Let’s Build Something Together

Building an

Integrated Reading/Writing Course

Maggi Miller and Ann Wolf

Peer to Peer Faculty Development

TeamUP, a part of Cengage Learning

Maggi.Miller@cengage.com; Ann.Wolf@cengage.com

Cengage Learning TeamUP

Professional Development

Portal

Professional Development Workshops & Conferences

Peer-to-Peer Consultation

On Campus Implementation

Training

cengage.com/ teamup

Peer-to-Peer Faculty Development & Consulting

To explore the essential components of an IRW course

To review examples and information from successful IRW programs

Objectives

A solid roof and foundation

Decent quality materials

Coherent design

Architectural details

Flexible layout

Connection to the outside

Natural light

Signs of Good Bones

Contextualization

Capitalizing on explicit connections

Thematic approach

Regular discussion, Think Alouds

Systematic reading and writing activities

Good Bones for an IRW Course

Relating material and activities to situations (contexts) students are likely to encounter in school and work

Learning that can be used

Relevant, motivating

“Practice,” not Pretend: leads to improved preparation

Contextualization

Which of the following assignments is a good

example of contextualization?

A. Find errors in these (unrelated) sentences.

B. Revise the errors in this academic essay.

A. Read a sample excerpt from a US History text and answer the questions at the end.

B. Read the chapter excerpt from a US History text used at our college to identify the evidence supporting the decision to enter the Revolutionary War.

A. Write a report about the high cost of college education.

B. After reading an article about the high cost of college education, write an essay to describe your insights.

College level: Study a model for writing an excellent essay.

Developmental level: Analyze an excellent model of an essay and contrast it with a poor one.

Lessons with the appropriate Degree …

College Level: “Read Chapter 9 and be prepared to discuss it during our next class.”

Developmental level: “Read Chapter 9. Be prepared to define “equal opportunity” and to be able to discuss the effects of poverty as they relate to schooling.”

…and Specificity

Power of Intertextuality

Prior knowledge and prior experience

Metacomprehension

Academic acculturation

Promotion of sophistication in response

Implementation of the language arts

Thematic Approach

Units that Center on Themes

Growth and Change in Adolescence

Perils of Obedience

Addiction

Work, Play, Love

FOOD!

Identification of significant/insignificant aspects or moments in a selection of text

Use of a scholarly language to discuss texts and their own papers as if members of a discipline

Development of a theory about the theme

Pedagogy based on Thematic Approach

Pre-discussion

Ask “Why?” and “How do you know” repeatedly.

Insist on 2 sentences, then 3, etc.

Write what is said for all to see.

Gradually release of the role of Discussion Director.

Regular Discussion

Reading & Writing Journals

Lab practice

Direct instruction

Model the process

Provide examples

Practice the strategy

Evaluate the strategy

Systematic Reading & Writing Activities

• Writing in concert with Reading

• Making the connections explicit

• Metacognition

• Technology for instant interaction

• Learning organized around shared textual practices

Teaching in Between

When you read, identify the supporting details such as examples, information that explains or provides important facts or ideas, and answers to questions.

When you write, “support ideas with specific examples, details, information, quotes from the assigned readings.” (Chabot College)

Writing in Concert with Reading

Make the connections explicit

After you read the assignment, write about how the assignment was written.

Is this an excellent example of writing?

Did the author achieve his or her purpose?

What patterns did the author use? Why?

Did the author choose his or her words with care?

From Comprehension to Metacognition

Is this an excellent example of writing? How do you know?

Did the author achieve his or her purpose? How do you know?

What patterns did the author use? Why? How do you know?

Did the author choose his or her words with care? How do you know?

After you read the assignment, write

about how the assignment was written.

Time-saving for you and for your students

Need something harder/easier?

Need some feedback?

Turn in your paper today and I’ll return in at the next class.

Answer the question now and learn immediately if you are correct and why or if you are incorrect and why.

Technology: Let me count the ways…

Comprehend meaning.

Construct meaning.

Express meaning.

Think of reading and writing as conversations.

Learning Organized around Shared Textual Practices

Review Syllabi & Lesson Plans

What’s a Plus? What’s a Minus? What’s Interesting?

• Creates student engagement

• Meets a Learning Outcome of the new course

• Lends itself to both reading and writing

• Limited student satisfaction

• Tied to only reading or to only writing

• Difficult to assess

• Not connected to the outcomes

• Relevant to theme

• Topical • Publishable • Technology

Evaluate Your Courses: PMI

https://drive.google.com/a/maggimiller.com/?tab=mo#folders/0B9C0Ny1c_QIeS0NKWUJ2S1ZBXzQ

Google Drive Shared Syllabi and Lesson Plan Collection

Talk to colleagues and publisher’s reps.

Go to CASP, CRLA and NADE.

Look for materials that are challenging, topical, thematic.

Consider customized collections.

Identify Materials

Don’t skimp on volume.

Go for non-fiction about relevant issues.

Evaluate the balance of narrative, information, and argument.

Evaluate the density of unexplained references and terminology.

Katie Hearn’s Recommendations: California Acceleration Project (http://cap.3csn.org)

Look ahead!

Look Ahead!

1. Start at the end. 2. Plan with these questions. Why? What? How? What if?

Lesson Plans

Getting student’s attention

Previewing in previous class

Giving them a reason to learn

Providing context

Sharing a story, video, quotation, example

Why?

Focus/purpose

Context

Content

Demonstration/Explanation/Discussion

Limited Lecture

What?

Practice (not Pretend)

Instructor and Peer Feedback

Correction

How?

Evaluation

Follow up

Enrichment

What if?

Meets one or more learning outcomes

Opportunities for

Modeling

Discussion

Practice

Multiple learning styles

Publishing

Elements of a Well-designed IRW Activity

a. “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass

b. “What’s Eating America” by Michael Pollan

c. “Shooting and Elephant” by George Orwell

d. “Graduation” by Maya Angelou

Which of these could be used for a well-designed activity?

Reaching Across Time: Scaffolded Engagements With a 19th-Century Text

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/reaching-across-time-scaffolded-1179.html?tab=4

Discuss and infer the stories

that underlie character’s

interactions.

Motivation: Show clip

Setting for the reading is mid-19th century New York (provide websites to view what the setting looked like).

Read "Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" by Herman Melville in class. Model think aloud for the opening.

Students take notes on the setting, characters, tone and themes.

Activities for diverse learning styles

Discuss…

Discuss…

Discuss readings throughout the lesson.

Ask for 3-sentence responses. Direct students to write while discussion is happening.

Rewrite the script with Ginger Nut as a character from a different ethnic background.

Free write to document understanding of the setting.

Final assignment: Reflect on the differences between 19th Century New York and the 21th Century.

Possible Writing Assignments

Write in your texts.

Keep a reading journal.

Write short response papers.

Write discovery drafts.

Tips from the Dartmouth Writing Program

Assign in-class writing assignments.

Create writing & research assignments whose chief aim is to make students discover ways of thinking about their course materials.

Use discussion boards.

Assess writing.

Assess reading.

Use rubrics.

Make your expectations clear and high.

Collect data.

Don’t Forget to Assess and Evaluate

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is

breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then

starting on the first one.”

-Mark Twain

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/9971/list . Good Bones. Retrieved 030413

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/faculty/methods/integrating.shtml . Dartmouth Writing Program. Retrieved 030613

Baker, L. H., et al. Contextualized teaching & learning: A faculty primer (A Review of Literature and Faculty Practices with Implications for California Community College Practitioners) retrieved from www.cccbsi.org/Websites/basicskills/Images/CTL.pdf 030613.

Bruner, J. (1960). The process of education. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Resources

Flippo, R.F. and Caverly, D.C. Handbook of Reading and Study Strategy Research, 2 ed. (2009) Routledge, New York, NY.

Katie Hern, Ed.D., English Instructor, Chabot College. Coordinator of the 3CSN Statewide Acceleration Initiative. May 18, 2011. Thoughts on Selecting Readings: Prepared for 3CSN’s Community of Practice in Accelerated Curriculum & Pedagogy

Simon, L. (2008). Reaching across time: Scaffolded engagements with a 19th-Century text. Retrieved February 20, 2013, http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom- resources/lesson-plans/reaching-across-time-scaffolded-1179.html?tab=4

Six Models for Course Redesign. (2008). Retrieved January 1, 2013, from http://www.thencat.org/.

Smith, L. and Ramonda, R, San Jose State University, CRLA Presentation, 1992.

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