literature circles and technology: explore the possibilities susan silverman adjunct professor new...
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Literature Circles and Technology: Explore the Possibilities
Susan Silverman
Adjunct Professor
New York Institute of Technology
Known By Many Names
The Reading Experts
• Literature Study: Fountas and Pinnell
• Literature Circles: Harvey Daniels
• Book Clubs: Lucy Calkins
• Book Clubs: Keene and Zimmerman
• Literature Discussion Groups: Leu and Kinzer
Just to Name a Few!
Definition Students meet regularly in small groups to
deepen their understanding of literature.
Literature Circles
• Students • Choose Books• Groups Are Small (Heterogeneous or
Homogeneous) Based on Student Needs• Groups Meet Regularly• Teacher is a Facilitator• Evaluation by Student Self Assessment and
Teacher Observation• Extensions Activities• Everybody Has Fun
The Benefits
• Fit into a balanced literacy program• Improve student achievement • Foster student enjoyment of reading• Multicultural Awareness• Provide social outlets• Improve communication• Higher level of engagement with text• Endorsed by The National Literacy Standards
(NCTE and IRA)
Role Sheets or Response Logs?
Role Sheets
Tools to help students work in a peer-led discussion group.
Response Logs
Students record their feelings, insights, and factual evidence. Response logs are
shared in the literature circle discussion.
Word Wizard
• Identify and study new and interesting words.
Computer Resources
Dictionary.Com
Visual Thesaurus
Discussion Director• Ask open ended questions to promote thoughtful
discussion among group members and the global community.
A Few Online Discussion Resources
Nicenet
Blackboard
eBoard
Blogger
Wiki
Summarizer
• Represent the major events in the text in any format.– Timelines
• ReadWriteThink TimelineClick on Student Materials
• Do a Google search on free online timelines and you will find several resources
– Slide Shows• Power Point is not your only option…look at some
of the Web 2.0 tools that your colleagues used
Researcher
• Investigate interesting aspects of the story such as setting, author, historical context.
Illustrator
• Express your perspective of the text through any medium.
Passage Master
• Identify and interpret memorable, special and important sections of the text through any medium.
• Internet Resources– Online Photographs– Clip Art– Sounds
Passage Master
Connector
• Represent connections between the text and personal or life experiences of people you know.
• Internet Resources: Primary Documents– Diaries– Photographs– Essays– Videos
Assessment
• Student Self Evaluation and Group Assessment
• Informal Assessment:Teacher Observation-Not Testing!
Would YOU join a book club if you were getting a grade?
Helping Struggling Readers
• Adult volunteers read with student• Student reads with a partner• Shorter and easier books• Create audiotapes of the book• Mini-Lessons-Direct Instruction• E-Books• Software
http://www.tomsnyder.com
Extension Projects
• Extension projects are not art activities for their own sake. A good extension project will keep the thinking and response alive even after students have finished a book. The goal is to lure students back into the book to cement, enhance, and even reinvent what they gained from their first visit.”¹
¹http://fac-staff.seattleu.edu/kschlnoe/LitCircles/Extension/extension.html, Katherine L. Schlick Noe, 2004.
Comparing Book Reports and Extension Projects
Book Reports• Offers readers a chance to
pause and reflect once initial reading is over
• Develop from a book alone• Are crafted independently• Rarely involve draft work,
planning or rereading• Have a limited audience: the
teacher• Can be done without reading
the book
Extension Projects• Offers readers a chance to
pause and reflect once initial reading is over
• Develop from a book read and discussed with others
• Can be crafted independently or collaboratively
• Often require drafting of ideas or rereading
• Have an extended audience: global community
• Require reading, rereading, and even discussing with others to complete project
Getting Started With Literature Circles (Schlick Noe et al.,1999)
Focus Lesson: Extension ProjectGuiding Questions
• Will the audience learn something about your book from your project?
• Does your project show what you have learned by reading the book?
• Did you reflect and reread part of the book in order to get your ideas across?
Computers Generated Extension Projects
• Collage• ABC Book• CD Cover• Commemorative Stamp• Time Line• Computer Graphic• Book Cover
Example
Commemorative Stamp
CD Cover
Story Quilt
Persuasive Writing
Dear Justice Strauss,I am writing to you on behalf of my play The Marvelous Marriage. I think your skills and knowledge on being a judge would be perfect for a part in my play. In addition, your eyes are beautiful, because they are perfect in color. Your hair is radiant because it shimmers in the daylight like golden hay. Moreover, your body shows nothing but true elegance. Even the scent of you as you pass reminds me of wildflowers.
Extension Project Assessments
• Extension Project Evaluation Forms
• Rubi Star
The recommended way to assess extension projects is by listening to conversations and taking notes.
Of course, your students can create their own rubrics.
My Completed Projecthttp://kids-learn.org/litcircles/
Getting Started
• Devote Time-Nothing in this model is outside of what your students need to know
• Explain Activities• Concrete Examples-Videotapes• Student Assessment: Successes and
Opportunities• Is scaffolding in order? Mini-Lessons are the
answer!• Laura Candler’s Resources
Choose Carefully-Different Variations!
Literature Circle Resources
• Dreadful Online Resources
• Resources
Recommended Books• Campbell Hill, Bonnie, Johnson, Nancy, and Schlick Noe, Katherine. (Ed)
(1995) Literature Circle and Response. Christopher-Gordon Publishers:Norwood, MA., USA.
• Daniels, Harvey. (2002). Literature Circles Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups. Pembroke Publishers Limited:Markam, Ontario
• Schlick Noe, Katherine L.and Johnson, Nancy.(1999) Getting Strated with Literature Circles. Christopher-Gordon Publishers:Norwood, MA. USA.
• Pollack Day, Jeni, Spiegel, Dixie Lee, McLellan, Janet and Brown, Valerie. (2002) Moving Forward with Literature Circles. Scholastic: NY., USA
• Cavanaugh, Terence. (2006). Literature Circles through Technology. Linworth Publishing, Inc., Worthington, Ohio
