Solidify Content Knowledge Using Strategies for Summarizing and Writing to Learn 1

Expected Outcomes Participants can and do: Understand how practicing reading strategies in content areas can solidify and enhance learning. Understand how to teach students to use the summarization strategy. 2

Lexile Text Measures HS LitCollege LitHS TextCollege Text MilitaryPersona l Entry Lvl Job ACT, SAT, AP

Lexile Text Measures HS LitCollege LitHS Text College Text MilitaryPersona l Entry Lvl Job ACT, SAT, AP

7 th : 950L th : 1000L-1100L 9 th : 1030L-1120L 10 th : 1100L-1200L 11 th : 1120L-1210L 12 th : 1210L-1300L 5

Startling Fact The reading level of documents, technical manuals, and other materials required by entry level positions in most fields far exceed the reading level of many students. - Meeting the Challenge of Adolescent Literacy, Judith Irvin, et al 6

Startling Fact Between 1996 and 2006, the average literacy skills/expectations required for all occupations rose by 14%. Both dropouts and high school graduates “are demonstrating significantly worse reading skills than they did ten years ago.” - Alliance for Excellent Education 7

Startling Fact The American College of Testing found only 51% of U. S. college bound students having developed the ability to read the complex texts central to college learning and the workplace. ACT,

2009 NAEP “Nation’s Report Card” 8 th grade students consistently show the same pattern…a majority of students achieve the basic level of reading skills – about an average of 75%. In Arkansas 74% of our students were at the basic level. 9

Proficient Reading Level Eighth-grade students performing at the Proficient Level should be able to: Provide relevant information Summarize main ideas and themes Make and support inferences about a text Connect parts of a text Analyze text features Fully substantiate judgments about content and presentation of content 10

Eighth-grade students performing at the Basic Level should be able to: Locate information Identify main ideas/themes Make simple inferences Interpret word meaning Analyze text features State judgments with support Basic Reading Level 11

How did this happen? Ineffective Reading Practices: Skimming for answers – assignment that requires locating literal information rather than deeper comprehension Surface processing – Not thinking about what the author is trying to communicate. Reading and forgetting – the information is not internalized and rapidly forgotten Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Doug Buehl 12

Alli and Ms. Boomer 1.Why should content teachers teach comprehension strategies? 2.What is included in effective comprehension instruction? As you view this, ask yourself: 13

What does this mean for my content? 14

Common Core State Standards 15

Looks Like LESS Teacher lecture Whole group Assigned seat work with little opportunity to practice new learning MORE Think a-louds, modeling, students processing information actively Short whole group time and small group time to process info Opportunities for practice, discussion in pairs/small groups before assigning seat work 16

Explicit Instruction Deepen understanding of content Model Provide guided practice with feedback Provide supported, independent practice with feedback 17

Metacognition Debrief any new strategy by discussing how using this helped with comprehension of the text. 18

Where do I begin? Determine what students need to know and be able to do. – What key concepts are to be learned? – What will students be expected to read, discuss, write, and present? Determine tools to use for learning. 19

20 CLONING A Brief History Line

Summary on Summarizing Determine importance Delete unimportant information Condense information Categorize terms into specific groups Transform condensed information into writing 21 -Marzano cites summarizing as one of the nine most effective instructional strategies in the history of education.

Summarizing Is not: – Retelling – Long – Full of a lot of interesting details Is: – Process of identifying salient information – Concise and specific – Reinforcing and consolidating the many processes involved in learning from text 22

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Summarization Model Lesson 25

Animal Clones: Double Trouble? Read Handout – While Reading: Stop after each section Highlight what you think is key to understanding the text Write a few words about the most important information 26

27 1. Separate sections 2. Underline notable text 3. Annotate to side 4. Condensed to words

After Reading: Share with neighbor what you highlighted/annotated. Add to key points or delete information after discussion. Write a summary in 15–25 words using the key points. 28

Prerequisite Skills Determine importance Delete unimportant information Condense information Categorize terms into specific groups Transform condensed information into writing 29

GIST Gist is a strategy used to determine the main idea of a text in as few words as possible. Tools for Teaching Content Literacy, Janet Allen 30

Possible Framework Set objective/relevance minutes Hook – video clip, article, question, picture – 5 minutes Mini – lecture (Content based) – 8-10 minutes Focused Reading Assignment – 10 – 12 minutes Writing Task modeled and assigned – 5 minutes Students work on assignment – minutes Wrap-up learning – 3-5 minutes 31

Design a Lesson 32

Jaywalking 33

Writing To Learn (WTL) 5-8 Science 34

“If students are to make knowledge their own, they must struggle with the details, wrestle with the facts, and rework raw information and dimly understood concepts into language they can communicate to someone else. In short, if students are to learn, they must write.” -Vartan Gregorian President, Carnegie Corporation 35

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Expected Outcomes Participants can and do: Model and Use Writing to Learn as a tool of thinking and reflection Use Writing to Learn to increase student engagement and learning 37

Writing To Learn Short Spontaneous Exploratory Informal Personal One draft Unedited Ungraded Formal Writing Substantial Planned Authoritative Conventional Audience centered Drafted Edited Assessable Content-Area Writing, Harvey Daniels, et al 38

Writing To Learn Can: activate thinking help us collect and synthesize thoughts help us to sort ideas help us notice and hold on to our thinking help us make connections enhance discussions help us set, assess, and evaluate learning goals 39

Writing To Learn is NOT: Copying notes from the teacher Answering questions at the end of the chapter Content-Area Writing, Harvey Daniels, et al 40

Transcription & Copying IS NOT Thinking 10% of what we read 20% of what we hear 30% of what we see 50 % of what we see/hear 60% of what we write 70% of what we discuss 80 % of what we experience 95% of what we teach Adapted, Content-Area Writing, Harvey Daniels, et al 41 We learn….

Writing Break Procedure Students stop and reflect in writing on the activities or information being presented. Quick sharing with partners or whole class follows this writing. Duration: 2 minutes Writing Breaks can consist of words, phrases, questions, confusions, connections, distractions, etc. Content-Area Writing, Harvey Daniels, et al 42

Writing Break Benefits: Allows students time to process content; Deepens thinking Engages students Enhances discussions Writing/talking moves the learning rate to 70-90% range Aids in learning early misconceptions or 43

Gradual Release of Responsibility: Teacher I Do—You Watch I Do—You Help You Do— I Help You Do— I Watch Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Doug Buehl 44

Gradual Release of Responsibility: Student You Do— I Watch You Do—I Help I Do—You Help I Do—You Watch Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Doug Buehl 45

Gradual Release of Responsibility BENEFITS -Less lecture -Higher student engagement -Students are responsible for their learning -Conducive to using cooperative learning groups Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Doug Buehl 46

Minute Paper Significant Points Unanswered Questions WOW’s for Application 47

If students are not questioning, they are NOT comprehending. 48

In 2003, nearly 8,000 straight-A, 4.0 GPA students were denied admission into UCLA. Reading Reasons, Kelly Gallagher 49

The PROCESS is more valuable than the OUTCOME. Writing to Learn: Strategies for Assigning and Responding to Writing Across the Disciplines, Sorcinelli, et al 50

Consider this Poor writing skills cost businesses $3.1 billion annually Only one out of four twelfth- grade students is a proficient writer Writing to Read 51

Did you know… Low education is a significant factor for Alzheimer’s disease and all other forms of dementia. Reading habits between the ages of 6-18 appear to be crucial predictors of cognitive function decades later. Reading Reasons, Kelly Gallagher 52

Common Core State Standards Designed to “Complement and Enhance” the content Designed to help students become “college and career ready” 53

Design a Lesson 54

Assigning Grades Not graded for grammar or spelling Writing to Learn instead of Learning to Write Participation Content-Area Writing, Harvey Daniels et al 55

It is writing to learn NOT learning to write. In short, WTL is a free, loosely structured writing with few rules and no penalties. Content-Area Writing, Harvey Daniels et al 56 Writing To Learn

What is the message of this clip as it relates to teachers and teaching? 57

Exit Slip Can use index cards Spend 1-5 minutes at the end of class Offer students 1 prompt or several options Diagnostic Categorize/Deal the cards out in stacks to address the next day Content-Area Writing, Harvey Daniels, et al 58

What you can do now? 59

Our Gift to Students Helping them become strong readers, proficient writers, and critical thinkers In helping them develop, we give students options. Reading Reasons, Kelly Gallagher 60

References: Content-Area Writing, H. Daniels, S. Zemelman, N. Steineke, Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Doug Buehl, Reading Reasons, Kelly Gallagher, Writing to Read Writing to Learn: Strategies for Assigning and Responding to Writing Across the Disciplines, M. Sorcinelli, P. Elbow,