612 Reading Intervention Teacher Academy

1
6-12 Reading Intervention Teacher Academy
Engagement

• Session 5
• Designing Engaging Learning Experiences

2
Activating Prior Knowledge

• Think
• What is something you recently learned?
• What motivated you to learn this thing?
• How did you learn it?
• Pair
• Pair up with a table partner and share your
  experiences.
• Share
• Working with your whole table, chart common
  elements from all of your experiences

3
Consider this . . .

• If we think hard about motivating our students,
  if we devise units that address questions of
  genuine importance, expand our notions of text,
  value meaningful textual engagement and textual
  pleasure, and broaden our notions of competence,
  our students are sure to profit.

Jeffrey D. Wilhelm Michael W. Smith, 2007, p.
232 Making It Matter Through The Power Of Inquiry
in Adolescent Literacy Turning Promise into
Practice
4
The Power of Inquiry

• Wilhelm and Smiths research suggests students
  are more likely to engage in literacy activities
  when the following conditions are present
• Competence and Control
• Appropriate Challenge and Assistance to meet the
  Challenge
• Clear Goals and Immediate Feedback
• Immersion in the Immediate
• The importance of the Social

Jeffrey D. Wilhelm Michael W. Smith, 2007, p.
232 Making It Matter Through The Power Of Inquiry
in Adolescent Literacy Turning Promise into
Practice
5
Reading Jig Saw

• Structure instruction to address the questions of
  genuine importance (p. 233 235).
• Expand notions of text and curriculum, and what
  counts as meaningful reading and learning (p. 236
  238).
• Expand notions of competence, especially student
  competence, and find more ways to highlight,
  celebrate, name, and extend it (p. 238 240).

Jeffrey D. Wilhelm Michael W. Smith, 2007, p.
232-242 Making It Matter Through The Power Of
Inquiry in Adolescent Literacy Turning Promise
into Practice
6
Consider this

• Ellin Oliver Keene writes
• Teachers expressed concern about the weighty,
  unmanageable curriculum they were called upon to
  teach . . . and understood that the size of the
  curriculum was at least partially responsible for
  kids lack of retention and reapplication of
  concepts.

Ellin Oliver Keene, 2007, p. 28 The Essence of
Understanding in Adolescent Literacy Turning
Promise into Practice
7
Group Discussion

• We all have concerns about meeting the
  curriculum expectations of our districts, and we
  all want to improve the learning environment for
  our students.
• How do we, as teachers, incorporate Wilhelm and
  Smiths power of inquiry model without losing
  curriculum fidelity?

Jeffrey D. Wilhelm Michael W. Smith, 2007, p.
232-242 Making It Matter Through The Power Of
Inquiry in Adolescent Literacy Turning Promise
into Practice
8
Putting the pieces together

• In your notebook, record the following
• 3 issues this session addressed
• 2 concerns
• 1 step you are willing to take

9
Exit Slip

• On a post-it note, write down the first step you
  are willing to take.
• Place your note on the chart paper as you exit
  the room.

10
References

• Keene, E. O. (2007). The essence of
  understanding. In Beers, K., Probst, R. E.,
  Rief, L. (Eds.). Adolescent literacy Turning
  promise into practice (pp. 27-38). Portsmouth,
  NH Heinemann.
• Wilhelm, J. D. Smith, M. W. (2007). Making it
  matter through the power of inquiry. In Beers,
  K., Probst, R. E., Rief, L. (Eds.). Adolescent
  literacy Turning promise into practice (pp.
  231-242). Portsmouth, NH Heinemann.