Integrating Technology for Content Area Reading: Literacy in the 21st Century

1. Kathy Corder, Leon County Schools Jan Graham, Leon County Schools Jennifer Womble, Leon County Schools Place photo here Literacy in the 21st Century:Integrating Technology Into Content Area Reading “Literacy is the technology of the intellect.” J. Goody

2. Overview • What do you hope to gain from today’s workshop? • What does the research say about technology integration into Content Area Reading? • Profile of Chiles High School: Our Story • Tools for Teachers • What technologies can you use to enhance reading in your subject area? • Reflection and Wrap-up

3. Thinking about our Practice • What is your role? • What technologies have you used in the past to integrate reading into your subject? • Why are you here?

4. What does the research say about language learning? • Judith Langer, professor at the University of Albany and director of the National Research Center on English Learning and Achievement (CELA) conducted research in 25 secondary schools and 88 classes. • Of the 25 participating schools, fourteen were outperforming the other 11 on standardized tests. • She observed some common characteristics in the fourteen schools she described as “effective” and common characteristics of the eleven schools she described as “typical.”

5. Langer’s Research Effective Schools: • Learning and instruction included separated, simulated, and integrated experiences. • Administrators and teachers focused on student learning by improving the curriculum. • More than 80 percent of the “effective” teachers integrated skills and knowledge that were to be tested into the ongoing curriculum as their dominant approach to test preparation. • Teachers and administrators worked together to deconstruct and analyze sample test items. They often took the test themselves. • Teachers taught their students strategies for organizing their thoughts and completing tasks. • Teachers helped students engage in thoughtful dialogue termed “shared cognition.” • Teachers participated in learning communities in an effort to improve achievement.

6. Langer’s Research Typical Schools: • One instructional approach dominates. • Typical schools focused primarily on improvement in test scores and not integration of skills and benchmarks. • In “typical schools,” the primary mode of test preparation offered practices on old editions of the test, teacher-made tests and practice materials, and sometimes, commercial materials using formats and questions similar to those of the test. • Only 17 percent of the teachers in “typical” schools taught their teachers strategies for organizing their thoughts. • Typical schools focused on individual thinking and learning.

7. Guthrie’s Research on Reading in the Classroom (2002)

8. What does the research say about the effectiveness of technology integration into content area reading activities? Reading and Discussion Activity: “Research on Reading and Technology: Promising Practices Require Further Study” “Information Literacy: One of the New 21st Century Learning Skills”

9. Our Story: Lawton Chiles High School Tallahassee, Florida • Learning Communities Grant, Retreat, and Review of Mission • First Year Implementation of Learning Communities • Analysis of School Data and Current Research • Second Year Implementation of Teaching and Evaluation Model • Survey of Teacher Attitudes • Establishment of Reading Portal, learning communities, literacy team, and coaching model. • Continued efforts

10. Activity: Before, During, and After Reading Strategies Mini Reading Strategies Unit • Summarizing • Before, During, and After Reading Strategies • “One Summer Night” • Using the Advanced Features of Microsoft Word in teaching before, during, and after reading strategies

11. What are the non-print literacy standards?From the Center on English Learning and Achievement Basic Skills • Elementary – Use content specific educational software to support learning • Middle – Use communications and computing technologies to locate information efficiently • High - Use and cite others’ electronic and graphical work appropriately and correctly. Critical Literacy • Elementary – Distinguish between accurate and inaccurate electronic sources. • Middle – Compare and contrast non-print information sources for accuracy, relevancy, comprehensiveness and bias • High – Evaluate the electronic information-seeking process as it evolves and make appropriate adjustments. Construction Skills • Elementary – Use computer-based writing tools to communicate thoughts, ideas, and stories. • Middle – Express information and ideas creatively in non-print formats. • High – Devise creative ways to use non-print information to resolve problems and/or answer questions.

12. Berkowitz and Eisenberg’sBig Six Information and Technology Literacy Model Developed by educators Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz an approach to teaching information and technology skills developed by educators Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz centers on information problem-solving strategies works with any problem, assignment, decision, or task emphasizes skills needed for the 21st century global work place Click here for lesson plan ideas.

14. Applying the Big in Your Classroom – Click here.

15. Kathy Corder, Leon County Schools Jan Graham, Leon County Schools Jennifer Womble, Leon County Schools Place photo here Literacy in the 21st Century:Integrating Technology Into Content Area Reading “Literacy is the technology of the intellect.” J. Goody