(As of 7 May 2008--Subject to Change)
Patty Graner, KU-CRL, & Michael Faggella-Luby, University of Connecticut
School-wide implementation of the Content Literacy Continuum (CLC) requires substantial knowledge of the Content Enhancement Routines and the Learning Strategies Curriculum. However, to meet the needs of all learners, complementary scientifically research-based interventions are necessary. This presentation will review a variety of complementary research-based practices at each of the five levels of the CLC for middle and high schools. The presentation will conclude with a framework for assessing implementation efficacy and resources for further information.
Charles Hughes, Pennsylvania State University
In this session, Charlie will present a recently developed and validated strategy that helps students edit writing projects generated on a word processor. The strategy, EDIT, is a blended update of the Error Monitoring Strategy and the InSPECT Spell Checker Strategy. In addition to describing the strategy steps and the instructional methods, Charlie will describe a recent randomized control study in which 20 fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-grade students with learning disabilities were taught the strategy. Results showed that students who mastered the strategy detected and corrected significantly more spelling and grammar errors than students in the treatment group. Additionally, they performed as well as a group of 25 students without disabilities.
Joe Fisher, Grand Valley State University, Michigan
Edge researchers have developed a series of e-learning programs for professional development on the Concept Comparison, Concept Anchoring, Question Exploration and Concept Mastery Routines. Beyond a review of data on the impact of these e-learning programs, participants will explore and experience their instructional features, first hand. Participants also will discuss ideas for applying e-learning programs as part of preservice and inservice professional development. Don't forget to bring your laptop!
ALTEC
Integrate Internet resources into classroom instruction. Take advantage of these free, easy-to-use tools on the Web to organize Internet resources into online lessons with associated assessment instruments. Make rubrics, online quizzes, and Web pages, then organize them into lesson plans to guide your students through the lesson. Presenters will demonstrate TrackStar, RubiStar, Web Worksheet Wizard, and QuizStar. Integrate "Google Docs" into your projects and support collaborative online research with NoteStar. It is all free and available to everyone online.
Jim Knight, KU-CRL
Students who are able to identify and paraphrase main ideas and details are more likely to understand and remember what they read. Unfortunately, for many students, finding main ideas and details and paraphrasing are not easy tasks. The Fundamentals of Paraphrasing and Summarizing is designed to provide the fundamentals students need to learn those important strategies. Fundamentals contains lessons on paraphrasing words, phrases, and sentences, as well as lessons on identifying main ideas and details in paragraphs and short essays. Professional developers who are looking for a step-by-step approach to increasing some important elements of reading comprehension should benefit from this presentation.
Aaron Sumner and Amber Hoffman, KU-CRL
You've joined a Learning Labs group, mastered online discussions, and maybe even shared an article or two in a file repository. But that's just the tip of the iceberg! You can add wikis, multimedia, assessments, community glossaries, and more to your Learning Labs group. Join us in exploring these options and discussing how to use them for effective online collaboration.
Janis Bulgren, KU-CRL, and Keith Lenz, University of Kansas
Nanette Fritschmann, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Penn.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide information about a research study designed to develop, evaluate, and validate an instructional program for teaching the Inference Strategy, an inferencing and reading comprehension strategy. Further, participants will learn the steps associated with how to teach the Inference Strategy in various classrooms. The goal associated with teaching the Inference Strategy is to improve students' ability to comprehend reading passages and to improve their ability to respond to inferential questions as required in most of their subject-matter classes as well as on state assessments. Specific outcomes of the study and student data will be presented, including the results from a standardized assessment. At the end of this interactive session, participants will have learned the procedures of the Inference Strategy and the outcomes related to a study of a reading comprehension strategy focusing on inferring meaning from narrative text.
Don Deshler, KU-CRL, and Barbara Ehren, University of Central Florida, Orlando
Annemarie Sullivan Palincsar, Jean and Charles Walgreen Jr. Chair of Reading and Literacy, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, University of Michigan
This address illustrates four perspectives useful to exploring success and failure in learning to read and in using reading for learning, knowledge building, and personal growth. The cognitive perspective has focused principally on readers' skills, the acquisition of expertise, individual differences, and issues regarding motivation and persistence. The linguistic perspective has enriched our understanding of the role of language in reading and how awareness of language can inform the design of instruction. In addition, this perspective has enriched the tools with which we analyze text to identify its affordances and challenges and modify text to enhance its accessibility. The sociocultural perspective has been particularly useful to locating reader/text interactions in multiple contexts (both in and out of school), while the critical perspective makes particularly salient the socially constructed nature of reading ability/disability. In addition, it signals the importance of identity, agency, power, and institutional structures in explaining inter- and intra-individual differences in reading and reading achievement.
Dan Boudah, East Carolina University
For some students, the challenge of understanding content often results in failure. In particular, many students have difficulty understanding the main ideas in what they read, especially when they have to "read between the lines." This session will introduce participants to the Main Idea Strategy, a new research-based strategy. In the research, students showed pre- to post-test score gains, considerable improvement through continuing curriculum-based measurement, and changes in state test performance. Teachers and students overwhelmingly provided social validation for the strategy. Session participants will be introduced to the strategy and manual, which includes step-by-step teacher lesson plans, instructional resources, and student practice lessons. This strategy is designed for elementary, secondary, or adult literacy students.
ALTEC
MATRIX is a Star Schools Project that uses technology games and simulations in after-school programs to improve middle school mathematics achievement. This hands-on workshop will demonstrate some of the games created by the various MATRIX partners to teach middle school math. Participants will explore various math games and activities designed to teach concepts such as number lines, ratio, coordinate graphs, and linear equations.
Brief, yet excellent, presentations
The Authentic Classroom Learning Opportunities tool (ACLO) is a data-gathering tool developed by the presenters to be useful for coaches and other observers of classroom instruction. Come and learn how to use the ACLO to identify components of teachers' instruction and classroom management that can be targeted for further examination, change, and improvement. Teachers have responded favorably when the ACLO has been used. Participating teachers and coaches have engaged in open dialogue regarding what the classroom data indicate and have participated in problem-solving activities to increase instructional and engagement time for the themselves and their students. The presenters indicate that this tool may be foundational to supporting teacher-colleagues interested in maximizing classroom learning opportunities.
Hilly Bernard, XXXX
We will explore student motivation as a central focus of designing learning experiences by merging components of Grant Wiggins' Understanding by Design with Content Enhancement Routines. The shift from planning instruction to designing learning experiences moves from teacher-centered planning to consideration of effective design elements in addressing diverse student populations. Although this adaptation may seem subtle, the implications are remarkable in terms of potential results related to learning. As we construct our understandings of student motivation, we will set our sight on the design features that emanate from our conversation of this important concept. This constructivist session will culminate in generating principles of learning based on our larger conversation. The participants will leave this session with an experience of the application of SIM and Understanding by Design as an instructional approach as well as exploring motivation to design learning experiences.
Cris Romero, Riverbank (Calif.) High School
As school administrators and teachers across the country become more interested, aware, and involved in the large-scale implementation of SIM Learning Strategies, it is increasingly important to address the issues that arise when providing instruction for large groups. In this session, participants will get ideas for dealing with management struggles, providing feedback to students, activities, and differentiating instruction. Participants also will discuss classroom instructional options, including centers, learning partners, and cooperative groups.
Lalitha Ramanujan, Alpha to Omega Learning Centre, Chennai, India
The presentation will explore how Learning Strategies are incorporated into the curriculum at Alpha to Omega Learning Centre for children with specific learning difficulties in Chennai. The presenter also will discuss how the tutor trainees have reached students in different parts of India and will share the findings of a research project that used learning strategies related to reading comprehension to enhance the self-esteem of the students at the Centre.
Darren Minarek, Radford University T/TAC, Radford, Va.
Gail Cheever, Facilitator
Neat Ideas & Nifty Devices for Modeling CE Routines with Teachers
Gail Cheever, Learning Specialist, Trophy Club, Texas
Patricia Ward, Director of Instruction and Learning, Crossroads Charter Academy, Big Rapids, Mich.
This session will refer to the books Power Standards by Larry Ainsworth and Classroom Assessment for Student Learning by Rick Stiggins. We will discuss how both books support the use of the Course and Unit Organizers in grades K-12. We will discuss how to walk your staff through identifying the state-level "power standards" (for example, learning targets) at each grade level; consider how to assess for competency of those standards and how to use the Course and Unit Organizers as a means to actually teach the standards throughout the school year. This is an example of one school's attempt in Michigan to align curriculum, instruction, and assessment and improve student performance through the use of these tools.
Bruce Noah, Collaborative Teaching Specialist, Davenport (Iowa) Community School District
The presenter will demonstrate how to use the "magic fold" in professional development. This fun manipulative uses two pieces of construction paper, clever cuts, and a weaving technique to create a LINCs table and a neat way to self-test.
Bev Mommsen, Facilitator
Tricia Bronger, Program Coordinator/Instructor, University of Louisville, Ky.
David Scanlon, Lynch School of Education, Boston College
It is possible to claim an opinion or name a fact without really understanding it. Many students have difficulty stating their knowledge; they also may be challenged to explain that information or to defend it against reasonable challenges. The PROVE Strategy is a process students use to identify their knowledge or belief, provide supporting evidence, and consider alternative perspectives. Teachers use a PROVE Sheet to guide students through the PROVE process as they are learning it. The strategy was validated in research with an eighth-grade middle school team of 98 students (12 with LD). Five team teachers taught the strategy across the curriculum. Findings documented that students with and without LD effectively generalized the PROVE process to academic tasks in different content areas. Propositions stated at pretest were more clearly stated and fully explained at posttest. Student samples will be shared, and session attendees will practice the strategy as they learn teaching tips.
Janis Bulgren, KU-CRL, and Keith Lenz, University of Kansas
Barbara Ehren, University of Central Florida, Orlando
Janis Bulgren, KU-CRL
Aaron Sumner and Amber Hoffman, KU-CRL
If you liked the Content Enhancement Library, you'll love Depot, the latest online collaboration tool from Stratepedia. Learn how Depot's new sharing features support Content Enhancement professional development, expand opportunities to collaborate with other educators, and interface with state standards. Bring a laptop and your computer-ready organizers (GIST, PDF, PowerPoint, etc.) for hands-on practice, or just follow along with Amber and Aaron!
Monica Harris, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo
Jean Schumaker, Edge Enterprises; and Mike Hock and Don Deshler, KU-CRL
This panel presentation will review different aspects of the research conducted on the Center's new reading curriculum, Xtreme Reading. Presenters will review data collected during a two-year study of the Xtreme Reading course, summarize the official first-year report, and preview future directions.
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