The Intersection of Technology Tools and Cognitive Strategies: Improving Content Area Instruction for Students with Mild

1. The Intersection of Technology Tools and Cognitive Strategies: Improving Content Area Instruction for Students with Mild Disabilities Cynthia Okolo Michigan State University okolo@msu.edu

2. Cognitive Strategy Instruction • Been around a long time • Skills versus strategies  • Students with disabilities may not be strategic learners • Strong evidence for efficacy 

3. Cognitive Strategy Instruction • Strategies help students make use of what they know • Still need to learn content • Still need to learn skills

4. What is Cognitive Strategy Instruction? • Cognitive strategy instruction (CSI) •     e.g., Robert Reid, University of Nebraska  • Learning strategies instruction •     e.g., Strategic Instruction Model (UK), • Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) •    e.g., SRSD in writing

5. What is Cognitive Strategy Instruction? • More than a recipe Kabobs • Set of principles + set of instructional practices

6. Principles of Cognitive Strategy Instruction • Strategy is like a heuristic, a set of steps •  How do I do this? •  What steps do I follow? •  In what order • Helps the implicit become explicit • Interactive, dialogic • Students take ownership of their learning • self-regulation • generalization • flexible use and adaptation

7. Hamburger Strategy • This is a set of steps, but not a strategy • Top of bun: Topic Sentence • Meat: Supports (related to your topic sentence) • Condiments: Expansions: analysis, interpretation, explanation, insight • Bottom bun: Concluding sentence

8. Practices of Cognitive Strategy Instruction • Develop background knowledge, reason for learning, motivation • Describe/discuss strategy and steps • Model the strategy • Heart of strategy instruction • Memorize steps • Guided practice (skill appropriate) • Independent practice (age appropriate) • Generalization

9. Examples of Strategy Instruction • Watch and discuss an example: Strategies for Reading Fluency • Utah Center for Reading and Literacy

10. Examples of Technology-Based Strategy Instruction • Discuss CAST Strategy Tutor • Discuss SOAR • Carolyn Harper Knox, Ph.D.541-346-3543 voice mail541-346-6226 fax

11. TASK X STRATEGY ACADEMIC TASK • SELF-REGULATIONCONTENT KNOWLEDGE COGNITIVE STRATEGY

12. Technology is Not Always the Best Approach • Sometimes good old pencil and paper works best • Consider affordances and constraints

13. Studying facts and vocabulary • Mastering a set of information requires a large amount of focused practice • Can take upwards of 24 times to reach 80% accuracy • May be more for kids with learning difficulties/disabilities • New learning does not happen quickly, requires practice spread out over time • Small set of information at a time • Spaced practice • Review • Build on existing knowledge networks • Increments in learning start out large then taper off

14. Study Tools for Study Strategies • StudyHive (basic flashcard program) • http://studyhive.com/ • Cramberry: http://www.cramberry.net/ (self-quiz) • Sometimes technology tools model cognitive strategies • HeadMagnet: http://headmagnet.com/ • “Explore” option to see how the tool works • Quizlet: http://quizlet.com • http://quizlet.com/demo-video.php • (see Speak It option)

15. Study Strategy Steps • Prioritize • Take the first step—any step • Identify resources to help you • Schedule • blocks of study time and breaks • Use free time wisely • Postpone distractions • Study space • Review • Weekly • Before class • After class http://www.studygs.net/timman.htm

16. Before Reading Strategies • Brainstorming • PreP: PreReading Plan • Setting a goal for reading • Skimming, scan, predict • SQ3R • Reciprocal teaching • K-W-L • Know, what to know, learn(ed)

17. Example: Survey • Survey • the title, headings, and subheadings • captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps • review questions or teacher-made study guides • introductory and concluding paragraphs • summary • Question while you are surveying: • Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions • Read questions at the end of the chapters or after each subheading • Ask yourself, "What did my instructor say about this chapter or subject when it was assigned?" • Ask yourself, "What do I already know about this subject?” • http://www.studygs.net/texred2.htm

18. Concept Mapping • Inspiration/webspiration • Bubbl.us • Mindomo • Popplet • Freemind

19. During Reading • Access to print • e.g., text to speech, large print • Predicting • Questioning and clarifying • Vocabulary (online dictionaries, translation tools) • Unfamiliar concepts (linking, searching) • Locating important ideas • Notetaking • Annotating • Bookmarking • Highlighting • Social networking (asking others, discussing)

20. Diigo • Free application available on web toolbar: http://www.diigo.com • http://www.diigo.com/about • http://www.diigo.com/learn_more • Ideas for using Diigo in education: http://www.slideshare.net/cliotech/diigo-in-education-presentation

21. What Strategies Do Students Need to Use Diigo? • Finding and evaluating information • Identifying important information • Main ideas • Details • Monitoring comprehension • Annotating • Finding additional information

22. After Reading • Reducing/reorganizing • Summarizing • Timeline • Concept Map • Expanding • Studying • Communicating • Writing • Presenting

23. Project PAL • Integrating a strategy for reading text into WYNN • http://www.freedomscientific.com/lsg/products/wynn_demo.asp • Strategy makes use of WYNN tools • WYNN tools support the strategy • Strategy helps kids understand and learn from text

24. PREPARE Strategy • Preview • Set goals for reading • Ask specific, color-coded questions • Read • Examine • Look through text to meet goals or answer questions • Pick what’s important • Highlight (color coded to questions)

25. PREPARE • Arrange • Highlighted text is extracted by color • Students can arrange topically • Reduce • Write a summary • Create notecards for study or to support writing • Explain • Supported writing for different types of text (e.g., narrative, expository)

26. PREPARE Features • Student can access all WYNN tools from all strategy steps • Choice • Student can skip strategy steps • But teacher can override • Student can go back and forth between strategy steps • All directions and prompts are editable • Can use local language of instruction • Accompanied by professional development materials

27. Organizing Information • Ideas • Materials • Reading • Notes • Pictures • Resources • Collaborating • Searching & Tagging features

28. Evernote • Evernote.com: evernote.com • Web, desktop, mobile • http://www.evernote.com/about/learn_more/ • http://www.evernote.com/about/video/#5Ag_rlQL4IM|2|1 • Trunk • Study Blue • Mobile • Evernote Peek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqVjruCt6yg&feature=player_embedded • http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote-peek/id442151267?mt=8 • Chrome and Firefox extensions, clip from browser • Evernote web clipping

29. Other Uses of Evernote • Share electronic copies of notes • Research web sites & clip pages directly from browser. • Create to-do lists, jot down random thoughts, leave voice memos • Keep notes organized for different classes in one place. • Use as index cards while writing a research paper. • Post reminders of upcoming events • http://teachweb2.wikispaces.com/EVERNOTE

30. What Strategies Do Students Need to Take Advantage of Evernote? • How to organize • Classes • Activities • Tagging • Media types—best ways to represent ideas • How to create tags • How to search and choose information from the web • When and how to collaborate

31. References • Byrne, R. Free Technology for Teachers. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/06/77-web-resources-for-teacher-to-explore.html? • CAST Strategy Tutor: http://cst.cast.org/cst/PAGE,help • Conley, M. W. (2008). Cognitive strategy instruction for adolescents: What we know about the promise, what we don’t know about the potential. Harvard Educational Review • Harris, K. R., Schmidt, T., & Graham, S. (1997). Strategies for composition and self-regulation in the writing process. LD Online: www.ldonline.org/article/6207 • Novak, J. D., & Canas, A. J. The theory underlying concept maps and how to use them. http://cmap.ihmc.us/publications/researchpapers/theorycmaps/theoryunderlyingconceptmaps.htm • Reading Rockets: http://www.readingrockets.org/blog/42207/ • Project SOAR: http://cate.uoregon.edu:9400/ • Special Connections: Cognitive Strategies: http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/specconn/main.php?cat=instruction&section=main&subsection=cs/main • Study Guides and strategies: http://www.studygs.net/index.htm • University of Kansas Learning Strategies Overview: www.kucrl.org/sim/brochures/LSoverview.pdf • Utah Center for Reading and Literacy: http://www.ucrl.utah.edu/pro-dev/instruction/lesson1_01.html