0 Learning to Learn: The Role of Repetition for Close Reading

I am learning about the new Massachusetts' teacher evaluation system with depth. I am using a repetitive process of analyzing each element of the rubric. As I apply this process, I am thinking about what this analysis means for me as a learner, and how I can apply this learning effort to my students' "learning to learn" understanding and behaviors.

When I first read the rubric, it was overwhelming. My first reaction was How can I take in all these elements at once? Yet, I persisted and quickly completed a self assessment.

Now as I analyze one element at a time, I remain overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of expectations, but I also find that the elements create a framework for best practice, one that will serve to lift our profession as long as steady supports exist--supports such as fair pay and reasonable professional responsibilities.

As a learner, it has been interesting for me to take a complex document and break it down step by step. Essentially, a close reading exercise.

What helped?

First, starting with an overview of the entire article gave me a feel for the content, structure, and intent.

Next, developing an initial system and corresponding charts gave me a structure with which to analyze.

After engaging with the analysis structure repeatedly, I find that I'm simplifying the process and making it more efficient with every element analysis. Therefore the repetition led to a more fluid, targeted process of analysis.

Hence, what implications does this experience have for students' close reading exercises and efforts--efforts that develop critical reading and writing skills?

Similar to my close reading process related to the evaluation rubric, I'll move students through a similar process on a regular basis as their success will depend on structure and practice, one without the other will not result in increased skill.

Student Close Reading Process

1. Survey short text.  Observe and discuss structure and content.
2. Read the text for meaning--what is the genre, purpose, and content?
3. Reread and analyze the text with a specific structure(s). 
4. Write analysis related to specific questions, analysis intent. 
5. Practice this skill once or twice a week with depth and breadth. 

Close Reading Instruction Questions:

• What structure(s) best support students' close reading efforts and practice?
• What texts best support students' practice and skill?
• What close reading regularity will support student engagement and skill development? 

Teachers' efforts with close reading support optimal instruction and student gain. What has your experience been like with this process?  What structures best support your efforts?  How do you make this effort meaningful and relevant rather than "test prep?" I look forward to your thoughts, and to investigating this area of school life with greater detail. 

0 Launching the Reading Year: Details

As we plan for essential skill instruction and practice for the new school year, reading continues to take center stage at the elementary level. We notice time and again that students who read well perform well in all areas of school life. Yet, many students, including some of my own, are reluctant to read--why?

The Wayland Literacy Institute presenters, colleagues at my school, and many friends and family members I've spoken to this summer all point to the fact that an early start to reading and lots of reading exposure and practice leads to life long readers.

Developing readers starts at birth or even before birth. A steady diet of reading to and with children is essential. Yet in today's busy world, that is sometimes impossible for families for a myriad of reasons, and that's why schools have to make time for reading (I can imagine a colleague chuckling as I write since she's been repeating this message continuously--"They're finally listening," she's probably remarking.)

The time to add reading to school year schedules is the months before the school year starts.  Decide now how and when reading will fit into your daily schedule, then hold that time sacred as many specialists and program leaders come to you asking for time.

Next year in my class, I am going to include the following reading times in the schedule:

• Daily Read Aloud/Reading Focus Lesson: 15-30 minutes (a time when all students are available)
• Daily independent, partner, and/or small group guided reading: 30-45 minutes 
• Daily reading response writing, 15-30 minutes.
• Regular conferences with individuals, partners and small groups related to reading.
• RTI (response to intervention) for reading.
• Lexia: Reading Skills, 3-5 times a week, SumDog English for those done w/Lexia
• An expectation of 15 minutes or more of reading at home each school night.

The reading year focus will include the following:

• Introduction to the Comprehension Strategies: The Gold Threaded Dress
• Choosing Just Right Books, Individual Conferences
• Initial Reading Assessments: GRADE, DIBELS, attitudinal survey, reading with the teacher, observation.
• Reader's Workshop Introduction and Practice including times, routines, expectation.
• Reading Response Pattern (connected to Read Aloud/Focus Lessons)
• Specific focus on each reading comprehension strategy.
• Specific focus on genre.
• Specific focus on types of reading responses and close reading. 

What will your reading year look like?  How will you preserve time for reading in the schedule daily?  In what ways will you make reading a meaningful activity for students each day?

Reading is an essential skill on the school year menu--one that we need to focus on each day with depth and breadth. Creating a schedule and outline of your reading program prior to the start of school will help you to reach this goal. 

0 STEAM Share

Today I'm getting the chance to learn with students.  The teacher next door has invited my class to a STEAM (science, teach, engineering, art, math) share.  She and her students will share the many innovative projects they've embarked on over the year. They will also demonstrate the ways that they learn in hands-on, student-directed, investigative ways.

All year I've watched this class create with enthusiasm.  Hence, I'm looking forward to this collective way to learn. While in the room I plan to do a lot of observation and take lots of notes since I plan to replicate this learning event in my own classroom soon.  Then I plan to think more deeply about the tools and strategies I see over the summer so that I can employ similar strategies next year.

My grade level colleagues and I have started thinking about new ways to share our strengths and teaching strategies; we hope to get into each other's rooms more often next year to observe and share.  We've built a strong level of collegial trust and common vision which makes this possible. I'm excited about the learning to come as I know this will help us to teach children well.

0 Moving Schools into the Future: Actions

When I read George Couros's post this morning, and then read about a number of new Chrome apps, I was reminded once again that the world is changing. We can make that change more positive if we join the evolution by moving schools into the future.

As we sat at PLC this week and talked about "executive functioning," one colleague shared a strategy of asking students to "put on their future glasses" prior to starting a new project or endeavor.  The "future glasses" will help a child visualize the end product or result.

As educators we have to put on our "future glasses" in order to move schools into the future--what is it that we want and hope for when it comes to our children's education? How will we collaborate with students to make these shifts?

With my "future glasses" on, and the best of my current knowledge about the changing landscape of education, these are the shifts I'll be making:

Explore Time: Time for children and adults to explore and apply the new tools. Explore time will include teacher-student conversations, class discussions, and project application. You cannot employ a new tool without trying that tool out with children first. Learning with children is an efficient, meaningful way to explore new tools for optimal teaching.

Standards: I will consider the standards the backbone of the program, and look for the most engaging ways to embed those standards into the daily program.  I will bundle and integrate standards and apply a menu of online/offline learning tools, strategies, and processes for each bundle.

Menus: Menus of apt tools will support most learning in the classroom. I will list the menu of online/offline tools on the class website for easy 24-7 student/family/colleague access.  The menus will continually change as new tools are added, and less useful old tools are deleted.

STEAM Space: The STEAM space, for now, might not look a lot different from the old time arts and crafts corner, but the STEAM space will hold greater significance and integration as students explore science, tech, engineering, art and math.

Multi-Media Literacy Corner: The cozy rug-covered corner with bean bags, books, computers (when we have the cart), iPads (1 for now), and iPods will continue to serve as a center of reading, thinking, writing, exploring and learning.

Digital Share Space: The desks will be moved back to make room for a new rug and digital share space in front of the giant white board.  We'll meet regularly to share and critique student work, and other digital learning resources.

Learning to Learn Focus: The year will start with multiple "learning to learn" lessons and strategies so that students understand that learning is a life-long endeavor, an endeavor that they manage.  I will also emphasize that I am there to serve their learning needs.

Communication: Almost all communication will be digital.  Newsletters and home study lists will be continually updated and accessible 24-7 highlighting classroom emphases, student expectations, and choice.  Almost all classroom materials, learning venues, and information will be included on the class website for easy access.  Twitter, the class blog, and content websites will host timely announcements, more detailed information, and student project share. Communication will be a two-way street so that all members of the learning community are using digital technologies to converse and discuss matters of importance.

The work ahead continues to center on a learning design focus--learning design that includes review, grade-level standards, and student-driven enrichment.  My job is to know the standards well--standards that at my grade level are foundation skills, knowledge, and concept.  Then, with the help of school/standard scope and sequences, I'll bundle the standards into units that include menus of exploration tools, strategies, and foci. When the year starts, we'll integrate and skip from one standards bundle/unit to another responding to students' interests, needs, questions, and adaptations.

As Couros suggests, what will I delete as we transform?  This list represents some of the changes:

• We'll replace workbooks with hands-on/digital activities for the most part.  
• The time I used to spend organizing class management structure, rules, and highly structured, teacher-led lessons will be replaced by "learning to learn" lessons and student-driven, collaborative exploration and study.  
• Long films will mostly be replaced by short, pointed digital presentations, most of which can be accessed at home for review.
• Assessment, grading, and response in many cases will be done online and through teacher-student conference meetings. 

There is much to consider as we move schools forward.  This is one attempt to structure that evolution for my classroom.  What actions will you roll out to move your students and school forward?  What will you take away? 

0 Developing Literacy Studio

I'm taking a few minutes to observe literacy studio in action.  Students are relaxed and sitting around the room engaged in a number of literacy-related activities.  Most are listening and/or reading books of choice.  A few have chosen non-literacy activities which in some cases are okay, and in other cases signals an issue that I need to remedy.

Most of my students like to read, but a few still haven't developed the stamina and interest to sustain a lengthy period of independent reading. Most also read with fluency, but still a few need to develop that skill. As far as comprehension goes, there's still a range--a range I want to lift and address through book groups and interactive read aloud.

As I observe today, I am thinking about how I will grow literacy studio for the final leg of the year.

First, I'll start with a class meeting.  I'll list the goals of literacy studio which are to develop interest, fluency and understanding when it comes to reading.  Then I'll ask students for suggestions about how we can improve literacy studio so that we reach those goals.  I'll specifically ask about their feelings with regard book groups, partner reading, use of iPods and book selection.

Next, I'll take a close look at reading data and listen carefully to our upcoming progress monitoring PLC. I want to develop literacy studio so that all children have the chance to develop their literacy skills in advantageous ways.

Finally, after vacation, I'll introduce the new routine and explain that I've lifted the expectations and length of time to help students get ready for the fifth grade literacy expectations.  The classroom is filled with wonderful books and we're also right next door to the library.  We have RTI during a couple of literacy times during the week so there's some good support.

It's essential to stop now and then in the classroom to observe, think and make plans for change and improvement.