TES SP10Case Study: Secondary School Reform Program

Katie FreelandAlexander Hang

Bradley MorrisonJulia Thiessen

David Tran

Minds On• “Signs”• Group game• Read the instructions once and play

Ready?!?

Signs• Any number of people can play this game in which you sit in a circle and face inwards. Each

person will choose a sign and going one-by-one you will show the people sitting in the circle what your chosen sign is. Make sure you pay attention because you’ll need to remember everyone’s signs when you begin to play the game. Once everybody has chosen their sign and has shown it to the rest of the group the game can now start. One person will begin by showing their sign and then right after that the sign of another person sitting in the circle. This other person now has to first show their sign and then the sign of a different person sitting in the circle (you can’t choose the person who went right before you). So for example, David’s sign was picking his nose, Brad’s sign was patting his head, Alex’s sign was fixing his glasses, Julia’s sign was reading an imaginary book and Katie’s sign was waving hello. If David were to start he would have to pick his nose and then choose another sign, maybe pretend to read a book. This means that he has signalled that Julia is next meaning that Julia has to start by pretending to read a book (her sign) and then someone else’s sign, maybe patting her head (she can’t pick her nose because David was the one that went right before her). Now this means that Brad is next and he must first pat his head and then do something other than reading a book, which is Julia’s sign. The game should be relatively fast paced and the person who messes up, by not realizing that they are next or by not remembering any signs to do next, loses a point. Everyone will begin the game with 2 points each.

Case Study

Synopsis: A new Grade 11 Physics teacher is struggling with literacy in the classroom after students have already passed the EQAO Literacy Test in Grade 10.

• Grade 11 Physics, 28 students• Established TDSB high school• Some are recent immigrants, however most

are native English language speakers

Questions

1. Why is literacy important?2. What is overlooked in the literacy development

as currently practiced in schools?3. What strategies can we use to address remaining

difficulties?

Why is Literacy Important?

...To save Mr. Morrison’s and Ms. Thiessen life!!!

• Statistics have shown that truck drivers with lower levels of literacy are more likely to be in an accident.

2009 OECD Survey on Reading Mathematics and Science

Country Reading Mathematics Science Change

Finland 536 541 554 -

South Korea 539 554 538 -

Japan 520 529 539 +4

Canada 524 527 529 -1

Wait a minute…..

• If we are ranked 4th in the world for academic achievement then why all this fuss about literacy?

I Stats!

• 22% of Canadians have serious difficulty with any type of printed material

• Another 26% of Canadians are only comfortable reading and writing very simple material.

• Of this 48% only 5-10% are seeking help• (ABC Canada Literacy Foundation)

Show Me the Money!

• Low literacy costs businesses $2.5 billion in 2007 (International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey, 2003)

• 7 million working age adults do not have the literacy skills to function in the work place.

• (OECD Education at a Glance 2009)

• People with low literacy skills have the weakest positions within the economy and are often the first to be effected by economic downturns (Conference Board of Canada)

Unemployment

26%• Unemployment rate for the highest level of literacy?

4%

• Unemployment rate for the lowest level of literacy?

Low Literacy =

• People with lower literacy have poorer overall health.

• More likely to misunderstand health and medication information.

• Have greater difficulty accessing proper health care.

• Makes it difficult for parents to access parenting information and make the best choices for their children.

Literacy =

• Offenders are 3x more likely to have literacy problems

• Prisoners who participate in education programs are less likely to re-offend.

• Average education level of new offenders is grade seven.

• Addressing literacy at a young age reduces risk factors such as poverty and unemployment.

But what do we mean by literacy?

-the ability to read and write?

-the ability to understand, contextualize, and apply what we read, and to communicate effectively and creatively in writing?

-other literacies?

Critical literacy (according to the Ontario Ministry of Education):

• The capacity for a particular type of critical thinking that involves looking beyond the literal meaning of texts to observe what is present and what is missing, in order to analyse and evaluate the text’s complete meaning and the author’s intent. (p. 110)

What can get in the way?• -differences in

development or gender not paid enough attention, especially at an early age

-reading and writing as stand-alone activities

-OR literacy as primarily a means to something extrinsic (eg, a higher-paying job, better grades)

Equity and diversity obstacles?

• “Ain't ain't a word 'cause it ain't in the dictionary”

• social and cultural factors

– confusing non-standard varieties/dialects with an inability to use English – some students are made to feel they haven't mastered any language!

• “There is evidence from Sweden, the U.S., and other countries that speakers of other varieties can be aided in their learning of the standard variety by pedagogical approaches which recognize the legitimacy of the other varieties of a language.”

• --Linguistic Society of America

Other challenges...• -school/family/community separations

• -failing to approach literacy in terms of authentic expression and communication (across generations, distances)

and...

• literacy as an English/Language Arts topic only – if students can apparently “read” but not understand what they are reading, they will have difficulty with the content in ALL courses

The Problem“Content-area standards are filled with literacy-based demands to describe, analyze, discuss and synthesize content. Yet student after study reveals that students are not being taught to do this type of high-level reading, writing and thinking in middle and high school classrooms.” (Irvin 2006)

The SolutionIn many cases, it is up to the individual teacher to become the literacy expert.

Understanding Literacy

Can you transpose a piece of music?

How do you navigate a new building or city?

How do you document your life?

Comprehension Crushers

1. Lack of Background Knowledge2. Unfamiliar Vocabulary3. Unfamiliar Text Structure4. Lack of Context5. Inability to locate the main idea6. Little Sense of Purpose7. Lack of Interest/Personal Relevance

Motivation

• Students are motivated by literacy strategies that connect to the real world and that examine concepts already of interest to them

• Consider Strategies that:– Incorporate real world materials– Investigate Big Concepts– Use Group Work

Reading Strategies – Before, During & After

• Think Literacy document divides their list of strategies into three:

1. Getting Ready to Read2. Engaging in Reading3. Reacting to Reading

Strategy 1: Getting Ready to Read• Extending Vocabulary – “Word

Wall”– Students skim the text to create a

list of 10 unfamiliar words and compile a master list in groups onto card stock

– Students predict what the words mean, then look up the meaning and record it on card stock

– The words remain on the wall throughout the duration of the unit

Strategy 2: Getting Ready to Read

• Finding Signal Words– Students scan the text for “signal words”– Students identify the organizational pattern– Students complete a graphic organizer to show

the organizational relationship

Thenor Because

Similarly

Strategy 3: Engaging in Reading

• Using Context to Find Meaning– Identify concept words in the text; write the

words on the chalkboard and ask students to suggest possible meanings for the words

– Direct students to the concept word in the text to confirm or reject their suggested meanings

– Discuss: what types of clues are included in the text? (definition, description, example, illustration, comparison, clarification, elaboration, etc.)

Literacy Strategies

• Reading– Higher level questioning– Develop answers using key terms from the

question– Provide opportunities to summarize texts

• Writing– Persuasive writing– Non-fiction writing– Group writing assignments

Literacy Strategies for Science

• “Idea Wave”• Venn Diagrams• Word Problem Strategies:

– Scaffolding– Work Backwards– Questioning

• Students ask/form their own questions • Content poems/songs• Comic Strips

Group Work Time

Group Work - Discussion

• In your teachable groups, discuss literacy strategies you could realistically implement in the teaching of the particular topic in a class where several students have low literacy levels.

• Discuss certain challenges that may arise within your class or department.