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Transcript of Make Writing and Learning Meaningful for Basic Writing Students South Texas College McAllen, Texas...
Make Writing and Learning Meaningful for Basic Writing Students
South Texas CollegeMcAllen, Texas
Karen Armitano, Ph.D.Virginia Norquest, M.A.Jinhao Wang, Ed.D.
NISOD International Conference on Teaching and Leadership ExcellenceMay 30-June 2, 2010Austin, Texas
Literature Review
-- Baker, E., Hope, L., and Karandjeff, K. (2009). Contextualized Teaching & Learning: A Faculty Primer
-- Defines the concept of contextualized teaching and learning (CTL) as relating subject matter in a course to meaningful situations that have relevance to students’ lives in the context of motivation theory, problem-centered learning, social learning theory, and brain research.
-- Shows programs that focus on employing CTL to support learners’ basic English, math, or English as a Second Language skills.
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Literature Review
--Gillespie, M. K. (2002). “EFF Research Principle: A Contextualized Approach to Curriculum and Instruction”
--Defines contextualized curriculum and instruction as relating real-life contexts to teaching and learning in light of cognitive research and transfer of learning
--Aims at skills and knowledge learners need to perform tasks meaningful to learners in real life
--Focuses on application rather than possession of knowledge and skills
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Literature Review
--Price, D. V. and Roberts, B. (2009). Improving student success by strengthening Developmental Education in community colleges: The role of state policy
-- Recommends various ways to strengthen Developmental Education. Among them include the following:
• “New ways of contextualizing curriculum by integrating academic skills with occupational programs” (p. 3).
• “Alternative delivery of programs (e.g., Career Pathways, bridges) to accelerate the transition from developmental education to college-level courses” (p. 3).
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South Texas CollegeLocated in the Rio Grande Valley
College facts• Fall 2009: 27,132 students• Spring 2010: 26,309• 95% Hispanic
Developmental Courses: English, Reading, and Math
Three Developmental English levels• Fall 2009--71 (536), 81(605), 91(425) =
1,593 • Scheduled twice weekly/2 hours/1hour lab
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Prior Developmental English 71 Curriculum
Isolated writing topics
Isolated from a community
Isolated from other developmental courses
Isolated from academic courses6
Gates Grant for STCDevelopmental CoursesIntegrates academic writing skills Integrates academic research
Integrates college communities
Integrates developmental departments
Integrates an academic discipline7
Inter-Contextualization in Developmental English, Reading, and Math
Across developmental departments• reading and math assignments in writing• writing and math assignments in reading• reading and writing assignments in math
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Intra-Contextualization within Developmental English
Within English 71 •writing assignments--journals
and writing projects • reading assignments--2-3 sociology
articles •math assignments--statistical input on a graph 9
Syllabus: Developmental English 71
• Overview of Syllabus (pp. 2-12)• know self• know community
• Overview of Gates Project• illustration essay project--Week 6-12
(pp. 6-11)• theme--The Value of a College
Education • situation blurb--(pp. 13-14)
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Contextualizing Sociology—Why?
Part of core curriculum
Identifies groups of people in society• e.g., haves and have nots in education
Places individuals in community groups• e.g., college community, family
community
Addresses social change• e.g., first generation college students
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Using Sociology Textbook
Textbook display to class (p. 15)
Printed excerpts from text• education chapter plus graphs• special arrangements with publisher
Digitized images from the text on classroom computer
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Contextualizing Reading via Sociology Articles
Instructor chooses 2-3 scholarly sociology articles
Articles relate to topic about a college education’s value (“Latinos and Education” pp. 16-17)
Student downloads linked sociological readings from syllabus on website (p. 18)
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Writing Journals
Student reads choice of 2 sociology articles
Student writes summary/response journals to articles
instructions for journal (p. 19-20) sample journal entry (p. 21) other readings (p. 22)
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Researching Actively!
Essay Topic: The Value of a College Education
Student finds 3 interviewees• classmate or someone currently in college• faculty/staff with a degree • family member with no college
Student asks interview questions (pp. 23-24)
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Let’s Do It!Ask a “shoulder partner” interview questions (pp. 23-24)
Take brief notes
Be a good interviewer
Switch
Total time allotted---3-4 minutes16
Contextualizing MathStudent administers survey to
interviewees (p. 25) Class tallies results of survey (p. 26)
Option: Instructor tallies all classes’ results
(pp. 27-28)Student creates graph from data
Males Females
1. llll Total = 4 1. llI Total = 3
2. IIIIII Total = 6 2. II Total = 2
Total # Males = 10 Total # Females = 5
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Let’s Do It!
Turn to survey (p. 25)
Answer Survey Question #1(rank your completion of educational goals)
Tally responses: raise hands (p. 26)
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Let’s Do It!
Create graph via Word 2007
follow step-by-step PowerPoint (pp. 29-32)
input data (pp. 27-28)
save graph
• copy/paste graph into essay (p. 33)
• meet Dave on YouTube (p. 34) 19
Creating Graph from Data
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Organizing Interview Responses
• Identify main ideas of interviews (p. 35)
• Use index cards (p. 35)
• Examine thesis samples (p. 36)
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Let’s Do It!
INDEX CARDS (p. 35)
Take out large index card in packetDraw 3 columnsChoose a heading for top line from
main ideas
Family attitudes towards college
Name Question #
Quote or phrase
Mary
4 & 5 “Quit school at age 14---I had to work.”
Jose 8 Mom said needed master’s.
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Writing the EssayWrite thesis (p. 36)
Read sample essay (pp. 37-38)
Fill in outline (pp. 39-40)
• essay structure--lead in (p. 41), intro, thesis, body paragraphs, conclusion, full circle• draft essay using outline and index
cards• insert graph• explain graph in sentence form (p. 42;
p. 38 C)
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Using Quotes
• Correctly punctuate quotes (mechanics p. 43)
• insert quotes for support (37-A)
• Add sociology article quote to text (pp. 44-45)
• insert article quote for support (p. 37-B)
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Reviewing and Revising
Self-evaluate with rubric (pp. 46-47)
Go for tutoring (+5 points)Revise and correct (peer editing)Rewrite Fill out personal writing log (p. 48)Publish Student comments (p. 49)
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So What?What are the advantages of a
contextualized curriculum?
• Engages the students with relevant topics, e.g., self, community
• Teaches essay structure and research process• Transitions students to college level classes• Challenges students to think outside the box• Develops critical thinking skills• Creates developmental English curriculum of
substance• Unites developmental departments via topics• Links developmental with academic
departments 26
What’s Next?
Developmental CoursesFall 2009: Contextualize sociologyFall 2010: Contextualize historyFall 2011: Contextualize another
academic course (e.g., psychology, government, biology)
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Faculty Perceptions of the Contextualized Curriculum1. Teaching Journal
2. Themes about what went well:a. Interaction in and out of the classroom
(interviewing others, etc.)b. Collaboration on tallying the data from
the surveyc. Creation of a graphd. Realization of other points of view
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Faculty Perceptions of the Contextualized Curriculum (continued)3. Themes about student challenges:
a. Juggling multiple parts of the project (reading, journaling, interviewing, surveys, graphs, essay)
b. Handling the amount of reading and the level of difficulty of the college articles and textbook
c. Deciding where to insert the graph and how to use sentences to frame the use of graph
d. Quoting secondary sourcese. Using computers for non-traditional studentsf. Feeling tired and overwhelmed/some couldn’t turn in
work on time 29
Faculty Perceptions of the Contextualized Curriculum (continued)
4. Themes about faculty challenges:
a. Not enough time to finish entire curriculumb. Difficulty in providing enough one-on-one help
and repetition of instructionc. Problems with copying and using models from
college level textbook due to copyright issues)
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Student Perceptions about the Contextualized Curriculum1. Student Reflection Paper
2. Themes about student perceived challenges:
a. Fitting the graph into essay b. Putting information from survey to graph c. Fitting quotes into essay d. Finding someone to interview e. Feeling nervous about asking questions to
interviewees f. Feeling not enough time g. Gathering all information, sorting information to
make sense, and organizing the essay h. Writing “correctly”
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Student Perceptions about the Contextualized Curriculum (continued)
3. Themes about what students learned:
a. How others value a college education b. How to interview c. How to do research/how to quote d. How to make a graph and use it in the essay e. How to compose an essay (use thesis
statement, examples, clarity, organization, and full circle)
f. Benefited from a step-by-step approach32
Recommendations When Contextualizing1. Use step-by-step approach2. Use repetition3. Use modeling4. Use PowerPoint presentation5. Provide handouts (how to insert graphs, etc.)6. Provide content area textbook (sociology
book in this case)7. Provide technical support to teachers and
students8. Provide lab time9. Allot enough time for the project (6 weeks
needed for this project)10. Structure faculty collaboration on lesson
planning
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References
Baker, E., Hope, L., & Karandjeff, K. (2009). Contextualized Teaching & Learning: A Faculty Primer. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from www.cccbsi.org/Websites/basicskills/Images/CTL.pdf
Gillespie, M. K. (2002). “EFF research principle: A contextualized approach to curriculum and instruction.” (EFF Research to Practice Note 3). Jessup, MD: ED Pubs. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/collections/eff/masters/03research-practice.pdf
Price, D. V. & Roberts, B. (2009). Improving student success by strengthening Developmental Education in community colleges: The role of state policy. (Policy Brief). Retrieved April 3, 2010, from the Working Poor Families Project’s Website: http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/pdfs/WPFP_policybrief_winter08-09.pdf
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