“Shifting” To Informational Text:

Zeroing In On Academic Language

UFT Teacher Center Citywide Conference

December 4th, 2011

Welcome!

Do now: Text-on-TextLOOK at the posters on your table.

What connection or memory does the poster make you THINK of in your own life?

SHARE your memory or your memory with a neighbor.

WRITE a few words on your post it and place it on the poster.

“Shifting” To Informational Text:

Zeroing In On Academic Language

UFT Teacher Center Citywide Conference

December 4th, 2011

What Is Culture?Culture is the active participation of individuals in the practices, traditions, values and behaviors of a cultural group.

(Spring 2008)

Why Does the Hidden Curriculum Matter?

• Before we can learn:Human needs, including need for

sense of belonging (Maslow).

• “Affective Filter” (S. Krashen)

– Motivation, self-confidence, anxiety

• Importance of risk-taking in the learning process

The Hidden Curriculum

The classroom The (hidden) message…..

No mistakes made here.

Faster is always better.

Don’t work without them.

ELLs are not real members of our classroom community.

My prior knowledge is of no value.

Always celebrate one correct answer.

Predominance of “bees”

We work for prizes…

ELL children off to side

No “Spanish” (Cantonese,

Creole) spoken here!

The Hidden CurriculumThe Classroom or

School

Partners, groups, clusters of children.

We learn from each other and in many ways.

Newcomers have buddies.

Native language used strategically in class.

The Message

Letters to families translated when possible.

At holiday time, ALL cultures’ artifacts visible.

The Hidden Curriculum:Assumed Values Must Be Explicitly Taught

Student Values Respected

We value

so

Parent involvement

Risk-taking and making an effort

Parents may not feel comfortable coming in.

Student is afraid to make a mistake.

Asking questions and assertive participation

Student has learned Respect = Quiet

so

But

so

Individual recognition Students are from collectivist cultures

so

Consider the “Hidden Curriculum”• Address the CCLS “Instructional Shifts”

and their implications for ELLS.• Develop a toolkit of research-based

strategies for teaching vocabulary and to scaffold reading of Informational Text.

• Engage in strategies that promote student learning of grade-appropriate content.

Today We Will:

CCLS Instructional ShiftsELA/Literacy In Subject Areas

Balancing Informational

and Literary Text

Building Knowledge in the Disciplines

Staircase of Complexity

Text-based

Answers

Writing from

Sources

Academic Vocabulary

NYCDOE Instructional Focus 2011-12

Reading Standards 1 and 10

1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; Cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

10 RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY Read and comprehend complex literary andinformational texts independently andproficiently.

PRINCIPLES OF ELL INSTRUCTIONADAPTED FROM WALQUI, WESTED, 2010

• High expectations: rigor and authentic participation: “high challenge + high support”

• Language and Literacy in all content classes (and content in the ELA class)

• Collaboration and communication with children of all language proficiency levels.

• Contextualization: learning through multiple modes and materials—visuals, objects, video, organizers, charts

“CONSIDERATIONS FOR ELLS”

• Vocabulary: key element to reading comprehension

• Scaffolding for access to the curriculum

• Strategic use of native language• Exposure to a variety of writing

experiences, formal and informal

Instructional Shifts

Principles of ELL InstructionNYCDOE

Instructional Focus

?

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

INFORMATIONAL TEXT

What Does The Research Say about Vocabulary?

“Reading comprehension […] cannot be understood without examining the critical role and importance of vocabulary instruction.” (National Reading Panel 2000).

The “GAP”

•“For ELLS, the “achievement gap” is primarily a vocabulary gap. • Begins before children enter school

• Without intervention, grows even wider as students move from grade to grade.

Yet…………….

Typically very little class time has been focused on vocabulary instruction.

What Does The Research Say About Vocabulary And Ells?

Word Conscious-

ness

Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

Independent Word

Learning Skills

Vocabulary Instruction

WIDE Range of Reading High Quality Classroom Language

Which words and why?The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of land, the 'black land' and the 'red land'. The 'black land' was the fertile terrain on the banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians used this land for growing their crops. This was the only land in ancient Egypt that could be farmed because a layer of rich, black silt was deposited there every year after the Nile flooded.

How Do We Choose Words?

• Essential to a passage, but not defined within• Useful word parts: transitional, configuration• Subject area words (Tier III)– nation, citizenship, electoral college– polygon, quadratic, perimeter

• High Incidence Academic Words (Tier II)– Analyze, interpret, require – correspond criteria deduce demonstrate– Use the Academic Word List

• Multiple Meaning Words– Order, fair, volume

Which words and why?The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of land, the 'black land' and the 'red land'. The 'black land' was the fertile terrain on the banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians used this land agriculture. This was the only land in ancient Egypt that could be farmed because a layer of rich, black silt was deposited there every year after the Nile flooded.

The Nile River

Role in the founding of Egyptian civilizationThe Greek historian Herodotus wrote that "Egypt was the gift of the Nile". An unending source of sustenance, it provided a crucial role in the development of Egyptian civilization. Silt deposits from the Nile made the surrounding land fertile because the river overflowed its banks annually. The Ancient Egyptians cultivated and traded wheat, flax, and other crops around the Nile. Wheat was a crucial crop in the famine-plagued Middle East. This trading system secured Egypt's diplomatic relationships with other countries, and contributed to economic stability.

Which Words and WhyI am a firefighter. I help our community in a significant way. With my team, I help extinguish fires in buildings and other places. Often, we must also rescue people from fires.When there is a fire, an alarm rings at the station. I rush to my truck. I slide down a pole because it's faster than using the stairs. I put on fireproof pants and coat. I put on boots and a helmet. I can get dressed in about 30 seconds.These special clothes are called my uniform. My uniform will protect me from fire.

A Very Cool Tool

http://wordsift.com/

1. Remind students, or point out, how the word is used in your text.

2. Student-friendly definition 3. Say the word. Students echo. 4. Students give examples of the word used in other contexts 5. Students interact with the word: Fill out an organizer, act it out, make up a motion, provide

choices… (This step may be left for a later interaction)6. Repeat the word.

Beck’s Quick 6 Step Process:

Try it out at your table!

Text• deposited • ancient• barren• fertile

AWL• issue • conclude• participate• sufficient

7—12 Cognitive Interactions?!What’s a “cognitive interaction”?

Making connections in your brain!

Have you ever …………….?Draw a picture to help you remember

the word.What other words are related to…..

Try it out: empathy • Have you ever felt empathy?• Draw a quick-pic picture of an

event to remind you of empathy• What other words are related to

empathy?

•Looking up words in the dictionary•Memorizing definitions•Making sentences with words•Word searches

•Connecting words to each other. •Multiple exposures in various contexts an media.•Heightening word awareness•Sorting and Classifying words

Useful

Not so much!

Vocabulary = Content Knowledge • “New research has shown that one factor in

particular—academic vocabulary—is one of the strongest indicators of how well students will learn subject area content.”

• “Teaching the specific terms of social studies, science, or math in a specific way is one of the strongest actions a teacher can take to ensure that students have the academic background knowledge they need to understand the social studies content they will encounter in school.” NYCDOE

Mini-UnitTopic

Grade Band

Presenters: Here starts your unit. You may wish to add some of the following slide

if you are using those strategies.Please as you go, point out or elicit the ways in

which the activities you are presenting scaffolding toward the shifts of the day.

Cooperative Vocabulary GridFelix Amanda Yadirah Inyeoung

climate

Terrain

fertile

arid

developed

Pictorial Input Chart

Sentence Patterning Generator

Create a Chant

What Does It Mean To “Know” A Word?

Strangers Acquaintances Friends Family

Wonder Words Book

Collaborative Poster