Constructing Meaning Constructing Meaning Explicit Language for Content Area Explicit Language for Content Area

InstructionInstructionAn Institute for Secondary Content TeachersAn Institute for Secondary Content Teachers

Constructing Meaning Constructing Meaning Explicit Language for Content Area Explicit Language for Content Area

InstructionInstructionAn Institute for Secondary Content TeachersAn Institute for Secondary Content Teachers

MCOE Executive OverviewFebruary 28th, 2008

A Focused ApproachA Focused Approach

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I believe….I believe….

Children grow into the intellectual life around them.

- Lev Vygotsky

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Constructing MeaningConstructing Meaning

Institute OverviewInstitute OverviewDay One

A Focused Approach to Constructing Meaning

Day TwoAcademic Strategic Lesson Design

Day Three

Academic Language Production

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Our goals for the instituteOur goals for the institute

Understand the role that academic language plays in content learning

Learn to determine language knowledge essential for accessing content

Learn to plan and deliver focused content specific language instruction

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Recurring CM ThemesRecurring CM Themes

Knowing our students

Identifying discipline-specific language

Connecting reading, writing, listening, and speaking

Building receptive and expressive language

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Access to the CoreAccess to the Core

After adolescent ELs acquire the basic skills, they need to become active readers and writers who use reading and writing processes. Using these processes, learners can examine a text, make conclusions about it, articulate and incorporate those conclusions.

Double the Work, 2007

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Access to the Core Access to the Core (cont.)(cont.)

The process creates awareness about the functions of language, and the reflection inherent in the process helps students practice the kind of highly abstract thinking that is essential to succeeding in high school and beyond into college or the world of work.

Double the Work, 2007

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Day One AgendaDay One Agenda

The Challenge

Effective Reading Practices

Defining Academic English

A Focused Approach: F, F & F

Analysis of Comprehension Task

handouthandout

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In Other WordsIn Other Words

In schools, we could virtually say that “language is the curriculum.”

Beverly Derewianka

Language is very difficult to put into words.

Voltaire

The Focused ApproachThe Focused ApproachThe Focused ApproachThe Focused Approach

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Represent cognitive tasks

Purposes for expressing

thinking

Informs text structure

A Focused Approach A Focused Approach Features of Language Features of Language InstructionInstruction

Needed Tools

Vocabulary and Word usage

Sentence structure and grammatical

features

FluencyFluency

Ease of comprehension and

production

Accuracy

Appropriate to context

FormsFunction

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Thumbnail SketchThumbnail Sketch

How can we use the information in this thumbnail sketch to better:

1.Teach the functional language of our content areas?

2.Move students along a continuum of specific and precise language use?

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13Agenda HandoutAgenda Handout

Day Two AgendaDay Two Agenda

Knowing Our Students• Common Backgrounds

• Levels of English Proficiency

• Previous Coursework

Strategic Lesson Design• Lessons of Adolescent Literacy

• Planning Tool

• Functions Tool

Vocabulary Instruction• Determining Which Words to Teach

• Direct Instruction

Getting to Know Our Getting to Know Our StudentsStudents

Getting to Know Our Getting to Know Our StudentsStudents

In the absence of In the absence of information… information…

…we are in danger of committing “assumicide” -Kelly Gallagher

“Although adolescent English learners share a designation based on their limited English proficiency, they arrive at school via diverse paths and with a wide range of experiences.”

-Norm Gold (LMRI, 2006)

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Factors that affect EL Factors that affect EL experiences experiences

Length of time in American schools

Literacy and content knowledge in primary language

English proficiency level

Life experiences

Previous coursework

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Deepening Our UnderstandingDeepening Our Understanding

Consider one of your students who is learning English as a new language.

First column for jotting what you know about your student

Second column - note the instructional implications of that information

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Function ToolsFunction ToolsFunction ToolsFunction Tools

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Overarching FunctionsOverarching Functions

Cause and Effect

Compare and Contrast

Elaboration

Proposition & Support (Problem/Solution)

Sequencing

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The Function ToolsThe Function Tools

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Strategic Lesson Strategic Lesson DesignDesign

Strategic Lesson Strategic Lesson DesignDesign

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Rationale for Constructing Rationale for Constructing MeaningMeaning

Role of motivation and engagement

Actively construct meaning from text

Interconnectedness of reading, writing, speaking, listening and thinking

Need to use both general literacy strategies as well as discipline-specific literacy strategies

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Lessons of Adolescent LiteracyLessons of Adolescent Literacy

Infused into Lesson DesignInfused into Lesson Design

The CM Analysis tool is designed with these recommendations in mind:

– The prompts focus on linguistic complexities of content-specific instructional materials

– This results in a clear picture of what students will need to access the content.

The CM Planner suggests a sequence and strategies for delivering a tailored lesson aimed at increased fluency of oral and written academic English.

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CM: Infusing Lessons of Adolescent CM: Infusing Lessons of Adolescent

LiteracyLiteracy

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Gradual Release of Gradual Release of ResponsibilityResponsibility

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I Do, We Do, You DoI Do, We Do, You Do

In the gradual release model, what are the additional roles and responsibilities

– of the teacher?

– of the student?

VocabularyVocabularyVocabularyVocabulary

To expand a child’s vocabulary is to teach that child to think about the

world.Stahl & Stahl, 2004

Being selectiveBeing selective

Determining Which Determining Which StrategyStrategy to to UseUse

To support students in becoming independent word learners, consider:

explanations, not definitions

different kinds of context clues

recognizing cognates

To provide in-depth, explicit instruction, consider using:

word sorts concept maps word cards (Frayer) word forms

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Day Three AgendaDay Three Agenda

Building on Recurring Themes• Debriefing the Reading

Entering the Academic Dialogue• Comprehension & Production

• Structured Oral Language Practice

• Writing to Learn

A Genre Approach to Writing• Notetaking Tool, Crafting a Prompt, & Summarizing

• Genre Templates & Rubrics

Entering the Entering the Academic DialogueAcademic Dialogue

Entering the Entering the Academic DialogueAcademic Dialogue

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Nine RoutinesNine Routines

Structured Oral Practice Structured Oral Practice

1. Talking Stick

Talking Chips

Think, Pair, Share

Numbered Heads

Three Step Interview

Give One, Get One

Clock Partners

Lines of Communication

Whip Around

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What is a Genre?What is a Genre?

Genres are goal-oriented; they are meant to serve a purpose.

Genres have an expected overall structure; they rely on well-established patterns.

Genres are marked by specific linguistic features, such as vocabulary and syntax.

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The Common Academic GenresThe Common Academic Genres

Narrative (story, autobiographical event)

Expository (cause & effect, compare & contrast)

Persuasive (problem/solution, opinion)

Response to Literature (fiction/non-fiction analysis)

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A Note-taking ToolA Note-taking Tool

ExpositoryExpository page page 1414

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Genre Drafting TemplateGenre Drafting Template page page 3.243.24

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What are we asking for…What are we asking for…

….when we ask students to “use their own words”?

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The Skills of SummaryThe Skills of Summary

Summarizing requires the ability to

Condense information

Consolidate information

Discern essential details

Simplify language

Restate language

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One teacher’s stated goal:One teacher’s stated goal:

To equip students with the language they need to express the

sophistication of their thinking for academic and real life purposes.

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