So You’re a Literacy Coach:What About the Math Department?

Roland O’Daniel, Danna Green, David Cook

IRA Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2008

Getting Things StartedEstimation Activity: Estimate the solution to two of the problems below Show your work, NO CALCULATORS

15% tip on a bill of $32.6510% discount on $452.6340% increase in output of 2.5 tons55% decrease in 12 sq. yards of material

Be prepared to share how you found your answer:

Estimation Activity (Continued)

Pair with someone who chose the same problem

Compare estimate strategies with neighbor noting differences/similarities

Note modifications you want to make to your strategy to make your estimates easier next time

Estimation Activity (Continued)

Reflect on the activity What literacy skills were used in this

activity?

Admit Slip

Find the admit slip in your packet Of all the workshops at IRA, why did

you choose this one? What do you hope to learn or walk away

with as a result of this workshop?

Content Standards – The Workshop

Participants will Understand the concept of content literacy

and how it supports learning in math classrooms

Reflect on how teacher practice can use literacy as a structure and system for learning

Explore research to understand more about recommendations for the inclusion of literacy in mathematic instruction

Agenda

Estimation Activity CMCL Overview Reading a Graph Activity Break (bathroom time)

Please follow rule of two feet! What the Research Says Routines/Structures in a Math Classroom Supporting Literacy in a Math Classroom Q & A/Exit Slip

Double Entry Organizer

Collaborative Model for Content Literacy

6 sub-domains of literacy

•Vocabulary development

•Reading Comprehension

•Writing to learn

•Writing to Demonstrate

•Fluency

•Academic Dialogue

I wonder how many teachers are involved in the project?

I think vocabulary would be very important to math teachers!

Who Are We? Danna Green

– Literacy Coach in the Striving Readers Consortium in KY for West Jessamine Middle School

– 13 years experience in primary, middle and high math & science, gifted & talented

– Reading Specialist David Cook

– Literacy Coach in the Striving Readers Consortium in KY for Belfry Middle School

– 16 years in education- middle grades math and social studies, and principal

Roland O’Daniel– Mentor Coach in the Striving Readers Consortium in KY– Educational Program Consultant with CTL – Middle and high school math/social studies teacher, 15 years

experience

What is Content Literacy? And What does it look like in math class?

Content Literacy:Overarching Concept

There are literacy processes that, when brought to bear in a discipline-specific content environment, will support students in learning content at deep levels, and in continuing to develop their basic learning skills.

Content Literacy Sub-Domains

The Collaborative Model for Content Literacy prepares teachers to use strategies from these sub-domains to support student content learning– Reading Comprehension– Vocabulary Development– Writing to Learn– Writing to Use What We Know– Verbal Fluency– Academic Dialogue

Vocabulary Development Strategies

Frayer Model– Examples/Non-examples– Characteristics/Model– Definition

Word Wall with Intentional Interactions

Routines Developed to Scaffold Understanding

Writing to Learn in Mathematics

Ways of representing content-NAGS– Number– Algorithm (Algebra)– Graph– Sentences

Note-taking Writing to clarify understanding

Reading Comprehension

Multiple Representations of the same idea and same translation:– 12 4– 12/4– – Twelve divided by four– 4 divided into 12– How many groups of 4 are in 12?

(Draw a model, act it out…)

Reading charts, tables, graphs

124

Content

ReadingMultiple texts for multiple purposes

Speaking/ListeningIn a variety of configurationsFor a variety of purposes

WritingWriting to Learn- Symbolic & graphical, as well as textWriting to Use What You Know

Learning Structures

Culture Building learning

relationships Creating a literate

space Learning and practicing

new concepts and strategies

Process Transparency Metacognition Zone of Proximal

Development

Scaffolding– I do you watch– I do you help– You do I help– You do I watch

How do we help students apply literacy strategies to support content learning?

Take time to teach them how to learn what we need them to learn

Be metacognitive in your instruction – talk with students about how effective learners learn

Collaborate with colleagues for systematic planning to support student learning

Be selective about the strategies you use – make sure that students read, write, speak, listen, and observe in service of learning in your discipline.

Mathematical Literacy “The ability to read, listen, think creatively, and

communicate about problem situations, mathematical representations, and the validation of solutions…”

“The ability to translate between a mathematical representation (which may include words and symbols) and that which the model represents.”

“The ability to create and interpret mathematical models.”

(NCTM Standards; Galef Institute – Different Ways of Knowing)

Mathematics as Language Includes elements, notation, syntax, grammar,

vocabulary, conventions, sentence structure, and paragraph structure

Is the language (science) of patterns and change Is a way of thinking about the world Is a necessary ingredient for developing &

demonstrating understanding – both oral & written language

Has language features unparalleled in other languages (for example, theorems expressed using the letter "x" also apply to "b" and "2x-5").

(Sensible, Sense-Making Mathematics, by Steve Leinwand )

Time for Reflection/Sharing

Take this opportunity to interact with your notes

Turn to your neighbor and share questions or important points

Questions?

Reading in a Math Classroom

Reading a graph activity Individual work Find a partner with the same colored graph

and share your answers With your partner discuss the different literacy

sub-domains involved in this activity. How could the use of literacy enhance the learning of the mathematics?

Reading NextRecommendations To Build Adolescent Literacy Skills

– Embed effective instructional principals into content learning– Apply motivating and self-directed learning strategies– Provide direct strategy instruction– Engage students in collaborative work around rigorous text

and concepts– Use diverse texts– Implement an intensive cross-disciplinary writing approach– Provide extended time and opportunities for literacy work

Reading Next, Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004

Reading NextRecommendations To Build Adolescent Literacy Skills

– Engage in teacher professional development that is long-term and ongoing

– Work in teacher teams to plan for strategy use– Apply technology as a learning and literacy tool– Gather evidence about student skills, both formative and

summative and respond to that evidence through instructional change

– Provide strategic intervention for those students who have specific learning difficulties

Reading Next, Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004

Instructional Programs Pre K-12 Should Enable All Students to:

Organize & consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication

Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others

Analyze & evaluate the mathematical thinking & strategies of others

Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely

(NCTM Standards, pp269)

NCTM Recommendations

Effective teaching requires-- – knowing and understanding mathematics,

students as learners, and pedagogical strategies. – a challenging and supportive classroom learning

environment. – continually seeking improvement.

Technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics

(Principals and Standards for School Mathematics, The Teaching Principle, NCTM, 2000)

National Mathematics Panel 2008 The mastery of whole number arithmetic is a critical

step in children’s mathematical education. Conceptual understanding is critical for children’s

ability to identify and correct errors, for appropriately transferring algorithms to solve novel problems, and for understanding novel problems in general.

Pictorial representations... Number line representation… Words also seem to influence the mental representations that children form…

National Mathematics Panel 2008 The best predictors of the ability to

solve word problems are computational skills and knowledge of mathematical concepts, as well as intelligence, reading ability, and vocabulary.

… these abilities in conjunction with reading comprehension to solve word problems…

(Report of the Task Group on Learning Processes, 2008)

“Mathematical communication is closely tied to problem solving and reasoning. Thus as students’ mathematical language develops, so does their ability to reason and solve problems. Additionally, problem-solving situations provide a setting for the development & extension of communication skills & reasoning ability.”

(NCTM Standards, pp 80)

Routines in the Mathematics Classroom

In small group discuss different routines that might be observed in a typical math classroom

Discuss which literacy sub-domains lend themselves most effectively to the mathematics classroom

Traditional Vocabulary Instruction

How to extend this strategy into a strategy that allows students to develop stronger understanding of the content?

Interactive Word Wall

Terms Symbols Representations Graphs Student

generated

Vocabulary Development- Interactive Word Walls

Interactive Word Wall- adaptation

“We”

Vocabulary Development w/ Frayer Model

Alpha Boxes

Word Definition Drawing

Foldables

Fortune Tellers

Terms Definition Questions Examples FUN!

Multiple Representations

Frayer Model

Adaptations Multiple words

per page Integrate into

routine Develop understanding

of Characteristics

Vocabulary Development Adaptation- PictionarySquare Root

What I have learned about math teachers in my building!

They appreciate me presenting information to them in a direct way.

Most did not realize that the vocabulary strategies they have been doing are literacy strategies.

They like to have trainings done by realreal math people.

They, like all teachers, need frequent reminders of the literacy strategies.

They need to see the value of the literacy strategies to their students

When they value the strategy, they use them in frequent, systematic ways.

David’s Story

Coaching with a Math Teacher

Targeted specific goals

Focused on mathematical processes/content

Providing students opportunities to communicate about content

Expectations

The First Hundred Days of School

Using Symbols and Text to Communicate Mathematically

“Using literacy strategies within the math classroom is a necessity. My students need the knowledge of how to solve mathematical problems, but also how to verbalize their steps and solutions. When working a problem in my class students know that it is expected to show their work and write [respond to the work to show understanding]; one is incomplete without the other. As an educator it is my job to prepare my students for life outside the classroom. ”

-M. Smith

“Using literacy strategies within the math classroom is a necessity. My students need the knowledge of how to solve mathematical problems, but also how to verbalize their steps and solutions. When working a problem in my class students know that it is expected to show their work and write [respond to the work to show understanding]; one is incomplete without the other. As an educator it is my job to prepare my students for life outside the classroom. ”

-M. Smith

Math Notes: Number Properties

Double Entry Organizer(Developing Understanding)

Double Entry Organizer

Allow for student reflection

Allows students to summarize

Provides teacher with source for monitoring comprehension

Provides another tool (graphic organizer) to help students to better understand concepts.

Interactions w/ Material

Note-Taking

Open Response Questions

Student Writing/Problem Solving

Clear expectations (what is a proficient product).

Authentic purpose for writing, real-world connection.

Weave use of math, problem-solving, & communication skills.

Writing for Publication

Student choice Authentic

audience Content rich Uses

appropriate form and features

Teacher support and feedback

Reading & Writing in Math

Students are supported in the use of literacy strategies in the classroom.

Students use the reading and writing skills they have practiced.

Students interact with the text to:– question– make predictions– organize their thoughts– look for details– respond using higher order

thinking skills.– respond with evidence of

mathematical reasoning.

Graphic Organizer- Compare/Contrast

Interact with text/information

Organize information

Retention of learning

Lollipop

Be Creative Incorporate

different learning styles

Make it Real Don’t just do

math/use math

Does Writing to Learn Make a Difference?

“…explains so that I can understand…”

Model Repetition Cooperative

Learning Activities Writing to Explain

“…she went from I don’t like school to school’s okay…”

“…she went from I can’t do math to I like math…”

A Final Thought

“As educators we must integrate math skills and concepts into a meaningful experience for our students. Learning must be relevant and have an intended purpose. Math should not be taught in isolation but as part of a curriculum that stresses communication of math topics through reading and writing.”

Practice w/ a Purpose

Closing Activities PowerPoint-

http://striving-readers-coaches-corner.wikispaces.com/

Questions? Exit SlipThree points I want to remember.

Something that squared with my beliefs.

Something that keeps going ‘round and ‘round in my head.