Day 2: Refining the Task, Building the Ladder Ben Taylor, Ed.D.

1
Day 2 Refining the Task, Building the
LadderBen Taylor, Ed.D.
2
Objectives for today

• Review what makes a good Task
• Publish, critique, revise Tasks
• Understand the importance of the Instructional
  Ladder
• Create a Module for teaching in the 1st semester

3
Set up for today

• Take a sheet of chart paper.
• Write your grade level and content area at top.
• Write your full task on the paper!
• Includes EQ, reading, and writing assignment
  complete wording from template task
• Post around the room.

4
Quick Review
Literacy Strategy Quiz, Quiz, Trade Step 1 Grab
a note card. Write a factual question about the
CCSS or LDC on the front write the answer on the
back. Step 2 Stand up, hand up, pair up. Step 3
Quiz your partner, get quizzed, trade cards. Step
4 Find a new partner and repeat!
5
Developing a Critical Eye

• Look at the sample tasks in the PowerPoint
• Decide what, if anything, could be improved with
  the task.
• After diagnosing each individually, discuss with
  your team what revisions to make to each task to
  make it more effective.

6

• Task 19 Can social climbers really move into a
  new social class? After reading The Great Gatsby,
  Vanity Fair, and Limbo Blue-Collar Roots,
  White-Collar Dreams, write an essay that explains
  how a character succeeded or failed in efforts to
  move to a higher social class. What conclusions
  or implications can you draw? Cite at least two
  sources, pointing out key elements from each
  source. English III

7

• Task 18 After researching the War of 1812, write
  a report that explains the impact of the Battle
  of New Orleans on American presidential elections
  through 1836. What conclusions or implications
  can you draw? Cite at least 3 sources, pointing
  out key elements from each source.
• 7th Grade U.S. History

8

• Task 11 After researching Romeo and Juliet and
  Westside Story, write a report that defines
  star-crossed lovers. Support your discussion
  with evidence from your research. If you had
  friends who were in love and whose families
  disapproved, what advice would you give them?
• 10th Grade English

9

• Task 12 What is the most important challenge you
  have met? After reading several personal
  challenge essays on the Internet, write an essay
  that defines your challenge and explains how you
  met it. Support your discussion with evidence
  from your research.
• 6th Grade Language Arts

10

• Task 2 Where have all the flowers gone? After
  reading selected anti-war poems and song lyrics,
  write an essay that addresses the question and
  support your position with evidence from the
  texts.
• 9th Grade Government and Civics

11

• Task 3 After researching your textbook chapters
  on human anatomy, write an article for students
  your age that compares two major body systems and
  argues which one is the most exciting. Be sure to
  support your position with evidence from the
  texts.
• 8th Grade Life Sciences

12

• Task 21 What will it take to raise voter
  participation? After reading "Where Have All the
  Voters Gone? and Many will mark this election
  by not voting, write a legislative proposal that
  addresses the question and analyzes the best
  legal changes to increase participation,
  providing examples to clarify your analysis. What
  conclusions or implications can you draw?
• A.P. U.S. Government

13
Lets Get Critical!

• Collect your poster from yesterday.
• Make necessary corrections to get the essential
  question ready.
• Add the wording from Task 2 including the reading
  selections and the writing piece.
• Re-post.

14
Lets Get Critical!

• Literacy Strategy Carousel Feedback
• Start with the posted Task to the right of your
  own. Your team should post (using your Post-it
  Notes) a question, a positive comment or a
  concern on each task.
• Continue around and comment on as many tasks as
  possible.

15
Main Points to Critique

• Is the essential question clear?
• Is the essential question interesting?
• Does the essential questions lend itself to a
  writing piece?
• Is the task doable in 2-4 weeks?
• Does it cover essential curriculum?
• Does it remain true to the template?

16
Criticism is a Learning Tool

• Criticism is a plus not a minus
• Criticism is a suggestion not a mandate
• Criticism helps refine!
• Use your critiques to revise and refine your Task
  a final time

17
Deconstructing a Module

• At your tables, pull up my module and make a list
  of the major pieces of the module and discuss
  what is in each section.
• What is the purpose of the teachers materials
  section at the end of the module, and how can it
  help you and your students in planning?

18
Lets take a quiz!

• Literacy Strategy Numbered Heads Together
• WRITE QUESTIONS ANS STEPS

19
The LDC Module Framework

• Key Components of Modules
• Introduction and reading/writing task
• What is the importance of this unit? (Essential
  Question)
• What must students do to succeed?
• What outcome do I expect?
• Skills
• What do my students need to do to achieve?
• Instructional strategies
• What must I do to teach them what they need?
• Results/rubric

20
A Complete Example
21
LDC Skills Clusters

• Understanding the Task
• Reading
• Bridging
• Writing

What do these mean?
22
Skills Students Need

• To understand the Task and assignment
• To read rigorous materials from different genres
• To analyze their reading and synthesize it in
  preparation for writing
• To write thoughtful and insightful pieces
  demonstrating their learning

23
Skill Cluster 1 Understanding the Task

• Dont skip this one!
• Journal or quick writes
• Student group discussion
• Checking for understanding

24
Skill Cluster 2 Reading
Skills Cluster 2 Reading Process Skills Cluster 2 Reading Process
1. Reading habits of mind Ability to select appropriate texts and understand necessary reading strategies need for the tank.
2. Essential Vocabulary Ability to apply strategies for developing an understanding of text(s) by locating words and phrases that identify key concepts and facts, or information.
3. Note-taking Ability to read purposefully and select relevant information to summarize and/or paraphrase.
4. Organizing Ability to prioritize and narrow supporting information.
25
Skill Cluster 3 Bridging

• This step often where students falter
• Must teach organization
• Must use format (graphic organizer that works!)
• Must have frequent checks

26
Skill Cluster 4 Writing
Skill Cluster 4 Writing Skill Cluster 4 Writing
Prewriting Ability to organize ideas in logical format
Drafting Ability to put thoughts on paper in cohesive, organized fashion
Peer editing Ability to evaluate other student writing and make suggestions for improvements
Revising Ability to add revisions and corrections to perfect paper.
27
Module Section 3Instruction
How will students be taught to succeed on the
teaching task?

• Teachers establish the instructional plan and
  instructional ladder to teach students the
  skills necessary to succeed on the task
• Students are taught each skill through a
  mini-task
• Mini-tasks connect across the 2-4 weeks to lead
  students to completing the task

28
Instructional Ladder

• Instructional ladder outlines step-by-step
  what students will do (and what teachers will
  teach) to achieve larger teaching task.
• Skills list/clusters
• Design mini-task for each skill
• Instructional strategies and pacing

29
The Ladder
Product
If you were climbing a ladder, you wouldnt want
to miss a rung. This is also true in teaching
students how to create a final product.
30
Example from Instructional Ladder
31
Mini-Tasks

• Mini-tasks a small or short assignment that
  engages students in learning each of the skills
  necessary to complete the task.
• Core Elements of Mini-Tasks
• Prompt
• Product
• Scoring guide

32
Example of a Mini-Task
Prompt Product Scoring Guide
Write a draft introductory paragraph with a strong thesis statement. Introductory paragraph Yes Writes an introductory paragraph with thesis statement. No Fails to write a paragraph with thesis statement
33
Instructional Strategies Pacing
Instructional strategies outline what the
teacher will do to teach the skill. Pacing
suggested amount of class time for the mini-task
or when the mini-task will occur in relation to
other mini-tasks.
34
Once we know what skills are needed, we know what
we need to teach and we determine pacing, we
climb the ladder to success.
Instructional Ladder
Evaluate student each skill
Teach each skill along the way
Determine skills needed
35
If we are not where we want to be with student
achievement and literacy
Problem of Practice Students are graduating
without the necessary literacy skills needed to
succeed in college or workplace. Theory of
Action If we implement the LDC across the school,
then students will be better equipped for college
and the workplace.
36
Afternoon Work Session!

• Using the Module Template provided, begin to
  create your module.
• Remember your module
• Should cover 2-4 weeks of study
• Should be a major unit of your course
• Should involve rigorous reading in varied genres
  and types
• Should result in a major piece of writing
• Should be made up of mini-tasks that are
  evaluated along the way (instructional ladder)

37
Funwork (Homework)Reading in The Disciplines
Assignments

• ALL Introduction/Overview (pp. 2-4 15-18)
• Science pp. 4-6
• Social Studies pp. 6-9
• ELA pp. 9-12
• CTE Teaching Content/Conclusion (pp. 17-21)

38
Questions for Homework

• What does reading look like in your discipline?
• What will you incorporate into your module, in
  the Skills Cluster 2 Reading Process section, to
  help students comprehend content area selections?

39
Reflections and Homework

• Evaluation Form
• Homework
• Read Reading in the Disciplines
• Module build by 10/8 (not taught yet, unless you
  are ready!).
• Next PD day
• 10/22
• Ben.taylor_at_sreb.org

40
Literacy Strategies Used

• Quiz, Quiz, Trade
• Carousel Feedback
• Numbered Heads Together