Strategies-Rich, Text-Rich, Metacognitive Classrooms and Schools

That Support All Learners (grades 6-12)

Presented by:

Leyton Schnellert, Faye Brownlie & Brenda Dewonck

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

May 16, 2007

Toronto, Ontario

Big Ideas…

As a school community we want to work together to meet the needs of all students.

At the classroom and school level we want to have articulated, transparent goals.

To best support student learning we need sustained attention to our instructional goals.

Collaborative teaching and problem-solving result in new ideas, new products and a feeling of connection.

Success for all students occurs when we build student engagement, collaboration and metacognition,

Kids become better readers when they read, read, read.

Brownlie & Schnellert, Collaborating to support reading in secondary schools: Modeling,

using text sets & building student and teacher metacognition.

Assessment FOR Learning

• Purpose: guide instruction

• Classroom reading assessment is used to set instructional goals, plan for instruction and monitor student progress

• Performance-based assessment– SRA (ie, Student Diversity, 2nd

ed., Ministry Webcast, 2004)

Standard Reading Assessment

• Students have one or more texts to read

• Open-ended questions

• Teachers conference with students: oral reading and interview

• Scored collaboratively by teachers

• Descriptive scoring linked to provincial performance standards

• Class/grade profile of strengths and areas of need

• Action plans developed - what’s next?

• Individual students identified for further assessment

Standard Reading Assessment

• Use same grade level performance standard all year, 1 sheet/student

• Change colours with each assessment

• Build criteria with students from student samples for the area of focus

• Encourage personal goal setting

Standard Reading Assessment:

Dimensions Captured

• Strategiespredictionsword skills checks

understanding text features

• Comprehensionmain ideasdetailsnote-making inferences

• Analysis connections to

prior knowledge evaluation/

reflection

• Overall Snapshot

SRA Oral Reading

Reading Assessment Hints• Inform the students of the topic BEFORE they read.

• Give the students time to think of what they already know about the topic.

• Explain the coding system for miscue analysis to intermediate/middle and secondary students.

• Plan a SHORT, practice oral reading sample.

• Be sure to give students a CLEAN copy of the text to read.

• Make sure students know it’s NOT for marks.

• Begin the year assessing Informational reading

• Response question could be: “Using your ideas, images and feelings, show me you understand…

Student Response Sheet

1. Connections

2. Summarizing

3. Inferring

4. Vocabulary

5. Reflecting

On-Grade Reading Passages

• Sample reading passages:

• Reading and Responding, 2nd ed., grade 4,5, & 6 (Brownlie & Jeroski)

• Assessment and Instruction of ESL Learners (sample gr.9 passage)(Brownlie, Feniak, & McCarthy)

• Classroom texts

Strengths - Humanities 9

-outgoing-self-aware-friendly-sense of humor-co-operative-enjoy reading-a positive atmosphere in the class

Stretches (needs) Humanities 9

-risk-taking-digging deeper to infer, make personal connections-showing what they know-organizing for learning (materials, time, ideas)-focusing, sustaining attention-writing

Humanities 9 - Decisions-Connect, process, transform lesson structure

-Portfolio assessment with choices

-Targeted, extended strategy instruction

-Multimodal representation opportunities (differentiation)

-Planning activities, metacognitive steps in lessons

-Co-teach once a week - introduce new approach to strategy

-Literature circles

-Linda (CT) build text sets; Leyton (RT) adapt versions of strategies, different levels of complexity in activity choices

A Model for Comprehension Instruction

1. An explicit description of the strategy and when and how it should be used

2. Teacher and/or student modeling the strategy in action

3. Collaborative use of the strategy in action

4. Guided practice using the strategy with gradual release of responsibility

5. Independent use of the strategy

Source: Duke and Pearson, 2001

‘Big ideas’ (key concepts/essential understandings):Students will understand that…

Student outcomes (important skills or processes):Students will be able to…

Stage Purpose: Engage/Activate prior knowledge/

Predict content/Focus on a purpose:

Purpose: Construct meaning/Monitor understanding/ Process ideas

Purpose: Process ideas/Apply knowledge/Reflect on thinking and learning

Connecting

Processing

Transforming&Personalizing

Strengths -Science 6/7

-attentive-good listeners-ask for help-like real-life examples/applications-visual, hands-on learners-good with text features-positive towards each other

Stretches (needs)Science 6/7

-generating their own strategies

-determining importance

-discussion

-self-monitoring

-accessing prior knowledge

Goals -Science 6/7

-Making connections

-Determining Importance

-Applying their learning across the curriculum

-Help students develop planning and self-monitoring strategies

-Be able to write a persuasive piece using research skills

Science 6/7- Decisions

-Adapted for Nico (ADHD), Justin (LD), and Leo (LD), Patrick (ESL 1), Chris (ESL 3), David (ESL 3), and Angela (ESL 3)

-Before, during, after lesson structure

-Targeted, extended strategy instruction

-Multimodal representation opportunities (differentiation)

-Planning activities, metacognitive steps in lessons

Long term gains for struggling

readers/learners…Deshler, Lenz, Bulgren, Schumaker, & Marquis (2004):

• “adolescents who lack literacy skills can learn these skills if they have intensive, focused and sustained instruction that helps them catch up with their peers;

• these adolescents also need to participate in the general education curriculum so they do not fall behind their peers in content knowledge; and

• a shared responsibility for literacy instruction is needed - deliberate steps must be taken to coordinate instruction across teachers and classes.”

Affect -confidence, ownership, enjoyment

Metacognition -set and monitor performance related to goals

Independence-in reading, academic work, text selection

Fluency-word work, rate (and comprehension)

Comprehension-use and develop cognitive strategies

Application and Transfer-to various tasks, subject areas and places

‘Second Shot’Student Outcomes

Class Strengths - many are willing to share their thinking out loud- do best thinking/results after modeling- humor in the class- both French Immersion and English stream- variety of coping strategies- eclectic class (faiths, home life, learning challenges)- thrive on routine

Class Review for: Reading DynamicsTeacher: Brenda Dewonck

Class Stretches-some kids that really struggle with organization and attention-making connections-determining importance-summarizing-inferring-not really that metacognitive yet- deeper thinking, expanding thoughts

Class Interests -anything sports related-social group into pop culture and fashion- the Hollywood scene- group games- music

Class Goals -reading comprehension

• main idea and details• predicting• inferring• visualizing

-enjoyment of reading and learning-engagement (almost like someone found a switch and turned them off-want the kids to be more independent, know what they have to do and be able to determine or develop strategies to get the job done

Class Decisions - using real life themes- making connections- strategies continued throughout the year- A/B partners- lots of modeling; gradual release

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Resources

Brownlie, Feniak & Schnellert (2006). Student Diversity, 2nd ed., Pembroke Publishers.Brownlie & Jeroski (2006). Reading and Responding, gr. 4, 5, & 6, 2nd ed., Thomson Nelson.Brownlie - Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses. (2005). Portage and Main Press.Brownlie (2004). Literacy in the Middle Years. Webcasst, BC Ministry of Education. http://insinc.com/ministryofeducation/20041007/index.html and http://insinc.com/ministryofeducation/20041118/indix.htmlBrownlie, Feniak, & McCarthy (2004) Assessment and Instruction of ESL Learners, Portage and Main Press.BC Ministry of Education (2000). Performance Standards for Informational Reading www.bced.gov.bc.ca/classroom_assessment/perf.standards