1. Strategies for College Reading and Success Angela Henderson Stephanie Piazza Rosalinda Ruiz

2. Struggling readers 49% of incoming college freshmen in the U.S. are reading below the college level. In the Fall 2009, approximately 80% of newly enrolled FC freshmen placed into a developmental reading course. In the Spring 2010, approximately 69% of newly enrolled FC freshmen placed into a developmental reading course.

3. Additional Facts “A large number of colleges simply assume that a passing grade in a general education course implicitly equates to a reading competency,” based on an Academic Senate survey (as cited in Fulks, 2010). Fulks also notes that, based on national research, “many students graduate with only basic reading skills after an entire general education program.”

4. How challenging are the texts we assign? The average readability level of a FC textbook is grade 15.

5. Struggling readers Imagine that you are 18, a freshman in college, and you read at the 6 th grade level. ◦ Now, imagine reading your assigned text. What challenges will you face? ◦ Your students need instruction on how to tackle your challenging, college-level text.

6. How would you study-read the text you assign? Examine your text and brainstorm ideas for how you would study-read it. Consider your purpose for reading…what will you need to do with this information? ◦ Does this info comprise 50% of your grade? ◦ Do you need to write a paper on it? ◦ Will you need to summarize the information in a presentation?

7. Show your students how to read your assigned text Preview the text together to introduce them to its structure. Compose an appropriate description for your assigned text(s) and ask students to brainstorm ideas for how to read the text effectively.

8. Expanding this activity Before you ask students to brainstorm ideas for how to study-read your text, you can begin with a more comprehensive, small-group activity. You can accomplish both tasks in 45 minutes or less.

9. Expanding this activity Create additional “situations” and have your students work through them in groups. A whole class discussion should follow. This activity helps students realize that they have to employ different study- reading strategies depending on the type of text and their purpose for reading.

10. Blogging One of the goals of developmental education is “to develop in each learner the skills and attitudes necessary for the attainment of academic, career, and life goals” (NADE, 2009). Blogging: Engaging Students in Reading in a Non-Traditional Environment by Angela Henderson & Mary Bogan, CRLA 2009

11. Blogging Rationale Blogging takes advantages of students’ existing digital literacies (Atkins, 2004) Blogging engages students in reading and writing in a non-traditional environment Blogging: Engaging Students in Reading in a Non-Traditional Environment by Angela Henderson & Mary Bogan, CRLA 2009

12. The Millennial Student Born between 1982 and 2002 Self-assured about their futures Talented and hard working Conventional in their views toward authority Tend to respect rules (Elam, Stratton, & Gibson, 2007) Familiar with technology (Atkinson, 2004) Blogging: Engaging Students in Reading in a Non-Traditional Environment by Angela Henderson & Mary Bogan, CRLA 2009

13. Why Add a Blog to Your Class LEVEL ONE: Reflective Journal ◦ Deeper cognitive processing of the reading material ◦ Direct Instruction ◦ CAT LEVEL TWO: Commenting ◦ Creates a learning community ◦ Allows students to see their peers’ thinking

14. Sample Ideas Math/Physics: Have students post his/her instructions on how to do a difficult problem step-by-step Geography/Chemistry/Biology – Have students post his/her findings after completing a lab assignment English – Reflect on this week’s text or your writing process Speech/Political Science/English – Have students take a side in a debate or respond to an article in the newspaper.

15. Sample Ideas: Basics After an exam, post a reflective journal on ◦ How they studied for the test ◦ How they think they did on the exam ◦ What they would do differently Summarize an assigned portion What portion of the reading was difficult? Why? Muddiest Point from Lecture Exam questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy Advice to Future Students

16. What I Like About Blogging Good entry into Web 2.0 technologies Content control A room of their own Creativity Sense of audience Insight into students Opportunity for your students to see you as a “real” person Benefits of reflective journaling Blogging 101: Focusing our Mission & Guiding Principles into Practice by Mary Bogan, CRLA 2010.

17. Benefits to the Instructor Flexible Manageable Enlightening Blogging: Engaging Students in Reading in a Non-Traditional Environment by Angela Henderson & Mary Bogan, CRLA 2009

18. References CRLA conference, Fall 2009 Ken Meehan, FC researcher/data collector American College Testing @ www.act.org