1 Communication Skills: Connecting Personally Literacy Learning: A Search for Coherence Sheridan College April 27, 2005

2 UNESCO Statement: Literacy Literacy is about more than reading and writing – it is about how we communicate in society. It is about social practices and relationships, about knowledge, language and culture. Those who use literacy take it for granted – but those who cannot use it are excluded from much communication in today’s world. Indeed it is the excluded who can best appreciate the notion of “literacy as freedom”

3 Benefits of Literacy “Literacy is both an individual and a social benefit, affecting economic, educational, social and health outcomes for individuals and for society as a whole. Higher literacy levels are related to higher earnings, higher employment levels, reduced reliance on social welfare, better health, greater participation in cultural and political life, lifelong access to learning and reduced crime rates.” Canadian Education Association Policy Brief The Promise and Problem of Literacy for Canada, 2004

4 Ministry Direction Literacy/Numeracy Focus –A moral imperative –An matter of Equity Evidence/Research based practice Partnership/communication/transparency

5 Literacy: What do we know? Where do we go? Large Scale Assessments Research Expert Panel Reports and support materials Recent curriculum documents Sustaining Quality Curriculum –Research report, benchmarking report, technical analysis, focus groups, consultations

6 Keys to Literacy Learning? Core beliefs: a sense of mission Quality Instruction Quality Assessment Student engagement –Self regulation –Higher level thinking Professional Development Leadership Learning Communities

7 Core Beliefs for Literacy Learning? All students can become literate learners Oral skills are foundational Literacy learning is a meaning making process embedded across the curriculum Teaching is key to student success Instructional and Assessment strategies should be based on evidence/research Literacy Learning is a communal project

8 Quality Instruction? Clarifies the purpose for learning Activates prior knowledge Respects student strengths (cultural/gender affirmation) Scaffolds learning Differentiates instruction Explicitly teaches/models “learning strategies” Use flexible groupings Integrates literacy learning across subject areas

9 Quality Assessment? Focuses on improving student learning Provides clear consistent criteria and models Identifies student strengths/weaknesses and next steps Provides frequent, targeted and ongoing feedback Provides multiple and varied opportunities to practice and demonstrate knowledge and skills and receive feedback before evaluation Informs teaching, learning and school planning Becomes a collaborative school goal with common assessment practices and ongoing professional learning

10 Student Engagement Self regulation –Intrinsic Motivation/Attitude/Habits of Mind –Cognitive Learning Strategies –Metacognition Higher level thinking –Critical/Creative Thinking –Critical Literacy

11 Student Engagement High positive student attitude toward reading (PISA) Positive self concept about reading (PISA) Reading enjoyment (PISA) Reading diversity (PISA) Time spent reading (PISA) High career expectations (PISA) Highly engaged students from low SES homes achieve better than students from high SES homes who are poorly engaged (PISA 2000)

12 Motivation/ Attitude/Habits of Mind Motivation embraces: effort, self-efficacy, interest, locus of control, self-esteem, goal orientation, learning disposition REEL Positive attitudes and perceptions about the classroom and learning have a powerful impact on student performance (PISA findings)

13 Motivation/Attitude/ Habits of Mind? A disposition to behaving intelligently when confronted with problems; recognizing, choosing and applying an appropriate pattern of intellectual patterns to a perceived problem –Persisting; Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision; Managing impulsivity; Gathering data through all the senses; Listening with understanding and empathy; Creating imagining,innovating; Thinking flexibly, Responding with wonderment and awe; Metacognition; Taking responsible risks; Striving for accuracy; Finding humor; Questioning and posing problems; Thinking interdependently; Applying past knowledge to new situations; Remaining open to continuous learning Costa/Kallick

14 Cognitive Learning Strategies For example - Reading Strategies (pre, during and post) Determine purpose for reading Activate prior knowledge Preview text (using text features) Use cueing strategies: semantic, syntactic, graphophonic, pragmatic

15 Cognitive Learning Strategies Reading Strategies (cont.) Use comprehension strategies: Predict, reread, summarize, ask questions, visualize, recognize implied ideas Respond to text: analyse, synthesize, use graphic organizers Extend meaning (make connections beyond text): connect to self, world, other texts, other ideas Critically evaluate meaning/messaging

16 Metacognition The ability to be conscious of and, to some degree, control one’s own thinking; the ability to know and apply appropriate thinking/literacy strategies when needed Literate students plan and monitor their literacy/thinking strategies at a metacognitive level At risk students need explicit instruction, modelling, practice and support to master these strategies

17 Higher Level Thinking? Critical/Creative thinking Reason (inductively and deductively), compare, contrast, analyse, synthesize, abstract, evaluate Question and pose problems Apply past knowledge to new situations Think flexibly; maintain an open mind Think interdependently Think outside the box: create, imagine, innovate

18 Higher Level Thinking? Critical Literacy A process of looking beyond the literal meaning of texts to observe what is present and what is missing, in order to analyse and evaluate the meaning and the author’s intent Goes beyond critical thinking because it focuses on issues related to fairness, equity and social justice Questions a critically literate reader would ask: –What view of the world does the text advance? –Is this view acceptable?

19 Leadership Leadership is a shared responsibility – “distributed leadership” Classroom teachers, specialist teachers, school teams and school and board administrators all have leadership opportunities to support literacy instruction and learning Shared leadership builds commitment and capacity for implementation

20 Learning Communities? Collaborative learning partnerships that include: students, teachers, principals, board literacy experts, student success leaders, superintendents, directors, family and community are important to support literacy learning for all students

21 Learning Communities? Effective learning communities promote: High expectations for all students Learning teams - partnership A collegial approach - cross grade/discipline collaboration Ongoing monitoring and analysis of learning (at grade, division, school and district levels) Effective data management –Gathering data, identifying areas for improvement, establishing realistic, specific goals

22 Learning Communities? Effective learning communities continually monitor key components of success: Culture and vision Shared leadership Instructional and assessment practice Professional learning Targeted resources Needs of at-risk students Family and community engagement

23 Where Do We Go? Connecting Personally Recognition that we are one educational community from Grade one, through college/university. We need to share our strategies and best practices for dealing with educational challenges across discipline areas and across panels. We need to understand the “educational” vocabulary used in the different panels. We need to use our classrooms as research laboratories to verify successful practice.

24 Where Do We Go? Close the gap –(equity) Feed the hearts –(relationship/engagement) Expand the minds –(strategy instruction /metacognition)

25 Appendices

26 Research Websites Stats Can: Education matters tno= XIE REEL (Research Evidence in Education Library) eel/reviews.htm eel/reviews.htm (This site includes the research paper on sentence combining referenced in the presentation.)

27 Research Websites Helping Students Self-Regulate in Math and Science Courses: Improving the Will and the Skill (this article looks at self regulation, motivation and learning strategies from a college perspective; it’s a good primer for terminology and strategy on these topics for all teachersfor all teachers) Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy (this report identifies fifteen elements for improving literacy)

28 Research Websites Smart Brief: (this is the website that allows you to sign up for a free daily collection of educational articles and reviews; it often provides connections to other sites of interest)