Week 12 Metacognition and Comprehension

1. Go to this website:http://www.learner.org/workshops/teachreading35/session3/index.html
2. Watch the video

In this video, Professor Nell Duke defines what good readers do as they process text and what teachers can do to improve students' reading comprehension. You will also see classroom examples that illustrate the strategies and research Professor Duke describes. As you watch the video, consider the following questions:

Ø  What do good readers do?

Ø  What can teachers do to develop comprehension?

Ø  What can teachers do to help struggling readers?

3. Answer these questions on the Discussion Board (due April 26)

Think about what you have learned about comprehension instruction from Professor Duke's comments and the classroom examples. Write a summary of what you have learned. Use the questions below to guide your thinking. When you have finished, save your written reflection to submit as an assignment and, if you are taking this workshop for credit, include it in your Literacy Practices Portfolio.

1. Which ideas from the video struck you as most relevant to your teaching of comprehension?
2. What new instructional practices will you implement in your classroom?
3. How will you use the ideas presented in this video to improve the comprehension of your struggling readers (students you are observing)? 

Week 10 DIBELS vs QRI-5

Reflection on the use of DIBELS and compare it with QRI-5.

Week 8 What contributes to an effective writing program?

Watch video segment (first 13 minutes): http://www.learner.org/workshops/teachreading35/session4/sec2p2.html and answer the following questions.

• Discuss the components of an effective writing program and why they are important.
• How might you rearrange your schedule to create more time for students to write in general and, in particular, for students to write about their personal experiences?
• How can you create ways for students to make personal connections in different subject areas through writing?
• How can student work help you decide which conventions to teach?
• When can you promote student inventions and experimentation with different formats in writing?

Week 7 QRI-5: Administration and Scoring (Practice Case, due April 5)

Please follow instructions (Blackboard, Course Documents, Week 7 Assignment) to finish this assignment.

Week 6 Concepts of Comprehension Assessment (COCA), due March 15

Online Activity:

1. Go to Literacy Achievement Research Center and register for the Concepts of Comprehension Assessment (COCA): http://msularc.educ.msu.edu/what-we-do/
2. Each of you would study the assessment tool, procedures, and data interpretation, summarize and post reflection on Blog.

Week 5 Reading & Writing Connection: Christopher Myers, A Writer's Story

Online Session: Reading & Writing Connection: Christopher Myers, A Writer's Story

1. Watch the video clip
2. Post your reflection (relate to your writing project if possible) on blog
3. Generate question(s) for discussion

Week 4 Podcast and Interview (due March 1)

Assignment#1 Online Activity:

1. Go to IRA Podcasts website:http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/Podcasts.aspx
2. Choose a podcast (topic) to your interest
3. Listen to the podcast and post your reflection on the blog
4. Read and comment on each of your peer’s podcast reflection

Assignment#2 Interview Transcript:

1. Interview with teachers, reading teachers or resource room teachers to find out what types of assessment schools use, especially on what is necessary to achieve each assessment purpose (i.e., screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, outcome). In addition, interview with the cooperating teacher using the guiding questions provided here.
2. Transcribe your interview on your blog

Week 3 Reader Response to RTI and Assessing Thoughtful Literacy

1. Read the above two articles: one on Response to Intervention and the other on Assessing Thoughtful Literacy.

2. Write a page summary report for each article (focusing on your reflection upon the topics)and post it to your blog.
3. Come up with one question to generate discussion and make sure you also comment on all your peers' questions.

Week 2 Online Assignment (due Feb. 15)

Online Activity:

1. Watch session#7 Using Assessment To Guide Instruction (http://www.learner.org/workshops/readingk2/session7/wtv1.html)
2. Write one-page response with following formats:

·         Summarize the session

·         Share what you learned from the session

·         Relate to what you observed in classroom

3. Submit to Blog (due Feb. 15)

Week 2 ELL Survey

What is your experience in terms of working or friends with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds?

Do you have experience in working with ELLs?

Do you have experience in teaching ELLs?

What is your perception on ELLs in terms of their learning motivation and performance in general and in reading and writing specially?

What learning difficulties do ELLs usually encounter in schools?

In your observation, how do classroom teachers resolve ELLs’ learning difficulties and improve their learning motivation? What strategies do they often adopt? Are these strategies effective? Are you familiar with these strategies? Are family and community involved?

What intervention strategies would you adopt if you have ELLs in your class? How do you go about teaching the child? How do you go about reaching out to the family and the community?

Week 1 Project Preparation and Timeline

Project timeline

Week 1:

• Project overview

Week 2:

• Discuss with cooperating teachers to identify target ELL student
• Discuss how to proceed with or obtain student assessment information
• Discuss how timeline for your project
• Obtain cooperating teacher's consent form (the teacher keeps one copy).
• Obtain parental consent form (the parents keep one copy).
• Create your own blog and answer questions on the blog

Week 3 to 4:

• Interview with the cooperating teacher (using the guiding questionsprovided)
• Work closely with the cooperating teacher to align the writing activity with the curriculum.
• Work closely with the cooperating teacher to conduct evaluation using the rubrics (writing rubric, and SOLOM Matrix), and identify intervention strategies
• Document challenges you have encountered this week (e.g. from cooperating teacher, parent, student, or school administration...)

Week 5:

• Transcribe interview summary and post it unto your blog
• Start the observation and the writing activity
• Observe and document the target student's learning performance, learning motivation, and how they develop ideas in writing
• Document your observation and reflection on your blog
• Document challenges you have encountered this week (e.g. from cooperating teacher, parent, student, or school administration...)

Week 6-10

• Work with cooperating teacher to mentor ELL