Deepening Awareness of Common Core

1. Deepening Awareness of Common Core September 26th

2. Classroom Connection • What Makes a Great Teacher • Video • What can you see about yourself in this video? • What are you doing differently in your classroom because of what you have learned about Common Core?

3. Classroom Connection • Think about your Deliberate Practice Plan. • Which component do you want to increase? • How do the changes you need to make relate to Common Core?

4. Agenda • Objectives • Review Close Reading/Rereading Text • Literacy Strategy: Text Dependent Questions • Video Examples of Text Dependent Questions • Common Core/VSET Connection 1A • Strategy Practice • Extended Learning Options • Exit slip: 3-2-1

5. Objectives • Teachers will be able to: • Gain a deeper understanding of what the close reading strategy looks like • Understand the importance of making students support their responses with the text

6. Objectives • Teachers will be able to: • See connections between requirements for VSET and for Common Core • Write text-dependent questions for reading materials related to their courses

7. Anchor Literacy Strategy Review: CLOSE READING and REREADING • Reading and rereading multiple times, each time with a different purpose and focus • Breaking text into smaller segments • Get beyond “surface” reading or skimming • Formulate questions and seek answers to the questions while reading

8. This Session’s Strategy Ask text dependent questions from a range of question types. • What does this mean for my content area(s)?

9. The Shift to Text-Dependent Questions

10. Text-dependent questions • All discussion is not created equal. • We must ask students to spend more instructional time inside text. • It is easier to talk about our experiences than to analyze the text—especially for students reluctant to engage with reading.

11. Text-dependent questions are not: • Low-level • Recall • Just questions…

12. Text-dependent questions • Can only be answered with evidence from the text. • Can be literal (checking for understanding), but must also involve analysis, synthesis, evaluation.

13. Text-dependent questions • Focus on word, sentence, and paragraph, as well as larger ideas, themes, or events. • Focus on difficult portions of text in order to enhance reading proficiency. • Can also include prompts for writing and discussion questions.

14. 3 types of text-dependent ?s When writing or reviewing a set of questions, consider the following three categories • Questions that assess themes and central ideas • Questions that assess knowledge of vocabulary • Questions that assess syntax and structure

15. Not Text-Dependent In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something. Text-Dependent What makes Casey’s experiences at bat humorous?

16. Not Text-Dependent In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair. Text-Dependent What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received?

17. Not Text-Dependent In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote? Text-Dependent “The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year 1776. According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech?

18. Creating text-dependent Questions • 1. Identify text’s core understandings & key ideas. • 2. Start small to build students’ confidence. • 3. Target vocabulary and text structure. • 4. Tackle tough sections head-on. • 5. Create coherent sequences of TDQs. • 6. Identify the standards that are being addressed. • 7. Create the culminating assessment.

19. core understanding • Crucial for creating an overarching set of successful questions • Critical for creating an appropriate culminating assignment

20. vocabulary • Which words should be the focus? • Essential to understanding text • Likely to appear in future reading • More abstract words • Words which are part of semantic word family

21. Syntax question example Who are the members of the wolf pack? How many wolves are in the pack? To answer this, pay close attention to the use of commas and semi-colons in the last paragraph on pg. 377. The semi-colons separate or list each member in the pack.

22. Structural questions Consider the features that point students’ attention to text features that enhance understanding • section headers • captions • illustrations

23. Structural question example “Look at the illustrations on page 31. Why did the illustrator include details like the power outlets in the walls?”

24. Structural question example “Dillard is careful to place opposing descriptions of the natural and man-made side-by-side. How does this placement fit with or challenge what we have already read? Why might she have chosen this point in the text for these descriptions?”

25. Culminating tasks • Questions should scaffold students toward successfully completing the culminating task. • “The title of this selection is Because of Winn-Dixie. Using answers from our questions and discussion, explain why this is an appropriate title. Cite evidence from the text for each part of your answer.”

26. Final thoughts on text-dependent questions • There is no one right way. • Providing for the differing needs of students means providing and scaffolding supports differentially—not asking easier questions or substituting simpler text.

27. SAMPLE videos—elementary • Grade 5, Close Reading: ‘The Making of a Scientist’ (15 min) • Grade 2, Finding Evidence: ‘The Wonders of Nature’ (15 min) • Grade 4, Socratic Seminar on M.C. Escher (7 min)

28. SAMPLE videos—secondary Grade 8, The Declaration of Independence (14 min) Grade 9, Symbolism in “The Lottery” (16 min)

29. Vset connection 1ADemonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy • Does the teacher organize content that builds upon previous information, thereby scaffolding essential critical information present in the course standards? • Is the teacher identifying information which is essential to unpacking the standard for the students?

30. Vset connection 1ADemonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy • Are the connections between common critical elements being made? • Do the activities and strategies used to transform the content into manageable pieces yield their intended results in terms of ensuring mastery of the standards?

31. Activity: create and evaluate text-dependent questions

32. Activity: create and evaluate text-dependent questions • Using your Guide for Creating Text-Dependent Questions handout, divide steps 1-4 amongst the group. • Take out the sample text. • Read the text with your step in mind. • Create 1-2 questions. • Use the Checklist for Evaluating Question Quality to analyze your group’s questions.

33. 3-2-1 Exit Slip • 3 things you learned about TDQs • 2 ways you can incorporate TDQs into your classroom next week • 1 thing you think will challenge your students about TDQs

34. Extended Learning Options: WEBINAR To access the follow-up webinar referenced during last month’s training: • Log into VIMS • On the front page,locate the box entitled “Early Release Follow-up Optional Webinars” • Click on appropriate webinar link • You can also access this webinar through MyPGS on the CCSS Online Help tab

35. Extended Learning Options: ACTION RESEARCH • Information on the optional Action Research Project available for use with Deliberate Practice Plans can be found in the same two sites • Click on: Optional Extended Learning Activities Document or Optional Action Research Project

36. Extended Learning Options: Earning inservice points • Keep your work in a folder. • End of 3rd 9 weeks: Common Core Contacts request work folders, review them for completion of activities, and determine points. • Individuals can receive partial points.