“Shifting” To Informational Text: Zeroing In On Academic Language

1. “Shifting” To Informational Text:Zeroing In On Academic Language UFT Teacher Center Citywide Conference December 4th, 2011

2. Welcome! Do now: Text-on-Text LOOK at the posters on your table. What connection or memory does the poster make you THINK of in your own life? SHARE your memory or your memory with a neighbor. WRITE a few words on your post it and place it on the poster.

3. “Shifting” To Informational Text:Zeroing In On Academic Language UFT Teacher Center Citywide Conference December 4th, 2011

4. Culture is the active participation of individuals in the practices, traditions, values and behaviors of a cultural group. (Spring 2008) What Is Culture?

5. Before we can learn: • Human needs, including need for sense of belonging (Maslow). • “Affective Filter” (S. Krashen) • Motivation, self-confidence, anxiety • Importance of risk-taking in the learning process Why Does the Hidden Curriculum Matter?

6. The Hidden Curriculum The classroom The (hidden) message….. Always celebrate one correct answer. No mistakes made here. Faster is always better. Predominance of “bees” Don’t work without them. We work for prizes… ELLs are not real members of our classroom community. ELL children off to side No “Spanish” (Cantonese, Creole) spoken here! My prior knowledge is of no value.

7. The Hidden Curriculum The Classroom or School The Message Partners, groups, clusters of children. We learn from each other and in many ways. Newcomers have buddies. Native language used strategically in class. Letters to families translated when possible. At holiday time, ALL cultures’ artifacts visible.

8. The Hidden Curriculum:Assumed Values Must Be Explicitly TaughtStudent Values Respected We value But Parent involvement so Parents may not feel comfortable coming in. Risk-taking and making an effort Student is afraid to make a mistake. so Asking questions and assertive participation Student has learned Respect = Quiet so Students are from collectivist cultures so Individual recognition

9. Consider the “Hidden Curriculum” • Address the CCLS “Instructional Shifts” and their implicationsfor ELLS. • Develop a toolkit of research-based strategies for teaching vocabulary and to scaffold reading ofInformational Text. • Engage in strategies that promote student learning of grade-appropriate content. Today We Will:

10. Balancing Informational and Literary Text • Staircase of Complexity • Building Knowledge in the Disciplines • Academic • Vocabulary CCLS Instructional ShiftsELA/Literacy In Subject Areas • Text-based • Answers • Writing from Sources

11. NYCDOE Instructional Focus 2011-12Reading Standards 1 and 10 1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; Cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 10RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY Readand comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

12. High expectations: rigor and authentic participation: “high challenge + high support” • Language and Literacy in all content classes • (and content in the ELA class) • Collaboration and communication with children of all language proficiency levels. • Contextualization: learning through multiple modes and materials—visuals, objects, video, organizers, charts Principles of ELL InstructionAdapted from Walqui, WESTED, 2010

13. Vocabulary: key element to reading comprehension • Scaffolding for access to the curriculum • Strategic use of native language • Exposure to a variety of writing experiences, formal and informal “Considerations for ELLs”

14. Instructional Shifts ? Principles of ELL Instruction NYCDOE Instructional Focus

15. ACADEMIC VOCABULARY • INFORMATIONAL TEXT

16. “Reading comprehension […] cannot be understood without examining the critical role and importance of vocabulary instruction.” (National Reading Panel 2000). What Does The Research Say about Vocabulary?

17. The “GAP” • “For ELLS, the “achievement gap” is primarily a vocabulary gap. • Begins before children enter school • Without intervention, grows even wider as students move from grade to grade.

18. What Does The Research Say About Vocabulary And Ells? Yet……………. Typically very little class time has been focused on vocabulary instruction.

19. Vocabulary Instruction Word Conscious-ness Explicit Vocabulary Instruction Independent Word Learning Skills WIDE Range of Reading High Quality Classroom Language

20. Which words and why? The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of land, the 'black land' and the 'red land'. The 'black land' was the fertile terrain on the banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians used this land for growing their crops. This was the only land in ancient Egypt that could be farmed because a layer of rich, black silt was deposited there every year after the Nile flooded.

21. How Do We Choose Words? • Essentialto a passage, but not defined within • Useful word parts: transitional, configuration • Subject area words (Tier III) • nation, citizenship, electoral college • polygon, quadratic, perimeter • High Incidence Academic Words (Tier II) • Analyze, interpret, require • correspond criteria deduce demonstrate • Use the Academic Word List • Multiple Meaning Words • Order, fair, volume

22. Which words and why? The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of land, the 'black land' and the 'red land'. The 'black land' was the fertile terrain on the banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians used this land agriculture. This was the only land in ancient Egypt that could be farmed because a layer of rich, black silt was deposited there every year after the Nile flooded.

23. The Nile River Role in the founding of Egyptian civilization The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that "Egypt was the gift of the Nile". An unending source of sustenance, it provided a crucial role in the development of Egyptian civilization. Silt deposits from the Nile made the surrounding land fertile because the river overflowed its banks annually. The Ancient Egyptians cultivated and traded wheat, flax, and other crops around the Nile. Wheat was a crucial crop in the famine-plagued Middle East. This trading system secured Egypt's diplomatic relationships with other countries, and contributed to economic stability.

24. Which Words and Why I am a firefighter. I help our community in a significant way. With my team, I help extinguish fires in buildings and other places. Often, we must also rescue people from fires. When there is a fire, an alarm rings at the station. I rush to my truck. I slide down a pole because it's faster than using the stairs. I put on fireproof pants and coat.I put on boots and a helmet.I can get dressed in about 30 seconds. These special clothes are called my uniform. My uniform will protect me from fire.

25. A Very Cool Toolhttp://wordsift.com/

26. 1. Remind students, or point out, how the word is used in your text. • 2. Student-friendly definition • 3. Say the word. Students echo. • 4. Students give examples of the word used in other contexts • 5. Students interact with the word: • Fill out an organizer, act it out, make up a motion, provide choices… (This step may be left for a later interaction) • 6. Repeat the word.  Beck’s Quick 6 Step Process:

27. Try it out at your table! Text • deposited • ancient • barren • fertile • AWL • issue • conclude • participate • sufficient

28. 7—12 Cognitive Interactions?!What’s a “cognitive interaction”? Making connections in your brain! Have you ever …………….? Draw a picture to help you remember the word. What other words are related to…..

29. Try it out: empathy • Have you ever felt empathy? • Draw a quick-pic picture of an event to remind you of empathy • What other words are related to empathy?

30. Useful • Connecting words to each other. • Multiple exposures in various contexts an • media. • Heightening word awareness • Sorting and Classifying words Not so much! • Looking up words in the dictionary • Memorizing definitions • Making sentences with words • Word searches

31. Vocabulary = Content Knowledge • “New research has shown that one factor in particular—academic vocabulary—is one of the strongest indicators of how well students will learn subject area content.” • “Teaching the specific terms of social studies, science, or math in a specific way is one of the strongest actions a teacher can take to ensure that students have the academic background knowledge they need to understand the social studies content they will encounter in school.” NYCDOE

32. Mini-UnitTopicGrade Band Presenters: Here starts your unit. You may wish to add some of the following slide if you are using those strategies. Please as you go, point out or elicit the ways in which the activities you are presenting scaffolding toward the shifts of the day.

33. Cooperative Vocabulary Grid

34. Pictorial Input Chart

35. Sentence Patterning Generator

36. Create a Chant

37. What Does It Mean To “Know” A Word? Acquaintances Strangers Friends Family

38. Wonder Words Book

39. Collaborative Poster