedback to others.

 

 

 

 

Show Participation Paper overview overhead

Please take a copy of the Composite Participation Rubric that I compiled from your work last class session.  Read this over carefully.  It is important in assessment rubrics that all descriptors or elements are observable behaviors--that it is possible to SEE a person “participating.”

 

Let’s try out the rubric.  In the second class session you convened in your Base Groups to discuss Lowry’s The Giver.  You were given roles to play in your groups—leader, recorder/reporter, and process observers.  Now it is time for the process observers to “shine.”  Take some time—all of you to remember your participation and how the group operated—in the first discussion, the discussion of Lois Lowry as person, your efforts to create Giver Principles.  Do the behaviors on the Participation rubric help you talk about individual and group efforts?  Given how the group first began its work together, what goals could you set for yourselves?  Does the rubric give you some direction, some language to identify participation goals?

 

If you are interested in earning 50 points for Participation, the first one page paper is due on Friday.  Here is an overview of the 50 points for participation.

 

Arriving at

Conclusions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applying Ideas

8:20

After they have discussed their participation process, Leslie will ask them to consider if they could use the rubric for giving feedback to a partner and to set personal goals.  Is there enough here?  Is something missing?

Take one more look at the rubric.  Could you give feedback, guided by the rubric.  Are we missing anything?

 

Talk about this for five minutes and see if you want to add anything.

Applying Ideas

 

Interpersonal

 

Verbal

 

Naturalistic

8:30

Students will move up to the front for a Review of the critical components involved in getting teens to read!

 

PowerPoint presentation – 3 slides

If you looked at the Schedule page for this Unit Two you will find this Michigan Definition of Reading.

 

We are committed to more than reading instruction.  We are concerned about preparing young people to have confidence in themselves as literate citizens.  We claim to be a nation that provides an education for every child.  However, we have far too many who graduate from high school unable to read, write, speak in a formal register, listen effectively for meaning, and represent and interpret information in visual formats.

 

In fact, the growing emphasis on standardized tests as a source of selection for college scholarships, of having an endorsed high school diploma, of a measure of success for both teachers and schools—we need to recognize that one of the major reasons middle and high school students are not successful is because they do not have reading strategies to assist their efforts.  We must help them gain a repertoire of strategies to serve for a lifetime of learning!

 

Let’s review what you read in Monday’s assignment and the meaning you made of it in your content groups.

 

What are the “stumbling blocks” in giving reading assignments?

 

Here are the seven strategies that research confirms lead to effective reading.  Where have you heard these before so far this semester?

 

Let’s review the role of Access Tools as presented by Tovani.  How many of these are in your repertoire?

 

Visual

Verbal

Intrapesonal

Movement

 

 

 

Arriving at Conclusions

8:40

We will consider in large group some of the questions raised by content groups during their first discussion of the Tovani book.

As a group of teachers—Let’s answer some of these questions that come out of the Content groups.

 

**Does moving at a fast pace mean that a students is “good” at what they are doing?

**How do you have enough time to look over a reading once, let alone twice?

**How can we make literacy apply to PE directly?

**How effective is highlighting really?

**How would you approach a student about poor reading?

**How do we undo bad reading habits?

**How can this book relate to scientific teaching?

**What are the schools’ expectancies of math/science teachers to create literate students?

**Will we be able to relate to students who can’t read?

**Some strategies may not work for some students…so do we demand strategies or encourage use?

 

Visual

Verbal

Logical

Interpersonal

 

Raising Questions

8:55

We will show video clips of reading strategies used in secondary schools (ASCD tape) so they can visualize the use of reading strategies that they have been reading about in the Tovani book.  Following the video clips, Scott and Audrey will lead a kinesthetic response to what the students have seen.

 

Students will stand up and go to the category that best fits them.  Once they are their each group will be given a few questions to discuss and report out.  They will then be given 4 categories were they will move to the one that best fits them.  Again they will be given questions to discuss and share. 

To get you kinesthetically moving we are going to do a round-about activity to get you thinking about how you read and ways you read.  I am going to give you 3 different categories and you go to the category that best fits your personal reading style. If you like to read with music or the T.V. on go stand by the chalkboard. If you need pure silence to read go to the west side of the classroom.  If you need to be in a comfortable relaxing environment when you read go to the east side.  Now that you are in your groups briefly discuss why you like to read in this type of environment and the positives and negatives that come from doing this.  Do you learn and benefit from this type of environment?  What didn’t you like about the other categories?  Before we move on would each group briefly explain why they like this type of environment and at least one positive and negative aspect of it?  I am now going to give you 4 more categories to choose from.  Again move into the one that best fits you.  The 1st category is if you are the type of reader who most of the time just skims over the material to find the facts and never really reads please go up by the chalkboard.  2nd if you are a highlighter person who highlights everything you read please go to the east side.  3rd if you take notes, or create an outline of what you have read go to the West side.  4th If you are a person who just does the assigned reading and leaves it at that go to the back of the room.  Know that you have chosen you category briefly discuss why this category works for you along with advantages and disadvantages.  How would this be good for your students?  Each group share why you choose this category an advantage of it. 

Visual

Verbal

Logical

 

9:20

BREAK

 

Movement

9:30

Students will convene in new Content Area groups based on their Major areas.  They will  follow the Reading Circle (Book Study) format #2, and will assemble comprehension strategies on charts for their content area.

 

   

For today you read Chapters 4, 5, and 6 in the Tovani book.  She led you further into thinking about some of the strategies that help teen readers.

 

Use the Reading Circle Worksheet #2 to guide your discussion today.

 

I’d like you to create some roles that you believe will help each one of you participate in more realistic ways.  Of course you need an initiator, you will also need a recorder to give me your session’s report.  You will also need an illustrator.  What else do you need? Someone to clarify language?  To observe process.  Please name the roles on your worksheet and each person accepting that role.  If you led last time, give someone else the chance today.  Same for recorder.

 

Use the guiding questions in the worksheet.  However, today your Content Group needs to produce a product.  You will need to create a chart of reading strategies that would be appropriate in your content.  Name the strategy and note why it would work/be helpful.

 

You will be posting your charts, and reporting out on your conclusions.  You will have 30 minutes for this task.

 

Move to tables

 

Verbal

 

Interpersonal

 

Reflective

 

Intrapersonal

 

 

Making Generalizations

9:55

Content groups will post charts and report out their conclusions.

Leslie will lead them in drawing some connections between the content areas, and the significant differences.

Please post your charts.  Each group share the highlights of your discussion and the conclusions you reached about what would be effective strategies.

 

Now that we have seen and heard which strategies would be helpful, do we see any patterns?  What observations can we make about what teachers need to do to promote literacy?

Drawing

Conclusions

10:15

Next steps.  Clarify the reading for Tovani, chapters 7-9.

Reading Tovani, Chapters 7-8.  Continue to gather strategies—both for yourself and for your future students.  Can you identify when they are best utilized?  Before, during or after reading?

 

If you are doing the Summary of Adolescent Characteristics, you will turn that in on Friday.  The Reading Autobiography assignment has been delayed until Wednesday after break.

 

Participation Paper, Part I is due on Friday, as is Log #4.  There is no Discussion Board this week.

 

Thank you for being patient with me.  The Given and Tovani books are new this semester, and the assignments and workshop activities are new or redesigned so I don’t have a realistic sense of timing on this Unit 2. 

 

Visual

 

Verbal