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| January 17, 2005 | Issue
#05  Print
Friendly Version (PDF) |
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| Info Update
In Focus ABC's of Reading
Pertinent Participant Info Chatterbox
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Dr. Z-Coe's Corner
Professional development. Qualified teachers. Student-centered professional development. School-based professional development. Ongoing professional development. Evidence-based professional development. Are these terms familiar to you? There are myriads of choices. For the past three to five years educators, researchers, and policy makers have been looking at professional development through different lenses. Why so much emphasis on professional development? Well, because professional development is the antidote for teacher stagnation and the contributing factor to teacher growth and student achievement and learning. A school's success is determined by the instructional quality of its teachers.
Professional development plans must be data-driven and standards-driven.
Experiences that are intensive and sustained are more likely to produce changes in teachers' practices.
Effective professional development requires commitment from all involved.
I believe that you will benefit a lot from this comprehensive professional development course. I hope that as a result of your participation in this project that you will reflect upon your practice, your students' needs, and your schools' needs for literacy change. I wish you success and look forward to working with you this semester. If teaching and learning are to improve for all students, we need change: fundamental change affecting every aspect of our schools and every school in our school systems, change from the statehouse to the classroom. In other words, we need systemic change (Horzman, 1993, p. 18). Vicky Zygouris-Coe, Ph.D. What's Hot, What's Not for 2005- International Reading Association, Reading Today The International Reading Association
has announced its What's Hot, What's Not for 2005.
The annual "What's Hot, What's Not" survey of literacy leaders
has been conducted since 1996. Twenty-five literacy leaders from around
the world are interviewed, either in person or by phone. Participants
rate a given topic as "hot" or "not hot." Respondents
are then asked if the topic "should be hot" or "should
not be hot." "Hot" refers to the level of attention
a given topic is currently receiving. The purpose of the survey has
always been to acquaint readers with those issues that are receiving
attention, perhaps encouraging readers to investigate these topics
in more depth. You can read the entire article online at What's
Hot, What's Not for 2005. American Library Association Announces Newbery and Caldecott Winners!-ALA, January 17, 2005
 Newbery
Award Winner Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (from the Publisher) kira-kira (kee' ra kee' ra): glittering; shining Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop them on the street to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future. Luminous in its persistence of love and hope, Kira-Kira is Cynthia
Kadohata's stunning debut in middle-grade fiction. Caldecott Award Winner Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (from the Publisher)  From one of the most celebrated and beloved picture book creators
working in the field today comes a memorable new character and a
suspenseful adventure just right for the very youngest. It is Kitten's
first full moon, and when she sees it she thinks it is a bowl of
milk in the sky. And she wants it. Does she get it? Well, no...and
yes. What a night!
A short text, large type, and luminescent pictures play second fiddle
to the true star of this classic picture book: A brave young kitten
who sets out into the world on a quest that leaves her bruised, bewildered,
and hungry, but that ultimately leads her back home, where something
special is waiting just for her.
Read to Scoot Reading Challenge -Florida
Education Association
 The
Florida Education Association is sponsoring
the "Read
to Scoot Challenge", a reading challenge for K-8th
grade students. Students must read 5 books, and list the names of the
books on the entry form. The entry form must be mailed, February
18, 2005, to the Florida Education Association in order
for the student's name to be entered into a random drawing. Ten lucky
winners in Florida will ride away with a Saturn Razor Scooter
and a matching helmet. The teachers of the winning students
will each win a $100 Staples gift certificate
for school supplies. View Read to Scoot Challenge Official Rules View Read to Scoot Challenge Entry Form View Read to Scoot Challenge Poster Funding
Opportunities
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| FOR-PD Spring Open Enrollment Courses Start | January 24, 2005 |
| 2005
FETC Conference Celebrating 25 Years Orlando, FL |
January 26 - January 28, 2005
|
| National
Title I Conference Faces of Success Atlanta, GA |
January 29 - February 1, 2005 |
| The Southeastern
Writing Center Association Understanding and Promoting Intellectual Growth and Critical Thinking in the Writing Center Charleston, SC |
February 10 - February 12, 2005 |
| NEA's
Read Across America America Knows Reading is "Where It's Hat!" |
March 2, 2005 |
| UCF Annual Literacy Symposium University of Central Florida |
April 1, 2005 |
| ASCD
2005 Annual Conference Voices of Education: Unleashing the Power, Passion, and Promise Orlando, FL |
April 2, 2005 - April 4, 2005 |
Young
People's Poetry Week |
April 11, 2005 - April 17, 2005 |
International
Reading Association Annual Convention |
May 1 - May 5, 2005 |
A new year typically means change and new beginnings for many people. This month we are focusing on professional development for school-wide and teacher change. FOR-PD recognizes the crucial role that quality professional development plays in both increasing teacher knowledge and student achievement. We are committed to providing quality professional development to Florida teachers, thus impacting the quality of reading instruction that Florida students receive.
Transforming Schools
How can a school become a place where all members of the staff are learning, growing, and working to increase student achievement? This is a common question heard in many schools. In the new book Transforming Schools: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement, the authors address this question by looking at systems, thinking and focusing on what it takes for continuous school improvement. Each school is a living system with a purpose. The system is shaped by beliefs and behavioral norms that define the culture. These norms either promote change or block change. For professional development to be effective, it must be an integral part of a deliberately developed continuous improvement effort. Purposeful, systematic professional development should be founded on six essential steps.
1. Schools should identify and clarify the core beliefs that define the school's culture. Each school is a complex living system with a purpose. What is your purpose? For some schools academic achievement might be the core belief. For other schools, it might be the social and emotional development of students.
2. Once the core beliefs have been identified, the school should create a shared vision by explicitly defining what these core beliefs will look like in practice. What will the school community look like when its core beliefs truly transform practice? What will be seen and heard in every part of the school community?
3. Look at the data. Collect accurate, detailed data and use analysis of the data to define where the school is now and to determine the gaps between the current reality and the shared vision. Data reveals what is working well and the gaps between the current reality and the shared vision. The collection and analysis of data should lead to rich discussions about the meaning of the data and an honest assessment of the teaching and learning practices. By identifying the gaps between where a school is now and the shared vision, there should be clarity on what has to be done to achieve that vision.
4. Identify the innovation(s) that will most likely close the gaps between current reality and the shared vision. All staff must see the content of professional development as a necessary means to achieve the desired results. The staff must also see the linkage between the innovation and the systematic change possible. Staff needs the opportunity to learn what the change is and what impact it will have. Allowing staff to see it in practice is highly desirable.
5. Develop and implement an action plan that supports teachers through the change process and integrates the innovation within each classroom and throughout the school. Staff members must be trained, coached, and supported throughout the staff development process so that change can be integrated into the classroom and into the school. In order for the innovation to succeed, resources will need to be allocated and concerns will have to be addressed.
6. Embrace collective autonomy as the only way to close the gaps
between the current reality and the shared vision, and embrace collective
accountability in establishing responsibility for closing the gaps. Student achievement holds supremacy, but how it is defined and measured
depends on the core beliefs.
Meaningful change can only occur from the inside out. "Studies of change efforts have found that the fate of new programs and ideas rests on teachers' and administrators' opportunities to learn, experiment, and adapt ideas to their local context. Without these opportunities, innovations fade away when the money stops or the enforcement pressures end," says Linda Darling-Hammond.
Resource:
Zmuda, A., Kuklis, R., & Kline, E. (2004) Transforming schools: Creating a culture of continuous improvement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
It All Comes Down to the Teacher
Research shows that the critical element in student achievement is the quality of teaching. Teacher professional development is essential to the efforts of school improvement. So what does research tell us about teacher development?
- Research provides evidence that intensive professional development can help teachers increase their knowledge and change their instructional practices (Borko, 2004).
- Teachers must have access to the latest research and the best available practices with opportunities to implement those practices in the classroom (Borko, 2004).
- Teachers must have opportunities to learn and work together. There is strong evidence that professional learning communities can foster teacher learning and instructional practice (Borko, 2004).
- Teachers need time to reflect on what they are learning. Reflection creates the foundation for assessing situations and making rational decisions. Reflection also allows teachers to make connections between theory and practice (Conderman & Morin, 2004).
- Professional development should be grounded in the teacher's questions or inquiry (Hammond, 1999).
- Professional development for teachers should be sustained and intensive, supported by modeling, coaching, and problem solving around specific problems of practice (Hammond, 1999).
- Professional development should be connected to teachers' work with their students, examinations of subject matter, and teaching methods (Sparks, 2000).
Borko, H. (2004) Professional development and teacher learning: Mapping the terrain. Educational Researcher, 33 (8), p. 3-15.
Conderman, G. & Morin, J. (2004) Reflect upon your practice. Intervention in School and Clinic, 40 (2), p. 111.
Darling-Hammond, L. (1999) Teacher learning that supports student learning. Retrieved January 11, 2005 from: http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_478
Sparks, D. (2000) It all comes down to the teacher: Interview with Terry Dozier. Retrieved January 11, 2005 from: http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/dozier214.cfm
Looking at Data
Understanding and using data is fundamental to improving schools. Educators must understand what information is available about the school and the students. Educators must also know what data is relevant to their immediate needs. Without identifying and analyzing data, schools are unlikely to identify and solve issues that need attention, identify appropriate interventions, and monitor how they are progressing towards identified goals (Sparks, 2000). Schools that are increasing student achievement, staff productivity, collegiality among staff, and customer satisfaction use data to inform and guide their decisions and actions(Killion & Bellamy, 2000). Below is multistep plan for collecting, disaggregating, analyzing, and summarizing data (Richardson, 2000).
A Data Plan
Collect the basics. Every school should maintain basic data on students. The basic should include demographics and achievement. Think beyond traditional standardized assessments. What additional achievement data is available in the school?
Identify additional data. What data will you need to collect? At least three types of data should be collected. For example, standardized tests, grades, and classroom assessments may be used. The types of data you collect will depend on what you want to address. At this stage, you should also identify who will be responsible for collecting this data.
Disaggregate the data.
Disaggregating data means breaking it down. Possible disaggregation includes gender, race, socio-economic factors, and special populations. NCLB categories include: white, black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, economically disadvantaged, LEP, and students with disabilities.
Analyze the data. Ask questions about the data you have collected.
- What are your lowest performing groups?
- What is the highest performing group?
- Are males and females performing equally well in a particular subject area?
- Are the socio-economic groups performing equally well? What areas are there differences?
- Are there dips in achievement between grade levels?
Brainstorm causes. What is going on instructionally? What is going on with the curriculum? Where are the gaps? Why do these gaps exist?
Collect more data. At this point, more data is needed to determine which explanations are most accurate.
Analyze and summarize data. Now is the time to analyze data collected on instruction and curriculum.
Identify a goal. After the data has been analyzed and summarized, goals should be identified. Write specific, measurable, and attainable goals. What would you consider success? How will you measure it? When will you measure it?
Repeat the process. Establish a timetable for repeating the process of collecting and analyzing the data. Stay focused on measuring progress. Data analysis is a never ending process.
Resources:
Killion, J. & Bellamy, G. T. (2000) On the job: Data analysts focus school improvement efforts. Retrieved January 11, 2005 from: http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/killion211.cfm.
Richardson, J. (2000) The numbers game: Measure progress by analyzing data. Retrieved January 11, 2005 from: http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/tools/tools10-00rich.cfm.
Sparks, D. (2000) Results are the reason: Data should be used to select the most results-oriented initiatives. Retrieved January 11, 2005 from: http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/schmoker211.cfm.
FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month
Do your students struggle with making logical predictions based on
the text? Try out this month's Reading
Strategy, the Prediction
Wheel. Predicting involves previewing text and anticipating
what will happen next. Making predictions requires students to use
their prior knowledge, make inferential guesses, and make connections.
The Prediction Wheel will provide guided practice in making predictions,
checking predictions, and revising predictions as needed.
Take a look at the reading strategy and the examples provided from
elementary and secondary levels. Try this strategy in your classroom
and then email us and tell us how it worked (forpd@mail.ucf.edu).
Also, don't forget to share the strategy with your colleagues. Each
month we feature an effective reading strategy, explain the rationale
behind the strategy, give directions on how to use the strategy with
students, ideas for adapting the strategy to different content areas,
ideas for assessing the strategy, and, of course, a printable PDF version
of the strategy. Check out our Reading Strategy Archive to see past Reading
Strategies of the Month.
Literacy On
The Web
This month our main focus is teacher professional development. The following links are meant to provide you with resources and information to support your own professional development and information gathering.
Children's Literature Network - Booklists
Looking for books to read to your students? Check out the Children's
Literature Network web site to find books ranging from wordless picture
books to chapter books for upper elementary students.
Hot
Off The Press - Children's Book Council
Looking for the newest books?
Keep up to date on some of the latest book offerings by checking out
the Children's Book Council web site which features an online bibliography
of either recently published or forthcoming books to be published.
Do
You Have A Question? Ask a Librarian can help!
Ask a
Librarian is a free online information service provided by Florida
libraries. Real people in real time answer your questions, help you
find information, or point you in the right direction to get what
you need.
Martin Luther King, Jr. : The Legacy of a Leader
Scholastic has assembled a collection of photographs from photographer
Benedict Fernandez who met Martin Luther King, Jr. a year before his
death. Fernandez's photographs of the slain civil rights leader form
the basis for this online lesson about Martin Luther King, Jr.
The web site contains a slide show of photographs, a biography, speeches,
and a quiz.
Staff Development Resources on the WWW
Teacher Tap: Professional Development Resources for Educators
Teacher Tap is a free, professional development resource
that helps educators address common technology integration questions
by providing practice, online resources and activities. Check out
their section on Electronic
Books and Online Reading for interactive stories, articles, and
books. Get students excited about reading, writing, and illustrating
by checking section on Face-to-Face
and Virtual Author & Illustrator Visits. One more section
of interest might be Literature-Based
WebQuests. WebQuests provide an inquiry-based approach to learning
which involves students in tasks related to text that they are reading
or have read. There many more literacy and technology resources that
you can access from this web site.
Annenberg/CPB: Professional Development Programming for K-12 Teachers
Annenberg/CPB is a unit of the Annenberg Foundation. Their mission
is to advance excellent teaching in all disciplines throughout American
K-12 schools. They have several programs on literacy that teachers
can view online. Teaching
Reading K-2 Workshop is a video workshop for K-2 teachers and
reading specialists addressing critical topics in teaching reading
for K-2 teachers. Conversations
in Literature is a video workshop on engaging in literature
for grades 6-12 and focuses on developing reading communities. Developing
Writers is a workshop for high school teachers that focuses on
practical and philosophical advice for teaching writing and it examines
issues teachers face such as high stakes assessment and dealing with
differently fabled students. The
Learning Classroom: Theory Into Practice explores learning theory
and its application to the classroom.
National Staff Development Council
The goal for the National Staff Development Council is: All teachers in all schools will experience high-quality professional learning as part of their daily work by 2007. The NSDC is the largest non-profit professional association committed to ensuring success for all students through staff development and school improvement. Check out the Staff Development Library for feature articles from the NSDC publications. The NSDC Standards offer guidance to school districts and states as they seek to improve the quality of professional development.
Staff Developer's Toolkit
This website from the Department of Education provides information on evaluation of professional development, relevant websites, a book review, and relevant documents.
Data Drive Professional Development
Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement. Data from various sources can serve a number of important professional development purposes. This web site contains links that support action research in the classroom.
Highlighted Books
of the Month
The following books are new children and young adult
books.
America
The Beautiful: A Pop-up Book by Robert Sabuda (Illustrator)
(Ages 4-8)
(from the Publisher)
Each page presents a magnificent pop-up featuring a line from the
first (and best known) verse of "America the Beautiful."
Egyptology by
Helen Ward (illustrator), Nick Harris (illustrator), and Ian Andrew
(illustrator) (Ages 8-12)
(from the Publisher)
Who can resist the allure of ancient Egypt -- and the thrill of uncovering
mysteries that have lain hidden for thousands of years? Not the feisty
Miss Emily Sands, who in 1926, four years after the discovery of
King Tut's tomb, led an expedition up the Nile in search of the tomb
of the god Osiris. Alas, Miss Sands and crew soon vanished into the
desert, never to be seen again. But luckily, her keen observations
live on in the form of a lovingly kept journal, full of drawings,
photographs, booklets, foldout maps, postcards, and many other intriguing
samples. Rich with information about life in ancient Egypt and peppered
with Miss Sands' lively narration, Egyptology concludes with
a letter from the former Keeper of Antiquities at the British Museum,
explaining which parts of this unique tale may be accepted as fact,
which are guided by legend, and which reflect the author's delightful
sense of fancy.
The
Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: Classic Collectible Pop-up
by Steven King, Alan Dingman (illustrator), and adapted by Peter Abrahams
(Ages 9-12)
(from the Publisher)
Nine-year-old Trisha McFarland is lost in the wilderness of the Appalachian
Trail after wandering off from her mother and brother. For solace
she tunes her Walkman radio to Boston Red Sox broadcasts and the gritty
performances of her hero, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. As she gets more
and more lost, and as the days and nights pass, she imagines that
Tom Gordon is with her -- her savior to surviving an enemy known only
by the slaughtered animals and mangled trees in its wake. It is a
fairy tale grimmer than Grimm, but aglow with a girl's indomitable
spirit and told in three-dimension.
Girls
In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
(Gr. 8-12)
(from the Publisher)
The Pants first came to us at the perfect moment. That is, when we
were splitting up for the first time. It was two summers ago when
they first worked their magic, and last summer when they shook up
our lives once again. You see, we don't wear the Pants year-round.
We let them rest so they are extra powerful when summer comes. Now
we're facing our last summer together. In September we go to college.
And it's not like one of those TV shows where all of us magically
turn up at the same college. We're going to four different colleges
in four different cities (but all within four hours of one another-that
was our one rule). We're headed off to start our real lives. Tomorrow
night at Gilda's we'll launch the Pants on their third summer voyage.
Tomorrow begins the time of our lives. It's when we'll need our
Pants the most.
Shooter
by Walter Dean Myers (Young Adult)
(from the Publisher)
What is it like to be an outsider at home and at
school? Leonard, Cameron, and Carla struggle to find their way, but
when Leonard goes on a shooting rampage at school, his friend Cameron
finally gets his own wake-up call. Told through a series of interviews,
reports, newspaper articles, and excerpts from Leonard's journal, Shooter unveils
a bleak picture of what life can be like for a teen misfit. In his
provocative, edgy style, Walter Dean Myers weaves a riveting tale of
the world of three loners -- their anguish, anger, and vulnerability.
What We're Reading
This section if for sharing what is being read by us here are FOR-PD
and you or your students. We invite you to share what you are reading
and what your students are reading. To participate, send an email
to forpd@mail.ucf.edu
and in the subject heading put What We're Reading.
Include the title of the book, the author, and a summary or review.
We look forward to hearing what you are reading.
Student
Achievement Through Staff Development 3rd Edition
by Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers (ASCD, 2002)
Through case studies of successful programs, evidence from formal
research, and concept illustrations, Joyce and Showers help educators
and administrators design programs that measurably improve student
achievement. How can we develop the skills and attitudes to implement
our new knowledge? How can we measure, assess, and track student learning?
How can we interpret results and modify learning environments accordingly?
How can we learn to adopt supportive - rather than competing - strategies?
All of these questions are answered by Joyce and Showers.
Important Understandings from the Book:
The goal of professional development is to impact student achievement.
Not only should teachers be learning a new skill or strategy, practicing
that skill or strategy, but it must be shown that the skill or strategy
is improving the learning of the student. Joyce and Showers identified
four elements that must be present in order for staff development
to affect student learning. First, teachers must come together
as a community of professionals to study and put into practice what
is being learned and share results. The content of the staff development
must center around curricular and instructional strategies that have
been selected because of their high probability of affecting student
learning. The strategies should be based in research. "What is
taught, how it is taught, and the social climate of the school have
to change to the degree that student learning and achievement increases."
Finally, the process of staff development must enable educators to
develop the skill to implement what they are learning. This is mirrored
in previous research done by Joyce and Showers (1989) on training
effectiveness. The degree of proficiency attained in knowledge, skill,
and application is determined by the training design.
|
|
Knowledge Mastery
|
Training Stages Skill Acquisition |
Classroom Applications
|
|
Theory (Lecture) |
Middle/High |
Low |
Very Low |
+ Demonstration |
High |
Low/Middle |
Very Low |
| + Practice | High |
High |
Very Low |
| + Coaching | High |
High |
High |
For staff development to be effective there are several conditions
that must be meet. First, the content must be relevant to what is
taught, how it is taught, and the social climate of the school. Schools
and teachers must look at what is working and what is not working.
The content of staff development must affect what is taught, how it
is taught, and the social climate in the sense that student behavior
really changes to a considerable degree. Finally, student learning
must be studied continuously and diagnostically. This requires the
ongoing collection of student data. Professional development is the
primary vehicle for improving the knowledge and skills of teachers,
schools, and thus impacting student achievement.
The
Tale of Despereaux by Katie DiCamillo
Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love
with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story
of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world
filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted
serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters
are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible
dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's
lives. And what happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader,
it is your destiny to find out.
Ed Baldwin, FOR-PD, is reading Angels and
Demons by Dan Brown
World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned
to a Swiss
research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest
of a
murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta
against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization
--
the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time
bomb,
Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist
Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed
crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive
vault on earth...the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.
Professional Book
Recommendations:
Starting
with Comprehension: Reading Strategies for the Youngest Learners
by Andi Cunningham and Ruth Shagoury (2004)
"Many other teachers and researchers have written about how to
assist children as they develop skills in recognizing letter-sound
relationships. What was missing for me in reading these books was
a description of how we first introduce children to reading as a meaning-making
process, even before they have mastered the alphabet or even developed
a sense of letter-sound connections." - from Chapter 1 of Starting
with Comprehension
Cunningham and Shagoury have designed a reading program for five-
and six-year olds based on the premise that it is never too early
to start comprehension instruction. Starting with Comprehension
shows how this program unfolds in Cunningham's classroom.
You can review the entire book online at http://www.stenhouse.com/0396.asp?r=n61
The
Power of Reading:Insights from the Research, Second Edition
by Stephen Krashen (2004)
How do we bring students beyond basic literacy skills? Krashen discusses
what he considers to be a cure for the "literacy crisis"
in American schools, free voluntary reading (FVR). FVR is reading
because you want to, not because you have a book report to do, a paper
to write, or questions to answer at the end of the chapter. It is
putting down a book you don't want to read and picking up one that
you do. "It is the kind of reading highly literate people
do all the time." The research shows that when kids and adults
start reading for pleasure, comprehension improves, writing improves,
the ability to read more difficult, academic type texts becomes easier,
and vocabulary, grammar, and spelling improve. Krashen explores the
research surrounding the role of school and public libraries and research
indicating the necessity of a print-rich environment as well as the
best in literature to assist children with understanding and in second
language acquisition. He also takes a look at the research surrounding
reading incentive/rewards programs, specifically the research on AR
(Accelerated Reader) and other electronic reading products.
Creating
Strategic Readers: Techniques for Developing Competency in Phonemic
Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension
by Valerie Ellery (2005)
To develop lifelong readers, it is vital for teachers to also show
students how to apply reading skills strategically to acquire meaning
from text. The author focuses on the five essential components of
reading instruction identified in the 2000 National Reading Panel
Report - phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
This text aligns instruction with current standards and shows how
you can incorporate these five components into your instruction. The
techniques provided foster active, strategic reading. Procedures for
scaffolding instruction such as modeling the techniques and examples
of teacher talk are provided throughout the book. You will learn how
gradual give your students the power to take responsibility for learning
and become strategic, independent readers.
Monthly FOR-PD Tip
Do you have the time?
Time, we have found, plays an
important role in successfully completing the FOR-PD course. When
checking on participants and how they are doing with the course, we
find many have fallen behind and the number one reason why is because
they haven't managed their time. Participants need to develop a planning
system which will help them complete the course in the allotted time.
Online courses require at least as much time and effort as face-to-face courses and in some cases, more. Below are some tips for managing your time.
1. Commit to the course. It is very important to be able to devote the time needed to successfully complete it. The FOR-PD course takes time; schedule this time for yourself.
2. Set goals and deadlines for yourself, and stick to them. Mark these goals and deadlines on your calendar. As you accomplish them, check or mark them off.
3. Note any dates or deadlines and plan for them: starting date, ending date, and assignment due dates. Unless your facilitator tells you otherwise, assignments are due by midnight on Saturday. This is important. We find that some participants try to complete the course in a short amount of time. What information do you think will be retained by a person who rushes through the course in order to just get it done?
4. Plan ahead for scheduling problems. What might get in the way of you completing your assignments for the week? Think ahead instead of at the last minute. How will you handle this?
5. Be self-paced and self-disciplined. Although the course is self-paced, there are weekly commitments that you must adhere to, make sure you get them done.
FOR-PD Help Desk Information
The FOR-PD Help Desk is available if you run into any technical difficulties.
Help Desk hours are:
Monday through Friday 9:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. &
6:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
Saturday 10:00 A.M.- 3:00 P.M.
The phone number is 1-866-863-READ (7323) toll free,
Florida calls only. For non-Florida calls only 407-249-4702.
Technical support is also available through AOL Instant Messenger,
screen name "forpdhelp".
Announcing: You can now reach the FOR-PD Help Desk via email
- helpdesk@orion.itrc.ucf.edu.
Online Chat
Come meet members of our TECH Team at the next FOR-PD chat. They will join us to discuss technology and the FOR-PD course. New participants come and learn all the technology information you need to know in order to navigate the course without problems. Learn how to troubleshoot issues as they arise. Ask questions and get them answered.
| Date: February 1, 2005 Time: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, EST Where: General Chat for All Courses |
Date: February 2, 2005 Time: 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM, EST Where: General Chat for All Courses |
We look forward to seeing you there!
A fellow media specialist and myself were discussing the catch-22 we seem to be in. Many of our teachers are building relatively large classroom libraries, which the research tells us is a good thing. Our question is, how do we maintain a high level of library use when we have to compete with classroom libraries?
-FOR-PD
Participant, Pinellas County
I like to think that the classroom library is really an extension of the school library media center - sort of a "branch library." This works well for everyone when the books in the classroom library are selected by the teacher and the library media specialist (and perhaps even students and parents) and checked out to the classroom for a time. These collections can change completely or in part every six-weeks or grading period. When they are selected with the abilities and interests of particular students, classroom collections don't need to be quite as large. Smaller classroom collections can be more focused, and they can change more often.
By changing classroom collections frequently, everyone can be
sure that the classroom collections are high quality (because of selection
criteria used in all school library media centers), meet the needs
and interests of the students throughout the year, and remain "fresh"
and relevant. Teachers and parents can remind students that,"There
are more where that came from - in the school media center. Favorite
topic? Favorite author? Check the online catalog. I'll bet your media
specialist has more for you."
Circulating classroom libraries from the school library also
makes best use of the school budget. Centralizing the ordering and
purchasing avoids unneeded duplication, assures needed duplication
in the case of popular titles, and ensures the best discounts from
book jobbers. Also, school media specialists are familiar with different
bindings and editions and will select those that best meet the needs
for individual items - sometimes several copies of a paperback will
do, but more durable binding is critical if the book is anticipated
to be popular. Circulating the books from the media center also helps
prevent loss. School library media centers have barcodes and inventory
procedures to keep track of the collection - wherever it may be located.
A classroom collection that is stagnant cannot meet the needs of all students throughout the year no matter how large it is! Good readers will quickly have read everything in the classroom. Poor readers may be challenged to find readable books of interest. Supplementing the classroom collection with visits to the school library media center and rotating collections on current topics will be beneficial to all. Students are generally excited to see new titles, and with the wealth of titles available today, classroom collections that are selected from centralized library media center will keep kids excited for months!
Finally, while it is always nice to have books at your fingertips, many students will not find that to be the case in their own homes, so acquainting them with "free" sources of quality reading materials - such as their school or public library is an important part of their education. Preparing them to located information in different formats, to understand information, and to use information is the role of the school library media specialist - a reading teacher's best friend! Remember, education is a team sport!
Here's a couple variations on classroom libraries that involve the school media center for the youngest students.* They can be adapted to any age or grade level.
Book Bags - each classroom acquires enough canvas book bags (either from commercial sources or by making them) for each child in the classroom, plus a few extras. Each book bag is numbered and can be decorated. Once a month, the class goes to the library media center, where the children help select the books for the book bags. Into each book bag goes: 1) a book that children can 'read for themselves' (a wordless picture book, an alphabet book, books with a few words, highly illustrated books, etc.) and (2) one book that can be read to the child by an older sibling, parent, friend, or caregiver (a good read-aloud picture book, a folktale, a nonfiction animal book, etc.). Back in the classroom, the book bags are hung on hooks or placed in cubby holes. Each day as the children go home they can take a different book bag, rotating throughout the month. The teacher keeps a list on a clipboard to record the book bag number next to the child's name. The homework for a kindergartner through second grader is to read two books a day. If the child forgets to bring the book bag back, the spares can be used. In no case is a child denied access to a book bag, because reading practice is considered essential. At the end of the month, the class revisits the library media center, where the books are exchanged for new ones. Books in the book bag program are checked out to the room. No individual circulation records are kept for these books.
Curiosity Kits - a variant on the book bag program
is the creation of curiosity kits where each child creates a book
bag filled with 2 or more books on a theme that they think other members
of the class might be interested in: whales, riddles, drawing books,
hobbies, paper airplanes, kite flying, etc.
Dr. Donna Baumbach,
Director, SUNLINK Project
Director, Instructional Technology Resource Center
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From the book Florida Power! A Parent's Guide to School Library
Media Centers by David Loertscher and Donna Baumbach (2004)
Available: http://www.lmcsource.com/tech/state.html.
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