The Role of Reading in Guided Inquiry: Building Engagement and UnderstandingSchool Library Association of VictoriaGuided Inquiry Master ClassesMelbourne, AustraliaDr. Carol A Gordon, Dr Ross J Todd, Rutgers Universitycissl.scils.rutgers.edu cgordon@scils.rutgers.edu17-19 June 2009

•Authentic Learning

•Reading for Understanding Strategies

Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate

Reading for Learning:Information skills are thinking skillsReading skills are critical thinking skills

Tell me and I forgetShow me and I rememberInvolve me and I understand

ReadingforLearning

Authentic Learning

• Authentic learning tasks

• Authentic assessments

Engage Explore Explain Elaborate Evaluate

Did the Holocaust Really Happen?An Authentic Learning Task

http://projects.edtech.Sandi.net/lewis/annefrank/t-index.htm

You are an Investigative Reporter for YTN (Youth Television Network). You have been assigned the job of researching and writing a news story about holocaust survivals. Your arch rival, Mat Fritzlinger, from YBC (Youth Broadcasting Company) recently made a public statement denying events recorded in The Diary of Anne Frank. According to him the diary is a hoax. He, along with many others, believe none of these events, or any events like them have ever taken place. Your job is to gather and publish evidence that will persuade Matt and his followers to seriously question their beliefs.

Authentic Learning Task Content

•is derived from curriculum objectives;•is meaningful, grows out of academic principles;•requires learners to use tools of the expert;•provides opportunities for problem solving, decision making; •offers learners opportunities for display, presentation, sharing of outcomes;•has interdisciplinary connections.

The learner•relates new information to prior knowledge;•applies information to new situations;•uses divergent, critical thinking;•is actively engaged in a variety of tasks; •has choices;has opportunities to work in groups;•has opportunities for revision

What was it like to live in the Middle Ages?

Methodology

The teacher librarian•Makes expectations and outcomes clear (rubrics);•Promotes self-reflection (journaling, portfolios);•Provides exemplars;•Provides opportunities for revision;•Enlists learners to participate in developing assessment;•Invites learners to evaluate their own performance;•Invites learners to evaluate each other’s performance;•Invites learners to evaluate the task;•Participates in a post-mortem meeting to critique and revise the learning task.

Learners become their own and eachother’s best critics

The Design

Formative Assessments areperformance-based and ongoing

Journals Rubrics Portfolios Peer review Self-evaluation

And more!

The learning task

Graphic organizers Mapping Checklists Statements of intent Rough drafts

is the assessment

•Reading strategies

•Critical Thinking

•Information Search Process

Tell me and I forgetShow me and I rememberInvolve me and I understand

The Teacher Librarian’s Role

20th Century Focus: Recreational Reading

Sources are in library collections

Extrinsic reading motivation Passive reading activities Broadening reading interests Reading in content areas

21st Century Focus: Reading for Learning

Digital sources are unmediated Reading engagement Active management of reading Focus reading interests Reading for understanding strategies

How is reading digital text different from reading print text? Reading changes with genre, purpose, technology

Readers develop new strategies for handling the huge volume of information; just-enough-just-in-time

Attention spans shorter; reading is shallow; cultural conditions for deep reading are disappearing

Role of paper changing; print text has clear advantage over digital text: sharing, focus; interaction with text

People have begun to read on their screens

Mobile devices provide potential venues for reading

Reading large amounts of text is passive and less interactive, less critical

Interacting with text: Let them print!

Annotation

Gathering

Clipping

Sharing

Guided Inquiry: Carefully supervised INTERVENTION of an instructional team…

Reading interventions

Clues to Reading Levels Independent: Can read completely on their own with 95%+ accuracy. Good comprehension.

Instructional: Can read 75%+ on their own. Some comprehension.

Frustration: Below 70% accuracy with little or no comprehension.

How many words do they read incorrectly?How many do they stop and self-correct?How long does it take to read?What can they recall and discuss?

Rules of ThumbNever give a child

something to read that is at instructional or frustration level if you expect him to read it independently.

Children should only be given reading materials at instructional level if:

• They will be instructed during the reading

• They will be shown how to use strategies• They will be instructed in the use of

strategies

Raising Consciousness about ReadingComprehensionThe first step is to make

students conscious about comprehension.

When comprehension breaks down, many students skip sections or words that are confusing and pick the text up again where they can understand it.

The problem is, they have lost valuable information and opportunity to improve their own reading.

Strategies That WorkGoudvis & Harvey

Information Search Process

Feelings Thoughts ActionsInitiation Uncertainty Vague Seeking

relevant information

Selection Optimism

Exploration Confusion, doubt,frustration

Formulation Clarity Focused

Collection Sense of direction,confidence

Seeking pertinentinformation

Presentation

Satisfaction ordisappointment

Increased interest

Assessment Sense ofaccomplishment

Increased self-awareness

to

Reading Strategies and the ISP

Reading Strategies ISP StagesActivating prior knowledge Initiation

Visualization Initiation

Determining importance Exploration, Selection, Formulation

Questioning Exploration, Formulation, Collection

Inferring, Predicting Exploration, Collection

Monitoring comprehension Exploration, Collection

Making connections Presentation

Synthesizing, Reflecting Presentation, Assessment

Brainstorming

KWL ChartsGood readers activate and connect to pertinent background knowledge when reading throughtext structure and signal words.

Background knowledge isyour personal history:

•What you have read

•What you have seen

•Your adventures

•Experiences of day to day life

•Your relationships

•Your passion

Before reading begins, it is essential to activate students’ prior knowledge to:

Reinforce information

Gain additional information

Contradict previous knowledge

Determine insufficient information

Help them to focus on the topic

Give them concrete information to begin researching

Act as a tool to unravel confusion about the topic

Provide foundation for research

Activating Prior Knowledge

Research shows that there is no difference between the recall of good and poor readers when their prior knowledge is the same. Therefore, prior knowledge can be instrumental in improving reading comprehension.

Brainstorming: Creative Challenge Kidspiration; Inspiration

Individual brainstorming generates many ideas, but is less effective at developing them. Group brainstorming generates fewer ideas, but takes each idea further.

1.

2.3.

4.

How might we change…?

Time limit

No. of ideas

Record ideas

No judgment

Five best ideas

Criteria

Score ideas

Activating Prior Knowledge Tool: K-W-L Chart

Digital K-W-LWhat I know about terrariumsWhat I now want to learn What can go into a terrarium? How often should I water it? Can insects live in them? How can I use a digital camera? How can I find out?What I LearnedShe recorded her answers on pieces or paper and created a video from the pile of cards by flipping them and recording with a digital camera to photograph the diagrams of a terrarium activity. Then the images were assembled into an animation, suitable for presenting in PowerPoint, or over the web. In the original presentation, our subject, Lia, had designed her presentation to be displayed in a "flip-chart" manner. This is a great method for supporting student presentations in a primary classroom -- whether or not the teacher uses hi or low-tech method.

K-W-L will help students…

Identify what they know and want to learn

Select a topic based on what they know

Focus to formulate their own learning task

Generate questions Collect pertinent information

Provide a starting point for strategic research rather

than unfocused searching. Help them decide on format for presentation

Inspire confidence in student’s ability to complete the project.

Images

Wordle

Wordsift

Mapping

Wonder Wheel

Voice Thread

Webspiration

Good readers create sensory mental images from written or oral text. Sensory imagesinclude pictures, smells, tastes, sounds, feelings that are connected to the reader’s life experiences & memories

“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do. Once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and where is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?“ -- Lewis Carroll's opening lines of Alice in Wonderland

Using Images to Assess Prior KnowledgeWhy pictures?

•They inspire questions and interest.

•Provide a tangible element when focus blurs and clarity is elusive.

•Offer a starting point.

•Offer support of a group working with similar themes, situations.

Using Images with small groups

Questions:What has emerged for you as potential interests and topics?

What connections have you made?

What information have you generated?

•Tell, draw, label the images that a reader sees when listening•Create illustrations, graphs, charts, timelines, and diagrams•Listen to music or sound associated with the text

Reflection Sheet

Share your photos and

Ideas/insights/imaginings

What have you learned?

As a group, share your organizers and compile a comprehensive list

What do you collectivelyKnow about the American Civil War?

Photographs: Which one captures your attention?

Using Images

Which picture interest you?

Why? What does it remind you of?

What else do you know about

it?

P

Penrith Public School Libraryhttp://penrithpslibrary.pbworks.com/Seasons-at-Penrith-Public-School

Reflections

What do you all know

about polar bears?

Which picture do you like best? Why?

What can you learn from

these pictures?

Share what you find out

With your group.

P

Wordle: VELS Thinking Processes Skills Chart http://www.wordle.net/create Language

that fosters visualization

Use of strong verbs, nouns, adjectives, figurative language.

Imagery:SimileMetaphorPersonificationHyperbole

Word Sift: VELS Level 3 Humanitieshttp://www.wordsift.com/

Wordsift

Concept Maps; Mind Maps

Wonder WheelGoogle search, show options

Mind Maps

Drilling Down

VoiceThreadhttp://voicethread.com/#q

Group conversations are collected and shared in one place from anywhere in the world. VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate pages and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and

colleagues for them to record comments too.Users can doodle while commenting, use multiple identities, and pick which comments are shown through moderation. VoiceThreads can even be embedded to show and receive comments on other websites and exported to MP3 players or DVDs to play as archival movies.

Webspirationhttp://mywebspiration.com/

Statement ofIntent

InformationCircles

Wikis

Good readers sift, sort, and analyze information.

The reader prioritizes the information and then merges their thinking with the information.

The reader determines essential and nonessential information

What information do I need?Use fonts size, effects, bullets; hyperlinks. Signal words andphases: for example, for instance,in fact, in conclusion, as a result, in summary,by comparison, on theother hand.

Illustrations, photos, maps, charts, captions, graphics, sidebars,graphs

Text organizersIndex, t of c,preface

Statement of Intent

Research QuestionWill the computer change the way we are schooled?

Sub-questionsa. What are the positive and negative effects of computers on learning?

Key wordsa. Cognitionb. Second lifec. Social networking

Definitions of Key termsa. The act of learning and thinkingb. An Internet-based virtual worldc. Uses software to build online social

networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.

Working BibliographyThe Road AheadThe Virtual SchoolThe Children’s Machine

Location information001 GAThttp://www./virtual school.yaleuniv.edu371.3 PAP

Submitted by:____________________Student

Approved by: _______________________Teacher/Librarian

Information Circles LiteratureCircles.com

1. Students choose their own information sources2. They form small temporary groups 3. They read different sources 4. Groups meet regularly to discuss what they know5. Students have rotating roles (leader, illustrator, vocab guru)6. Kids use notes to guide reading and discussion 7. Discussion topics come from the students8. Meetings are open, natural conversations: personal connections, digressions, and open-ended questions. 9. The teacher serves as a facilitator, not group member or instructor10. Evaluation is by teacher observation and student self-evaluation11. A spirit of playfulness and fun pervades the room. 12. Readers share what they learned with their classmates, and form new groups around inquiry choices.

Wikis •Set up wikis for collaborative group projects with faculty and students

•Students use wikis to explore by brainstorming ideas, sharing resources and information

•Incorporate other reading strategies, as needed

•The teacher posts exemplars

•Build a 24/7 readers’ advisory

https://www.pbwiki.com

Wikis: Penrith Public School Library/Ian McLeanThe Clever Rhinoceroshttp://penrithpslibrary.pbworks.com/The-clever-rhinoceros Early Stage One (Kindergarten) students have been involved in the creation of jointly constructed fables with the teacher-librarian. Character generation was through Circle Time discussions (English: Talking and listening outcomes)

and drama and drawing activities. OASIS Web Enquiry

P

was used to research fables. An online wiki was set up to collateideas, write and edit the narratives (English: Writing outcomes)and present the final drafts to an international audience via theWWW. Circle Time was used to evaluate the unit. Aim: Young students will gain insight into practical use of Wikis with a strong focus on literacy, and of how ICT can be embedded into pedagogy in stimulating and practical ways through explicit teaching.

Sticky Notes

Wall Wisher

Graphic Organizers

Kidspiration/Inspiration

Good readers develop questions related to the text.

Developing questions as a reader is the key to learning.

Purpose of questioning:

Support an internal dialogue between the reader and the author, illustrator or text

Keeps the reader engaged

Authentic ?s thatprompt thinking;

Don’t always have one right answer;

Cause reader to wonder or ponder;

Dispel or clarify confusion;

Challenge the reader to rethink one’s opinion;

Lead the reader to seek out further information;

May require further research

Types of Questions Lingering questions: Extend and expand the reader’s knowledge beyond the text

Developing question: Based on skimming and scanning Title, Heading, Subheadings, Pictures, Captions

Thin: Literal and be can answered by reading the text Thick: Inferential and can be answered through thoughtful examination of text, discussion, and research

“I wonder…” “How come…?”

“Who…? What…? Where…? When…?” “Why ….?” “How?”

“What does that mean?”

 

Sticky notesTakes reading out of the abstract realm

Allow students to interact with the text and have a record of their questions and ideas.

Gives voice to student questions, concerns, confusion and vocabulary issues

Students begin to color code their notes. This is a pre-writing process

Post-its

Wall Wisher http://www.wallwisher.com/

Graphic Organizers

Kidspirationhttp://www.coweta.k12.ga.us/cweb/kidspiration/kidspics/alexanderandthebadday.bmp

P

Inspiration

Blogging

Cartooning

Wordless Picturebooks

Good readers merge background knowledge with clues in the text to come up with an idea that is not explicitly stated by the author.

Inferences require that the reader go beyond literal meaning. Readers use the print and illustrations plus their prior knowledge (beliefs and values) and experience to interpret the text.

Predictions can be confirmed or contradicted by the end of the text.

It is one of the aspects of inferential thinking

Types of Inferences for informational text Meaning of unfamiliar

words (using context clues)

Cause and effect Following clues to solve a mystery

Text evidence Suggests various interpretations

Determines the theme or big ideas

Draws conclusions Detect bias

Make an effort to think about the message.

Define/Redefine the purpose for reading the text.

Identify conflicting

viewpoints Text Structure Time line (cause and effect)

Venn Diagram (compare and contrast)

Blogging •Blogs are a social networking tool that helps student express thoughts in writing beyond the walls of the school. They encourage critical thinking and social learning.

• Blogs become a forum for students to talk about their progress and difficulties during inquiry units.

•

A blog is an interactive, electronic journal

•Blogs can elevate the quality of discussions and elicit broader participation from students.

Blogging with Writing Promptshttp://mrsmessengerhonors.blogspot.com

Picture Books for Older Studentshttp://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailBook.asp?idBooks=2047Titles:

Visualize This: Books about the Arts

Notes on a Page: Books about Music

Into the Past: Books about History

Theories and Revelations: Books about Math and Science

Challenges and Change: Stories of Politics, Identity, and Understanding

Seriously Surreal: Tales of (Im)possibility

Over-the-Top: Sly and Sophisticated Humor

All Cracked Up: Fractured Fairy Tales and Fables

Cooperative Children’s Book CenterJon Scieszka

Picture Books and Cartoons

I predict that…

My guess is that…

I suspect that…

I knew this would happen because…

David Weisner

Carol Hurst’s Childrens’ Literature http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/tuesday.html

E

Double-entryJournal

16 Steps

Visualization

Readers:

Notice the moment when comprehension is lost

Determine which option to tryDevelop techniques

Practice these options a few at a time

“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.” 

John Locke (1632 - 1704)

Double-entry Journal

16 Steps to Monitoring and Regaining Comprehension

1. Reread.

2. Read ahead.

3. Stop to think

4. Try to visualize.

5. Ask a new question.

6. Make a prediction.

7. Study the illustration or other text feature.

8. Ask someone for help.

9. Figure out unknown

words.

10. Look at the text

structure.

11. Make an inference.

12. Connect to background

knowledge.

13. Read the author’s or

illustrator’s note.

14. Write about the

confusing parts.

15. Make an effort to think

about the message.

16. Define/Redefine the

purpose for reading the

text.

For early readers: consider the first 8 optionsFor advancing readers: consider first 12 options For advanced readers: apply all 16 options

Visualization serves as a self-monitoring tool When a movie gets fuzzy, the viewer rewinds and watches again. So when a reader can not create the images, it a signal for the reader to reread.

Explaining or labeling of the reader’s visualization helps reveal gaps in understanding

Summarize the text aids in determining important ideas

Serves as a “self-monitoring” tool Assists in moving from literal interpretation to inferential thinking.

Text-to-self

Text-to-text

Text-to-world

“A book burrows into your life in a very profound way because the experience of reading is not passive.” 

Erica Jong, O Magazine, 2003

Text-to-self: Exploring the Self

A student will more readily connect a text to herself before connecting to other outside influences like other texts and the world around her.

Text to self is a connection between the text and his/her past experience and/or background knowledge.

This skill, when made conscious, creates empathy and critical thinking. Students will make more specific choices about focus and clarity of their project in a more independent fashion.

Text-to-text

The Hero saves the day. If s/he can’t, supernatural forces do!Good over comes evil

Text-to-World

Scrooge rejects the idea of helping the poor. This comes back to haunt him when he pleads for mercy from the ghost of Christmas Present. The ghost throws Scrooge’s own words back at him: “Are there no workhouses?”

Reflection Sheet: “What’s a Workhouse?”Read the excerpt on Victorian workhouses and with a

small group, complete the modified KWL chart.

Student Work

Dear Mr. Scrooge,My name is Julia Rose. I’m the wife of Bret Rose. His name

may sound familiar to you because at one point in time he worked for you. My husband has too much pride to ask for such a huge favor, but will you please give him his job back, or at least consider it? The workhouses are a terrible place to live and to try to raise children. Families are split up and people are treated like the scum of a stray dog’s paw in this place.

My husband was sentenced to three weeks bread and water for meals just for saying hello to me one day during lunch time. Everyday it’s the same routine – get up at dawn and work until nightfall.

Our daughter has just turned 9 this past March and they have her out in the fields picking and planting crops with her bare hands. I know you must get many of these letters daily, but please, I beg of you, Mr. Scrooge, give my husband his job back, or any job

Sincerely, Julia Rose

Observations About Students’ Work

What is most interesting about the letters student wrote was that they involved children in some way. They identified with the material in an elemental way and experienced it personally.

From here, students were able to discuss the

underlying reason for the workhouses on their own – “they just hid the poor from the rich,” one student said before a journal workshop.

Students were able, on their own, to identify and discuss the political nature of the workhouses and what purposes they truly served in the 19th century. They were able to achieve that critical analysis and connection on their own.

Recall

Summarize

9 Steps

Reflection sheet

Peer Review

Self-EvaluationRubric

Good readers will construct meaning from what they read by gaining a new perspective or thought.

They can retell: give a detailed account of what was read in sequential order. Represents literal comprehension

Good readers can:

Summarize: tell the important points; tell it in a logical and concise manner; be brief but thorough; put it in the reader’s own words.

Avoiding plagiarism involves critical thinking

9 Steps to Synthesizing

1. Add pieces of information together to construct meaning

2. Utilize

Connections (text-self, text to text, text to world)

3. Questioning

4. Inferring

5. Determining importance

6. Generate additional understanding to what you already know

7. Gain a new perspective or new way of thinking

8. After summarizing information from multiple sources, readers add their

interpretations to the facts.

9. In synthesizing, readers give the ideas and information significance and meaning.

Directions: Discuss your project with your partner. Allow your partner to use your proposal and assessment criteria to give you feedback on how well you are doing.

PRAISE (What are the strengths of the project? Be specific: refer to the proposal and assessment criteria.)

QUESTION (What helpful questions would you like to ask about the project? What problems do you see with the project?)

POLISH (What suggestions do you have to solve the problems or improve the project?)

Reviewed for: _________________________________

Reviewed by: ____________________________

Peer Review

PLANNING (Look at your proposal)

MEETING DEADLINES (Look at your calendar)

ORGANIZATION (Look at your journal or blogs)

READING STRATEGICALLY (Look at your reading log)

WORKING WITH ADVISER (Look at journal, calendar)

PROBLEM SOLVING/DECISION MAKING (Look at your journal)

Self-Evaluation Rubric

Guidelines for Using an Intervention

•Does it promote critical thinking, including reading for understanding?•Does it support the ISP stages?•Does it provide GI through intervention or help? •Does it encourage authentic learning? •Does help gather evidence of student performance and progress?•Does it help us make teaching decisions based on evidence?