Introduction to the Literacy Design Collaborative Framework

1. Introduction to the Literacy Design Collaborative Framework Barbara Ann Smith, Staff Development and Training Specialist Kelly Galbraith, Literacy Consultant Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13

2. Agenda • Welcome! • LDC Glossary • Goals for today • Where we are headed • Introduction to LDC • The Template Task • Can This Task Be Saved? • Drafts of Teaching Tasks • Instructional Considerations • Wrap Up

3. LDC Glossary Template Tasks: 29 fill-in-the-blank templates used to develop teaching tasks. The templates do not change! Teaching Task: A template task that has been customized by teachers and includes the texts, the content, etc. Template Module: A system of instructional support for the teaching task. The template module provides a sample instructional ladder which identifies a possible skill sequence and mini-tasks (instructional segments). Teachers can customize the template module as they gain experience. T

4. Tasks are the Common standards, local choices! The tasks students engage are at the center! 4

5. Goals • Together we will: • Identify how the Literacy Design Collaborative can serve as a strategy for achieving the Common Core State Standards and equipping all students to be successful in education and work beyond high school. • Use the components of the LDC Framework: template tasks, teaching tasks, rubrics, and modules • Create a series of teaching tasks that could become modules within English 9 and 10 courses

6. Where are we headed? Long Term Goal: 16 modules 8 for ELA 9 & 8 for ELA 10 Short Term Goal: 16 Tasks Tasks will be developed into modules Begin with 4 modules per course

7. Review • Common Core State Standards for Literacy • Webb’s Depth of Knowledge • Text Complexity • Types of Writing

8. The Literacy Design Collaborative An expanding set of classroom, district, state and service providers with the will to meet the challenge of expecting high levels of secondary literacy, head-on.

9. And, We Are in Good Company… • LDC first-wave partners include the KY Prichard Committee with Kenton County and 5 other KY districts; PA IU 13; Hillsborough County (Tampa), FL; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC; Worcester, MA; and Forsyth County, GA. • National partners such as the National Writing Project, Jobs for the Future, New Visions for Public Schools and others. • New state-wide efforts in PA, KY, GA and more to come!

10. Common Core Standards are a blueprint.

11. They set clear goals. The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. http://www.corestandards.org

12. They define literacy in content areas. While the English language arts classroom has often been seen as the proper site for literacy instruction, this document acknowledges that the responsibility for teaching such skills must also extend to other content areas. http://www.corestandards.org

13. They create new challenges. Unlike mathematics, secondary literacy is not a discipline. It is “homeless” in that it belongs to everyone and no one. Literacy is used in secondary classrooms, but it is not taught in a systematic way.

14. And they offer great opportunity! With the Common Core of Standards, many things now become possible. Because states will be working from the same core, we can create broad-based sharing of what works but, at the same time, provide local flexibility to decide how best to teach the core. – Vicki Phillips & Carina Wong (PDK, February 2010)

15. But we need to move … from blueprint to action!

16. Our Typical Approach HISTORICAL TIMELINE READING & WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM WRITE PLEASE? PLEASE! READ

17. LDC offers a different choice! So teachers don’t have to ‘move from blueprint to action’ alone.

18. What are educators saying?

19. What are educators saying? “The template gives you an overarching theme in terms of what literacy looks like.” “It is not just reading in isolation or writing in isolation. It’s putting them together to create independent ideas on the part of the student.” “The LDC module is a good step in allowing students to do more for themselves.” – Tony, world history teacher, Midwood High School, Brooklyn, NY – Sarah, English teacher, Northwestern High School, Hyattsville, MD – Gary, secondary literacy specialist, Kenton County Schools, KY

20. The LDC Approach Tasks

21. The LDC Approach

22. Connections across grade & content areas After researching ______ (informational texts) on ______ (content), write an ______ (essay or substitute) that argues your position, pro or con, on ______ (content). Support your position with evidence from your reading. ALIGNMENT across grades DISTRIBUTION across content areas T 30

23. LDC Framework Modules wrap a teaching plan around the task. Courses provide a structure/system across grades and disciplines. 31

24. Introducing the Template Task

25. What are “template tasks”? • Fill-in-the-blank “shells” built off of the Common Core standards • Used to create high-quality student assignments that develop reading and writing skills in the context of your content area • 29 have been developed in the pilot year of the LDC project; our first module will use task 4

26. LDC Template Task Collection A prototype with more to come! 34

27. Parts of the Template Task • Template Prompt – the “shell” statement that allows you to fill-in-the-blanks with your own content, including reading texts, writing products, and topics and themes • A generic scoring rubric – clarifies expectations; describes and connects the demands and qualities set by the Common Core standards with the student work • Student work

28. Template tasks require students to: • Read materials (as specified by the CCSS); • Write products (as specified by the CCSS); • Apply literacy standards to content, with a focus on social studies and science.

29. Template Tasks • Teachers use the template tasks to design their own teaching, selecting: • Content standards to address (for example, state or district science, history, or ELA standards for the class they are teaching) • Texts students will read or research • Issue(s) or topic(s) students will address in their writing • Product they want students to accomplish

30. How can I differentiate instruction? • The “plug and play” flexibility allows the level of difficulty to be adjusted in multiple ways: • Task level: Select level 1, 2, or 3 task • Reading requirements: Vary text complexity, genre, length, familiarity, etc. • Writing demands: Vary product, length, etc. • Pacing requirements: Vary workload and time allowed to complete

31. Your Turn: O’Captain Module Can you locate: • The template task • The teaching task • The background statement • The CCR Anchor standards • The content standards

32. Teaching Task/Module

33. Teaching Task/Module

34. A compilation of exemplars and lessons learned for LDC trainers with many thanks to all of the teachers who have joined us in the pursuit of the “just right “ task. Can this task be saved?

35. REMEMBER…Teaching Tasks SHOULD… • Be worth doing…aligned to CCSS and subject content • Focus on academic material & vocabulary • Be doable – not too big, not too small • Involve challenging texts that elicit close reading • Involve multi-paragraph writing • Fit the type of writing – argumentation or informational/explanatory • Teach what you want learned

36. Strong Example Task 2 Argumentation/Analysis [Insert essential question.] After reading___(literature or informational texts), write an ____(essay or substitute) that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text. L2 Be sure to examine competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. By 1809, which party’s goals had prevailed in American politics: the Federalists or the Democratic-Republicans? After reading primary source documents, write an essay that addresses the question and supports your position with evidence from the documents. Be sure to acknowledge competing views. Give examples from historical events to illustrate and clarify your position.

37. Strong Example Task 2 Argumentation/Analysis [Insert essential question.] After reading___(literature or informational texts), write an ____(essay or substitute) that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text. L2 Be sure to examine competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. What is the proper role of the individual in response to a disaster? After reading various perspectives on individual responsibility and examining an interactive map of the 2010 Gulf oil spill, write a letter to a younger child that addresses the question and argues for the proper individual response. Support your position with evidence from the texts. L2 Be sure to examine competing views.

38. Template Task 11B Task 11B SS (Informational or Explanatory/Definition L1,2): After researching articles and political documents on government lobbyists, write a report that defines “advocacy” and explains the lobbyist as a form of an advocate and his/her role in our political system. Support your discussion with evidence from your research. L2 What implications can you draw? Task 11 SCI (Informational or Explanatory/Definition L1): After researching scientific articles on magnetism, write a report that defines “magnetism” and explains its role in the planetary system. Support your discussion with evidence from your research.

39. Good Example with Specific Text Task 2 Argumentation/Analysis [Insert essential question.] After reading___(literature or informational texts), write an ____(essay or substitute) that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text. L2 Be sure to examine competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. Do Walt Whitman’s extended metaphors adequately portray America’s sense of loss after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination?  After reading “Oh Captain, My Captain” and an excerpt from Lincoln: a Photo biography, write an essay that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text(s). L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. 

40. Too Big; Too Vague Task 2 Argumentation/Analysis [Insert essential question.] After reading ___(literature or informational texts), write an ____(essay or substitute) that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text. L2 Be sure to examine competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. Did the Underground Railroad give the freedom that African Americans were seeking when they reached the North?  After reading several articles and the text write an essay that argues your position, pro or con, on whether the Underground Railroad provided the freedom African Americans were looking for in the North.  Support your position with evidence from your readings.  L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views.  L3 Give examples from past or current events or  issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

41. Better? Did safe passage on the underground railroad lead to the freedom that African Americans were seeking when they reached the North? After reading several articles and texts write an essay that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text(s). L2 Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. OR…. Did emancipation ensure equality? OR… Does freedom guarantee equality?

42. Does Not Follow Template Task 7 After researching ____ (informational texts) on_____ (content), write an ______(essay or substitute) that identifies a problem _____ (content) and argues for a solution. Support your position with evidence from your research. L2 Be sure to examine competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. After researching your textbook and other sources provided by your teacher, such as “Where Have All the Voters Gone?” by Thomas E. Patterson and the article, “Many will mark this election by not voting”, write a letter proposing a bill one of your national or state congressmen could submit to a congressional committee that explains the problem of voter turnout and proposes changes that would need to be made in state or federal laws in order to increase voter turn-out in our state or in the entire United States; in other words, that identifies a problem related to voter turnout and argues for a solution. Support your position with evidence from your research.

43. Improved Version Task 7 After researching ____ (informational texts) on_____ (content), write an ______(essay or substitute) that identifies a problem _____ (content) and argues for a solution. Support your position with evidence from your research. L2 Be sure to examine competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. After researching the sources provided on the legislative process, write a proposal for a bill that identifies a problem withvoter turnout and argues for a solution. Support your position with evidence from your research.

44. Can You Improve This? Task 11 After researching _____(informational texts) on _____(content), write a _____(report or substitute) that defines _____ and explains_____(content). Support your discussion with evidence from your research. L2 What implications can you draw? All levels include a bibliography After researching internet sources on erosion control, write an essay that defines “the reasons for needing erosion control” and explains best practices for minimizing erosion. Support your discussion with evidence from your research. L2 What implications can you draw?

45. Need to be careful with text selection! Task 2 Argumentation/Analysis [Insert essential question.] After reading___(literature or informational texts), write an ____(essay or substitute) that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the text. L2 Be sure to examine competing views. L3 Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. Should adolescents be required to wear helmets when biking and skateboarding? After reading informational texts on the Laws of Motion, bodily injury, and current state laws on helmet requirements, write a persuasive essay to the Legislatures of Pennsylvania that addresses the question and supports your position with evidence from the text(s). L2: Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3: Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. All levels include a works cited.

46. Final Thoughts • Task development is a recursive process • Collaboration results in better tasks • Field test your tasks by doing them yourself • Ask yourself…Is this task worth our time?

47. Courses Courses can combine varied modules and varied other kinds of teaching in systematic approaches to building student skills. 58

48. LDC Courses • Sets of LDC modules can be built into full courses: • Science, history, English and other courses • Courses with literacy as the main focus (for example, something similar to college English composition) • Integrated courses taught by teacher teams • Course sequences to support growing skills 59

49. LDC Courses • In thinking about courses, imagine LDC modules working in various combinations with other kinds of learning: • Experiments • Student presentations • Work internships • Community service projects or community surveys • Video simulations and on-line learning • Student debates • Seminar discussions • Old-fashioned teacher lectures and presentations 60

50. LDC Courses • In thinking about courses, imagine students demonstrating their learning through: • full LDC tasks in a portfolio of work or • shorter assessment tasks, using the same template task but adjusting the readings, prompts, and scoring to call for work students can do in a single sitting or • a “through course” assessment system in which students all over a state study a block of content and then do the same task—with results becoming part of the students’ scores for the statewide testing system or • some combination of the ideas above. 61