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Title: ________________________________________________________. “ I can do a better job than him !”. It’s Not Where We Start that Counts, but Where We Finish. Today, English 20; tomorrow, the White House. "The illiteracy level of our children are appalling."
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Title: ________________________________________________________ “I can do a better job than him !” It’s Not Where We Start that Counts, but Where We Finish Today, English 20; tomorrow, the White House. "The illiteracy level of our children are appalling." --George Bush Yale Graduate, World Leader “I learned how to write an essay without no grammar mistakes." --Sose Ohanian Developmental Learner Glendale Community College
Distilling the Pedagogy Carnegie SPECC Grant Stepping Stones Textbook Incremental, Technology-based Pedagogy
What We’ve Learned --and Why We’re Optimistic-- about Developmental Learners They possess CRITICAL IMAGINATION • element of surprise • power of choice • irresistible activities • incremental momentum
What We’ve Learned --and Why We’re Optimistic-- about Developmental Learners They thrive on STRATEGIC FEEDBACK • consistent (comment codes) • immediate (electronic format) • self feedback (feedback forms)
What We’ve Learned --and Why We’re Optimistic-- about Developmental Learners They seek out and use RELIABLE RESOURCES • incremental activities • multiple representations • layered (x-ray) models • individual grade tracking
What We’ve Learned --and Why We’re Optimistic-- about Developmental Learners They emulate ACADEMIC MENTORS • intellectual enthusiasm, dignity & commitment • professional work ethic
What We’ve Learned --and Why We’re Optimistic-- about Developmental Learners They are empowered by COLLABORATIVE LEARNING • variety of formats • variety of roles • carrots and accountability • clear goal-orientation
Grammattitude: Turning Grammarphobes into Grammarphiles Hey dude, grammar RULES ! Ugh! Grammar rules…
Turning Grammarphobes into Grammarphiles 1. Use incremental delivery: • bridges chasm of diverse skill levels • builds momentum through gradual mastery • entices with increasing levels of difficulty • encourages self-motivation and self-paced study • 2. Employ clearly defined learning sequences: • building • recognizing • problem-solving • proofreading 3. Prioritize and delimit goals: • sentence structure first • individual, self-paced practice with verbs • rehearsing of key skills throughout the term
Chasing The College Essay It’s amorphous. It’s elusive. It’s just plain ugly..
Make writing an incremental process with discrete skills to master • Make writing concrete: offer models and templates • Make writing “safe” and “fun” • Organizing • three cognitive approaches • ordering • grouping • eliminating • three levels of difficulty • single words • phrases • whole sentences • Outlining • main idea • support points • specific examples • transitional expressions • Problem-Solving • an item that is missing • an item that does not fit • an item that repeats another item • an item that is unclear