Advanced Contemporary

Literacy

Presented by

Mary Kirkpatrick and Sandi Eckstein

How many people can you namethat Nancy Pearl met?

Something to think about…

We must do what may be the hardest of all- rethink what we believe is already working.

- Ellin Oliver Keene

Cathy Hinojosa and Sharon Swarner

Presenters North East ISD

Main Idea #1

District core belief : “Traditional School practices result in inequality and must be changed” .

The belief statement they had in mind when they started thinking about Reading in the middle school.

New to Us #1:

Advanced Contemporary Literacy (ACL)

Who ?What ? Why ?

Main idea #2: Framework

• Themes• Essential Questions• Socratic Dialogue• Research - Models• Comprehension

Strategies

• Academic Vocabulary• Resources• Student Choice• Emphasis on Nonfiction• No TAKS worksheets

Spiraling Research Model

Grade 1st 9 weeks 2nd 9 weeks 3rd 9 weeks 4th 9 weeks

6th Intro to using Big6 Background to Question

Compare and Contrast

Read, View, and Listen

7th Background to Question

Read, View, and Listen

Advice to Action

Quest

Concept Jigsaw Puzzle

Reinventing a Better Way

Compare and Contrast

History and Mystery

8th Background to Question

Take a Position

Compare and Contrast

Problems and Possibilities

Advice to Action

History and Mystery

Matrix

Quest

Grade Level Emphasis

6th -- Oral Presentation/Impromptu Speaking

7th – Media Literacy

8th – Student Congress

Collaboration (Really)

Reading/ELA Gifted and Talented Fine Arts Librarians Campuses/Teachers

Their Results

6th Grade Advanced Contemporary LiteracyTheme: Our View of Ourselves & The World

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS How does what we know about the world shape the

way we view ourselves and others? Why is it important for people and cultures to

construct narratives about their experience? What does it mean to be an insider or an outsider?

•First Impressions•Vocabulary •Discerning Patterns Point of View

and Characterization•Symbolism•Importance•Close Reading Checklist

Close/ Critical Thinking Strategies

Main Idea #3: The BIG Rollout

Training – summer and during school day

Planning – 3 pull-out planning sessions (Sept., Nov., Jan.) after implementation

Units of Study Emerge

Sample Lessons for application ideas…

Oppressed People - 6th grade project

Internet Website evaluation: You will be evaluating internet sites so you can find a valid one to use. All your other information will be taken from the school databases or reference materials.

Digital note taking:. You must complete 20 digital notes over your research from a variety of sources.

Independent Reading: Choose a biography, informational or historical fiction book on your topic. Read the book or information that pertains to your topic. 

Common Thread Paragraph: You will write a well thought out common thread paragraph.

Speech: You will write and present a speech based on your research using the Impromptu Speaking format.

Socratic Seminar:  You will share your research findings and be prepared to discuss what you’ve learned about oppression. 

Unit Reflection: You will explain what you've learned and its impact.

Walls – Big6: What technology has the greatest impact on society?Big Six Research Process…            1.)  to formulate questions.            2.)  know the steps of the Big Six Research Process.            3.)  use the databases available through middle school.            4.)  use the digital note taking feature through the Library Portal.            5.)  to cite sources.            6.)  produce a Works Cited Page.

       Procedure:Day 1:  Chalk talk; read The Wall by Eve Bunting; Fusetalk

Question: "Begin looking for walls. Post your findings on this site. Try to find a wall that someone else has not found yet."

Day 2:  Talk about the number of walls in the world; Read Talking Walls; students look up their wall and try to come up with two questions about the wall.

Day 3:  Librarian will spend time with the class teaching them to ask questions on their own.  Students will formulate two questions.

Day 4:  Each class will learn how to create an electronic notes page.Day 8:  Students will complete the evaluation for the Big Six

Research Process.

Media ManiaFamous Speeches

Task: Create your own media piece that incorporates the Five Key Media Concepts.

Media Forms: Visual, Print or Electronic. Product: magazine ad, billboard, podcast,

newspaper article, photo collage, web design, storyboard for a commercial

Goal: Your audience should be able to recognize the authorship, format, audience, content and purpose embedded within your product.

In addition (they chose 2)…Authorship What is the message genre? What technologies were used

to construct this message? How would it be different in a

different medium (form)? What choices were made that

might have been made differently?

How is this message similar and different from others with similar content?

Content How are various social

groups represented? What social or ideological

messages is a part of the message’s subtext?

What kind of behaviors and what kind of consequences are depicted?

What type of person is the reader invited to identify with?

What is omitted from the message?

Whose point of view is presented?

A Time for ActionPollution _ Cause/effect/solution

“A Time for Action” is a research project assigned for the first nine weeks’ theme of Social Justice.  Social Justice as defined by our ACL classes is “laws that are fair for the people”, “moral government”, and “society doing what is right”.   

Choose a Social Justice topic from the options listed or one that you get approved Spend time researching your chosen topic and compile notes from at least 3 different

sources

Write an informational article, based on your research. In order to ensure that your article is logical and informative, you will be asked to include and cite your sources. 

Pro/Con Problem/Solution Cause/Effect Chronological orPresent/Future

The articles will be complied and published as a class magazine.  The class magazine on Social Justice topics will be distributed to our school.

Create an Action Plan Product designed to get the word out and inform others about your Social Justice Topic.  This product will be distributed or presented to the school body or community.

Take a StandP R O C E D U R E S : Chose a current event topic of interest from the list below. Research this

topic thoroughly by actively reading, viewing and listening. Determine factual information from opinion. Select and use relevant, factual information to look at all sides of the issue.

 After investigating and analyzing your topic, you will form an educated

opinion, take a position on the issue and prepare an argument.  You will prepare and defend your position in an oral presentation. You

will create a prop such as a poster, PowerPoint or other visual to support your presentation.

  D I R E C T I O N S :  First, plan your research using the Take a Stand Research Organizer.

Take notes on the Stakeholder Note Taking Document. Be sure to cite your sources (3-4)

Prepare Oral PresentationCreate a visual or prop to use during your presentation. Example:

PowerPoint, poster board, streaming video, brochure, booklet, written editorial for radio/TV show, song, newspaper article, web page, or letter to constituents.

New to Us #2:Our Discussion at TLA:

What are the stumbling blocks?

Convincing the administrators, teachers, and getting teachers on board.

District curriculum is already in place and must change it.

Entire district must address it. Move ins. Getting teachers to let go of old ways

b/c they feel like they need the control. 

How to overcome?

Have employers come speak to district and staff about what they want and how this is what they need.

Colleges need to communicate what is needed and how these skills are important and necessary. Telling employers we want input not money.

Kids have choices, but within parameters and w/ teacher supervision.

Regular classes can implement this, especially after TAKS test.

ESL students in their districts use as well. Ask teachers: if they are teaching the strategies or

the test, what is their driving force, what is being taught with textbook?

Nancy needed to crash. She learned so much at TLA and especially at the Advanced Contemporary Literacy workshop. Good night, Nancy.

Nancy’s roomies