Academic presentation for college course (textbook design)

Just how complex is it?Making text accessible to allCindy ClarkGeorgias Department of Educations Summer ELA/Literacy Academy, 20141

The Common Core introduced us to text complexity,which in turn affected our serenity.How Do we make reading acceptably Rigorous to meet the TKES expectancy?Notice the teachers longevityat trying so hard to teach effectivelywhen students concern is brevity?Yet the teacher keeps attempting Diligently!While its true that with so much diversity, and demands that seem to come endlessly,that there are ways to thrive without therapyand perhaps watch our students grow impressively.So, relax and therell be no perplexity As we conquer the all powerful text complexity!

2Todays ObjectivesIdentify factors that affect readers ability and motivationExamine theoryLook at strategies

Yes, weve heard it, butNo significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.Dr. James Comer, Leave No Child Behind: Preparing Today's Youth for Tomorrow's World , 2004

Setting Up For SuccessAgreements Rules Guidelines

Lets Try It Out!If we want to create a workplace that values idealism, human connection, and real, in depth learning, we will have to create it ourselves. Peter Block If we want to empower students to take ownership in their learning, we have to be willing to create a safe learning community.Cindy ClarkAsk participants to come up with agreements for our workshop and list on chart paper.6Now, about complexityBefore we dive in, lets review.

Qualitative evaluation of the textlevels of meaning and purposestructurelanguage conventions and clarityknowledge demands

Best measured by a human being (!)

Introductory notes.8Quantitative evaluation of the textWords and Structureword and sentence lengthword frequencytext complexity

Typically measured by software

Introductory notes.9Reader and Task ConsiderationsVariables specific to the readerknowledgeexperiencesmotivationpurpose

What the student bringsto the table

This is where I start saying the Serenity Prayer10Structure vs. Reading vs. VocabularyThere is only one way to acquire the language of literacy, and that is through literacy itself.-Stanford UniversityIt is widely accepted among researchers that the difference in students vocabulary levels is a key factor in disparities in academic achievementbut that vocabulary instruction has been neither frequent nor systematic in most schools.-Appendix A of Common Core State Standards for ELA

Experts vary in their findings, so well look at several ways to open up text for all students.11Increasing the complexity of texts used in the classroom poses two big-picture challenges for educators: measuring complexity to make sure texts assigned are appropriately complex, and putting students on target to handle more difficult reading. Grant Wiggins, coauthor of Understanding by Design, thinks the real problem for teachers won't be identifying complex texts, but rather "staying true to the demands of the standards, without over-scaffolding, and in heterogeneous classrooms where teachers may have students reading three levels below proficiency." To that end, experts advise focusing interventions on what causes students the most difficultyvocabulary and complicated sentences.What has worked for you?Lets share ideasno repeats, please!And now for something completely differentGRAMMAR AND STRUCTURE

Consider the exemplar, Martin Luther King, Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail.

Objectives for instruction and expected results and/or skills developed from learning. 14Letter From Birmingham City Jail (Excerpts)Martin Luther King, Jr.April 16, 1963My Dear Fellow Clergymen,While confined here in the Birmingham City Jail, I came across your recent statement calling our present activities unwise and untimely. Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of outsiders coming in. I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some 85 affiliate organizations all across the South Several months ago our local affiliate here in Birmingham invited us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented.Are our students ready?A quick look shows us that background knowledge, grammatical structure, and linguistics are necessary to conquer this piece.

What do you see?Style from a past eraSentence structure: clauses, clauses, clausesDifficulty determining purposeInformational densityLayered messagesQuick CloseWhere is King?Who is the your he refers to?What is the authors purpose?

http://www.cleanvideosearch.com/media/action/yt/watch?v=5K5XlCSUs6k

Sometimes we have to bring in moreAfter the Letter been published, King added a kind of prologue to help explain what he described as somewhat constricted circumstance

This might help.Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.

How does this impact your understanding of the original excerpt? Now take a look at this sentence from a grammatical/structural point of view.21This one sentenceThree different clauses organized into a complex sentenceSubject of the sentence is the letterAll three clauses are written in the passive voiceBegun where?Continued on what?Concluded how?

Fillmore and Cucchiara, 2012

Fillmore and Cucchiara, 2012

Fillmore and Cucchiara, 2012

Fillmore and Cucchiara, 2012

Fillmore and Cucchiara, 2012The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen CraneHe went slowly to his tent and stretched himself on a blanket by the side of the snoring tall soldier. In the darkness he saw visions of a thousand-tongued fear that would babble at his back and cause him to flee, while others were going coolly about their country's business. He admitted that he would not be able to cope with this monster. He felt that every nerve in his body would be an ear to hear the voices, while other men would remain stolid and deaf.What is the monster? How do we know? Use of figurative language28The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainEvery little while he locked me in and went down to the store, three miles, to the ferry, and traded fish and game for whisky, and fetched it home and got drunk and had a good time, and licked me.

Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot will be shot.Introducing diction29The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainThe Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldnt stand it no longer I lit out. Could we turn this into a grammar exercise? 30Krashens Comprehensible Input

According to recommendations from the major English/Language Arts professional organizations, reading instruction is most effective when intertwined with writing instruction and vice versa. Research has found that when children read extensively they become better writers. Reading a variety of genres helps children learn text structures and language that they can then transfer to their own writing. In addition, reading provides young people with prior knowledge. Joelle Brummitt-Yale

To help students at all language proficiency levels incorporate higher levels of academic language into their speech and writing, teachers can incorporate the use of sentence frames, sentence starters and signal words with students at a variety of proficiency levels. Erick Herrmann

sentence framesMaking InferencesUsing clues to figure out what is really happening in the story.Reading between the lines. ________are / are not ________.________ are / are not ________ because ________.Based on ________, I infer that ________.Based on _____, I infer that _____, because _____.

ArgumentI dont think the evidence supports___because____________.

I dont agree with that statement because ____.

As we just saw in the experiment, _______ does ________ due to ______.Compare and Contrast Compare = sameContrast = different

1.__________ and _____________ are ___________.2. Both _____ and _______ have _____________.3. ___and ___ are both similar because they both _____.4. There are several major differences between ___ and ___. The most notable is ____________.

Lets Make Some Strips!And now for something completely different

Think AloudsMaking strategic knowledge explicitMaking the unknown knownUnlocking the mysteries of reading

Reading Aloud Is Important.

THINKING ALOUD IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT

Teachers and students want to know:What causes readers to lose track of their thinking while reading?How do readers get their thinking back on track?How can teachers help all the different levels of students in their classes?How can those "voices in the head" be used to help students do a better job of monitoring their own comprehension?Some insights..Make it short. Vygostsky said learning can only occur in the ZPD, so give text that makes them work, but doesnt defeat them!Pick one or two strategies to spotlight at a time. This mini-lesson can catapult the students into their own practice of the strategies youve chosen.State your purpose: tell students what you are doing and why.Read slowly and tell students what you are thinking!

Model fluent and expressive reading.Think aloud.Model the reading process.Review text structure.Facilitate comprehension to struggling readers.Provide interactions with a variety of texts.Make connections.Lets try it!And now for something completely different

More Ideas: Text in Small DosesUse graphs, photos, and illustrationsDo a picture walkShow a related piece of artTed TalksUse picture books to build background knowledgeUse thinking map/graphic organizersSentence Frames

An opportunity for questions and discussions.46Sample ScaffoldingUse small-group direct instruction (guided reading) to help the struggling student access the whole-class novel.Make sure that the struggling student is introduced to challenging vocabulary before he or she reads the chapter.Create an anticipation guide for that specific chapter to help build a struggling student's background knowledge prior to reading the chapter.Create a graphic organizer to access the information in the chapter.Do a class or small-group reading of a short piece (poetry, nonfiction) that will help the struggling student access background knowledge needed for the chapter.Work with note-taking strategies to help students access the content.Create a short summary for the student to read before he or she accesses the chapter.

Relative vocabulary list. 47Hope this works!

Slow downRead in stepsWrite in stepsVocabulary instruction in steps(the essence of scaffolding and common core)There is no question that sentence length, number of syllables in words, and word frequency impact difficulty. There is a wide range of factors that influence the complexity of a text. To be able to match students and texts, teachers need to know where the complexity lies within a text to ensure they provide students with the supports and strategies needed to successfully read the texts.

Conclusion to course, lecture, et al. 52Practice Makes PerfectWord learning takes place in many small steps. You don't learn a word all at once. It takes repeated encounters with a word to bring it to a point where you own it.- William Nagy, Seattle Pacific University, 2005

Choose high interest selections that are above students independent reading level and at their listening level.i + 1 The Input Hypothesis

Key Ideas and DetailsStandardGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8Grades 6-8, SSGrades 6-8, Sci.1Cite evidence to support interpretation of text.Cite multiple pieces of evidence.Cite evidence that offers the strongest support.Cite evidence that supports analysis of primary and secondary sources.Cite evidence that supports analysis of science ortechnical texts.Reading Informational: consistent across grade levels and subject areas

Key Ideas and DetailsStandardGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8Grades 6-8, SSGrades 6-8, Sci.

3How is an individual, event, or idea developed?How do individuals, events, and ideas interact?How do they interact, and how are they distinct?How is a process described?Follow multi-step procedures.Reading Informational: consistent across grade levels and subject areas

Craft and StructureStandardGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8Grades 6-8, SSGrades 6-8, Sci.

4Understand words and phrases as used in context.Do this, thinking about how diction influences meaning and tone.Do this, also identifying allusions and analogies to other texts.Understand words and phrases as used in context.Understand words and symbols used in context.Reading Informational: consistent across grade levels and subject areas

Craft and StructureStandardGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8Grades 6-8, SSGrades 6-8, Sci.

6What is the authors point of view? How do you know?Do this, thinking about how the author distinguishes his/her view from others.Do this, thinking about how the author addresses counterpoints.ID passages that reveal the authors purpose for writing on this topic.(consider bias)Identify the authors purpose for writing the text.Reading Informational: consistent across grade levels and subject areas

Integration of Knowledge and IdeasStandardGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8Grades 6-8, SSGrades 6-8, Sci.

7Access information from many texts to develop an understanding on a topic.Do this; how are the texts similar and different in conveying information on the topic?Do this; what are the pros and cons of different text types at conveying information on this topic?Use information expressed in words and in visual form to develop understanding on a topic.Use information expressed in words and in visual form to develop understanding on a topic.Reading Informational: consistent across grade levels and subject areas

Integration of Knowledge and IdeasStandardGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8Grades 6-8, SSGrades 6-8, Sci.

8Evaluate an argument and its specific claims. Which claims are supported by reasons/evidence? Which are not?Do this; is the evidence relevant and sufficient; is the reasoning sound?Do this; recognize when evidence is irrelevant.Distinguish between facts, reasoned judgment, and speculation.Distinguish between facts, reasoned judgment, and speculation.Reading Informational: consistent across grade levels and subject areas

Integration of Knowledge and IdeasStandardGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8Grades 6-8, SSGrades 6-8, Sci.

9Compare/contrast one authors account versus anothers (consider bias).Do this, comparing the evidence and interpretations of the authors.Do this, focusing on texts that offer conflicting evidence or interpretations.What is the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic?C/C information gained from a written text and other texts (e.g., experiments, videos, etc.)Reading Informational: consistent across grade levels and subject areas

Students read Biography of Amelia Earhart.

According to the text, what is one of the key challenges Amelia Earhart faced? How did she overcome this challenge? Use textual evidence to support your answer.

[Adapted from: http://www.parcconline.org/samples/english-language-artsliteracy/grade-7-elaliteracy]

Grade 8 Social Studies Identify the object. Explain how it was used. Explain how it was helpful to the civilizations that used it.

The text here is a picture.

Student must have prior knowledge learned from class.63

Consider the solubility table above. In a few sentences, describe the relationship between water temperature and solubility of sodium chloride. Incorporate evidence from the solubility table in your response. DocumentAuthor and audienceArgumentClaim(s) Evidence?ABC65Example Note GridLets Try it!Chinas One Child Policy at 30And now for something completely differentEven before its inception, the one child policy was questioned for its necessity and its enormous social costs. At the time of the policys announcement (in 1980), China had already achieved a remarkable fertility reduction, halving the number of children per woman from 5.8 in 1970 to 2.7 in 1979. The one child policy, critics warned, would forcefully alter kin relations for Chinese families, and resulted in accelerated agingTo enforce a policy that is so extreme and unpopular for families who relied on children for labor and old age support, physical abuses and violence would be inevitableChinas one child policy may have hastened a fertility decline that was already well in progress, but it is not the main force accounting for Chinas low fertility today. The claim by Chinese officials that the one child policy helped avert 400 million births simply cannot be substantiated by facts. Most of Chinas fertility decline occurred prior to the one child policy. In countries without a forceful and costly policy as Chinas, birth rate has declined with similar trajectories and magnitude.Source: Feng Wang and Cai Yong, :Chinas One Child Policy at 30, Brookings, September, 24, 2010.19792008Brazil4.21.9China2.71.7South Korea2.91.2Thailand3.61.8Comparative Fertility Rates**The fertility rate is the number of childrenThe average woman has in her lifetime.DocumentAuthor and audienceArgumentClaim(s) Evidence?ABC69Example Note GridWhat About Summarizing?Somebody wanted but so thenSummarizing StrategySomebodycharacter/figureWantedgoal/motivationButconflictSoresolutionThenimpactThe Three Little PigsTo live independentlyThe Big Bad Wolf wanted them for dinnerThe brothers all lived in a brick houseThey lived safely

MacOn, Bewell & Vogt, 1991Somebody wanted but so

Summarizing StrategySomebodycharacter/figureWantedgoal/motivationButconflictSoresolutionThenimpactAdolf HitlerTo control all of Europe; exterminate all Jews and others he felt stood in the way of making Germany THE supreme powerThe Allies fight against him, underground resistance groups form and actively work to bring down the Nazi RegimeGermany loses the war and Hitler kills himselfThe country of Israel is bornorThe Nuremberg TrialsOrParis Peace Treaties of 1947MacOn, Bewell & Vogt, 1991Somebody wanted but so

Summarizing StrategySomebodycharacter/figureWantedgoal/motivationButconflictSoresolutionThenimpactPresident Franklin RooseveltMacOn, Bewell & Vogt, 1991Somebody wanted but so

The Bottom LineSlow Down

Take small steps

Go deeper

Good Luck!Cindy Clark, Reading SpecialistWilbanks Middle Schoolcgclark@habershamschools.com

An opportunity for questions and discussions.75Think aloud checklistMake a check every time you hear me use the strategy

StrategyUseCues

PredictI predict In the next part I think I think this is

QuestioningWhy did What did How did Where was Should there

VisualizingI see I picture

Personal ResponseI feelMy favorite partI liked/disliked

ClarifyingI got confused whenIm not sure ofI didnt expect

SummarizingI think this is mainly aboutThe most important idea is

ReflectingI think Ill next time.Maybe Ill need to next time.I realized thatI wonder if

Making Connections personal connections text-to-text connectionsThis is likeThis reminds me ofThis is similar toIf it were me