Literacy+and+Learning+Using+SAS

Day 1 -Three Interactive Elements of Reading

1. How do **all** teachers know how literacy develops?

2. How do **all** teachers recognize the literacy needs of their students?

3. How do **all** teachers know how to use the "multiple methods" of reading instruction?

4. How do **all** teachers know how to align their practice with "producting pedagogy" and district/state standards?


 * Day 1 - Three Interactive Elements of Reading**

"Reading transcends the mere transmission of information: It fosters an imaginative dialogue between the text and the reader's mind that actually helps people to think."

At its most basic, teaching reading in the content areas is helping learners to make connections between what they already know and "new" information presented in the text. As students make these connections, they create meaning; they comprehend what they are reading. Teaching reading in the content areas, therefore, is not so much about teaching students basic reading skills as it is about teaching students how to use reading as a tool for thinking and learning. Until recently, learning was thought to be a passive activity: teachers poured their knowledge into the receptive minds of students. Reading was thought to be passive as well. The words of the text contained meaning; reading simply entailed decoding the words on the page. Recent research indicates, however, that learning and reading are active processes. Readers construct meaning as they read. Effective readers are strategic. They make predictions, organize information, and interact with the text. They evaluate the ideas they are reading about in light of what they already know. They monitor their comprehension, and know when and how to modify their reading behaviors when they have problems understanding what they read. Three elements working interactively determine the meaning a reader constructs from a text. They are the **reader**, and what she brings to the situation; the learning **climate**, or the environment in which the reading occurs; and the **text features**, or specific characteristics of the written text.

In your discussion for Day 1 answer the following questions regarding literacy.

1. How do **all** teachers know how literacy develops? 2. How do **all** teachers recognize the literacy needs of their students? 3. How do **all** teachers know how to use the "multiple methods of reading instruction? 4. How do **all** teachers know how to align their practice with "producting pedagogy" and district/state standards?

Research from cognitive science identifies five premises that are basic to the teaching of content area reading skills. The meaning of a text is not contained in the words on the page. Instead, the reader constructs meaning by making what she thinks is a logical, sensible connection between the new information she reads and what she already knows about the topic. Researchers believe that what we know is stored in knowledge frameworks called "schemata." Learners draw on these schemata to make inferences and predictions, organize and reflect on new information, and elaborate on it (Vacca and Vacca, 1993). When learners are confronted with "new" information, they try to make sense of it by seeing howit fits with what they already know. In other words, they try to match this information with existing schema (singular of schemata) so that it can be understood. To illustrate read the paragraph below and fill in the missing words as your Day 2 assignment. (Please post to discussion board).
 * Day 2 - Research from Cognitive Science**


 * __Day 2 Assignment Paragraph Completion__**

The questions that __face as they raise__ __from in to adult life are not easy to__ **_** ___. Both problems such as__ arise any time after the___stage to later life. Experts recommend that young__ should have plenty of **_____**__and nutritious food for healthy growth.__ **_** and ** _____ ** __should not share the same__ __or even sleep in the same__ **__ _ __**. They may be afraid of the **___ _. __**

Which pedagogies will contribute to the enhancement of the academic and social performance of all students?
 * Day 2 Discussion**__

How well a reader comprehends a text is also dependent on metacognition: his ability to think about and to control his thinking process before, during, and after reading. Students who have learned metacognitive skills can plan and monitor their comprehension, adapting and modifying their reading accordingly. Ineffective readers often are unaware that there is anything they should be doing while reading except moving their eyes across the page. They have never been taught that they should think about what they are reading, create mental pictures, and ask questions (e.g., "Do I understand this? What do i need to do to fix things if I don't understand? Do I get the author's point? How does it fit with what I already know? What do I think the author will discuss next?") Low achieving students, in particular, need to be taught how to monitor the understanding and to select and use appropriate "fix-up" strategies when needed (Pogrow, 1993;Caverly, Manderville and Nicholson, 1995).
 * Day 3 - "The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves but in our attitude toward them."**

Reading and writing are integrally related. Laflamme (1997) asserts that "reading and writing are two analogous and complementary process" because both involve generating ideas, organizing them into a logical order, "drafting" them a number of otimes until they make sense, and then revising them as needed. The connection between reading and writing is evident in research, which has shown that students who are taught how to write and edit different forms of expository to improve their comprehension of their content textbooks (Raphael, Kirschner and Englert, 1988).


 * Post response to Day 3 Discussion Board -**


 * 1. For a reader to be engaged, how important is the subject matter?**


 * 2. How do you feel learners will master content?**


 * 3. How are attitudes important to learners?**


 * 4. What should be the pedagogy for connecting the content to how students learn?**


 * 5. How important are demographics, social context and class numbers to a classroom?**

Learning increases when students collaborate in the learning process. Quite simply, learning is a socially interactive process. Students learning by interacting with others in the classroom, when they feel free to generate questions, and discuss their ideas freely with the teacher and one another. Dialogue can spark new ideas. Moreover, the process of verbalizing one's understanding and also offers listeners an opportunity to compare their thinking to what is said. Finally, as students have opportunities to instruct on another, they assume more responsibility for their own learning and that of their fellow students. These premises have implications not only for the learner but also for the content area teacher who wants to plan instruction that have students improve their reading comprehension and learning. Specifically, teachers can focus their planning around the interaction of these key elements:
 * Day 4 - Increasing Learning**

1. The reader: what the reader brings to the learning experience. 2. The climate: the learning context or enviornment. 3. The text features: the characteristics of the written text.

Embedded within each of these elements are features that affect which strategies may be most effective for a particular reader at different times during the learning process.

All principals, from elementary to middle and high schools, must have a knowledge of effective literacy practice. The principal leads a school where teachers know and align their practice with district/state standards. The teachers know and use diagnostic and formative assessments so that assessment/knowledge of the student drives instructions. Principals have parents/caregivers enrolled in literacy development and make all of resources available to literacy improvement. By being proactive schools will improve the literacy achievement of all students by increasing teacher competence through instructional leadership and serve ESL students and struggling readers in a resolute manner. Therefore, developing schools as learning communities.

1. How knowledgeable do you feel principals are of effective literacy practice?
 * Post response to Day 4 Discussion Board -**

2. How effective are principals at the ability to set expectations/win agreement about who can learn and at what rate?

3. How effective do you feel principals are at the ability to lead change and develop a learning community at the school site and beyond?

4. How effective do you feel principals are at the ability to win community support?

Effective literacy practice is often call "balanced literacy instruction". The term "instruction" can be limiting, focusing overly on teaching. The term "instruction" will encompass independent learning and development the environment that is needed for optimum literacy learning. There is no single method or single combination of methods that can successfully teach all children to read. Therefore, teachers must have a strong knowledge of multiple methods for teaching reading and a strong knowledge of the children in their care so they can create the appropriate balance of methods needed for the children they teach. Balanced literacy instruction is about knowing the student and tailoring instructional strategies to the specific needs of each student. "Balanced Literacy" is a term that arose form the controversy about which instructional approaches are best for literacy learners. This controversy is ofetn frames as the "phonics versus whole language debate. The term "balanced literacy" is intended to apply to instruction that avoids ideological trens and instead focuses on the needs of the learner. The teacher offers instruction drawn from a wide and well-blanced range of approaches that are in line with the effective practic research exemplified by, for example, the International Reading Association. In the Elementary School every child should be exposed to daily expereiences of being read to and independently reading meaningful and engaging stories and informational texts. A balanced instructional program that includes systematic code instruction along with meaningful reading and writing activities. They should also be provided with daily opportunities and teacher support to write many kinds of texts for different purposes, incling stories, lists, messages to others, poems, reports and resonses to literature. The writing experiences allow the flexibility to use non-conventional forms of writing and over time move to conventional forms.
 * Day 5 - Effective Literacy Practice**

1. How often do you allow students the opportunities to work in small groups for focused instruction and collaboration with other students?
 * Post response to Day 5 Discussion Board -**

2. How intellectually engaging and challenging is your curriculum and does it expand knowledge of the world and vocabulary?

3. How do you adapt instructional strategies or individualize instruction if the child fails to make expected progress in reading or when literacy skills are advanced?

There is a wide range of achievement as a result of many years of differentiated instruction. Comprehension skills and strategies are lack and fluency is still developing. Many middle school readers are demotivated, or worse, negative especially in regard to texts used by schools, both in reading/language arts and curriculum areas. Practices that hinder literacy develpment is thinking that one size fits all. Teachers rarely differentiate instruction and students are assigned the same book. Instruction on skills and strategies are often lacking and content area reading skills are rarely taught. Students who are still struggling with vocabulary and spelling get little help in increasing their reading and writing fluency. Materials often become an issue as well. Middle school readers often have limited access in school to books they like. Non-fiction and expository texts are missing from reading and language arts instruction. Therefore, "ownership" becomes a problem. Teachers govern the learning, focusing on facts and skills. Students rarely select reading materials or determine what is discussed.
 * Day 6 - Middle School Issues**

Read the following article on the website below. What is your opinion based on Dr. Wren's research?

Dr. Wren's article "Older Students Struggling with Reading" is on the Balanced Reading website. Dr. Wren defines the biggest issue with older struggling readers. If students are still struggling readers at the middle school and high school level, there is little chance they will become proficient readers by the time they graduate. I agree and have witnessed this issue play out in my own school. The student never learned to read, but we will just "push them through" and lower the standards so they can graduate. The mindset among administration and faculty is "if they did not learn to read by now, they never will." The students never do learn to read successfully, but they receive their hollow diplomas and wear their false caps and gowns anyway.

The balanced-reading solutions offered in this Dr. Wren's article include: assessment, time structures, curriculum, literary resources, motivation and professional development.

ht[|tp://www.balancedreading.com/olderreaders.html]


 * Post Repsonse to Day 6 on Discussion Board**

There are practices that still hinder literacy development because teaching literacy skills can cause priorities to be confused. Despite compelling evidence abou the importance of time spent reading, independent reading time is not a priority in middle schools. Teachers see unsure of their role in relation to students' independent reading. Research suggests middle school readers are more strategic with texts they are motivated to read, especially self-selected, high-interest materials. Even students with poor decoding skills will demonstrate comprehension and ciritical thinking on high-interest materials. When schools and/or teachers provide appropriate instruction, even middle school students previously referred for special needs education make marked advances in their reading. Professional development needs to become more reflective and more responsive and match instruction to individual students. The approach to reading and writing as a developmental process will encourage teachers to learn about individual students as readers and writers and it will support all teachers in using texts to teach literacy skills and strategies. If you create rich literacy contexts, students will become engaged in reading and begin to have access to a variety of reading materials. Middle school students should have a reading time set aside, and teachers should take on an instructional role in reading at this time.
 * Day 7 - Middle School Issues - Continued**

Read the following research on the website below. What is your opinion based on this research?

[]

Read the strategies regarding helping Struggling Readers in high school, what are your thoughts on the strategies presented. Do you agree or disagree with the research and why? []
 * Post response on Day 7 of Discussion Board**
 * Day 8 - High School - Struggling Readers**

Read the study on the link and post a response as Day 9 and 10 to the findings of the research presented. Do you agree or disagree with the research and why? What is your opinion of the information presented in the study?
 * Day 9 and 10 -**

[] The Pennsylvania Department of Education standards require students to read fiction/literature, informational text and documents in language arts classes fluently and critically, using strategies. The standards also require, in the content areas, students to: a) use and understand a variety of media b) write in multiple genres c) speak and listen critically d) understand the characteristics and function of English and present research projects. Currently, the Common C ore standards have been adopted in Pennsylvania. Read through the Common Core document and identify where the standards in PA align or disconnect. How do we now teach to both?
 * Day 11 and 12- The Link Between Common Core and PA Standards**

[]

Discuss the Leading the Literacy Plan. Any process of review and planning should include the development of a vision statement describing a desired future state or "endgame". The review and planning process should also be "strategic" - part of a wider school/improvement process. Literacy is the first priority because it is fundamental to school success and therefore the life chances of all students. Recent research has shown that schools can make a difference even with students from diverse backgrounds. Given your expertise in Reading/Literacy what are your feelings about Literacy in Pennsylvania.
 * Day 13 - The Literacy Improvement Process**

[]


 * 1. How are we performing in literacy teaching and learning?**


 * 2. What are our strengths, to be built upon?**


 * 3. What are our weaknesses? How do we know?**


 * 4. What are our needs?**


 * 5. With whom do we share the needs analysis?**


 * 6. How can we put the information to use in instructional improvement?**

Setting Goals for Literacy Improvement will be drawn from the needs analysis and will reflect the priorities of the school and where the school is positioned with regard to reflection and improvement. Implementation of change is regarded as amongst the most dificult leadership work and require principals to bring people and resources together to ensure success. In developing and implementing a Literacy Improvement Plan, how will you answer the following questions:
 * Day 14 - Developing a Literacy Improvement Plan**


 * 1. How will we prioritize our literacy needs and frame the goal(s) for our literacy improvement plan?**


 * 2. What support (people and resources) do we need for the literacy improvement plan we are proposing?**


 * 3. How will we build professional, parental, and student communities committed to our plan?**


 * 4. How do we develop the leadership, focus and alignment needed to implement the plan?**

The leadership, focus and alignment for a literacy improvement plan would best come from a team approach. Administrators, teachers, support staff, board members, parents, and students should all have representatives on an improvement plan team. Teacher representatives should include all content areas, not just language arts. With a team approach, everyone can contribute to developing and implementing an improvement plan with focus and alignment. All team members should be responsible for specific elements of the plan. They should have to report their findings and progress to the administrative representative on the team. Frequent meetings should take place so that progress can be assessed and new goals can be established.

The principal's role can be summarized as having three dimensions: Leadership and building and sustaining the case ("moral purpose") for change/instructional improvement occurs over time. Leaders in the change for literacy should demonstrate their understanding of the change process. The focus of leading the implementation of the literacy improvement plan from start to finish should ensure the change effort being sustained and stay focused on improving student learning. So in evaluating if the plan is working, how would you answer the following questions:


 * 1. How do we evaluate the achievement of our goals?**


 * 2. What baseline data do we use?**


 * 3. What formative evaluation and summative evalutation will take place?**


 * 4. With whom do we share the evaluation and how will we use the evaluation to drive our next improvement plan?**

The benefits of leading a quality, reflective literacy community in your school will be effective for both the student and the teacher. Implementing effective literacy strategies will reach far beyond, across the curriculum, and affect your school community.
 * Day 15 - Conclusion**


 * 1. How will you lead literacy reform and apply reading strategies in your classroom in contexts where students are the winners?**