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| February 17, 2006 | |
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| Info Update
In Focus
ABC's of Reading Pertinent Participant Info
Chatterbox
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The Director's Corner Dear FOR-PD Participant: This month our Reading Strategy of the Month is on text sets. As teachers, we must create an environment that will engage and motivate students while effectively supporting literacy development. The research indicates that in order to help struggling readers, teachers should read extensively "in all classes" to build text knowledge and fluency. Teachers must read for longer periods of time, read longer texts, and select texts linked to the curriculum. One way of accomplishing this link is through the use of text-sets. I encourage you to check out our Reading Strategy of the Month where you will find abundant information on using text sets in your own classroom. We hope that you and your students will benefit from the strategy, examples, and resources we have created for you. We look forward to your feedback on any and all of our resources and services. Our Literacy Newsletter's focus for February is on shared reading. Shared reading is a strategy developed by Donald Holdaway (1979) in which a student or group of students views text, observes the teacher or an "expert reader" reading the text with fluency and expression, and is encouraged to read along. The goal of shared reading is to support the student in text reading until they can comfortably read it themselves. This is an important instructional strategy that can be used with all readers, at all grade levels, and in all content areas. Shared reading allows all students to engage in the reading process in a supportive environment. I encourage you to check out the information and resources provided on shared reading. Last month, I encouraged participants to go deeper and not just gloss over the information and assignments. This month I encourage you to reflect upon the research, resources, and experiences you are receiving by going through the FOR-PD course. During your professional development experience with FOR-PD, think critically about the information you are learning and your own classroom instruction. The goals of the FOR-PD Project are to impact teacher instruction and student achievement. As you go through the course think about what you are already implementing in your classroom and stretch yourself to try new ways of teaching or try a new instructional strategy; afterwards reflect on your implementation. How did your implementation of the new idea or instructional strategy go? What did your students gain by using the strategy? What would you change if you were to use it again? Reflection is the critical piece that is often missing in education. Give yourself the time to reflect on your instruction. I would also like to encourage you to keep up with the readings, course schedule, and course assignments. The FOR-PD course is a very comprehensive course - for you to learn and benefit from it you will have to be actively involved in the learning process. Continue to interact with the course texts, your facilitator, and with your colleagues. We are here to support you and help you learn and succeed. Please let us know how we can better support you and help you grow professionally, as well. Thank you again, for all of your work. We encourage and appreciate any ideas you have about our newsletters, resources, and support. Please email us and share your thoughts forpd@mail.ucf.edu. Best wishes and continued success,
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| Open Registration Begins | May 8, 2006 |
| Open Registration Ends | June 26, 2006 |
| Summer Classes Begin | July 10, 2006 |
| Summer Classes End | October 2, 2006 |
Fall 2006
| Open Registration Begins | July 10, 2006 |
| Open Registration Ends | August 7, 2006 |
| Summer Classes Begin | August 21, 2006 |
| Summer Classes End | December 4, 2006 |
Book Awards Announced
Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John
Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to
Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the
most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
2006 Medal Winner
Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Criss Cross follows the lives of four 14-year-olds in a small town, each at their own crossroads. This ensemble cast explores new thoughts and feelings in their quest to find the meaning of life and love.
2006 Honor Books
Whittington by Alan Armstrong, illus. by S.D. Schindler
In Whittington, Armstrong creates a glorious barnyard fantasy that seamlessly weaves together three tales: Whittington the cat's arrival on Bernie's farm, his retelling of the traditional legend of his 14th-century namesake, and one boy's struggle to learn to read. These three tales unite the disparate citizens of the barn community in a celebration of oral and written language, the support of friends, the healing power of humor, and the triumph of life.
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
How could the Holocaust have happened? Bartoletti delivers a chilling answer by exploring Hitler's rise to power through the first-hand experiences of young followers whose adolescent zeal he so successfully exploited and the more extraordinary few who risked certain death in resisting. The meticulously researched volume traces the Hitler Youth movement from the time it formally gathered strength in the early 1930s through the defeat of the Third Reich. The grace and clarity of the writing make Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow a powerful addition to Holocaust literature for children.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Miri and the other young women of her rocky highland village are forced to leave their close-knit community when the prince must choose a bride in The Princess Academy. Like the miri flower, which sprouts from the cracks in the linder rock, Miri soon becomes the strong, resilient and courageous leader of the academy. The book is a fresh approach to the traditional princess story with unexpected plot twists and great emotional resonance.
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson
"And the children leaned in. And listened real hard." Jacqueline Woodson's magnificent poem Show Way tells the story of slavery, emancipation and triumph for each generation of her maternal ancestors. She pays tribute to the creative women who guided their "tall and straight-boned" daughters to courage, self-sufficiency and freedom. Whether with quilts or stories, poems or songs, these women discovered and shared the strength to carry on. "There's a road, girl. There's a road."
Caldecott Medal The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
2006 Medal Winner
The Hello, Goodbye Window illus. by Chris Raschka
In this sunny portrait of familial love, a little girl tells us about her everyday experiences visiting her grandparents' house. Raschka's style resembles the spontaneous drawings of children, perfectly mirroring the guileless young narrator's exuberant voice. White space balances the density of the layered colors, creating a visual experience that is surprisingly sophisticated.
Rosa illus. by Bryan Collier; written by Nikki Giovanni
From the arresting cover through the endpapers, Rosa, with Giovanni's spare, elegant prose and Collier's iconic illustrations, celebrates the quiet courage of Rosa Parks. Collier's radiant watercolors of faces and hands highlighted against the edges of his richly colored collages create another distinguished work of art from this award-winning illustrator.
Zen Shorts illus. by John Muth
Zen Shorts, Muth's story of inquisitive siblings befriending a wise panda, is told through luminous watercolors interwoven with three lessons, set apart by starkly contrasting Asian-inspired brush paintings. The interplay of artistic styles elegantly conveys the gentle, timeless messages of self-knowledge and acceptance.
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride by Marjorie Priceman
Energetic lines and rich watercolors animate Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride, an aerial adventure over 18th-century France. Priceman, who previously received a 1996 Caldecott Honor for "Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin," combines spare text, dynamic design and masterful perspective to illuminate the humor and high jinks of three animals swept up in the winds of history.
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems illus. by Beckie Prange; written by Joyce Sidman
Eleven joyful songs of everyday pond life throughout the seasons are celebrated through Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems, an elegant and satisfying combination of visual drama, poetry and scientific facts. The organic lines of Prange's exceptionally executed, hand-colored woodblock illustrations enlarge upon Sidman's expressive nature-themed poems.
Robert F. Sibert Award
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, established by the Association
for Library Service to Children in 2001, is awarded annually to the author of
the most distinguished informational book published in English during the
preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time
President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois, and is
sponsored by the company.
2006 Award Winner
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley by Sally M. Walker
In 1864 the H. L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy ship. It then vanished. For 131 years, the Hunley's fate remained a mystery. Walker has crafted a seamless account of historical and scientific sleuthing to reveal the secrets of the Hunley and her crew, all the while demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of the problem-solving process in our modern world. Walker combines the drama of a wartime shipwreck with compelling scientific writing, to create a work of true distinction.
2006 Sibert Honor Book
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
How could the Holocaust have happened? Bartoletti delivers a chilling answer by exploring Hitler's rise to power through the first-hand experiences of young followers whose adolescent zeal he so successfully exploited and the more extraordinary few who risked certain death in resisting. The meticulously researched volume traces the Hitler Youth movement from the time it formally gathered strength in the early 1930s through the defeat of the Third Reich. The grace and clarity of the writing make Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow a powerful addition to Holocaust literature for children.
Coretta Scott King Award
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults
2006 Author Award
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester
Now, to pay off mounting gambling debts, Pierce decides to cash in his "assets" and host the biggest slave auction in American history. At the price of his humanity, he reaps just over $300,000 as the skies weep nonstop on the proceedings below. For although Butler had promised Emma's parents not to sell her, money, desperation, and greed enable him to justify any misdeed. Through flashbacks and flash-forwards, and shifting first-person points of view, readers will travel with Emma and others through time and place, and come to understand that every decision has consequences, and final judgment is handed down not by man, but by his maker.
Julius Lester, a master of storytelling, transforms this little-known piece of American history into one of the most dramatic and impressive works of his brilliant career.
A teacher's guide is available at the following site: http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/board/displayBook.asp?id=1480.
Author Honor Books
Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl by Tonya Bolden
Based on an actual memoir written by Maritcha Remond Lyons, who was born and
raised in New York City, this poignant story tells what it was like to be a
black child born free during the days of slavery. Everyday experiences are
interspersed with high-point moments, such as visiting the U.S.'s first world's
fair. Also included are the Draft Riots of 1863, when Maritcha and her siblings
fled to Brooklyn while her parents stayed behind to protect their home. The book
concludes with her fight to attend a whites-only high school in Providence,
Rhode Island, and her triumphant victory, making her the first black person in
its graduating class.
Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes
Sam can't believe it when his father leaves the family to marry another woman-and a white woman, at that. The betrayal cuts deep-Sam had been so close to his dad, and idolized him. Now who can he turn to, who can he trust? Even God seems to have ditched him.
Ishmael is his father's first son, the heir, his favorite. But when his father is visited by mysterious strangers who claim that Abraham's wife, Sarah, will finally give birth to a son, Ishmael is worried. And when baby Isaac arrives, Ishmael becomes more isolated from his father. Could Abraham's God, who had spoken to Ishmael's mother, to whom he has made countless sacrifices, now betray him in favor of this new son?
A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marily Nelson, illus. by Philippe Lardy
"In 1955 people all over the United States knew that Emmett Louis Till was a fourteen-year-old African American boy lynched for supposedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. The brutality of his murder, the open-casket funeral held by his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, and the acquittal of the men tried for the crime drew wide media attention." In a profound and chilling poem, award winning poet Marilyn Nelson reminds us of the boy whose fate helped spark the civil rights movement. This martyr's wreath, woven from a little-known but sophisticated form of poetry, challenges us to speak out against modern-day injustices, to "speak what we see."
2006 Illustrator Award
Rosa by illus. Bryan Collier, written by Nikki Giovanni
An inspiring account of an event that shaped American history
Fifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This picture- book tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed.
Award-winning poet, writer, and activist Nikki Giovanni's evocative text combines with Bryan Collier's striking cut-paper images to retell the story of this historic event from a wholly unique and original perspective.
Illustrator Honor Books
Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan illus. by R. Gregory Christie; written by Mary Williams
Among the many victims of the civil war in Sudan are the Lost Boys, remarkable children and teenagers who trekked from Sudan to Ethiopian and then to Kenyan refugee camps. Some are now adjusting to life in the United States. Garang helps his fellow young refugees stay strong in this first-person fictionalized account.
2006 New Talent Author Award
Jimi & Me by Jaime Adoff
An electrifying novel about love, loss, and the power of music
After his father is murdered, Keith and his mother try desperately to pick up the pieces of their lives. But his father's death has left them devastated-both emotionally and financially. Forced to leave Brooklyn and move in with his aunt, Keith urgently clings to every last reminder of his dad, discovering comfort in his own music and that of the late legend-and his father's idol-Jimi Hendrix. In Jimi's music, Keith finds solace, and brief moments of reprieve from his chaotic new life. But just as he begins to get a handle on his father's death, he discovers the secrets of his father's life--secrets that threaten to tear apart what's left of his fragile family.
Additional Book Award Resources:
NCTE Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Award - This annual award was established to promote and recognize excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children. This year's winner is Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman. The Honor Books include: ER Vets: Life in an Animal Emergency Room by Donna Jackson; Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students by Suzanne Jurmain; Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein by Marfe Ferguson Delano; Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti; and Mosquito Bite by Alexandra Siy and Dennis Kunkel. http://www.ncte.org/elem/awards/orbispictus/123611.htm?utm_source=Inbox+02-07-2006&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Inbox+02-07-2006
IRA's Choices List - Each year 10,000 schoolchildren from different regions of the United States read and vote on the newly published children's and young adults' trade books that they like best.
Resources for Celebrating Black History Month
Each February, Americans celebrate Black History Month. This tribute dates back to 1926 and is credited to a Harvard scholar named Carter G. Woodson. Woodson, the son of former slaves, dedicated his life to ensuring that black history was accurately documented and disseminated. Included here are books and resources which can be used with students.
Books
New Boy by Julian Houston
From the Publisher: Fifteen-year-old Rob Garrett wants nothing more than to escape the segregated South and prove himself. But in late 1950s Virginia, opportunity doesn't come easily to an African American. So Rob's parents take the unusual step of enrolling their son in a Connecticut boarding school, where he will have the best education available. He will also be the first student of color in the school's history. No matter- Rob Garrett is on his way. But times are changing. While Rob is experiencing the privilege and isolation of private school, a movement is rising back home. Men and women are organizing, demanding an end to segregation, and in Rob's hometown, his friends are on the verge of taking action. There is even talk about sitting in at a lunch counter that refuses to serve black people. How can Rob hope to make a difference when he's a world away?
Onward: A Photobiography of African-American Polar Explorer Matthew Henson by Dolores Johnson
From the publisher: The conquest of the North Pole was an elusive, almost impossible goal at the beginning of the last century. But a son of patrician parents, Robert E. Peary, and a son of sharecroppers, Matthew Henson, shared a dream of conquering the unconquered North Pole and were brave enough to risk their lives numerous times before they finally succeeded. Henson's great physical stamina and his ability to speak Inuit and develop warm relationships with the peoples of the Arctic were indispensable to the quest. He mastered the complexities of the dog sled and led the team across the layers of ice that covered the frigid, threatening Arctic Ocean. Henson and Peary's jubilation at finally reaching the Pole was later tempered by the controversy that swirled around their achievement. Once their deed was recognized, African-American Henson still was not. It took history a long time to hail him as a hero of exploration.
The Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students by Suzanne Jurmain
From the publisher: They threw rocks and rotten eggs at the school windows. Villagers refused to sell Miss Crandall groceries or let her students attend the town church. Mysteriously, her schoolhouse was set on fire- by whom and how remains a mystery. The town authorities dragged her to jail and put her on trial for breaking the law.
Her crime? Trying to teach African American girls geography, history, reading, philosophy, and chemistry. Trying to open and maintain one of the first African American schools in America. Exciting and eye-opening, this account of the heroine of Canterbury, Connecticut, and her elegant white schoolhouse at the center of town will give readers a glimpse of what it is like to try to change the world when few agree with you.
Black Storm Comin by Diane Lee Wilson
Twelve-year-old Colton, son of a black mother and a white father, takes a job with the Pony Express in 1860 after his father abandons the family on their California-bound wagon train, and risks his life to deliver an important letter that may affect the growing conflict between the North and South.
Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement by Ann Bausum
From the publisher: Freedom Riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of John Lewis, growing up in black America, and Jim Zwerg, growing up in white America, in a way that helps young readers understand the segregated experience of our nation's past. It shows how a common interest in justice created the convergent path that enabled these young men to meet as Freedom Riders on a bus journey south. No other book on the Freedom Riders has used such a personal perspective. These two young men, empowered by their successes in the Nashville student movement, were among those who volunteered to continue the Freedom Rides after violence in Anniston, Alabama, had left the original bus in flames with the riders injured and in retreat. Lewis and Zwerg joined the cause knowing their own fate could be equally harsh, if not worse.
In celebration of Black History Month, Just Read, Florida! is highlighting African American literature for all ages. There are appropriate selections and resources for K-12 students, adults and educators.
Resources
Black History: Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Future
This web page contains information about Florida's Black History. You can find biographies of great African-Americans, links to Florida's Historically Black Institutions, suggested reading material, view artwork by Florida artist Hughie Lee Smith that will be on display at the Governor's Mansion and the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science during the entire month of February. You can also find out information about The Negro League Museum Art Exhibit, "Shades of Greatness." The exhibit will be on display in the State Capitol Rotunda beginning February 1 through March 17.
History Channel: Black History Month Resources
The History Channel provides resources on the history of the civil rights movement, African American icons, video clips, speeches, and various other resources.
Biography: Black History Month Resources
The Biography Channel provides numerous resources on famous African Americans. From famous firsts to civil rights heroes this website provides articles, history, and a photo gallery.
Scholastic: Online Activities
Students get an in-depth look into the African-American experience in this
unique online activity. Through interviews, historical sketches, interactives,
and the lessons provided in this teacher's guide, students learn about important
individuals, study the civil rights movement and the concept of racism, and
explore the history of jazz music. Culture & Change: Black History in America also includes activities that allow students to share their thoughts and feelings about topics discussed.
African American History Collections (16 Collections)
American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.
NEA's Read Across America: Building a Nation of Readers
The countdown to March 2 has begun! NEA's Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program
that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on or around
Dr. Seuss's birthday. In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents, and others develop NEA's Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. Governors, mayors, and other elected officials recognize the role reading plays in their communities with proclamations and floor statements. Athletes and actors issue reading challenges to young readers. And teachers and principals seem to be more than happy to dye their hair green or be duct-taped to a wall if it boosts their students' reading.Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school. Begin planning now! NEA's Read Across America resource materials offer numerous and various opportunities for involvement in children's reading throughout the year. The first thing you should plan for is how, where, and when you will read to a child in your life--every day.
Check out the resources for educators. There are bookmarks, posters, certificates, book lists, and ideas on how you can celebrate.National Park Service and National Endowment for the Humanities Sponsor Summer Institute on the Industrial Revolution
The U.S. Department of Education would like to share information about a unique professional development opportunity for K-12 teachers and administrators at the Tsongas Industrial History Center at the historic Boott Cotton Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. "Inventing America: Lowell and the Industrial Revolution" will be a week long summer institute combining scholarly presentations with onsite investigations of the canals, mills, worker housing and exhibits of Lowell National Historical Park. Drama, historical fiction, hands-on simulations and field studies at Old Sturbridge Village, Walden Pond, and Concord will also help bring history to life.
Stipends for the institute are available through the National Endowment for the Humanities. Some travel support may also be available. Participants may be able to earn 40-80 continuing education credits or professional development hours. Graduate credit is also available through the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.
For more information, please visit http://www.uml.edu/tsongas/NEH/. Completed applications must be postmarked by March 15.
Holidays,
Happenings, & Events
| FOR-PD Open Enrollment Courses | January 23, 2006 - May 1, 2006 |
| NEA's Read Across America - Building a Nation of Readers | March 2, 2006 |
| 15th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy Creating a Literate Nation Louisville, KY |
March 19-21, 2006 |
| Florida Education Technology Conference Orlando, Fl |
March 22-24, 2006 |
| Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Constructing the Future, Challenging the Past: Excellence in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership Chicago, IL |
April 1-3, 2006 |
| The UCF College of Education 8th Annual Literacy Symposium "Engaging Students In Reading" Orlando, FL |
April 7, 2006 |
Florida Secondary Reading Council |
April 21-22, 2006 |
| 51st Annual Convention International Reading Association "Great Teachers Inspire the World" Chicago, IL |
April 30-May 4, 2006 |
FOR-PD Summer Registration |
May 8, 2006 - June 26, 2006 |
| National Educational Computing Conference Explore, Learn, Dream San Diego, CA |
July 5-7 |
| NCTE - Literacies for All Summer Institute "Redefining Literacies: Expanding Our Vision of What is Possible" Charlotte, NC |
July 13-16, 2006 |
The UCF College of Education - 8th Annual Literacy Symposium
Come join us for a day of learning how to engage readers, motivate students, and connect children with books! This is a free professional day for all elementary and secondary educators, including literacy coaches, library media specialists, reading specialists, and administrators. The Symposium will take place in the College of Education Gymnasium April 7, 2006 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
This year's keynote speakers include ReLeah Lent, a national educational consultant, and Enrigue Puig, director of the Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence Project. ReLeah Lent's increasing awareness of students' disengagement and disinterest in school lead her to write her third book, Engaging Adolescent Learners: A Guide for Content Area Teachers. Enrique Puig's current interests include the concepts of pedagogy and andragogy from a Vygotskian perspective involving literacy coaching to increase student learning. His new book, The Literacy Coach, will be published June 2006. 
Interested in presenting at this year's symposium? You can download a presentation proposal form from the symposium website. Presentation applications are due March 17, 2006. Also included on the website are directions for registering for this professional development opportunity. All Literacy Symposium information can be accessed at http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/litSym/.
The UCF College of Education 8th Annual Literacy Symposium is sponsored by FOR-PD and FLaRE.
What types of reading should be included in a comprehensive reading program? Last month, we took a look at guided reading. This month we turn our attention to shared reading. Over the next two months, we will take a look at independent reading and reading aloud. Each of these types of reading requires a different level of support from the teacher with the goal of moving students toward reading independence.
Shared reading is a student-centered approach which allows all students to participate in reading of text. The teacher or an expert reader provides voice support and models the reading process as students view the text and observe what the reader is doing. Shared reading is an appropriate instructional strategy when the challenges in a text make it too difficult for students to read alone. This instructional strategy can be used with all readers, at all grade levels, and in all content areas. Students are engaged in the reading process through a highly engaging and interesting text chosen by the teacher. The teacher's role includes selecting text, reading the text to students, modeling the reading process and effective reading strategies, and gradually including students in this process until they have gained enough confidence to independently read the text.
We hope that you find the information in this In Focus section helpful. Please feel free to contact us with questions or feedback on this section of the Literacy Newsletter. You may reach us at forpd@mail.ucf.edu or 1-866-207-7296.
What is Shared Reading?
Shared reading is a powerful student-centered approach to reading that supports readers as they acquire and develop skills, strategies, and confidence in their abilities as a reader. It is through shared reading that the reading process and reading strategies are demonstrated in a relaxed setting with maximum support provided. Shared reading developed from the Holdaway's Shared Book Experience in which the teacher reads a text to students and invites them to read along (Opitz & Rasinski, 1998). The teacher can use Shared Reading to focus on any number of print concepts, skills or strategies. Repeated readings and discussions of the books help students learn to read fluently and allows for deeper levels of comprehension. Shared reading and the Shared Book Experience are also an excellent way to develop students' understanding of words and their literal and inferential comprehension (Opitz & Rasinski, 1998).
Shared Reading also has the added benefit of helping students enjoy learning to read while supporting reading development. Shared reading is an integral part of whole class instruction. Shared Reading Experiences provide a scaffold to further independent and language related activities. It can be used with any level or ability and any class group. Sharing the task enables readers at all stages of development to actively participate in the act of reading.
Shared Reading Experiences are an excellent vehicle for showing students how to use strategies that integrate meaning, and how to use structural and visual information to problem-solve unfamiliar words. Shared reading is especially valuable when introducing new nonfiction features and text structures. Through Shared Reading Experiences, teachers model nonfiction reading strategies and reinforce strategic reading behaviors.
Shared readings provide a context to:
- Present reading as an enjoyable and purposeful activity.
- Influence children's reading attitudes and behaviors.
- Introduce a wide range of book and print conventions.
- Demonstrate reading strategies in context.
- Increase comprehension, while developing listening skills.
- Build on prior knowledge before children attempt to read independently.
- Introduce new and more complex ideas and language.
- Provide models for writing.
An added challenge for secondary teachers is that of content area reading. "Even if the initial reluctance is overcome by reading high-interest literature and nonfiction, teachers still grapple with the challenge of maintaining positive attitudes towards reading while teaching strategies to negotiate demanding text that requires sophisticated levels of thought and response" (p7). Janet combined the voice support offered by shared reading and the cognitive questioning and modeling that accompanied guided reading in an approach she calls "shared strategic reading." The purposes for shared strategic reading include:
- Reading uninterrupted to demonstrate strategies in action.
- Strategically examining the way thoughtful readers experience text.
- The goal is to give students the opportunity to use strategies to make sense of text.
- To develop strategy-conscious readers.
- Choosing text to support needs based strategy focus.
The first step in using shared reading is the selection of text. Teachers should select text that challenges students' thinking. Because of the amount of support given by the teacher during shared reading, texts that may be too difficult for students to read alone make excellent choices for shared reading. The decoding support given by the teacher allows the students' brain to do the cognitive work of reading. Text should be accessible and interesting to the students. The type of text you choose will depend on your instructional purposes. Janet Allen (2002) believes there are certain characteristics that help make a rich shared reading experience regardless of the teachers' instructional purposes.
- The text should invite students to make personal connections. Readers are more likely to enjoy and learn from the experience if they can make personal connections.
- Texts that create an intense emotional experience for the reader make a strong shared reading experience. Providing emotional responses during a shared reading experience makes the story memorable.
- The text should use rich language that helps students create visual images. Vivid images often help students recall their own experiences thus helping them make connections.
- The text should expand the readers' world. The possibility exists that text will stay with readers for the rest of their lives. Words, phrases, events, and lines of poetry may find their way into a student's writing or speech.
Next, teachers should discuss the topic of the text with students. What do they know about this topic? Have they had any personal experiences? Have they read a book on the same topic? Is this topic reflected in current events of the world? Accessing students' background knowledge is key in helping comprehension. After building background knowledge, the teacher should state the purpose of the text. What do you want students to get from this shared book experience? Why did you select the text? What will be the students' role in this experience? What are the criteria for success?
Prior to reading the text, teachers should engage students in a pre-reading activity. Think about what good readers do before they read. Model for students how to predict using the text then engage students in making their own predictions. After completing your pre-reading activity begin reading the text. The teacher should make as few stops as possible and model fluent reading. Students can be encouraged to participate if it is appropriate. If you do stop the reading of the text, make sure it is for a particular purpose; maybe to quickly model a word identification strategy or a comprehension strategy.
After reading the text, encourage students to talk about the text and the language features of the text. Identify and discuss with students that conventions of various text forms, discuss meanings in texts, make connections, or model the use of information skills such as retrieving information. Reread the text several times. Think about the purpose of each rereading. The purpose may change slightly with each reading. If needed be reread short portions of the text. With each rereading, students will be able to join in, as the text becomes more familiar.
Remember that there are many learning opportunities when using shared reading!
References:
Allen, J. (2002). On the same page: Shared reading beyond the primary grades. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Opitz, M. F., & Rasinski, T. V. (1998). Good-bye round robin: 25 effective oral reading strategies. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Shared Reading in the Content Area Classroom
Building Background Knowledge for Content Inquiry
Many students lack the motivation or interest to understand content area text. Readers often passively sit while the teachers fill them with the information they must know in order to pass the course. Often times, teachers bypass having the students read the text. Shared reading supports these learners by modeling the reading process. It also leads to deeper understanding of text and precipitates student inquiry. Texts offer students just enough background information to leave them wanting to know more. When students participate in shared reading, they discover answers to many of their questions. They also connect new information to what they already know about the subject.
Making Content Connections
Text can be the bridge that helps students make connections between existing background knowledge and new learning. For example, in a social studies classroom students can try to imagine what an event or situation might have been like for someone who experienced it. They can then turn to texts that offer diverse insights and perspectives. The readers work becomes one of gathering clues from the text that will help them visualize the event, infer what it must have been like, and ask questions that will help them lead to a deeper understanding.
Internalizing and Applying Content Vocabulary
When content vocabulary is taught in the context of reading a text with the shared reading approach, students immediately have the opportunity to see and hear the word at the same time. Shared reading supports word learning at two levels: incidental word learning, that which occurs as a natural part of a rich reading experience, and conspicuous word learning, that which occurs prior to, during, and after shared reading.
By revisiting the shared text to flesh out multiple meanings or deep connotations of the word, we can ensure that our word study has met the three critical characteristics for effectively increasing reading comprehension through increased vocabulary knowledge: integration (tying new words to familiar concepts and experiences); repetition (repeated encounters with a word in context leading to automaticity); and meaningful use (understanding how to apply the word and connect it to other words in the knowledge base).
In conjunction with shared reading text, teachers can support word learning and concept knowledge in the following ways:
- Demonstrate the use of context to figure out meanings.
- Discover key concept words by highlighting repeated or specialized words.
- Connect words to a larger concept.
- Show multiple meanings of words based on text and context.
- Create visuals, webs, or organizers to help students develop memory links for words.
- Help students discriminate between and among common, academic, and specialized vocabulary words.
If students are to extend their reading and knowledge beyond the shared reading experience, teachers must provide interesting information that challenges their assumptions about the world. Shared reading of diverse texts helps students gain multiple perspectives to support their synthesis of information in meaningful and personal ways. In order to synthesize information and extend content knowledge, students must infer, make connections, ask questions, and synthesize information.
Resource:
Allen, J. (2002). On the same page: Shared reading beyond the primary grades. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Benefits of Shared Reading
Above-Grade-Level Students
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On-Grade-Level-Students
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Below-Grade-Level-Students
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Second Language Learners
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Resource:
Baily, T. (2003). Shared reading in the upper grades? You bet. Available: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0STR/is_6_112/ai_98594731#continue
Resources
What is shared reading?
This website provides a brief explanation of shared reading. There are also additional sites linked from this page.
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/shared_reading.html
Shared Reading: Listening Leads to Fluency and Understanding
This Education World Professional Development article features a Janet Allen in a discussion of using shared reading in the middle and high school classroom. Also included are tips for success.
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev083.shtml
Picture Books for Older Readers
This website provides a listing of picture books by theme that can be used during shared reading.
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/resources/picbooks.html
Literature Lesson Themes
This website provides a listing of books and related shared reading activities that can be used with primary students.
http://nccsc.k12.in.us/perduec/sharedreading.htm
Learning Centers: From Shared to Independent Practice
This lesson provides a framework for using a shared reading experience to
introduce independent literacy learning centers.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=181
Shared Reading: Martin Luther King, Jr.
This lesson plan outlines a shared reading experience using King's famous speech - I Have A Dream.
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2792.html
Shared Reading in the Upper Grades? You Bet!
This article provides tips and suggestions for using shared reading beyond the elementary classroom.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0STR/is_6_112/ai_98594731#continue
Big Books for Shared Reading
This document from FLaRE provides a list of big books that are excellent for Shared Reading.
http://flare.ucf.edu/FOR-PD/Big%20Books.pdf
FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month
February's Reading Strategy of the Month examines the use of text sets as a strategy to aid in the selection of text. Texts sets can be considered a collection of books related to a common element,
topic, theme, or type of text (Opitz, 1998). Text sets provide readers with a
focus and allows teachers to guide readers through specific engagements with the
texts. They also provide readers with a medley of text, including non-fiction
and fiction, that will support the growing need for students to obtain quality
information from a variety of sources.
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.
Web Sites for Teachers
Live Science
This site focuses on the latest advances in science and technology. Content covers all aspects of the school curriculum, offers information useful for debate and research, and spans elementary, middle, and high schools. Use articles found on this site to spark your students' interest.
http://www.livescience.com/
Educators National Science Standards & Lesson Bank
This Bank of Standards Based Lessons is designed to help PreK - 12 educators increase student learning specifically in science. It has the capability of preparing students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills both on standardized testing and in daily learning. The lessons are divided by grade levels for easy teacher access. Each Grade Level Matrix indicates which science standards are addressed, gives key words, identifies other content areas integrated in the lesson, the lesson title and whether it is a unit or individual lesson.
http://www.sciencestandardslessons.org/
Teaching With Documents: Lesson Plans
Teaching with primary documents encourages a varied learning environment for teachers and students alike. Lectures, demonstrations, analysis of documents, independent research, and group work become a gateway for research with historical records in ways that sharpen students' skills and enthusiasm for history, social studies, and the humanities.
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/
Benjamin Franklin in His Own Words
Benjamin Franklin: In His Own Words, indicates the depth and breadth of Benjamin Franklin's public, professional, and scientific accomplishments through important documents, letters, books, broadsides, and cartoons.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/franklin-home.html
Math Playground
Math Playground is an action packed site for students in grades K to 6. From word problems to printable math worksheets, students will find challenging games that reinforce critical math skills.
http://www.mathplayground.com/index.html
Math-Kitecture
Math-Kitecture is all about using architecture to do math and vice versa! Math-Kitecture has a number of activities, including "Floor Plan your Classroom," which offer engaging ways for students to study mathematics by doing real-life architecture. Students learn estimation, measuring skills, proportion, and ratios by hand-drafting a floor plan of their classroom to scale.
http://www.math-kitecture.com/
Fiction
The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom by Bettye Stroud & Erin Suzanne Bennett (illustrator)
From the publisher:
The wagon wheel. The bear's paw. The flying geese. These are some of
the squares in the quilt Hannah's mama helped her to sew -- before
Hannah's sister was sold to another plantation and before Mama died of
a broken heart. Now that Hannah's papa has decided to make the run for
freedom, this patchwork quilt is not just a precious memento of Mama --
it's a series of hidden clues that will guide them along the
Underground Railroad to Canada, where they'll finally be free. A
fictionalized account of a fascinating oral history, THE PATCHWORK PATH
tells the story of a brave father and his young daughter, two of
thousands who escaped a life of slavery and made the dangerous journey
to freedom -- a story of courage, determination, and hope.
The Fruit Bowl Project by Sarah Durkee
From the publisher:
Call it six degrees of separation. The kids in 8th Grade Writer's
Workshop are awestruck when their teacher announces that through her
husband's cousin, she's met rock superstar Nick Thompson and has
invited him to their class. He's come to talk about writing and he's
even cooler than they imagined. Nick, known for his music as well as
his lyrics, tells the kids his secret: A song is just a bowl of
fruit--one must figure out how to paint it. Words are to a writer what
paint is to a painter. How many ways can one arrange the fruit? An
infinite number. There's style, voice, genre, and much more to
consider. Nick gives the kids two weeks to complete the assignment
using seven seemingly ordinary elements. Each student must tell an
interesting story, reflecting his or her style. And so The Fruit Bowl Project begins. Rap, poetry, monologue, screenplay, haiku, fairy tale--and more.
Small Steps by Louis Sachar
From the publisher:
Two years after being released from Camp Green Lake, Armpit is home in
Austin, Texas, trying to turn his life around. But it's hard when you
have a record, and everyone expects the worst from you. The only person
who believes in him is Ginny, his 10-year old disabled neighbor.
Together, they are learning to take small steps. And he seems to be on
the right path, until X-Ray, a buddy from Camp Green Lake, comes up
with a get-rich-quick scheme. This leads to a chance encounter with
teen pop sensation, Kaira DeLeon, and suddenly his life spins out of
control, with only one thing for certain. He'll never be the same again.
Crunch Time by Mariah Fredricks and Samuel Bassett
From the publisher:
The pressure of junior year and the competition for college are dramatized through four alternating voices -- two boys and two girls. Max, Daisy, Leo, and Jane become unlikely friends at their New York private school, when they tentatively bond after blowing off a Princeton Review class in favor of forming their own small study group. As if there weren't enough tension (and hilarity) among the four, they are thrown into a flurry of speculation when it comes to light that a student in the school has paid another to take the SATs in his or her place. Was it one of them?
Blackthorn Winter by Kathryn Reiss
From the publisher:
The last place fifteen-year-old Juliana wants to be is halfway around the world in Blackthorn, England, an idyllic seaside artists' colony her mother has dragged her off to while her parents weather a trial separation. Juliana misses her father terribly and doesn't understand why her mother needs to travel so far to resurrect her artistic self, which she claims to have lost in the marriage.
Soon after they arrive in the tiny village of Blackthorn, the artists' colony is set on its heels by the murder of one of its own. Juliana feels compelled to solve the crime, but she is shocked and frightened when it seems that clues in the matter are hitting a little too close to home. Can she figure out who the murderer is before anyone else--herself included--gets hurt?
Non-Fiction
Founders: The 39 Stories Behind the U.S. Constitution by Dennis Fradin
From the publisher:
The stories behind the Constitution are as powerful as the nation it created.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
After the American Revolution, the thirteen United States were joined, barely, by an almost powerless government. The federal army was too weak to defend the nation; there was no national currency; and there was no authority to collect taxes for debts. Soon states' militias were needed to quiet rebellions. As Washington wrote, if a change wasn't made soon, the new nation "raised at the expense of so much blood and treasure, must fall."
Delegates from twelve of the thirteen states met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to create the United States Constitution. But it was no easy task-- four months of bitter debate ensued, in which arguments became so heated that delegates nearly abandoned the convention many times.
Thirty-nine men ultimately signed this important, influential framework that saved our country and gave us our amazingly strong and balanced federal government.
From Rags to Riches: A History of Girls' Clothing in America by Leslie Sills
From the publisher:
From corsets and bustles to blue jeans and bell-bottoms, here is a thoughtful look at what American girls have been wearing from Colonial times to the present. Leslie Sills presents practical as well as outrageous garments, how clothing was made, the people who made the clothes and how fashion was marketed to women.
Math Potatoes: Mind-Stretching Brain Food by Greg Tang & Harry Briggs (Illustrator)
From the publisher:
Greg Tang is back with his best selling approach to addition and
subtraction: problem solving. By solving challenges that encourage kids
to "group" numbers rather than memorize formulas, even the most reluctant math learners are inspired to see math in a whole new way! Math Potatoes is full of Tang and Briggs' trademark humor, wit, and extraordinary creativity. Tang has proven over and over that math can be fun, and this new addition to his acclaimed series of mind-stretching math riddles is sure to be another hit.
Invisible Allies: Microbes That Shape Our Lives by Jaenette Farrell
From the publisher:
Although we are accustomed to equating the presence of microbes with
disease, in fact most microbes play a vital "friendly" role in shaping our lives. It is not just that one hundred million microbes can populate a thimbleful of fertile soil, or that many millions live happily in as much of our saliva. Microbes are everywhere, and we could not survive without them. To emphasize their amazing ubiquity, Jeanette Farrell considers the invisible bugs essential to an everyday event: the eating of a light lunch consisting of a cheese sandwich and a chocolate bar. Microbes create such a lunch, digest it, and, through the alchemy of decomposition, transform it so that the cycle can start all over again. In the course of her eye-opening narrative, Dr. Farrell relates the historical significance of using microbes to preserve foods, our long-standing ambivalence about the microbes that live on and in us, and our growing understanding of their importance. Interspersed with fascinating anecdotes and illustrations, Invisible Allies will transform the reader's perception of the microcosmic world - around and inside us.
Outside and Inside Mummies by Sandra Markle
From the publisher:
Have you ever wished that you could unwrap a mummy? Imagine examining the skin, bones, even muscles and organs of a person who lived thousands of years ago! Cutting-edge technology is revealing more than ever before about these amazing relics from human history. Modern crime lab technology can reveal whether a mummy was killed or died of natural causes. X-rays can help us discover a mummy's age and identity, and DNA samples are even helping scientists find today's living relatives of Incan mummies.
Professional Book Recommendations
Tantalizing Tidbits for Middle Schoolers: Quick Booktalks for the Busy Middle School and Junior High Media Specialist
by Ruth Cox-Clark
This professional booktalking tool for the busy middle and junior high school library media specialist includes booktalks that can be used to support the curriculum, encourage student leisure reading, and provide ideas for educator-media specialist collaboration. Each entry includes an annotation, a booktalk, and a curriculum connection activity as well as a list of five similar titles. Types of books included in this volume are fiction, short story collections, poetry collections, informational books, and biographies. (Available through Linworth Publishing Books.)
Becoming a Literacy Leader: Supporting Learning and Change
by Jennifer Allen
Becoming a Literacy Leader is a reflection of Jennifer Allen's journey to becoming a literacy leader. In her new job as a literacy specialist, Jennifer found herself tackling everything from teacher study groups to state-mandated assessment plans. The book is rooted in Jennifer's belief that teachers know what they need when it comes to professional development in literacy, and the best literacy leaders are those who listen to and respect the educators in their midst. Grounded in research with practical applications, Jennifer shares advice on subjects such as organizing a literacy room, developing intervention classrooms, creating model programs for addressing school wide literacy issues, analyzing and using books, coaching new and veteran teachers, and leading teacher study groups. Jennifer's insiders view helps to define what leadership looks like and shows how to create an environment that fosters professional development. (Available through Stenhouse.)
Speaking Volumes: How to Get Students Discussing Books - And Much More
by Bary Gilmore
In Speaking Volumes, Gilmore offers accessible, classroom-tested techniques grounded in the idea that literary conversations thrive when students can connect their interests and beliefs to what they're reading. Speaking Volumes includes sample activities based on commonly taught literature; activities that connect ideas from books to current events and issues; quotations, prompts, and reproducible surveys to help you open, focus, or plan a discussion; uses for technology that stimulate conversations; and detailed follow-ups to help you assess what the book discussion has contributed to students' understanding. (Available from Heinemann.)
Literacy Log Questions & Answers
The FOR-PD Office and facilitators are receiving many questions about the Literacy Log. Below are the most common questions we are receiving. Remember that participants must submit the Literacy Log for each week's lesson on time. Your facilitator has posted when he/she expects all assignments to be completed. Please check your course calendar. If you have trouble with the Literacy Log, please call the Help Desk and they can assist you with your problem.
- When I open up the Literacy Log it says begin quiz? Why does it say this?
In order to place the Literacy Log in an online format, FOR-PD has had to use the quiz feature of the Web CT program. Do not let the begin quiz scare you. You are in fact opening up your Literacy Log. Because we have had to use the quiz feature it is important that you follow each step of the submission process outlined in Lesson 1 or you risk your log not being submitted properly. Once you have typed the text for each portion of the log, you will see a Save Answer button. You must click this button in order for your work to be saved. If you do not and you close your quiz, what you have typed will be lost. Once you have completed each portion of the log, you must click the Finish button. By clicking the Finish button, you are telling Web CT that you are submitting your log. Follow these procedures and you should not have any issues with the Literacy Log.
- If I don't finish my literacy log, can I go back at a later time to finish it?
Absolutely! If you have not submitted your Literacy Log by clicking the Finish button, you should be able to go back to your unfinished log. You do this by clicking on the Literacy Log you want to go to. Then click the Begin Quiz button on the screen that comes up. Your saved responses should come up when the log opens. However, this only works if you have clicked the Save Answer button as you were working on your log. Once you have finished your log, make sure you completely submit it by clicking the Finish button.
- After I submitted my log I noticed that it said 0/0 at the bottom. What does this mean?
This is Web CT's grade for your log. Don't fret though; I will explain what it means. Web CT will attempt to grade the log because we have used the Quiz Tool. However, Web CT does not have the ability to grade open ended responses so it counts the response as a zero. The entire log is an open ended response item so the quiz program cannot grade it. This is why a 0/0 appears at the bottom of the log submission. (Contrast this with the quizzes you take for each lesson. The quizzes grade automatically because it is a multiple choice question and there is one designated answer.)
- How do I view my log after it has been submitted?
Participants are able to go back and view their literacy log submissions. Follow these steps: (1) Go to the Quiz/Literacy Log link. (2) Next to the literacy log you wish to view there should be a button - View Scores. Click this button. (4) This will bring you to a page that lists your attempts for that Literacy Log. There will be a number that is underlined - for example 1 - click on this number and it will bring up your log submission. Once you have done this, you will be able to see your facilitator's comments that have been made on the log.
- How do I get a grade for the literacy log?
Your facilitator will grade your log at the end of the course. Remember that in order to successfully complete the course, you must complete the Literacy Log. A rubric has been provided in Lesson 1 on page 3 of the PDF file. You can also find the rubric within the course. On the left side of the screen there is a link for Discussion Rubrics. You will also find the rubric used to grade the Literacy Log. Your facilitator will be looking at three areas - (1) Was the log submitted on time? This is why it is important to complete the log each week. (2) Is the log complete? Make sure you have submitted the entire log and not just the reading organizer piece or the reflection log piece. (3) Does the log include reflection? Are the answers you provided thoughtful and relevant? Have you made connections to your own instruction and your own classroom?
Participant Responsibilities for the Middle of the Course
For learners to succeed in an online course, they must be able to devote time to studying, collaborating with others, and completing assignments on time. The FOR-PD course is no different. We expect participants to participate in the online environment, communicate with facilitators and peers, and manage time wisely. Many of you are starting Week 4 and so you should be on Lesson 4. If you are behind, now is the time to catch up. Make plans on how you will do that. Will you do two lessons over the weekend? Will you start with Lesson 4, get it done, and then go back to the lessons you are missing? Whatever you decide to do, do it now!
How many of you haven't even started Lesson 1? We know there are some out there who haven't. Please keep in mind that the longer you wait to start, the lower your chances of completing the course. Once a participant is 7-weeks behind, it is recommended that you re-enroll at a later time. If a participant's work falls way behind where the rest of the class is, the facilitator is not required to grade that work.
From week 4 to week 14 participants should be:
- Following the course schedule. This means that you should be completing one lesson a week.
- Reading the content of each lesson. Make sure you look at the Task List provided in each lesson. This list identifies what you must do and read for each lesson.
- Completing the literacy log for each lesson you complete.
- Completing the quiz and discussion assignment for each lesson. Remember to review the assignment rubric for each discussion.
- Looking at your grades each week. In order to successfully complete the FOR-PD course, you must receive a grade of 16 points or higher for every discussion, quiz, and a grade of 16 points or higher on the literacy log. If a discussion or quiz that falls below 80-percent, you must make that discussion or quiz up. (This is not the case for University students.)
- Continuing to interact with other participants and the facilitator on the discussion board
FOR-PD Help
Desk
Feeling
frustrated? Can't figure it out? Don't forget the FOR-PD Help
Desk is
available. 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".
If you need technical support beyond that which your facilitator or school
technology coordinator can offer, please contact the FOR-PD Technical Support
Help Desk. Please fill out the Tech Help Form or call the Help Desk. Describe your problem as completely as possible and leave your name and return phone number, and someone will get back to you.
Chat Live with the Help Desk. First, make sure that we are online. The button below will tell you whether we are online or offline. Next, click on Set Screen Name and type your name. Then, click in the light blue box below to type your message. Press Enter to send it. This requires you have Macromedia Flash installed on your computer. http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/about/technicalsupport.html
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.
Pop-up blockers continue to be the number one issue the Help Desk
deals with. 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
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Move your mouse to the lower right-hand corner of your screen near the time
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Scroll your mouse over the icons listed to the left of the time
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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
FOR-PD Tech chats are for all participants who have questions about the technology used in the course. Please make sure you review the chat protocol.
| WHEN: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 TIME: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: participants TOPIC: Technology Chat GUEST: Matt Renfroe, Webmaster |
WHEN: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 TIME: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: participants TOPIC: Technology Chat GUEST: Ed Baldwin, Helpdesk Supervisor |
| WHEN: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 TIME: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: participants TOPIC: Technology Chat GUEST: Matt Renfroe, Webmaster |
WHEN: Wednesday, May 16, 2006 TIME: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST WHERE: General Chat for All Courses WHO: participants TOPIC: Technology Chat GUEST: Ed Baldwin, Helpdesk Supervisor |
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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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.
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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.
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When you are done talking, end your last sentence with a # symbol.
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If you specifically want to ask a question of someone or address them, type their name followed by a semicolon and then the message.
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