Constructing Concepts, Building Vocabulary FASS Meeting May 2008

Constructing Concepts, Building Vocabulary

FASS Meeting

May 2008

© 2007-2008 EduChange, Inc.

Introductions

Catherine Saldutti – President

The EduChange Team works… …in schools

…with administrators, teachers and students…to advise funders and program directors

…collaboratively to provide customized services


Curriculum Development & Articulation

• Expedition Planning

• Credit Recovery Independent Studies

• Interdisciplinary Skills Benchmarking

• Online Projects

• K-12 Curriculum Articulation:

Hastings Public Schools


Professional Development

• Instructional Tools

• Reading and Writing in the Content Areas

• Active Pedagogy

• Planning & Assessment Institutes

• Embedded Test-Prep & Data Analysis


Program Evaluation

• Rockefeller Outreach Program

• Bard Institute for Writing & Thinking

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute

• SCORE! Educational Centers

• Center for BioMolecular Modeling


Teachers for Learners®

• Teachers for Learners is a grass-roots organization founded by experienced teachers, administrators, department chairs, and professional development providers

• The TfL mission is to share expertise with other educators through viable, practical classroom solutions

Smart Instruction Begins With Smart ToolsSmart Instruction Begins With Smart Tools


• Integrates Academic Vocabulary Into Everyday Instruction

• Promotes Retention of Concepts• Actively Engages Multiple Learning Styles• Supports Systematic, Cross-curricular Instruction

in Academic Vocabulary • Tools + PD = Actualization of Desired Strategies


Concept Construxions®

Converse & Convey Panel ®

Archive & ReferenceTranslates to Speech and Writing and Retention

Concept Cards™

Subject-specific Manipulatives225+ cards, used year-long and to log classroom

context for academic language

Construxion Site®

Portable & DurableEncourages “Active Engagement”

Extensive Instruction BookletSuggested classroom-ready activities for whole group,

small group, pairs or individuals


Construxion Site®


Converse & Convey Panel®


Color System: Science


Color System: Math


Color System: ELA


The Power of the SystemScience

Math

ELA


The Power of the SystemScience

Math

ELA


Shape System: Interdisciplinary


Alignment to Local Initiatives• EduChange acts to broker this tool as a means toward an

end that your school/district has identified

• Professional development and Concept Builders link standards and instructional modes:– 2008 Standards Adoption– ELL (SDAIE, SIOP)– Marzano’s “High-yield Strategies”– Differentiated Instruction– Critical Thinking (Bloom, Depth of Knowledge)– Non-fiction reading and writing strategies– Textbook adoption– Academic Language Notebooks

• Sessions can be differentiated according to level of teacher readiness


Concept Builders works with administrators

to create a customized palette of accompanying activities to:– Mesh with current strategies & word lists

– Map to local scope & sequence

– Make differentiated instruction explicit

– Offer models that teachers mimic & adapt

– Tap into at least 2 common learning styles

– Incorporate student collaboration & individual accountability


Classroom-tested for 4 years• Increased participation across students who normally did

not verbally engage

• Teachers reported that more students were making more connections to previous content

• Teachers reported seeing more attempted use, and accurate use, of academic vocabulary in written assignments

• Students reported having more confidence when completing writing tasks

• ELL, Special Ed, GATE students reported higher levels of engagement than during other class activities


Administrator Observations

“Teachers know what they have to do…they don’t need another book…they need an actual resource to actively engage students in the classroom.”

“I like that there are no definitions…it’s not a rote activity…students must talk and think together to build background knowledge.”


The research behind the system: Concept Cards™

• Provide visual cues to support retention– Orthographic representation (Ehri, 2000)

• Act as a “Concept Bank” that may be used for periodic review – Building background knowledge (Marzano, 2004)

• Classroom Contexts™ provides a place to log when and how concepts are addressed– Multiple dimensions of words (Juel & Deffes, 2004)– Anchored word instruction (Juel & Deffes, 2004)– Academic Language Notebooks (Marzano, 2004)


The research behind the system: Construxion Site®

• A place to organize Concept Cards™ for meaning – Engages students in word play (Blachowicz & Fisher, 2004)– Encourages students to describe, gesture and explain

(Armstrong, 2004; Jenson, 2005)– Concept Maps & other graphic representations (Marzano, 2004)

• May be used in any classroom at any time with ease– Timeliness (Blachowicz & Fisher, 2004)

• Appeals to multiple learning styles– Supports visual, aural and kinesthetic activities (Juel & Deffes,

2004; Fulbright et al., 1999)


The research behind the system: Converse & Convey Panel®

• Connects learning experiences over time– Multiple exposures (Costa and Marzano, 1991)– Supports a scaffolded approach to instruction

• An Archive & Reference Tool – Ongoing instruction (Baldwin & Schatz, 1985)– Complements academic language notebooks

(Marzano, 2004)

• Prompts Word Usage– Time to write and use words (Roth, 2004)


A Modular System

• Starter Kits: – 1 accessorized Subject Set– 1 Construxion Site– 1 Converse & Convey Panel

• Articulated system makes kits share-ready at the site level

• Accessory Packs of 75 Topic-specific Concept Cards


Information Take-Aways• Business Cards• Teachers for Learners info sheet• Concept Construxions info sheet• ELL Alignment • Teacher Testimonial• Language Magazine Article, October 2007• Product Order Form• Sample Concept Builders for Science

TfL is the Sole Vendor of Concept Construxions®

[email protected]

EduChange is the Sole Provider of Professional Development [email protected]

Documents

Constructing Concepts, Building Vocabulary FASS Meeting May 2008