Academic Language Functions

1. Academic Language Functions Common Language Tasks for Academic Success Patrick Hurley, Mountain View High School

2. Academic Language Gap “Mommy, What’s that?” California Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park $25 admission for Adults $15 (ages 7-11) $20 (ages 12-17) 0r $150 family membership

3. From Cal Academy of science website

4. IPhone or ipad at the museum

5. Elements of Academic Language

6. From the Web site Cal Academy of Science Pendulum

7. Academic Language “What did you learn at school today?” These conversations may not be happening (in English) at the homes of many of our Long-Term English Learners What would you like for kids to be able to think, say or write about the concepts you taught in any given lesson?

8. Precise and Academic Vocabulary • Rachel from Glee • Verbal • Precocious • Confident

9. “It was rude for the Soviets to go into Afghanistan” • Long-Term English Learner • Right idea • “Social and imprecise language:” • “impoverished vocabulary” • Confident in social settings • Shy in academic settings

10. “It was rude for the Soviets to go into Afghanistan” • According to Repairable Harm, the language used by many of our Long-Term English Learners is a “social, imprecise language” • May seem fluent in social situations • May have been reclassified • Usually in mainstream classes • Sometimes receive double-block (slower and louder version)

11. A few Things I don’t Like to Talk about • Rachel might be annoying, but she has a much better chance of experiencing academic success than Luisa • I am much more like Rachel than I care to admit • I reward students who use academic language (even in the absence of sound thinking) • I struggle with differentiating for students who need more academic language instruction in heterogeneous classrooms • I do a much better job with homogenous classrooms such as a SDAIE or ELD class. • Academic Language is a saleable skill. It’s difficult to teach and the materials are not readily available • I spend so much time producing and enhancing materials that I’m sometimes not that great when it comes time to execute a lesson.

12. Goals for session • Familiarize participants with the ‘Sophisticated Language Functions’ in Improving Education for English Learners by CDE • Model the language functions using a professional, adult academic problem • Provide models on how to design language tasks that require the use of the ‘sophisticated language functions’ • Provide models of academic writing, sentence frames and language objectives • Demonstrate a tool for identifying academic vocabulary • Share materials appropriate for adolescents and useful in the classroom • Provide an opportunity to practice and share • Create an opportunity for continued collaboration and sharing of materials.

13. “Sophisticated Language functions” • In Improving Education for English Learners, Saunders and Goldenberg provide a list of some of these sophisticated language functions: • argue persuasively for or against a point of view • analyze, compare, and contrast • evaluate alternative points of view and factual information • justify a point of view or to debate different points of view • synthesize and integrate information • follow or give complex directions • hypothesize about the causal relationship between events • justify a prediction, as in a science experiment • present a logical argument • question an explanation (50-51)

14. Sample Academic Problem:Teacher incentive Pay study • Vanderbilt University conducted a three-year study in Nashville schools • Math teachers in grades 5 through 8 offered bonuses ($5k, $10K and $15K for making annual test score targets (Average teacher salary 40-50K) • 300 Teachers volunteered and were randomly assigned to a control group (no bonuses) or experimental group(eligible for bonus). • No significant differences between the two groups (no other factors were examined, such as professional development) • President Obama and Secretary Duncan support such incentive plans (Race to the Top)

15. Sample Academic Problem:Teacher incentive Pay • Daniel Pink (author) • Drive: The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us • A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers will Rule the Future • RSA Animations • You Tube Video

16. Process for Creating Questions and writing responses • Start with the Language Functions and try to write a question for each • I use several resources to help me identify the kinds of question words that are associated with the different functions…but mostly I just used my own experience! • I write a response to the question using my own academic vocabulary (we all have one or we wouldn’t be here!) I try to keep the responses between 75-125 words depending on the task.

17. Process for Identifying Vocabulary • Cut and paste my response into wordsift.com Identifies all of the words in the text that are included in the General Academic Vocabulary List (Mortar) Select “AWL” for Academic Word List These words will appear green in my responses

18. Process for Identifying Vocabulary • Cut and paste my response into wordsift.com Identifies all of the words in the text that are included in the Robert Marzano lists (Bricks) These words will appear red in my responses Select each of the content areas

19. Arguepersuasively for or against a point of view • Why should schools offer incentive pay to teachers for student performance on state tests? • Why should schools not offer incentive pay to teachers for student performance on state tests?

20. Analyze, compare and contrast • Compare and contrast the types of tasks in the studies cited by Pink and the impact of financial rewards for levels of performance. In his book Drive, Daniel Pink presents two case studies that demonstrate the reverseimpact of financial rewards as a motivator for even the most rudimentary, cognitive tasks. College students at MIT and workers in rural India were offered financial rewards with increasing value for better performance on both mechanical and slightly complex tasks. In both studies, participants offered higher incentives performed better on the straight-forward and mechanical tasks. However, in both the MIT and the India study, participants offered higher incentives for better performance on tasks that required any complexity whatsoever performed worse than those offered smaller incentives. Thus, the incentive worked for simple tasks, whereas higher financial incentives had a negative effect on tasks that required any cognitive complexity.

21. Analyze, compare and contrast • Compare and contrast the incentive studies at MIT and in rural India? Sentence Frame with significant assistance In his book Drive, Daniel Pink presents two case studies that demonstrate ______________________________. College students at MIT and workers in rural India were offered ________________________________. In both studies, participants offered higher incentives performed better on ____________________________. However, in both the MIT and the India study, participants offered higher incentives for better performance on tasks that required ____________________ performed worse than _____________. Thus, the incentive worked for _____________, whereas _______________.

22. Analyze, compare and contrast • Compare and contrast the incentive studies at MIT and in rural India? Language Objective: To analyze by comparing and contrasting information using signal words such as both, however and whereas. Academic vocabulary may include: presents, demonstrate, rural, participants, study, incentives

23. Evaluate alternative points of view and factual information • Why is this research significant? The findings of the Vanderbilt University study are significant because they raise questions about policy and practices that are being encouraged by top education officials. Criteria for educational funding under “No Child Left Behind” have included a research-based component to any proposed plan. The Department of Education’s latest program, “Race to the Top” includes incentive programs such as paying bonuses to teachers for improved student performance. This recent research suggests that this is a questionable practice and to continue to encourage states to adopt a failed practice is both hypocritical and irresponsible. If the FederalGovernment is going to include guidelines such as research-based practices, then it is necessary that it adhere to similar criteria. Furthermore, in troubled economic times, it is irresponsible to simply give money away to teachers when there is little or no value added to student academic performance. (142 words)

24. Evaluate alternative points of view and factual information • Why is this research significant? Sentence Frame with minimal assistance w/word bank The findings of the Vanderbilt University study are significant because ________________. _(elaborate)__________________. This recent research suggests that __________________. If ___________, then _______________. Furthermore, _________________. (142 words) Academic Vocabulary: Policy Practices Component Programs Performance Criteria value Related Ideas: No Child Left Behind Race To The Top Federal Government

25. Evaluate alternative points of view and factual information • Why is this research significant? Language Objective: Evaluating alternative points of view by establishing criteria and using an “if…then” statement. Academic Vocabulary may include: study, questions, policy, component, programs, performance, Federal Government, criteria, similar, furthermore and value.

26. Hypothesize about causal relationship between events • What factors may have contributed to the failure to improve test scores by paying teachers bonuses? Several factors may have contributed to the failure to improve test scores by paying bonuses to teachers. One possibility is that the teachers in the experimental group knew that they had nothing to lose by joining the study and simply proceeded to teach using the same strategies as years past. They may have hoped that there would be improvement and therefore receive the incentive but did not make the necessary adjustments to their practice. As a result, no improvement in test scores occurred.

27. Hypothesize about causal relationship between events • What factors may have contributed to the failure to improve test scores by paying teachers bonuses? Sentence frame with minimal assistance w/verb tense Several factorsmay have contributedto _________________________. One possibility is that ___________________. They may have (Past participle)______________________. As a result _____________. (83 words)

28. Hypothesize about causal relationship between events • What factors may have contributed to the failure to improve test scores by paying teachers bonuses? Language Objective: Hypothesize about causal relationship between events using “may have +past participle” and “as a result.” Academic Vocabulary may include: factors, contributed, experimental, strategies, study, proceeded, adjustments, incentive.

29. Justify a prediction • Based on the research of Daniel Pink and the Vanderbilt University study, how might schools improve teacher performance? Give reasons to support your position. According to Daniel Pink’s research, if schools respect teachers’ desire for autonomy, mastery and purpose, there should be an improvement in their performance. Pink’s research says that human beings thrive when provided an opportunity to be self-directed and engaged in work that is interesting to them. Based upon this idea, teachers should be provided an opportunity to work on projects that matter to them and collaborate with those with whom they choose to work. For example, if teachers were required, like at Google or Apache, to spend time working on something other than grading papers and planning for tomorrow’s lessons, the kind of innovation that will truly improve their practice may occur. (112 words)

30. Justify a prediction • Based on the research of Daniel Pink and the Vanderbilt University study, how might schools improve teacher performance? Give reasons to support your position. Sentence frame with some assistance w/hedging language According to Daniel Pink’s research, if ________________, there should be ____________. Pink’s research says that ________________. Based upon this idea, teachers should be provided an opportunity to __________________. For example, if teachers were ______________, then ___________ may occur. (112 words)

31. Justify a prediction • Based on the research of Daniel Pink and the Vanderbilt University study, how might schools improve teacher performance? Give reasons to support your position. Language Objective: Make a prediction using “if…then,” “should be,” and “may occur” and justify using language such as “Pink’s research says,” “Based upon this idea” and “for example.” Academic vocabulary may include: research, autonomy, performance, idea, projects, matter, example, innovation.

32. Follow or Give Complex Directions • Describe the study at Vanderbilt University in chronological order. First, Nashville math teachers in grades 5 through 8 were invited to participate in a three-year experiment where they could be rewarded bonuses of $5000, $10,000 or $15,000 for achievingannual test score targets. Next, approximately 300 teachers volunteered and researchersrandomlyassigned half of the participants to a control group ineligible for the bonuses and the other half to an experimental group that could receive bonuses if their students reached certain benchmarks. Throughout the study, no additional factors like professional development or mentoring were introduced to participants. In the end, researchers found that there was no discernable difference in the performance of those in the experimental group with those in the control group.

33. Follow or Give Complex Directions • Describe the study at Vanderbilt University in chronological order. Sentence frame with medium assistance w/sequence words First, Nashville math teachers in grades 5 through 8 were __________________. Next,approximately 300 teachers volunteered and half of the_____________ to a control group ineligible for the bonuses and the other half __________________. Throughout the study, ___________________. In the end, researchers found that ________________________.

34. Follow or Give Complex Directions • Describe the study at Vanderbilt University in chronological order. Language Objective: Follow and give complex directions by using sequence words such as first, next, throughout, in the end. Academic vocabulary may include: participate, experiment, achieve, annual, targets, approximately, volunteer, researchers, random, assign, control, benchmarks, factors, professional, participants.

35. Synthesize and Integrate Information • How does the research of Daniel Pink explain the results of the Vanderbilt University study? Daniel Pink’s research on motivation explains the failure of financial rewards for teachers as a means for improving student academic performance. According to Pink, financial incentives may work for rudimentary or mechanical tasks; however once the task becomes more complex, like teaching, financial rewards actually have a negative impact. While this seems contrary to conventional thinking about the impact of rewards on performance, Pink’s work suggests that workers respond better to intrinsic motivation such as the opportunity to be self-directed, to master their craft and to be guided by a purpose that matters to them. In the Vanderbilt University study, teachers in the experimental group where a financial reward was made available performed no better than those in the control group with no such reward. Based on Pink’s research, the money would be better spent raising the salaries of all teachers to a point where they no longer worry about money and providing a work atmosphere that values autonomy, mastery and purpose for all. In doing so, the kind of innovation that will truly impact student learning will occur. (180 words)

36. Synthesize and Integrate Information • How does the research of Daniel Pink explain the results of the Vanderbilt University study? Sentence frame with significant assistance w/placeholders for content Daniel Pink’s research on motivation explains _____________________. According to Pink, financial incentives may work for _______________; however ______________. While this seems contrary to conventional thinking about __________________, Pink’s work suggests that workers respond better to intrinsic motivation such as _______(1)________, _______(2)________ and _________ (3)_______. In the Vanderbilt University study, teachers in the experimental group ________________. Based on Pink’s research, the money would be better spent _________________. In doing so, ______________ will occur. (180 words)

37. Synthesize and Integrate Information • How does the research of Daniel Pink explain the results of the Vanderbilt University study? Language Objective: Synthesize and integrate information using attributive tags such as “Pink’s research explains..,” “According to Pink,” “Pink’s work suggests,” and “In the Vanderbilt Study.” Academic vocabulary may include: performance, academic, tasks, complex, financial, impact, conventional, motivation, study, research, values.

38. Present a logical argument • Companies like Google and Atlassian give employees time to work on new projects in order to encourage innovation. Make an argument for or against such a strategy in schools. Schools should create opportunities for innovation in a manner similar to those of successful corporations such as Google and Atlassian by providing teachers time away from the typical duties to work on meaningful projects that will result in better teaching and improved student performance. Many of Google’s most successful applications were developed during a mandatory free period where employees must explore a new idea and work with people who have a similar interest. As a result, Google employees launched Google Earth and Google Docs, securing Google’s position as the most used website on the web. If teachers were provided with similar opportunities, perhaps new interventions could be created that would result in fewer students needing expensive programs like ELD and summer school. By investing in these opportunities for teachers to be self-directed, masters of their craft with purpose and conviction, the “Google Earth” of education could emerge. (147 words)

39. Present a logical argument • Companies like Google and Atlassian give employees time to work on new projects in order to encourage innovation. Make an argument for or against such a strategy in schools. Sentence frame with minimal assistance w/ directions for including types of information Schools should create opportunities for innovation in a manner similar to those of ______ by _____(what should they do)_____because__(reason)________. ___(provide an example of how this works in business)___________ As a result, ______(what happens in business)_________. If teachers were provided with similar opportunities, __________(what might happen in schools – give an example)_____.

40. Present a logical argument • Companies like Google and Atlassian give employees time to work on new projects in order to encourage innovation. Make an argument for or against such a strategy in schools. Language Objective: Present a logical argument that includes claim language such as “____should____because____” and “as a result.” Academic vocabulary may include: create, corporations, projects, result, applications, interventions, similar, investing, emerge, purpose

41. Question an explanation • In response to the Vanderbilt study, Eric Hanushek of Stanford University’s Hoover Institute says that the study did not address the main goal of incentives – who stays and who leaves the teaching profession. “The biggest role of incentives has to do with the selection of who enters and who stays in teaching—i.e., how incentives change the teaching corps through entrances and exits,” Hanushek said. “I have always thought that the effort effects were small relative to the potential for getting different teachers. Their study has nothing to say about this more important issue?” (Washington Post) What is Hanuschek suggesting about the way in which financial incentives are intended to work? Do you agree? Why or why not?

42. General Academic Vocabulary Used in Responses (50 words) Demonstrate Reverse Impact Financial Tasks Participants Straight-forward Incentives Complexity Policy Component Federal Similar Furthermore Factors Contribute Proceed Strategies Incentive Adjustments Research Projects Innovation Occur Participate Achieve Annual Target Approximately Volunteer Researchers Randomly Assign Professional Participant Academic Tasks Complex Financial Impact Conventional Motivation Research Innovation Create Corporations Interventions Invest Emerge

43. Content-Specific Academic Vocabulary (21 words) Presents Workers Rural Mechanical Study Questions Programs Performance Government Value Experimental Autonomy Idea Matter Example Experiment Control Benchmarks Result Applications Purpose

44. What do kids need to do this? • They need to be exposed to interesting topics that will give them something to say (Edge, “What’s Happening,” “Word Generation.”) • They need direct instruction in the content-specific academic vocabulary (Marzano six-step program) • They need direct instruction in general academic vocabulary words (Kate Kinsella method) • They need well-designed language tasks (questions, topics) that provide practice in all of the sophisticated language functions (Improving Education for English Learners) • They need language frames for assistance with the language functions (Susana Dutro) • They need multiple opportunities to orally practice academic language (Jeff Zwiers) • They need interesting projects that allow them to use language in meaningful ways

45. Sample Material from the web • Word Generation from SERP (Strategic Educational Research Partnership) • 72 units that invite students to “Join The National Conversation,” designed as a middle-school intervention due to insufficient academic vocabularies • Designed to be taught by all content-area teachers (Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies) throughout the week • High interest topics begin with a short article that introduces the topic and usually presents both sides of the issue • Five General Academic Vocabulary words are introduced and can be explicitly taught • Math problem concerning the topic and using the vocabulary words • Science ‘thought-experiment’ • Social Studies debate • Short essay that answers the question

46. Sample Unit from word generation: Risky Behavior Cyberbullying Sample Unit

47. Sample unit from Word generation:Risky Behavior http://wordgeneration.org/PDFdownloads/WG1-2studentbook-pages.pdf

48. Sample unit from word generation:Risky Behavior http://wordgeneration.org/PDFdownloads/WG1-2studentbook-pages.pdf

49. Word bank: terrible fattening expensive delicious inedible disgusting nutritious Word bank: excited frightened nervous embarrassed jealous Use vocabulary program that I learned from Kate Kinsella in workshops.

50. Vocabulary Notebook