EDLIT755: Literacy Instruction for struggling readers and writers

1. EDLIT755: Literacy Instruction for struggling readers and writers A hybrid online class June 2015 Instructor: Deirdre Faughey dfaughey@gmail.com www.literacyinstruction2015.wordpress.com

2. introductions • Please share: • your name • your teaching experience (school/subject/grade level) • a story of the most memorable moment of your year.

3. Agenda • What is literacy? • How do we define this term? What specifically do we expect our students to do? • Syllabus review • What kind of reader are you? • Thinking about our own reading experiences • Writing about reading • Putting an experience into words • Ideas for teaching • Thinking about student learning, student experiences with reading and writing

4. What is literacy? • Please respond to this question in a five-minute free-write. • Share responses in small groups • Quick share with class - develop a “working” definition.

5. What kind of reader are you? • Quick-write: What was the last poem you read? Describe your relationship with poetry. • Read “Introduction to Poetry,” by Billy Collins • Mark up the text, jot down response notes on the page • Re-read the poem, underline one word/phrase/line that stands out to you • Share “stand-out” parts from the poem. Explain why they stand out to you.

6. Writing poetry! • Write your own poem about how you read poetry. • NOTE: Sharing will be optional, not mandatory : ) • Use the Collins poem as a model- try to explain how the way you read compares to the way others read. • Metacognitive reflection: At the bottom of your page/screen, write a quick explanation about what this writing process was like for you.

7. Teaching ideas • In groups of 3-4… • Share poems (optional) • Share metacognitive reflection • Share predictions about what aspects of this assignment would be difficult for struggling readers/writers • Brainstorm ideas for how you would help students complete this assignment in an English classroom.