Constructing+Meaning+Through+Interaction+with+Text

//•Why is it important to get your students to become familiar with the standards?//
 * Session 1: Introduction to the Pennsylvania Reading, Writing Speaking and** **Listening Standards.**
 * Read the following questions, and post your responses to the discussion board.**

//•Why do you feel a review of SAS is imperative and what are the reasons to teach literacy skills across all content areas?//

//•What do you think is the accountability of the teacher to establish literacy skills across the curriculum?//

//•What is the responsibility of the teacher to teach students to write across all content areas?//

//•How do you know when you should ask for assistance in teaching literacy skills across the curriculum?//

//•How do you assist a teacher to identify the need for students to comprehend text and provide them with encouragement to motivate them?//

//•Whose responsibility is it to examine the rights of the student to know what behaviors they need to engage in and how becoming an excellent reader will enable them// to succeed in all phases of life?

//•Whose responsibility is it to examine the rights of the student to have a teacher who will take the time to teach them how to become successful in all content areas?//

//1. Discuss how Pennsylvania’s current standards align with Common Core.//
 * Session 2: Introduction to the Common Core Standards**
 * Read the following questions, and post your responses to the discussion board.**

//2. Identify the greatest difference between Pennsylvania standards and the Common Core.//

//3. Recognize the elements that will guide transition to Common Core. Any differences between the two standards will be aligned with a crosswalk from PA standards to transition to Common Core.//

//4. Discuss the importance of the connection between Common Core and the Pennsylvania Standards.//

//5. Evaluate the SAS Curriculum Framework to measure its correlation to Common Core//

The following websites will link you to information regarding the Common Core and the alignment to Pennsylvania Standards. [] []


 * Session 3: Crosswalk of Pennsylvania Standards and the Common Core Standards**
 * Read the following questions, and post your responses to the discussion board.**

//1. Discuss the// //standard bands for Grade levels for K–8; grade bands for 9–10 and 11–1//

//2. Discuss the importance on why the focus is on results rather than means//

//3. What is the integrated model of literacy?//

//4. Discuss why the importance of research and media skills blended into the Standards as a whole.//

// 5. Identify the shared responsibility by all teachers for students’ literacy development. //

An assumption in the Standards is that all learners regardless of subject area will need to apply the skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language. The Standards are designed to incorporate these skills and feel that it is the shared responsibility of stakeholders within the schools. This concept is not new to education but integrated more in the Common Core. While this is important for all learners it should be noted that those seeking higher education will have a greater need to draw on these skills and even develop them further in higher education and workforce training programs.

//6. Discuss the standards on the focus and coherence in instruction and assessment.//

// 7. Demonstrate the alignment of product pedagogy. //

// 8. Discuss what is not covered by the Standards //

The website below will allow you to effectively answer the questions. []

1. Discuss three effective elements in literacy practice.
 * Session 4 and 5: Practice of Effective Literacy Instruction in the Classroom**
 * Read the following questions, and post your responses to the discussion board.**

2. Identify the environment that is needed for optimum literacy learning.

3. Discuss balanced literacy instruction and tailoring instructional strategies to the specific needs of each student.

Read the article from the link below - What are your thoughts regarding Balanced Literacy Instruction? After reading the article, answer the questions below, and post to the discussion board. []

1. Discuss the phonics versus whole language debate

** Session 6: Students’ Active versus Passive Involvement ** []
 * Read the following articles and questions, and post your responses to the discussion board.**

[]

What is your opinion on the active versus passive involvement in reading?


 * Session 7: Importance of Implementing Literacy Development**


 * Read the following questions, and post your responses to the discussion board.**

1. Discuss the need for multilevel, flexible, and small – group instruction.

2. List and discuss the importance of professional development in literacy in all content areas.

3. Explain and discuss the importance of approaching reading and writing as a developmental process.

4. Discuss the importance of teachers learning more about their students as readers and writers.

5. What are your thoughts regarding the link below and the set up a of differentiated classroom and lessons. []

[]
 * Session 8: What Every Teacher Should Know about Comprehension **
 * Read the following articles and questions, and post your responses to the discussion board.**

Comprehending is a complicated process, as we have discovered and explored in this article. Yet it is one of the most important skills for students to develop if they are to become successful and productive adults. Comprehension instruction in schools, beginning in kindergarten, is therefore crucial.

Discuss how comprehension works. 1. Identify how to get the reader to engage in some form of text.

2. Discuss the importance of teachers learning how to support readers.

3. How do you think you can build and activate prior knowledge?

4. How do you think you can motivate students to read?

5. How do you think you can engage students in personal responses to text?

6. How do you think you can understand the importance of teaching text structures?

7. How will you create visible reading/writing connections?


 * Session 9: Literacy Issues in the High School. **
 * Read the following articles and questions, and post your responses to the discussion board.**

[]

Terry Salinger offered definitions for what high school literacy is, discussed problems from students', teachers', and systemic perspectives, and suggested solutions. View both her video and power point presentation. After viewing both, what are your thoughts on helping students with Literacy Issues. Also, what do you think of her perspective on this issue?


 * Session 10-14: Readicide: how schools are killing reading and what you can do about it **

By Kelly Gallagher, Richard Allington

The following website is from a new book written by Kelly Gallagher. This is the first few chapters of the book. Based on what you have read, what are your thoughts on Kelly Gallagher's perception on what high schools are doing to hurt reading.

[|http://books.google.com/books?id=-Pemw9rwdo8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=readicide&hl=en&src=bmrr&ei=CvkJTobUJ-Pm0QHxyvGWAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=1&ved=0CDoQuwUwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false]

1. Discuss the importance of providing professional development in literacy strategies.
 * Read the following articles and questions, and post your responses to the discussion board**

2. Discuss how more reading time can be placed into the teaching schedule.

3. Identify and discuss the importance of monitoring instruction of literacy in all content areas.

4. Identify the importance that all teachers are teachers of literacy.

5. Discuss the importance of encouraging students to analyze and question texts and media to determine the author’s purposes and messages.

6. Discuss the importance of looking for students’ proficiencies outside class and incorporating them into teaching.

7. Discuss the importance of interdisciplinary and real-world projects that allow students to learn concepts, apply information, represent knowledge and use technological tools.

http://uncw.edu/ed/ncteach/documents/ReadAcross.pdf
 * Session 15: How Districts can Promote Literacy **
 * 1. Discuss methods for providing time set aside for reading in all content areas. **

2. List and discuss ways to develop students’ skills and strategies for reading complex texts.

**Strategies for reading complex texts:**

=== Generating questions is a way to process text and monitor comprehension. Choose words from the text you will be using that will challenge the students’ comprehension and make a chart that identifies each word in terms of known meaning and use. ===

**Identify major concepts you want students to learn from the text.**

K-W-L charts, Inductive Learning Strategies

 * 3. Identify and describe the importance of providing diverse materials. **


 * 4. List and identify methods of using positive support to encourage students to continue being effective problem solvers, how to increase a student’s self-esteem, creating a more positive reading environment for both the teacher and students. **