Assumptions and Best Practices in Urban Lutheran Schools

Urban Teachers Conference KeynoteFebruary 17th, 2011

Participants• Dr. Carol Leli• Dr. Nancy Gibson• Prof. Richard Richter• Dr. Lorinda Sankey• Mary Hamrick

Evidenced-basedAssumptions and Best Practices Dr. Carol Leli

• Best Practices…• Promotes high rates of achievement and have been

documented. • The International Reading Association (2002) explains

that evidence-based best practices promote high rates of achievement.

• An evidence-based best practice often refers to an instructional practice that has a record of success that is both trustworthy and valid.

• Classroom teachers are expected to do more than just teach students to decode words and answer literal levels of text.

Gambrell (2007) Best Practices include:

• Balanced approach to literacy…skills, genre, and response to literacy.

• Incorporates evidenced-based best practices through the aforementioned.

• Builds on the knowledge (schema) that students bring to school.

• Acknowledges that reading and writing are reciprocal processes.

Gambrell (2007) Best Practices include: (Con’t.)

• Recognizes that comprehension is the ultimate goal of literacy instruction.

• Emphasizes meaning construction through literacy tasks and activities that require critical thinking.

• Offers opportunities for students to apply literacy strategies in the context of meaningful tasks.

• Provides for differentiated instruction in accordance with the diverse strengths and needs of students (i.e. struggling readers, second-language learners).

References

Gambrell, L., Morrow, L. M. & Pressley, M. ( Eds.). (2007). Best practices in

literacy instruction. New York: The Guilford Press.

International Reading Association (2002). Evidence-based reading instruction: Putting the National Reading Panel report into practice. Newark, DE: Author.

Assumptions and Best Practices Nancy P. Gibson, Associate Professor,

Concordia University Chicago

Response to Intervention(RTI)

False Assumptions

1. It is not a program, curriculum, strategy or an intervention.

2. It is not a Special Education initiative.3. It is not NEW! 4. You can’t do it unless you have a lot of

money, training and extra support personnel.

RTI Best Practices

1.Ongoing student assessment 2.Tiered Instruction 3.High-quality, scientifically based

classroom instruction/interventions4.Parent Involvement

RTI best practices

5. Seamless unitary educational system that is proactive , preventative and enables “success for all” system.6. High Quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs.7. Uses learning rate over time and level of performance to make important instructional and educational decisions. 8. Does not assume “that one size fits all”

RTI: How to make it work for you

Breakout sessions will focus on how to create professional learning communities in schools that map and align their curriculum, develop formative local assessments that are curriculum based and encourage a professional dialogue that asks

“How is this student doing”?

Technology Assumptions

• Technology access is ubiquitous• Using technology is expensive• If something is new, I have to use it• Technology is hard to use, I’ll break

something• All kids are experts at using technology

Trends• The Horizon Report (Published Annually by

EDUCAUSE)• The abundance of resources and

relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching, and credentialing.

• People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want.

Trends

• The world of work is increasingly collaborative, giving rise to reflection about the way student projects are structured.

• The technologies we use are increasingly cloud-based, and our notions of IT support are decentralized.

The Challenge

• Digital media literacy continues its rise in importance as a key skill in every discipline and profession.

References

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K., (2011). The 2011 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Positive Classroom Climate

The affective environment demonstrating that each student (and family)

is cared for and valued.

My Classroom

Do I (teacher) care for and value each student and family?

Aesthetic Care or

Authentic Care?Valenzuela (1999)

Do I value each student (family) simply because they are in my classroom?

What does Authentic Care look like?

SustainedTrusting

Respectful Reciprocal

relationships between teachers and students(Gay, 2010)

What does Authentic Care look like?

Teacher behaviors:• Name• Please/Thank you• Smile (Wong, 2010)

What does Authentic Care look like?

• Reserved (assigned) seat/place• Known, consistent, predictable routine• Schedule, rules, etc. posted throughout

room• Speak well of student• Know student’s business

What does Authentic care look like?

Student opportunities:• Use of prior knowledge• Use of cultural background• Voice in decision making

What does Authentic care look like?

Student opportunities:• Choice• Meaningful assessment• Performance assessment• Student work has a purpose

References

Gay, Geneva (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). NY: Teachers College Press.

Valenzuela, A. (1999). Subtractive schooling: U.S.- Mexican youth and the politics of caring. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Wong, H. K. & Wong, R. T., (2009). The First Days of School (4th ed.). Harry K. Wong Publications.