CHRISTY GABBARD DR. MARISA RAMIREZ STUKEY Transforming Practice through Building Knowledge and Collaborative Conversations

Addressing the Common Core Instructional Shifts Responding to teachers saying “we already do all of this” Responding to the need for educators to understand the shifts at a deep level Developing the professional learning for K-12 teachers Opening up to other districts to learn alongside

What we know about powerful professional learning Essential Elements  Content Focus  Active Learning  Coherence  Collective Participation  Duration  Conceptual Inputs

Transforming Practice & Essential Elements Essential Elements of Professional Learning Transforming Practice Content FocusEnglish/Language Arts Instructional Shifts Active LearningImmersion in the kinds of instructional activities asked of the students CoherenceClear alignment between this particular initiative and state/district goals Collective ParticipationPKY – Other districts sent a team and an instructional leader DurationInitiating Event – 1 week Follow Up Support Conceptual InputsArticles, Original Text, Video

English/Language Arts Instructional Shifts Instructional Shifts are a vehicle to spark changes in teaching which lead to changes in learning.

Instructional Activities Close Reading  What it is and What it isn’t  Analyze a Close Reading Lesson Engagement with Complex Text  Write and Evaluate Text Dependent Questions  Reconsider Comprehension Strategy Instruction Analysis of Text Complexity  Quantitative and Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity  Application of Text Complexity within Adult Texts Immediate application to instructional context  Write Text Dependent Questions for a text used in your course  Consider and choose specific texts for close reading

Reconsidering Common Practice More instructional time spent outside the text means less time inside the text. Departing from the text in classroom discussion privileges only those who already have experience with the topic. It is easier to talk about our experiences than to analyze the text—especially for students reluctant to engage with reading.

Analyzing a Close Reading Lesson Student Work Analysis – What do you notice? – What do the students understand? – What questions do you have about the work? – Whip & Cross Off

Analyzing a Close Reading Lesson Lesson Plan Analysis – How do the students work samples address the goals of the lesson? – What lingering questions do you have? – Whip & Cross Off Video Analysis – Watch the video of the lesson with your lingering questions in mind. Video

Debrief and Apply Get into a small group with the following grade bands: – K-3, 4-7, 8-12 Choose a text for a close read (from your curriculum) With your group, explain: – Why did you choose this text? – What would you expect the students to gain from the close read?

Alignment Many professional learning opportunities regarding “what” the standards say Need for opportunities to increase depth of understanding Need for opportunities for “how” to change practice Clear focus led to specific learning goals Reflection on each goal within each day

Groups/Teams Essential to the learning Accountability and support

Initiating Events & Follow Up Week long institute – considered an “initiating event” Continued support through  Unit/lesson plans  Just in time coaching  Common instructional language  Another event for all participants to come together to problem solve & support each other Blended learning module for others

Articles, Texts, Video High quality professional readings Creative use of the appendices of Common Core  Including the full texts of the research cited in the CCSS appendices Video illustrations of lessons, strategies discussed Student work samples to accompany video lessons Other professional learning resources   

Engagement With Complex Text and its Academic Language: Why? Gap between complexity of college and high school texts is huge. What students can read, in terms of complexity is the greatest predictor of success in college (ACT study). Too many students are reading at too low a level. (<50% of graduates can read sufficiently complex texts). Standards include a staircase of increasing text complexity from elementary through high school. Standards also focus on building general academic vocabulary so critical to comprehension. 17

Engagement with Complex Text and Academic Vocabulary Reading Independently – “A Wealth of Words” E.D. Hirsch, Jr. After Reading: 4 A’s Discussion Protocol

Participant Feedback This changed my view on the shifts. It really helped me have a clearer understanding of what they are and how it will change my way of teaching. I need to allow my students to actually do the “work” of reading. I really need more time to collaborate with other teachers to ensure the instructional practices are being implemented in more than one class. This has really caused me to reevaluate my role in the classroom. I’ve been the one really doing the work. I now really know what kinds of things to look closely at when observing teachers. Is the text *really* complex? Are the students engaged with the text? Are the students reading and writing based on Text Dependent Questions?

Next Steps Planned Research in Action Day Saturday Series: All participants coming together to review and reflect Blended Learning Option

Contact Information Christy Gabbard – Program Development and Outreach Specialist  Dr. Marisa Ramirez Stukey – Program Development and Outreach Specialist 