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| July 15, 2005 | |
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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
We hope that our newsletter assists you in meeting
your literacy and professional development needs. This month, the Reading
Strategy of the Month continues to focus on Reciprocal
Teaching. Reciprocal Teaching is an effective, research-based teaching
strategy that scaffolds students' use of four comprehension strategies:
predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing. July's reading
strategy focuses on teaching the four strategies to students and
provides a black line master on which students can record their
use of the Reciprocal Teaching strategies. Don't forget to check
our archive for an in-depth look at each of the four strategies.
Check out the FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month to learn how
to use Reciprocal Teaching. The school-based leadership team has a variety of responsibilities, including, but not limited to:
Around our state there are various district and school-based literacy teams that have been providing school-based professional development in elementary and secondary schools and have also been instrumental in bringing about school-wide literacy changes. I predict that many of our facilitators and participants are members of such teams. Every educator, whether a member of an organized literacy team or not, is a leader in himself/herself. All of us need to become involved in literacy teams at the state, district, and school level in order for us to help all students develop necessary literacies and become life-long readers. Thank you for allowing us to serve you in your professional literacy needs. We enjoy our work, services, and audiences, and we continue to look for ways to better serve the state of Florida in its literacy efforts. Please let us know how we can better support you and help you grow professionally. Thank you again, for all of your work. Please free to contact me in case you have any questions or comments. You may reach me at vzygouri@mail.ucf.edu and/or 1-866-227-7261.Best wishes, Vicky Zygouris-Coe, Ph.D. Principal Investigator, FOR-PD vzygouri@mail.ucf.edu Spotlight on FOR-PD Information on the FOR-PD Project has recently been spotted in several
locations on the World Wide Web. Much of the attention is focused on
the resources available through our website. Stenhouse Publishers produces a free, on-line newsletter, which shares information about publications, professional development, and news of special events. In the April 15, 2005 edition of the Stenhouse Newslinks, FOR-PD is reviewed in the Professional Development Corner. The review includes information on the Monthly Reading Strategy and Reading Reminders. FOR-PD is also featured in the May 2005 Middle Matters, an e-newsletter from the National Association of Elementary School Principals. This e-newsletter was developed for administrators serving the middle grades, 5-8. Read what was said about FOR-PD in the May, Middle Matters: "The site includes articles, a highlighted reading strategy each month, reading reminders for students, and one-page downloads that cover skills like scaffolding, comprehension, and reading in content areas." The FOR-PD Project works hard to provide numerous resources to participants, facilitators, schools, and parents. Check out our website for these resources:
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| 3rd grade | 67 percent, an increase from 57 percent in 2001. |
| 4th grade | 71 percent, an increase from 53 percent in 2001. |
| 5th grade | 66 percent, an increase from 52 percent in 2001. |
| 6th grade | 56 percent, an increase from 52 percent in 2001. |
| 7th grade | 53 percent, an increase from 47 percent in 2001. |
| 8th grade | 44 percent, an increase from 43 percent in 2001. |
| 9th grade | 36 percent, an increase from 28 percent in 2001. |
| 10th grade | 32 percent, a decrease of 5 percent from 2001. |
This data shows, that while teachers across the state of Florida
are doing a tremendous job improving reading instruction and the
reading abilities of our students, we can't stop here. This is
especially true at the secondary level. We find that two-thirds
of our elementary students are on grade level, yet two-thirds of
our secondary students are reading below grade level. Florida teachers
at the secondary level must continue to work on reading instruction
and the reading abilities of our students.
What are the challenges of FCAT at the secondary level?
- endurance: many students "get tired," say it is "boring," or even fall asleep.
- time: many students have not had to read or write for 160 minutes.
- text length: the average text length is 900 words and the average level of the text is on grade level or above.
- no connection to the text: it is not expected that students will have a background for the text chosen on the FCAT.
- motivation: the question has always been and will continue to be, "How do we get students to perform?"
Lefsky, E. (2005, July) Secondary intensive reading block. Presented at NEFEC's Literacy Through Leadership Conference, Daytona Beach, FL.
- Teachers should use guided instruction in reading and writing. Guided instruction includes using text that is interesting and engaging, modeling for students the process of reading and using strategies, and giving students practice and feedback.
- Teach the strategies that are needed for success on the test. For example, if the test requires comprehension of story elements, then story elements should be taught explicitly. As Florida teachers, we have to explicitly teach students the strategies embedded in the Sunshine State Standards.
- Teacher should provide time for engaged, independent reading. A strong predictor of achievement is amount of reading. Students who read more have higher achievement. Reading engagement should not occur only in the reading or language arts classroom, but throughout the day in ALL classes.
- Teach students the format of the test. Research shows that format practice is beneficial, but evidence also documents that excessive format practice may jeopardize test success (Guthrie, 2002). Students should understand the strategies for responding to the different FCAT style questions.
- Increase motivation for reading and test taking. Motivational support may include providing strategies for dealing with anxiety, providing meaningful reasons for test success, increasing student self-efficacy toward reading, and fostering extensive amounts of reading. Having clear goals and providing students with choice also increase motivation.
Guthrie, J. (2002). Preparing students for high-stakes test taking in reading. In Farstrup, A.E. & Samuels, S.J. (Eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Lefsky, E. (2005, July) Secondary intensive reading block. Presented at NEFEC's Literacy Through Leadership Conference, Daytona Beach, FL.
The Florida Department of Education has made available many data charts on the 2005 FCAT. Click here to go to the media packet.
Looking For Writers
The FOR-PD Project is calling all participants and facilitators who are interested in developing case studies. There are currently two case studies included in the FOR-PD course, one from a middle school social studies teacher and the other from an elementary teacher. Comments from teachers taking the course indicate that they like the addition and find them extremely helpful in thinking about applications to their classrooms.
Case studies provide a bridge between theory and practice and help strengthen understanding and enhance the participant's reflective skills while exploring new content. They allow the reader to peek inside a classroom to see how the teacher is using research to improve student reading. The case study reader is privy to the teacher's thinking about his/her students and their reading achievement.
Case studies can be seen as turning points. They provide a platform for professional conversations and invite the reader to listen in on the classroom conversations, professional dilemmas, problem solving, and change. A case study not only shows the teacher's mastery of the curriculum goals, but also shows a wealth of information about the teacher's knowledge, interests, strengths, reflections, challenges, questions, growth, and struggles. Case studies offer insights into the experience of teachers in a variety of context, and aims to help teachers build their literacy expertise.
If you are interested in writing a case study for FOR-PD, please contact Catherine Glass at cc@orion.itrc.ucf.edu. For more information on writing a case study, please read FOR-PD Case Studies [pdf].
FOR-PD Open Enrollment Dates
| Open Registration Begins | June 20, 2005 |
| Open Registration Ends | August 15, 2005 |
| Fall Courses Begin | August 29, 2005 |
| Fall Courses End | December 5, 2005 |
Teachers wishing to register for fall courses will be able to do so from our homepage: http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/forpd. The registration link is available now!!
Funding
Opportunities
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Library Mini-Grants
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation's Mini-Grants program is
designed to improve children's lives by increasing literacy,
inspiring creativity, and enhancing their appreciation
of the arts.
Deadline: September 15, 2005
Funding: Mini-grants of $350 each.
Eligibility: Public school libraries and
public libraries
Contact: Ezra Jack Keats Mini-Grants,
450 14th St., Brooklyn, NY 11215-5702
Web site: http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/programs/minigrants.htm
School, Home and Office Products Association
(SHOPA) Kids In Need Foundation Teacher Grants
Kids In Need Teacher Grants provide K-12 educators with
funding to help provide innovative learning opportunities
for students. The SHOPA Kids In Need Foundation helps to
engage students in the learning process by supporting our
nation's teachers.
Deadline: September 30, 2005
Funding: 170-200 grants ranging from $100-$500.
Winning projects are put in the form of lesson
plans and are published as a Best Practices Guide which
is distributed to other teachers through the Kids In Need
Resource Centers and from the foundation office.
Eligibility: Certified K-12 teachers.
Lesson plans are judged according to their innovativeness
and merit, clarity of objectives, replication feasibility,
suitability of evaluation methods, and cost effectiveness.
Web site: http://www.shopa.org/shopa_foundation/teacher_programs.php
Holidays,
Happenings, & Events
FOR-PD Summer
Session
|
May 16-August 22, 2005 |
FOR-PD Open
Enrollment for Fall |
June 20-August 15, 2005 |
2005
Literacy Through Leadership Conference Hilton Daytona Beach/Ocean Walk Village |
July 12 - 14, 2005 |
Reading
First, Reading Coaches Conference |
August 8-11, 2005 |
FOR-PD Fall
Session |
Aug. 29 - Dec. 5, 2005 |
Florida
Council of Teachers of English |
Oct. 13-15, 2005 |
| Oct. 20-23, 2005 | |
Florida
Association for Media Education 2005 Annual Conference Disney Coronado Springs Resort Orlando, FL |
Oct. 19-21, 2005 |
| Nov. 17-22, 2005 | |
| Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2005 | |
| Dec. 5-7, 2005 | |
| Dec. 11-14, 2005 | |
Plain
Talk About Reading An SBRR Institute Center for Development and Learning Loyola University Campus New Orleans, LA |
Dec. 12-13, 2005 |
Faced with the challenge of increasing student literacy, many schools are turning to the idea of creating Literacy Leadership Teams to support school wide change. The purpose of this team is to lead the school in improving all aspects of literacy education. This month, we take a look at Literacy Leadership Teams and their role and responsibilities in implementing school wide literacy change.
The Literacy Leadership Team has a variety of responsibilities including, but not limited to:
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evaluating the school's strengths and challenges
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setting a plan of action for the development of a school based literacy plan
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collecting, analyzing, and reporting assessment data on an ongoing basis
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planning professional development for teachers
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communicating the school literacy plan to all stakeholders
People Are The Key To Effective Literacy Leadership Teams
In her article for the NASSP Bulletin, Patricia Anders (1998) describes characteristics of people who are typically involved in Literacy Leadership Teams. She describes three assumptions on which Literacy Leadership Teams should be founded. First, the literacy program of the school must permeate every aspect of the curriculum and the activities of the school. This is based on the assumption that literacy provides the avenue through which students engage in the learning opportunities and activities in the classroom. Second, each educator in the school can contribute to the literacy program developed by the Literacy Leadership Team. When literacy is used across the curriculum, it is clear that each educator has a stake in the literacy program. Third, when teachers have an investment in the project or activity, they are more likely to take responsibility for the quality of that project. Based on these assumptions, schools should carefully consider the make up of their leadership team.
The leadership of the team is extremely important. The person who oversees the literacy team must be able to conceptualize reading and writing as part of the bigger picture of literacy. This person must also have a strong understanding of content area literacy and be well qualified to evaluate student progress in literacy. The leader must also possess the ability to work with peers and students. Other characteristics include the ability to problem solve and seek answers to questions.
The members of the Literacy Leadership Team need to be caring and dedicated members of the faculty. All must be knowledgeable about their subject matter and enjoy their students. These members should share the same attributes of problem-solving and inquiry-oriented characteristics as the leader of the team. Often times these members are nominated by department heads or other members of the staff.
The Literacy Leadership Team is comprised of 8 to12 members. Members might include: educational leaders, literacy coaches, content area or grade level teachers, special area teachers, media specialists, community members, students, and parents. All members work together to build the literacy capacity of the school. All have a shared responsibility for ensuring that literacy is the focus of student education and teacher development. Decisions of the team must be based on school and classroom data.
To support the needs of the staff and students, Reading Leadership Teams may:
- gather knowledge about literacy and resources,
- facilitate workshops,
- organize study groups,
- initiate action research,
- support peer coaching,
- participate in demonstration lessons, and
- examine student artifacts.
Resource:
Anders, P. (1998) The literacy council: People are the key to an effective program. NASSP Bulletin, 82 (6), p. 16-23.
What Does The Literacy Leadership Team Do?
The life of a Literacy Leadership Team is not predetermined;
some may last one year while others last year after year.
The membership of the team may change from year to year depending
on the teacher turnover at the school. New people might be cycled
into the council every year or every other year.
The Literacy Leadership Team is charged with developing and maintaining
the literacy climate of the school. They are charged with creating
the literacy vision and action plan that the school will follow
in order to increase literacy achievement at the school site.
The first task is to identify who will be on the Literacy Leadership
Team and what roles they will perform. The team should include
8-12 people. Administrators, teachers, parents, students, and
community members may all be a part of the team. At the secondary
level, it is important to get representation from all content
areas.
Another task the Literacy Leadership Team should complete is
an analysis of student data. The data analyzed should
not include just the FCAT. Other sources of data the team may
analyze include: student work samples, informal classroom assessments
(running records, rubrics, portfolios, fluency probes), formal
assessments, teacher generated assessments, observational data,
checklists, interviews, report cards, attendance, referrals,
course selection records, media center check-out records, and
teacher inservice records. The team should get a clear picture
of the students' literacy level, strengths, and needs.
Based on the data, the Literacy Leadership Team can begin identifying
areas of concern. These areas of concern will become part of
the action plan the team will develop.
Increasing the knowledge of team members is another
important step in developing the Literacy Leadership Team.
The team must have common knowledge about literacy development
and literacy instruction. Team members might attend professional
development trainings on reading or attend local, state, and
national conferences. Another option is to form a study group
in which a particular aspect of reading is researched and discussed.
Ongoing discussion of literacy is extremely important to the
leadership team.
The major outcome of the Literacy Leadership Team is the school-based
literacy action plan. It is here where the leadership team
addresses the areas of concern. It is important that the area
of concern be supported by student data. The action plan
should include not only the action for change, but what resources
will be needed, what staff and students will be involved and
what role they will play, what data will be collected, how will
the data be collected, implementation of the action plan, and
finally an evaluation of how the action for change worked.
The action plan is a cycle and may be continues as long as
the concern is supported by student data or start over
with a new area of concern.
One School's Story Of Change
Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego, California, was
a school in trouble (Fisher, Frey, & Williams, 2002). The school's
achievement scores were the lowest in the county and among the
lowest in the state of California. Of the 2,200 students - 46 percent
were English language learners, 100 percent qualified for free
and/or reduced lunch, and 96 percent of the students were minorities.
Crime, poverty, and the lack of basic skills were the hot topics
in the faculty lounge. How did this school improve student achievement?
In 1999, the school formed a staff development committee of teachers,
administrators, and university personnel. This group identified seven
instructional strategies that they wanted to become common place in
each classroom. Each teacher was expected to use them. In return,
the staff development committee supported the teachers with professional
development and resources. All staff members studied each strategy
and practiced it in their classroom with peer support.
The key to the professional development plan was the link between
strategic teaching and student learning. After reviewing the research
evidence on the efficacy of strategies, the teachers quickly adopted
a school wide lexicon calling the strategies selected, the
"seven defensible strategies." The seven strategies Herbert
Hoover High School selected to increase literacy were read-alouds
(shared reading), K-W-L charts, graphic organizers, vocabulary instruction,
writing to learn, structured notetaking, and reciprocal teaching
(Fisher et al., 2002). The school wide professional development included
monthly preparatory meetings to read research reviews of the strategies,
discuss the successes and challenges of implementing the approach,
and the use of videotapes of their classes to model the strategies
for peers.
The data shows that their efforts are paying off. One data source
the school used was the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test. The scores
have increased from an average of 5.9 grade-equivalent to an average
of 8.2 grade equivalent (Fisher et al, 2002). The teachers
were encouraged that the average student now reads more than two
grade levels higher three years after the school implemented their
professional development plan. Other data that supports student growth
were state measures in which the students exceeded the target set
for the school and Stanford 9, results which showed that the 9th
graders exceeded district growth between 1998 and 2001. The district's
scores increased by 1.5 percent, and Hoover's by 2.5 percent. While
these scores were encouraging, the teachers realized that there was
still room for growth. They continue to focus on teacher development
and strategic teaching.
What can be learned from Herbert Hoover High School? First,
change takes time. The school continues with their professional development
plan to this day. They are still seeing student achievement gains,
and they still see room for improvement. Schools should celebrate
little victories. Next, change takes commitment. Every teacher in
the school must commit to change. Change takes planning.
Literacy Leadership Teams must develop a plan based on student data.
The leadership team must also take into consideration how changes
will be implemented and monitored in the classroom. From research,
we know that excellent teachers have a positive impact on student
outcomes.
Resources:
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Williams, D. (2002). Seven
literacy strategies that work. Educational Leadership, 60(3),
p. 70-73.
If you are interested in reading about the strategies Herbert Hoover
High School used to bring about school wide change
check out the following book: Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2004). Improving
adolescent literacy: Strategies that work. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Resources For Literacy Leadership Teams
Just
Read, Florida! Educator Resources - The Just
Read, Florida! web site has resources for both elementary
and secondary educators. View the Reading Block video or
download a secondary assessment one pager. The resources
on this web site will help Literacy Leadership Teams.
Florida
Center For Reading Research - The FCRR site provides
presentations and publications by FCRR faculty and staff, technical
assistance reports, and recommendations of research reports related
to the five components of reading. This site also features the Progress
Monitoring and Reporting Network used throughout the state.
FLaRE
Bookmarks - The FLaRE bookmarks cover a wide range
of literacy topics. The bookmarks provide succinct reviews of
research and classroom applications. They would be great to use
with professional development being given at the school site.
FLaRE
Research - Check this site out for reports, research,
and position statements dealing with improving literacy and reading
instruction. This site is updated constantly with new research
reports.
What
Works Clearinghouse -
The What Works Clearinghouse was established in 2002
by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education
Sciences to provide educators, policymakers, researchers, and
the public with a central and trusted source of scientific evidence
of what works in education.
The
Partnership for Reading - The Partnership
for Reading offers information about the effective teaching of reading for
children, adolescents, and adults, based on the evidence from quality research.
National Institute for
Literacy -
The National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) is a federal
organization that shares information about literacy and supports the development
of high-quality literacy services so all Americans can develop essential basic
skills.
International
Reading Association's NEW Professional Development Collection -
Each year, leaders in the field present findings on important topics
in literacy at IRA's Reading Research conference.
This meeting is a leading source of information on evidence-based
research and best practices in literacy teaching and learning. Now,
the outstanding professional development offered at the conference
is available right on your computer. Just make your selection from
the list below, and click to find out about video, audio, and PowerPoint
presentations in a variety of formats.
Project
CENTRAL - Action Research - Project CENTRAL offers
a professional development series that provides participants with
knowledge of the action research process, resources, and support
on providing long-term professional development to teachers as they
engage in the action research process.
What
Reading Leaders Need to Know About Effective Reading Instruction -
The Spring 2004 edition of the CORE Reading Expert focuses
on literacy leadership. At the heart of any successful literacy
implementation is leadership. Leadership comes not just from the
building principal or district superintendent, but also from teacher
leaders and mentors.
It is the school leadership who must unite the entire staff in support
of a collective vision of reading instruction. The leader must thoroughly
understand the elements of a research-based reading program and establish
a school culture that values effective research-based proven practices.
The school leadership is responsible for marshalling resources, providing
time, and staying the course. The school leadership must be "heroic," able
to resist the many forces that may inhibit implementation of an effective
reading program.
FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month
This month, the Reading Strategy of the Month continues
to focus on Reciprocal Teaching. Reciprocal
Teaching is an effective, research-based teaching strategy that scaffolds
students' use of four comprehension strategies: predicting, questioning,
clarifying, and summarizing. This month the reading strategy focuses
on teaching the four strategies to students and provides a black
line master on which students can record their use of the Reciprocal
Teaching strategies. Don't forget to check our archive for an in-depth
look at each of the four strategies.
Check out the FOR-PD
Reading Strategy of the Month to learn how to use
Reciprocal Teaching.
Take a look at our current 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, present ideas for adapting the strategy
to different content areas, present ideas for assessing the strategy,
and, of course, provide 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
Jeopardy Game Templates - SUNLINK has available a Jeopardy like game template for both Mac and PC. Using these templates, you can create review games for your students.
WebQuest
Search - Looking for a way to integrate technology with
your curriculum? Webquests are an inquiry-oriented activity in which
most or all of the information used by the learner is drawn from the
Web. This site will allow you to search for webquests by title, author,
or URL. Find a webquest to fit your curriculum.
The British
Museum - This site allows students to explore modern and
ancient cultures. Learners will find many online exhibits and links to
various other sections of the British Museum.
Odyssey Online - Your students will enjoy studying ancient
Rome, Greece, Africa, and Egypt. This web site contains information on archeology, daily
life, death and burial customs, mythology, people, and writing. Students
can also view artifacts from each of the cultures. Online games are also
included in some of the exhibits.
Edheads: Activate
Your Mind - Looking for a web site that will engage
your students in the world science and health? This is the site for you.
Featured activities include a knee replacement surgery, predicting the
weather, simple machines, and the odd machine, which explores forces and
prediction.
Books for Students
Eldest (Inheritance Trilogy #2) by Christopher Paolini From the publisher:
Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime; his eyes open to awe-inspring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn't know whom he can trust.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson From the publisher:
Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, Angel, and Maximum: six kids who are 98% human and 2% bird. They grew up in cages, living like rats, but now they're free. When the bloodthirsty Erasers -- half men, half wolves genetically engineered by sick and sinister scientists -- kidnap little Angel, the Flock embarks on a rescue mission full of nonstop action, adventure, and soul-seeking -- not to mention a little bit of saving the world on the side.
We Beat The Street: How A Friendship Lead to Success by Sharon Draper, Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
From the publisher:
Sampson, George, and Rameck could easily have followed their childhood friends into drug dealing, gangs, and prison. They came from the tough neighborhoods of Newark, New Jersey, where survival, not schoolwork, was the priority. When the three boys met in high school, they recognized in each other the desire and ability to "beat the street." They made a friendship pact, deciding together to take on the biggest challenges of their lives: going to college, then medical school. Along the way they made mistakes, faced disappointments, and nearly failed, but by working hard, finding positive role models, resisting negative influences, and supporting each other at every turn, they achieved their goals-and more. Today Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt-who call themselves the Three Doctors-work in the same community where they grew up, helping the people in their neighborhoods. Sampson and Rameck are doctors, and George is a dentist.
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements & Brian Selnick (Illustrator)
From the publisher:
Greg Kenton has always had a natural talent for making money-despite the
annoying rivalry of his neighbor Maura Shaw. Then, just before sixth grade, Greg
makes a discovery: almost every kid at school has an extra quarter or two to
spend almost every day. Multiply a few quarters by a few hundred kids, and for Greg, school suddenly looks like a giant piggy bank. All he needs is the right hammer to crack it open. Candy and gum? Little toys? Sure, kids would love to buy stuff like that at school. But would teachers and the principal permit it? Not likely. But how about comic books? Comic books might work, especially the chunky little ones that Greg writes and illustrates himself. Because everybody knows that school always encourages reading and writing and creativity and individual initiative, right?
Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett
From the publisher:
As the mightily alien fleet from the very latest computer game thunders across the computer screen, Johnny prepares to blow them into the usual million pieces.
And they send him a message:
We surrender.
They're not supposed to do that! They're supposed to die. And computer joysticks don't have 'Don't Fire' buttons...
It's hard enough, trying to save Mankind from the Galactic Hordes. It's even harder trying to save the Galactic Hordes from Mankind. But it's only a game, isn't it?
Lotsa De Casha by Madonna & Rui Paes (Illustrator)
From the publisher:
Lotsa de Casha is the richest -- and most miserable -- man in the world. No matter how colossal his castles, how fast his horses, nor how big his sandwiches, he remains a gloomy old sourpuss -- until he embarks on a fantastic adventure that leads him to the discovery of life's greatest treasure. What is the secret to happiness? Read Lotsa's story and find out....
Professional Book Recommendations
ASSESSing School: Teaching Struggling Readers to Achieve Academic and Personal Success
by Jim Burke
How can we make the tools and habits of academic literacy available
to every student? Jim Burke answered this question by creating ACCESS,
a program for struggling students he began five years ago at Burlingame
High School-a program where seventy percent of incoming ninth graders
go on to college. In ACCESSing School, Burke examines academic success
initiatives around the country, identifying their key components, then
detailing how their practices apply to ACCESS so that you can adapt
its principles to meet your school's unique needs. (from Heinemann)
Also
visit Jim Burke's web site englishcompanion.com. Many
of the ACCESS resources he has developed are available through this
site.
Practice With Purpose: Literacy Work Stations for Grades 3-6
by Debbie Diller
Practice With Purpose provides practical advise
to teachers wanting to establish literacy centers in their classroom.
Diller provides step-by-step instructions on how to set up and manage
a variety of hands on literacy centers. Teachers will learn: how to
introduce the learning center; innovative ways to use materials; what
to model to ensure independence; how to troubleshoot; ideas on how
to assess; how the center supports student achievement; and reflection
questions for the readers own professional development. (from Stenhouse)
Success
With Struggling Readers: The Benchmark School Approach
by Irene West Gaskins
From the founder of the internationally known Benchmark School, this
unique book presents a proven approach for helping struggling students
become fully engaged readers, learners, thinkers, and problem solvers.
Benchmark's research-based Interactive Learning Model is clearly explained
and illustrated with teacher-friendly, how-to-do-it examples. Gaskins
demonstrates ways to teach effective strategies for decoding words
and understanding concepts, and to give students the skills to apply
these strategies across the curriculum based on their individual cognitive
styles and the specific demands of the task at hand. Comprehensive
yet highly readable, the book includes quick-reference charts and reproducible
figures and activities that can be used in all subject-matter areas,
grades 1 through 8. (from Guilford
Press)
Participant Questions from Summer 2005
For many of our participants, the summer is coming to an end. In just a few weeks teachers will be heading back to school. We hope that you have enjoyed your summer with FOR-PD. As with any semester, we have received a number of questions about the course. We would like to address those questions now.
1. I have been on vacation and now I am behind. What can I do?
First, we hope that you had a spectacular vacation. Hopefully, you have contacted your facilitator and let him/her know that you are back and that you do indeed wish to finish the course. Of course, there is no time like the present to get yourself back into the routine. Jump in with both feet. Make a plan to get caught up. Perhaps you are behind three to four lessons. You can easily get caught up by working on two lessons or more lessons a week. Once you do get caught up, make sure you keep up each week. Whatever plan you work out, make sure your facilitator knows.
2. I have worked ahead because I knew that I would be attending some training in my county. I don't have grades for some of the work I have posted. What do I do?
This is an excellent question! Facilitators are required to grade assignments due for that week only. The work you completed will be graded once the rest of the course gets to the same assignment. Remember that a large part of online learning is dependent on the interaction within the course. If you work too far ahead, you may miss out on critical discussions taking place within your section. We highly recommend that you log into the course at least once a week, preferably more. While there, make sure you check your grades and new discussions that have been posted. Some of the discussion assignments require you to respond to other's posting. We have found that many times, people who rush ahead forget to do this and then run out of time to complete the discussion properly.
3. What do I do with my literacy log when the course is over?
When you are done with the course, you should have a nice literacy log with 13 different strategies. The first thing you should do is check with your facilitator to see if he/she is collecting the literacy log. Next, you should check with your district staff development office to see if they need a copy of your log. If neither your district nor your facilitator are collecting the log, we suggest that you keep it for competency 6 of the reading endorsement. You can also share the strategies with your colleagues or with your students.
4. How will my district know that I have completed the FOR-PD course?
Once your course has been officially closed by your facilitator, the FOR-PD office will issue a certificate of completion for you. This will arrive by email unless you have specifically stated that you want the certificate mailed. You should keep this certificate as proof of your completion. The FOR-PD office also sends a completion roster to each district indicating who has successfully completed the course. It is the district staff development office that will issue your 60 inservice hours.
5. I have had to revise a discussion twice now. Why?
This is an issue that consistently comes up in each course. Each discussion assignment is graded using a rubric. The grading rubric has been provided for you directly after the assignment is given. We suggest that you take a look at this rubric before you compose your discussion. You might even grade your own discussion using the rubric. If your discussion does not meet the passing criteria of 16 points, you will be asked to revise your discussion.
6. Why did I receive an email from your office telling me I was behind?
You probably received one of our quality assurance emails. Each semester each course is checked by our Quality Assurance Specialist. We do these checks twice during the term. The first check usually occurs on the third or fourth week of the course. We identify participants who are technically behind in the course, meaning if the check occurs during the third week of the course and you have only completed the discussion for lesson 1, you are technically behind in the course. These people are emailed to find out if there are issues keeping them from participating in the course. We also offer our assistance in helping people get back on track. The second quality assurance check occurs at either the ninth or tenth week of the course. For this check we identify participants who are three to five lessons behind. We again email these people to find out if there are issues keeping them from participating in the course. We offer our assistance in helping them get back on track. The results of the quality assurance check are shared with the facilitator of your course. If you have received one of these emails, please contact your facilitator and let them know if you plan to complete the course and your plan for getting caught up.
7. My course is closing in a week and I posted lessons 2 - 10 just the other day. My facilitator tells me that she will not grade my discussions and has recommended that I retake the course. Can she do this?
Yes, your facilitator can refuse to grade any discussions posted seven or more weeks late. The FOR-PD office has posted participant expectations in every course. One of these expectations is that participants keep up with the pace of the course - one lesson per week. Facilitators contact participants who are behind. Unfortunately, some participants do not respond to their facilitators. Many times these are the participants who end up posting discussions at the end of the course and expect to have their discussions graded. Please make sure you are posting your discussions in a timely manner to avoid being told that your discussions will not be graded.
FOR-PD Help
Desk
Feeling
frustrated? Can't figure it out? Don't forget the FOR-PD Help
Desk is available. Summer Help
Desk hours are:
Monday through Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
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".
You can also reach
the FOR-PD Help Desk via email - helpdesk@orion.itrc.ucf.edu.
Make sure you state your name, section, problem, and how you can be reached (either through email or phone with a phone number).
Don't forget to check out the Tutorials and Troubleshooting Guide. Both of these resources provide a wealth of information on the tools used in the course and specific technology problems past participants have had along with solutions to these problems.
This month's number one Help Desk issue was the pop-up
blocker. If you have a pop-up blocker on your web browser,
you will not be able to access the quizzes in the course. To disable
your pop-up blocker, follow these directions:
Disable Pop-Up Blocking programs
-
Move your mouse to the lower right-hand corner of your screen near the time
-
Scroll your mouse over the icons listed to the left of the time
-
If you notice any of the icons refer to Pop-Ups, right-click on them and click "Disable" or "Exit"
-
Please note that Norton Internet Securities and McAfee Firewall need to be disabled as well.
Return to Top
- When entering the chat, don't say hello to each other. Most chat
systems inform everyone in the chat room that someone has entered
the room. This will cut down on chat-message run-on.
- Unless you have the floor, don't say anything; rather, ask to
be recognized by the person who does have the floor by posting
an !.
This is unobtrusive and will let everyone know that you have a
statement or question to make.
- When you are done talking, end
your last sentence with a # symbol.
- If you specifically want to ask a question of someone or address them, type their name followed by a semicolon and then the message.
Mark
your calendars! The summer chat schedule is
posted below. Please make sure that you read and understand the chat
protocol. We hope to see you in the chat room this summer.
FOR-PD Tech chats are
for all participants who have questions about technology or the course content.
The first 30-minutes will
be dedicated specifically to technology help and the final 30-minutes will
include specific questions about the course or the content of the course.
Please make sure you review the chat protocol.
| WHEN: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 TIME: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: Participants and facilitators TOPIC: Technology and General Course Questions |
FOR-PD Content chats are for all participants and
facilitators. They cover relevant topics in the FOR-PD course. For
these chats we ask that you complete an activity prior to attending,
as this becomes the common experience for the chat. Please make sure
you review the chat protocol.
| WHEN: Tuesday, August 9, 2005 TIME: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: Participants and facilitators TOPIC: Ways to Improve Motivation of Struggling Older Readers |
WHEN: Monday, August 15, 2005 TIME: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: Participants and facilitators TOPIC: Summer Course Wrap-Up |
All chats are logged and posted
on our web site (Chat
Transcripts).
Before joining one of our chats make sure you know the Chat Protocol.
Chat Protocol: Please be aware that
FOR-PD uses a moderated discussion format. A moderator will keep
the chat on topic and recognize question/statement requests by participants.
The person who has the floor can field questions and statements from
other participants, but they hold the floor until they are done.
When they are done, the moderator will recognize another participant
who requests the floor.
In order to make the chat flow smoothly, please use the following chat symbols and guidelines:
! The
exclamation point is like raising your hand, you want to be recognized to make
a statement.
# Use the pound sign to let everyone know you are done asking a question or making a statement.
.... This lets everyone know you have more to say.
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