Digital Literacies: Engaging Readers Who Struggle Dr. Hiller A. Spires, Shea Kerkhoff, Marie Himes, & Chang Yuan North Carolina State University March 13, 2016

Getting to Know You Introduce yourself Share a specific challenge you have with a reader who struggles

Reading for Understanding (Rand Report, 2002) See http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1465/MR1465.execsum.pdf

Who Are the Readers Who Struggle Who Are the Readers Who Struggle? What Does it Mean to Struggle with Reading?

NAEP 8th Grade Mean Reading Scores Year National Average State Average Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch Not Eligible Gap 2015 264 261 249 277 28 2013 266 265 253 278 25 Year National Average State Average African American Latino White 2015 264 261 243 252 271 2013 266 265 251 258 273

NAEP 4th Grade Mean Reading Scores Year National Average State Average Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch Not Eligible Gap 2015 226 215 242 27 2013 221 222 211 237 26 Year National Average State Average African American Latino White 2015 226 229 235 236 2013 221 222 210 232

In order for struggling readers to become more proficient, they must READ! Studies show 1 to 30 minutes of reading per day for struggling readers. Instead of reading, struggling readers are waiting for a round robin turn, or doing worksheets, doing test prep or doing decoding drills. Successful interventions have struggling readers engaged in reading 2/3 of intervention period. Studies show 1 to 30 minutes of reading per day for struggling readers. Instead of reading, struggling readers are waiting for a round robin turn, --or doing worksheets, doing test prep or doing decoding drills Successful interventions have struggling readers engaged in reading 2/3 of intervention period or

Accessing Students’ Funds of Knowledge Readers Who Struggle “There is now considerable evidence, from recent intervention studies, that reading difficulties in most beginning readers may not be caused by biologically based cognitive deficits intrinsic to the child, but may in fact be related to the opportunities provided for children learning to read.” p. 378 Accessing Students’ Funds of Knowledge Vellutino, F. R., & Fletcher, J. M. (2005). Developmental dyslexia. In M. S. C. Hulme (Ed.), The science of reading: A handbook (pp 362-378). Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Readers Who Struggle Need Books (Print or Digital) to Read! “Unfortunately, putting good books in front of our students has not been the focus in many of our nation’s schools.” Kelly Gallagher (2009). Readicide: How schools are killing reading and what you can do about it. Stenhouse Publishers.

Richard Allington: What Really Matters Matching Reader and Text Level Building Background Knowledge Dramatically Expanding Reading Activity Using Very Small Groups or Tutoring Coordinating Intervention with Core Classroom Delivering Intervention by Expert Teacher Focusing Instruction on Metacognition & Meaning Using Texts That Are Interesting to Students Bridging Home and School Allington, R. (2009). What Really Matters in Response to Intervention. Allyn Bacon.

Shea N. Kerkhoff NCSU snkerkho@ncsu.edu

Locating and Consuming Digital Literacies Locating and Consuming Digital-Content Critical Evaluation Critical Evaluation Communicating Digital Content Creating Digital Content Critical Evaluation

The Myth of the Digital Native

4 Digital Divides Access Class Time Teacher Knowledge Achievement Gap https://youtu.be/3DzvGl_icqs

1. Access Digital Divide in NC Results revealed that the proportion of households in North Carolina that subscribe to Internet increased rapidly from 36 percent to 80 percent between 1999 and 2010, but has remained relatively constant since. Critically, this disparity has increased by 53 percent since 1999. Compounded by rural and female households.

Less time on computers with students from low incomes 2. Classroom Time Less time on computers with students from low incomes 3. Teacher Knowledge High-stakes test scores correlation with income Low scores may mean more time in PD on testing (Leu et al. 2015) According to the Pew Research Center, 38% of low income homes (<30,000) do not use the internet contrasted with 3% of high income homes (cited in Leu et al., 2015). In addition, it is widely known that income and standardized test scores are positively correlated. Leu et al. (2015) found that teachers spent less time on computers with students from low income backgrounds in order to prepare students for paper tests. Teachers in schools that focus on high stakes test scores may not have the professional development on using technology in the classroom that they need. Compounding the problem, many teachers in the classroom today were trained in the 20th century with 20st century technology (Andreotti, 2010).

4. Achievement Gap Separate achievement gap by income beyond traditional reading achievement gap Separate component to online research and comprehension (a.k.a. online inquiry reading) Not in State Standards and therefore not in high-stakes tests Supporting students acquisition of online research and comprehension skills is matter of equal opportunity (Leu et al. 2015)

What Can We Do? Work in Pairs Teach Last First Bridge Home and School Literacies Tap into Motivation Research

Teach Last First I do We do You do When introducing new digital tools When communicating your norms and expectations for groups

Bridging Home and School Literacy While your students may be “digital natives” the digital literacies that they use at home may be different than the ones you are asking them to use at school. You can use those that they use at home as a bridge to using technology to learn. Inquiry Reading

Motivation to Read Growth Mindset Utilitarian Curiosity Social Mastery not Performance is motivating Belief that one can succeed Utilitarian Learn a procedure Meet goal of one’s job or future job Improve vocabulary Curiosity Social Parents or peers value reading Allows one to talk with peers (Schiefele et al., 2012) Intrinsic motivation

Why use inquiry-based learning models with students labeled as struggling readers? Inquiry is not without its critics, need structured scaffolds – particularly with struggling readers

Inquiry-based Learning and Struggling Readers Motivation and Engagement Choice Purposeful/Authentic Learning Building Background Knowledge and Skills Teacher Scaffolds/Guidance Knowledge Creation Iterative Design Differentiation Collaboration Literacy as Social Practice

What is Project-Based Inquiry? Begin with the end in mind: Show a digital product from BRS/CCMMS PBI from Spring 2015 (Hiller’s group) See what they were able to create; how the phases of the inquiry process are embedded in product

Building Background Knowledge and Skills What do students need to know and be able to do before engaging in PBI? How will you teach this? Example from CCMMS and BRS Spring 2015 Four Short Stories "Thank You Ma'm" (Langston Hughes) "The White Umbrella" (Gish Jen) "Everyday Use" (Alice Walker) “Kong Yi Ji” (Lu Xun) Student Interactions with Texts Discussed prior knowledge of American and Chinese cultures through . Conducted close readings of American short stories with reflection and discussion taking place on . Posted character analyses of Kong Yi Ji on and discussed via .

The PBI Process Step 1: Ask a Compelling a Question Step 2: Gather and Analyze Sources Step 3: Creatively Synthesize Claims and Evidence Step 4: Critically Evaluate and Revise Step 5: Share, Publish, and Act Description; Scaffolding Techniques; and Challenges for each step in the PBI-Global Process

References Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing: A revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives. Complete edition, New York : Longman. Fang, Z. (1995). Chinese short stories of the twentieth century: An anthology in English. New York, NY: Garland Publishing, Inc. Leu, D. J., Forzani, E., Rhoads, C., Maykel, C., Kennedy, C., & Timbrell, N. (2015). The new literacies of online research and comprehension: Rethinking the reading achievement gap. Reading Research Quarterly, 50(1), 37-59. Schiefele, U., Schaffner, E., Möller, J., & Wigfield, A. (2012). Dimensions of reading motivation and their relation to reading behavior and competence. Reading Research Quarterly, 47(4), 427-463. Spires, H., Hervey, L., Morris, G., & Stelpflug, C. (2012). Energizing project-based inquiry: Middle grade students read, write, and create videos. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 55(6), 483-493. Spires, H., Kerkhoff, S., Graham, A., & Lee, J. (2014). Model for Inquiry-Based Disciplinary Literacy. Disciplinary Literacy for Deeper Learning MOOC-Ed. Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. Raleigh, NC: NC State University. Spires, H., Wiebe, E., Young, C., Hollebrands, K., & Lee, J. (2009). Toward a new learning ecology: Teaching and learning in 1:1 learning environments. Friday Institute White Paper Series. NC State University: Raleigh, NC.