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Becoming Experts: The Read, Think, Talk,

Write CycleSession 4, May 2014 NTI

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Good Morning!• Please greet your tablemates, making sure to

share your name and position/role back at home. Discuss the following anecdote:

Last fall, I was visiting an area high school and ran into one of my former middle school students, now a 9th grader. Of course, I asked her about her writing.

“Well,” she said, “I just had to write a history paper that was hard. At first I couldn't really do it.”

My heart sank. “Why not?” I asked her. “What didn't you know how to do?”

“Oh, I knew how,” she replied without hesitation. “I just didn't know enough. I didn't understand the stuff. So I had to do that first. Then I could write it OK.”

Learning Target for this Session

• I can describe the importance of deep and thorough reading, critical thinking, and purposeful academic discourse as the basis for quality writing.

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Getting Started

• Please see p. X in your participants’ notebook.

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Triads: Synthesize Your Thinking

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While Viewing

• Use additional sticky notes to keep track of key ideas. Go for short = 1 or 2 words.

• Write one key idea per sticky note. It would be good if each person ended up with a small pile of 8-10 words/notes.

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Concept Mapping

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Quick Write

• A technique frequently used in the modules to help students “capture thinking.”

• In your Participants’Journal, p X, take 5 minutes to write about the important ideas you’re thinking as a result of this session so far.

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Analyzing Lessons and Units

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Highlight Your Chosen Resource

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Discuss

• Are all parts of the read, think, talk, write cycle present in your chosen unit plan or lesson plan? If not, why?

• What are the implications of eliminating any of these steps? Could steps be streamlined rather than eliminated?

• In what ways could these steps by adapted to meet the needs of all learners?

• If you have actually taught a module, please discuss what you have noticed about the quality of your students’ writing. How does that connect to the themes of this session?

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Journal

• Please use p. X in your Participants’ Notebook to capture takeaways from this session.

• Enjoy a short break. The next session begins at 10:45.

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