Integrating Learning, Reading, Writing, and Math Across the Curriculum Develop Competence in Area of Inquiry = 1. deep foundation of factual knowledge, 2. understand ideas in a conceptual framework, 3. organize knowledge for retrieval and application. Internal Dialogue Learning = Dendrite Growth Cognitive Strategies Write to Elaborate To Learn Rules of Consolidation Learning Organize Information Reading Integrating Learning, Reading, Writing, and Math Across the Curriculum Explain to Oneself In all Undergraduate Courses To Learn Student Ability to Use Simple Math Skills Writing Across the Curriculum To Communicate Reading to Learn Math Math Increase Math Content Across the Curriculum Writing Explain to Others To Learn Writing in the Disciplines Student Understanding of Value and Importance Develop Faculty Capacity for Teaching Math in Context Writing to Learn Math Discipline Writing Conventions

Integrated Learning Centers academic support centers should be integrated for “learning, reading and writing to learn Integrated Professional Development Reading, writing, math, academic success

Literacy of College Graduates - Reading “College graduates are reading less and less well. Thirty-nine percent of college freshmen report doing no pleasure reading whatsoever.  Another 20% report reading for pleasure less than an hour a week.  The percentages are almost the same for college seniors.  Among college graduates, only 31% were proficient in reading prose in 2003; in 1992, 40% were proficient in reading prose. Think this is just about people not reading novels and poems anymore?  Think again.  The more people read, the better readers, writers and learners they become; the less they read, the less well they are able to read, write and learn.”  (Turner, 2007)   “Only 31 percent of college graduates can read a complex book and extrapolate from it. That's not saying much for the remainder.” (Rogers 2008)

Literacy of College Graduates - Writing “Virtually every study within and outside the academy acknowledges we are not doing as well as we should. It was recently reported, for example, that only thirty-five percent of recent college graduates passed the National Adult Literacy Exam, a low standard indeed but worse yet, a decline from college graduates ten years ago.” (Hersh, 2006)

Literacy of College Graduates - Math “Less than 50 percent of recent college graduates are proficient in math and reading, according to a report by the American Institutes for Research in Washington, DC.” (2006)   “A survey examined college and university students nearing the end of their degree programs. The students did the worst on matters involving math, according to the study. Almost 20 percent of students pursuing four-year degrees had only basic quantitative skills. For example, the students could not estimate if their car had enough gas to get to the service station. About 30 percent of two-year students had only basic math skills.” (Associated Press, 2006)

Why Does It Matter? Without these literacy skills, information is amassed and knowledge fails to be constructed, greatly reducing the chances of retrieval and application – critical thinking stagnates.   “With lower levels of reading and writing ability, people do less well in the job market. Poor reading skills correlate heavily with lack of employment, lower wages, and fewer opportunities for advancement. And deficient readers are less likely to become active in civic and cultural life, most notably in volunteerism and voting.” (NEA chairman Gioia, 2007) “Unless (soft skills – among them reading, writing and numeracy) are systematically practiced, they will be lost.

Learning Across the SB1 LC Program Curriculum Rules for How the Brain Learns Naturally (1) Dendrites, synapses, and neural networks grow only from what is already there. (To learn new information it must be tied to prior knowledge.) (2) Dendrites, synapses, and neural networks grow for what is actively, personally, and specifically experienced and practiced. (Smilkstein) Rules of Consolidation The First Rule: Deliberately re-expose yourself to the information if you want to retrieve it later. The Second Rule: Deliberately re-expose yourself to the information more elaborately if you want the retrieval to be of higher quality. The Third Rule: Deliberately re-expose yourself to the information more elaborately, and in fixed intervals, if you want the retrieval to be the most vivid it can be.

Learning Across the SB1 LC Program Curriculum Competence in an area of inquiry The larger conceptual framework for across the curriculum activities is developing competence in an area of inquiry.   1: builds foundation of factual knowledge 2: understand facts and ideas in context of a conceptual framework 3: organize in ways that facilitate retrieval and application

Writing to Learn Across the SB! LC Program Curriculum Writing to Learn: in order to explain the matter to oneself. Writing to Communicate: in order to express the matter to others. Impossible to explain the matter to others before the student has explained it to herself. Course assignments generally focus on writing to communicate, rather than on writing to learn. This focus too often fails to consider the intermediate stages of learning as it is product oriented. Writing to Learn: Writing to learn activities are among the most powerful elaboration strategies. First a note on some boundaries for writing to learn: “Writing to learn emphasizes what is said (new ideas and concepts) rather than how it is said (correct spelling, grammar, and usage). Often, less structured and more informal writing to learn can take forms such as journals, summaries, responses to oral or written questions, free writing, and notes.” (Literacy Matters).

Writing to Learn Across the SB! LC Program Curriculum When students write reactions to information received in class or in reading, they often comprehend and retain the information better. Writing can also help students work through confusing new ideas and apply what they learn to their own lives and interests. Also, because students write more frequently, they become more comfortable with writing and are able to maintain or even improve upon their writing skills.

Reading to Learn Across the SB1 LC Program Curriculum Making Thinking Visible – Thinking about Thinking Internal Dialogue Questions: 1. What do I already know? 2. Are there examples in the book and do I know any examples of the concept being considered? 3. How is what I am reading like or different than what I already know? 4. Can I predict where this is going? 5. How has the author organized the information in this reading selection and how does it relate to prior readings? Use Elaboration Strategies Writing to Learn Reciting Changing the form of the information

Academic Success Across the SB1 LC Program Curriculum Time Management Study Strategies Test-Taking Note-Taking

Math Across the SB1 LC Program Curriculum   Math: Conceptual Framework Concept: Increase math content across the curriculum. Concept: Develop faculty capacity for teaching mathematics in context. Concept: Improve students' understanding of the value and importance of math. Concept: Improve students' ability to use simple mathematical skills to solve real problems.

Math Across the SB1 LC Program Curriculum How do students use math in our disciplines? GPA (averages) Grades Measure the hardness of rocks

MATH What can reading do to help math students learn math? What can writing do to help math students learn math? What can Academic success do to help math students learn math?   How can math use writing to help math students learn math? How can math use reading to help math students learn math? READING How can reading use writing to help students learn what they have read? How can academic success reinforce the cognitive strategies and habits of mind being learned in the reading course? How can math reinforce the habits of mind and cognitive strategies and habits of mind being learned in the reading course? WRITING How can writing use the reading to learn cognitive strategies and habits of mind when reading for writing assignments? How can writing reinforce use academic success content to reinforce habits of mind necessary to organize their studying?