Language Arts Day!

1. Language Arts teachers are invited to gather at these sessions to study NeSA-Reading and NeSA-Writing data and use this information to consider how to continue to improve student achievement. In addition to the data analysis and NeSA updates, we will study recent research, pedagogy, and strategies directly related to language arts instruction. Language Arts Day! January 31, 2012

2. Purposes Understand NeSAprotocol, resources, and results Study NeSA results Use data to inform decisions for improving student achievement Study explicit instruction Share experiences, tips, ideas

3. Getting Started • Introductions • Norms • Parking Lot • Wikispace: http://esu6la.wikispaces.org • Agenda • Handouts & Copies • Survey

4. dry erase marker tissue (or old sock) sheet protector with cardstock insert Review Personal Response Boards with Structured Partner Discussion

5. Think-Ink-Link Think- Prompt all and provide time to think. Ink- Direct students to write; provide a structure. Link- Provide structured opportunities to share.

6. Tell – Help – Check(Archer & Hughes, Explicit Instruction, 2011, p. 141) • Tell: A tell B • Help: B respectfully agree or disagree • correct, clarify, add • offer reasons and confidence level • Check: pairs check notes, display, etc. • All students revise written record

7. Interaction Sequence Ask all student the question. Pause (3+ seconds). Put students on-the-clock. “You have 2 minutes to share your answer with your partner.” Students share their thoughts with a partner. Select student(s) to respond. Purposeful Selection: Call on students you have visited. Random Selection: Call on students so every student has an opportunity to be selected. Volunteer Selection: Allow volunteer responses. APL (Sharer, Anastasio, & Perry, 2007, p. 80-85) • Conference with 1 or 2 pairs • Check student answers • Probe • Provide answers when missing

8. Structured Partner Discussion • Regarding ____ , I have been contemplating… • Regarding ____ , (my colleagues and) I have… Suggested Words • NeSA • action plan • curriculum • instruction • data

9. Sentence Stems • teacher prompt to use specific academic language or syntax when responding to prompts • Why? • beyond chatting • accurate rehearsal • students using academic language and syntax • provides scaffold to competently discuss topic

10. Sentence Stems: Examples • I predict ___ because ___. • One consequence of the invention was a rise in __. • Two potential motives behind an author’s use of roman à clef include ___. • …your response must include the words “function” and “variable.” Somebody (people)… wanted (motivation)… but (conflict)… so (resolution)… Something (independent var.)… happened (change)… and (affect on dependent var.)… then (conclusion)…

11. Language Strategies to Acknowledge Other People’s Ideas Casual, Conversational English • Oh yeah. Me too. • I’m like… • My idea is like ____’s idea. • My idea is the same. Academic English • My idea (observation/experience) is similar to ___’s • My experience/perspective is similar to that of (the author)… • I agree with ____’s assertion. I also believe… • As ___ already pointed out, it seems… • ___ already mentioned…, and/but I would like to add… (Kinsella, San Francisco University, 2007)

12. Structured Academic Language –a few related resources • Kate Kinsella: http://www.sccoe.org/depts/ell/kinsella.asp • Academic Conversations (Zwiers & Crawford, 2011)

13. Things to keep in mind… • Is there a plan to look at the data? • Have we been looking at the TOS? Is our curriculum aligned? • Are we taking advantage of the practice opportunities? • NeSA is one measure…

14. Improving Adolescent Literacy… http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide.aspx?sid=8

15. Sentence Fluency Sentence Variety Practice 2+ Sentence Aerobics • Write one thing you know to be true in one sentence (up to 12 words). • Pass to left: Read and rewrite the sentence passed to you. This time, begin it in a different way. • Pass to left: Read and rewrite the sentence passed to you. This time, begin with a pronoun (e.g., one, he she, I they, we, everyone). • Continue with more prompts (e.g., begin with “if”, turn it into a question, begin with a dependent clause, etc.). • Return to originator and read aloud to hear possibilities. V. Spandel (2009). Creating Writters, 5th Edition, p. 195

16. Explicit Instruction http://explicitinstruction.org/?page_id=80

17. 4 A’s Text Protocol What assumptions does the author of the text hold? What do you agree with in the text? What do you want to argue with in the text? To what parts of the text do you aspire?

18. Choral Responses Look, Lean, and Whisper Think-Pair-Share Pause Procedure Study-Tell-Help-Check Numbered Heads Together Partners First Question First Whip Around or Pass Response Cards/Slates Echo Reading Choral Reading Cloze Reading Augmented Silent Reading Partner Reading Ask, Then Tell Chapter 6

19. Resource & Idea Sharing • Resource Review • Based on your needs, choose a resource to explore. • Look for replicable techniques/teacher strategies or student strategies. • Name it. Describe it. Say why it’s good. • (Document source.) • What fabulous resources do you depend on for your professional practice?

20. Summary of Learning When my administrator asks about today, I will say that I learned… The most important / relevant thing I learned or was reminded of today is…

21. See You Then! Future Sessions June 18