This document summarizes a staff development session on implementing school-wide literacy at North View Junior High. It defines school-wide literacy as all staff intentionally working to improve students' literacy skills to boost content learning. It identifies three literacy techniques for teachers to focus on: metacognition, content area vocabulary instruction, and writing to learn. Each technique is defined and examples are given of how teachers can incorporate them into their classrooms to enhance student learning.

1. Understanding School-Wide Literacy at North View Junior High August 31st, 2010 Trish Van Horn, Ann Evenson, Kari Vollrath, Jessica Crooker

4. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

5. Knowledge Rating Scale An assessment for learning Teacher selects essential vocabulary related to topic/unit of study Students reflect on their level of understanding Can be extended to get students out of their seats Formative Assessment

6. MYTH or TRUTH? MYTHS about SWL… TRUTHS about SWL… requires all teachers to assign formal essays requires teachers to emphasize grading grammar and spelling refers only to reading is part of the training in becoming an English teacher is subject matter that needs to be taught in addition to your content describes HOW we teach, not WHAT we teach is necessary for students of all ages and ability levels uses reading and writing to help students master content can enhance student performance relevant in all content areas

7. DEFINITION of SCHOOL-WIDE LITERACY Literacy is… "The ability to read and write and use numeracy, to handle information, to express ideas and opinions, to make decisions and solve problems, as family members, workers, citizens and lifelong learners.” School-wide Literacy means… …all staff intentionally and actively elevate students’ literacy skills in order to increase content learning.

8. WHAT DOES SCHOOL-WIDE LITERACY LOOK LIKE IN MY CLASSROOM? Metaphor alert! Metaphorical thinking provides two benefits: More readily able to reach deeper levels of comprehension Repeated practice enables students to generate their own metaphorical connections, thus sharpening higher-level thinking skills (Gallagher 2004, pg. 125) Our goal= to help students cross the bridge Identifying Sim. & Diff. CONTENT MASTERY STUDENTS LITERACY

9. But what is lurking UNDER the bridge…?

10. Piranhas?! What literacy challenges do students encounter when trying to master your content? In other words, what makes learning (i.e. crossing the bridge) difficult for students? BREAK- Please post your fish during the break.

11. Write-Pair-Share Summarizing/Note-taking & Collaboration Writing Break— (prompts: choose 1 or more) What do you notice about this graphic? What are you thinking? Questions, thoughts, comments, ideas, concerns… Pair-Share Turn to a person next to you and discuss your thoughts Can read a part of your response or simply paraphrase for your partner Post-discussion—an opportunity to share out with the large group

12. Outcome #1 I can define the term “school-wide literacy” and explain what it means in my classroom. On the second Knowledge Rating Scale, place an X in the column that best describes your understanding of school-wide literacy.

13. Narrowing the School-wide Literacy Focus Focus on three major instructional techniques Research shows high return for investing in these techniques: Metacognition Content Area Vocabulary Instruction Write to Learn

14. Metacognition—what is it? learners' automatic awareness of their own knowledge and their ability to understand, control, and manipulate their own cognitive processes; refers to the ability to reflect upon the task demand and independently select and employ the appropriate reading, writing, math or learning strategy

15. Metacognition—why does it work? Moves students from dependent to autonomous Students are better able to access strategies best suited to their purpose Students become active, flexible thinkers, capable of responding to a variety of: Texts Tasks Contexts Purposes (Harvey, Goudvis 2007)

16. Metacognition—what does it look like? Knowledge Rating Scale* Exit card reflecting on the “I can” statements* Groenke’s learning targets (1-5 scale)* Post-it notes; text annotation* KWL chart Think Alouds (teachers & students) Self-evaluation Double-entry journals Journals, quick writes Differentiation TURN & TALK: What have you heard about metacognition that affirms your teaching practices? Post-its: In what ways have you used metacognition in your classroom?

17. Content Area Vocabulary Instruction—what is it? Direct and explicit instruction of vocabulary related to your specific content area Instruction takes place within the appropriate context Only for words expected to be made part of students’ permanent lexicon “My teacher says our school has tough new standards and I need to improve my vocabulary. What’s vocabulary?”

18. Content Area Vocabulary Instruction—why does it work? Background knowledge is more important to understanding of reading than IQ. Vocabulary instruction in specific content-area terms builds up student’s background knowledge in the content area. Side note… Academic Language for most teachers IS our everyday language, which makes it hard to notice and, therefore, hard to teach. Zwiers, p. 39

19. Support for Direct Instruction Marzano, 2004, p. 69

20. Content Area Vocabulary Instruction—What does it look like? Limit 2-3 per week, per class Marzano suggests: Instructor explanation, choral pronunciation Collaboration & discussion Non-linguistic activities Revisiting the words regularly “Play” with the words, ask students to use the words Differentiation TURN & TALK: What have you heard about direct vocabulary instruction that affirms your teaching practices? Post-its: In what ways have you used direct vocabulary instruction in your classroom?

22. Writing to find out what is in our minds

23. Play with ideas, move them around, make connections

24. WTLs come in many forms

25. Short

26. Spontaneous

27. Exploratory

28. Informal

29. Personal

30. One draft

31. Unedited, ungraded—but can be used to give feedbackDaniels, Zemelman, Steineke 2007, p. 20-25

32. Write To Learn—why does it work? In order for learners to understand & remember ideas, they must act upon them Requires students to put new learning in their own words (unlike some note-taking or fill-in-the blank activities) Pushes students to think beyond factual recall (lower level thinking)

33. Write To Learn—what does it look like? TURN & TALK: What have you heard about write-to-learn that affirms your teaching practices? Post-its: In what ways have you used write-to-learn in your classroom? Exit/Entrance Slips* Writing Break* Brainstorming Drawing and Illustrating Clustering Mapping Written Conversation Write-Around Carousel Brainstorming Nonstop Write Reflective Write KWL Teacher-Student Correspondence Differentiation

34. OUTCOME #2 I can identify the three specific focus areas to enhance school-wide literacy. KNOWLEDGE RATING SCALE Complete the second Knowledge Rating Scale Also, please fill out the exit slip Tear your paper along the dotted line & leave lower portion on your table