Supporting Student Learning through Instruction

EDS379B Winter 2012

Support

•  Student learning can be supported in a variety of ways; academic standards, assessment and feedback, collaborative learning, inquiry/discover learning, etc.

•  The most effective supports are embedded into the instructional decisions made by teachers (meaning that it is all in the plan)

The focus here

• We will focus on two broad supports – Academic language – Differentiated Instruction

Academic Language

What is Academic Language?

•  We would ask professionals and policy makers “What do you mean by academic language?” – Typical response: “Well, you know…it’s the

language needed for math and social studies.”

•  We argued that the language of math ≠ the language of social studies.

Academic Language

Academic language is the language of school used to require new/deeper understanding of content subjects.

Academic language involves a variety of aspects: -word level: vocabulary

-sentence level: grammar -extended level: discourse

Social language vs. academic language

•  When using social, or informal, English in daily conversation, it’s possible to communicate by using slang and without using English in a grammatically correct way

•  You can be understood without using: – articles – Prepositions – pronoun reference

• Remember BICS and CALPS?

Do students need to master social language first?

•  In the United States, we tend to teach informal “survival” English first, and then academic language

•  However, it is possible to lay the foundation for academic language while teaching conversation skills

CONTINUUM OF LANGUAGE (Freeman & Freeman, 2009)

More Spoken Like More Written Like -Conversation -Texting or email -Academic Discussion -Academic Lecture -Newspaper article -Academic paper

Think and Discuss 1

• What are the language NEEDS of your students?

• What are the language STRENGTHS of your students?

Academic Language levels - Genres

A genre is a type of “text” used in schools. 1. Personal genres – personal experiences

recounts, accounts, narratives 2. Factual genres – facts

procedures, recounts, reports 3. Analytical genres – analyze events or

argue for certain interpretations accounts, explanations, expositions

Personal Genres - Examples

RECOUNT – “What I did on my vacation”

ACCOUNT – ‘Why I got into trouble at school”

NARRATIVE –  “Why I didn’t know about the quiz after

lunch”

Factual genres - examples

PROCEDURES – “How to dissect a frog”

RECOUNT – “Steps to take to obtain a driver’s license”

REPORT – “Major events in War War II”

Analytical genres - examples

ACCOUNTS – “The events leading up to the Iraq war“

EXPLANATIONS – “How to find the area of a cylinder”

EXPOSITIONS – “The British colonies deserved to become

independent”

About personal Genres. . . Personal genres are typically used at the

elementary level; ELLs must quickly adjust to factual and analytical genres to learn the complex, cognitively demanding uses of academic language in the various content areas.

Even if a student has been “redesignated” does not mean they have mastered Academic Language.

Key Genres Examples of key genres as described in the PACT

scoring rubrics 2011 •  Key genres in MATHEMATICS might include: interpreting or representing

mathematical meanings represented symbolically, graphically or linguistically; recounting computational procedures or strategies used to solve mathematical problems; evaluating or constructing mathematical arguments; explaining mathematical concepts; defining technical terms; engaging in collaborative and oral mathematical reasoning.

•  Key genres in SCIENCE might include: interpreting or representing scientific meanings represented symbolically, graphically or linguistically; recounting procedures for an experiment;; evaluating or constructing scientific arguments; explaining science concepts; defining technical terms; engaging in collaborative and oral scientific inquiry .

•  Key genres in ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTS might include: recounting plot development; engaging in collaborative and oral understanding of a text; explaining a response to a text; interpreting figurative language; evaluating interpretations of a text .

Functions, Forms & Fluency"

•  Dutro & Moran (2003) introduce the notions of functions (tasks), forms (tools) and fluency (derived from opportunities to practice).

This is what we are talking about now…

Why? Purposes Functions

How? Grammar Pronunciation

Forms

When/ Where/ Who?

Communicative Competence

Fluency

Think and Discuss 2

• What academic genres do you use in your class? What is already in your lesson plan?

Academic Language Print is the basis of academic language;

however, oral communication in the form of: – Discussion – Question posing/response – Lecture

is also important to cultivate along with reading and writing.

Classroom Uses

•  Productive Academic Language – Speaking and Writing

• Receptive Academic Language – Listening and Reading

SUGGESTIONS FOR USING ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

When delivering instruction, think in terms of: 1.  I do - you watch 2.  I do – you help 3.  You do – I help 4.  You do – I watch

“I DO – YOU WATCH”

Focused Lesson Instruction -builds vocabulary -provides practice in fluency -models rhythm, stress, intonation -uses standard grammar -focuses on targeted language structures

“I DO – YOU HELP”

Guided Instruction -responsibility is shared -focus on challenging aspects of language, such

as grammar, mechanics, ideas, comprehension

“YOU DO – I HELP”

Collaborative Learning -independent, small group focus -linked to the purpose of the lesson -highly organized -varied: partnering, conference focused,

interactive

“YOU DO – I WATCH”

Independent Learning -practice and application -employs use of strategies -involves reading and writing

Think and Discuss 3

• What Productive Academic Language strategies do you use?

• What Receptive Academic Language strategies do you use?

• How does it support academic language development?

Activity Idea: Beyond definitions •  One way to teach word usage is by

using a word bank: 1.  Give students a word bank. Discuss the words in the bank

and how they are used in the text. Talk about how you would use the words

2.  Provide students with the definitions and model sentences for all of the words

3.  In pairs, have students discuss usage of the words, and how the words are being used in the model sentences.

Maybe we should call this an “enhanced word bank”.

Activity Idea: Practicing academic language

1.  Prepare students to speak in front of others by teaching them academic words and grammatical features that would be used in a presentation, such as:

•  “The topic of my presentation is…” •  “First, I will provide some background information” •  “In conclusion…” •  “Are there any questions?”

2.  Have students practice these expressions in pairs before doing an oral presentation

3.  Helping students prepare for presentations with a partner will: –  increase their confidence –  give them more opportunities to practice using their academic language

Activity: Cloze reading •  Cloze reading gives students a

chance to “slow down” 1. Read a short passage aloud to students so

they hear the melody of the language 2. Explain/discuss the passage to students 3. Ask students to read the passage, focusing

on a few specific features of academic language, such as pronouns

Example: Close Reading •  Have students underline all pronouns and then circle the nouns

to which they refer!

Activity: Summarization •  To get students using academic language, try

summarization: 1. Read a short passage aloud to students 2. Have students read the short passage to

themselves and then summarize verbally to a friend

3. Give students the opportunity to repeat the exercise with several partners

Through this exercise, students begin to acquire the author’s language, and will get more and more fluent with the language each round

Think and Discuss 4: Your Turn

• What activity could you include in the lesson plan to support academic language?

General Principles Dutro & Moran, pages 242-243

•  Build on students’ prior knowledge – Language and content knowledge

•  Create meaningful contexts •  Provide opportunities for application & practice •  Establish positive environment with clear goals and

constructive feedback •  Reflect on the forms of language and the process of

learning (metacognition)

Differentiation

What is Differentiation?

•  A teacher’s response to learner needs

•  The recognition of students’ varying background knowledge and preferences

•  Instruction that appeals to students’ differences

Why Differentiate?

•  All kids are different.

• One size does not fit all.

• Differentiation provides all students with access to all curriculum.

Content Process Product

According to Students’

Readiness Interest Learning Profile

Teachers Can Differentiate

Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (Tomlinson, 1999)

A Simple View of Differentiation

Let’s Think and Discuss 5

• Do you think that you have ever differentiated a lesson? If not, why not?

•  Take a minute to discuss this at your table.

“The fact that students differ may be inconvenient, but it is inescapable. Adapting to that diversity is the inevitable price

of productivity, high standards, and fairness to kids.”

DI IS •  Proactive •  Qualitative •  Rooted in assessment •  Provides multiple approaches to

understanding •  Student centered •  A blend of whole-class, group, and

individual instruction •  Organic, it is in response to the “class”

Potential Issues of “Advanced” Learners that DI Addresses

•  Can become mentally lazy, even though they do well in school

•  May think grades are more important than ideas

•  May become perfectionists •  May fail to develop a sense of self-efficacy •  May fail to develop study and coping skills

Addressing Struggling Learners’ Needs with DI

•  Look for the positives and build upon them •  Don’t let what’s “broken” extinguish what

“works” •  Go for powerful learning (big ideas, key

concepts, governing principles) •  Teach up (a little beyond what you think they

can accomplish) - ZPD •  Use many avenues to learning

Activities Selection (High Prep)

Can be High Prep such as… – Tiered Products** – Multiple texts – Reading passages by readiness – Interest centers – Think-Tac-Toe choice

Think-Tac-Toe Choice Complete a

character analysis for the main

character of your story.

Complete a character report

card.

Name & draw a person who is like

one of the characters from

the book. Build a miniature stage setting for

your story.

Draw a picture describing at least 3 settings from the

story.

Make up a limerick or cinquain poem about the setting

of your story. Use a sequence

chart or timeline to describe at least 7

events.

Write a new beginning or ending to the

story.

Make a game board about your story. Include key events (in order).

Activities (Low Prep)

Can be Low Prep such as: •  Choices of books •  Homework option(s) or varied assignments •  Varied journal prompts •  Varied computer programs •  Explorations •  Exit slips

Specific Ways to Differentiate:

• Content • Process • Product

to Differentiate Content •  Reading Partners / Reading Buddies

•  Read/Summarize •  Read/Question/Answer •  Visual Organizer/Summarizer •  Parallel Reading with Teacher Prompt

•  Choral Reading •  Split Journals (Double Entry – Triple Entry) •  Digests/ “Cliff Notes” •  Notetaking Organizers •  Varied Texts •  Varied Supplementary Materials •  Highlighted Texts •  Think-Pair-Share/Preview-Midview-Postview Tomlinson – ‘00

•  Choices (based on Multiple Intelligences)

•  Centers •  Tiered lessons •  Adjusting Questions

to Differentiate Process

Tiered lesson (Instruction Example)

•  One way to differentiate is to focus on

tiering one lesson, rather that creating 3

separate lesson for each concept.

How can this be accomplished fairly and

reasonably?

Developing a Tiered Activity

Select the activity organizer • concept • generalization

Essential to building a framework of understanding

Think about your students/use assessments

•  readiness range •  interests •  learning profile •  talents

skills reading thinking information

Create an activity that is •  interesting •  high level •  causes students to use key skill(s) to understand a key idea

Chart the complexity of the activity

High skill/ Complexity

Low skill/ complexity

Clone the activity along the ladder as needed to ensure challenge and success for your students, in •  materials – basic to advanced •  form of expression – from familiar to unfamiliar •  from personal experience to removed from personal experience •  equalizer

Match task to student based on student profile and task requirements

1

3

5

2

4

6

to Differentiate Product

• Choices based on readiness, interest, and learning profile

• Clear expectations •  Timelines • Agreements • Product Guides • Rubrics • Evaluation

Reviewing The Basic Threes •  Differentiation: The “What”

(what is made different)

–  The Content: Material student uses to gain knowledge –  The Process: Method/strategies used to gain knowledge/organize

thoughts; gain access to content. –  The Product: assessment piece to demonstrate mastery.

•  Differentiation: The “How” (student selection for tasks or flexible groups) according to:

–  Academic Ability: based on pre-assessment on content knowledge. –  Interest: based on interest surveys, multiple intelligence surveys or

student choice –  Readiness Level: Student pacing based on readiness to work at a faster

pace or more independently; based on past performance.

Let’s Try this Activity

•  Look at an upcoming lesson – How could you adjust the “what”? – How could you adjust the ”how”?

Think big, start small but start now.

Remember as you start to plan

  There’s no single perfect example of differentiated instruction.

  Differentiating takes effort, time, and is a career long pursuit.

  Start with a unit, concept, or lesson and try it out.

 Start by practicing forming good, broad essential questions and clear objectives of the lesson.

 Take small steps

TTT or T3: Things Take Time

•  One unit at a time

•  One lesson at a time

•  One student at a time

•  One strategy at a time

• One grade level at a time