Making Close Reading Comprehensible and Engaging
with iPads
October 23, 2014Maggie Essig
Laura HeneghanEvergreen Park School District 124
Have an iPad with you? Download these apps: ● PaperPort Notes
● Skitch● Sticky Beautiful Notebooks for iPad and iPhone
● YouTube Capture
● Review Close Reading Steps● Explore iPad apps that can help facilitate
each step of the process for ELLs● Time to explore/ask questions
Objectives
“Close reading is an instructional routine in which students critically examine a text, especially through repeated readings.”
- Fisher & Frey
What is a Close Read?
● "English language learners benefit from the reinforcement of vocabulary and concepts through pictures, graphics and video. They also benefit from being able to use technology to express themselves." (Brozek & Duckworth, 2011).
● “...building ELLs’ background knowledge definitely has its place in the Common Core, it is only one piece of the close reading puzzle. After we build ELLs’ background knowledge as necessary, we must then focus the majority of our instruction on having students working with the text itself so that they can unlock its meaning.” (Staehr Fenner, 2013)
Close Reading and ELLs
● Lowers affective filter (Krashen, 1982)● Provides an authentic audience for students’ work ● A growing number of language programs rely on technology tools to make language
learning more comprehensible to a wide range of learners (Winkle & Goertler, 2008) ● Laptops in the ESL classroom allowed the teachers to make their teaching more visual,
provide practice learning content through online games, create a soothing environment by playing music, and help support ELLs language development (Turgut, 2011)
● Importance of computers in creating an interesting and motivating learning environment through a rich comprehensive input in a low affective filter (Carrasquillo and Nunez, 1988)
● Technology offers second language learners a more natural communicative approach and online immersion by being able to practice with native speakers. (Godzicki, Godzicki, Krofel, and Michaels, 2013)
● Using mobile devices to teach ELLs increased the level of interest of learners and helped reduce their stress level (Chen & Hsu, 2008)
● Importance of technology as a differentiated instruction tool that provides ELLs with a rich and comprehensive input necessary to acquire a second language (Chen & Hsu, 2008; Elsner, 2011; Tsuei, 2011; and Winkle & Goertler, 2008)
Technology and ELLs
● Use a short passage● “Read with a pencil (or finger)”● Note what is confusing to students● Pay attention to patterns● Give students a chance to struggle slightly
Close Reading Guidelines
Close Reading Procedure
Establish Purpose
1st Reading & 1st Discussion
2nd Reading & 2nd Discussion
3rd Reading & 3rd Discussion
● Explain the purpose of the read● Make it clear to students that it is a Close
Read● What will you focus on?
o Word choiceo Structureo Imageryo Syntax
Establish Purpose
o Literary deviceso Content vocabularyo Key ideas & details
● Students read independently (can be read together based on age or language proficiency level)
● Students annotate text while the teacher looks for patterns
● Small/whole group discussion to check meaning● Prompt students to reference text annotations
during discussions
1st Reading & Discussion
Annotations
Key Ideas & Details● What’s the gist (big idea) of the text?● What is the author’s key idea/claim?● What are the important details (who,
what, where, when, why, or how)?
1st Reading & Discussion Focus
● Record yourself reading text to students for use in small groups at school or for reinforcement at home
● YouTube Captureo Settings: Private,
Unlisted, Public
Integrating Technology - 1st Reading
● Take a picture of a text with Skitch to annotate
● Benefit: Students can revisit annotations in future readings/discussions
● Benefit: Works great with individual pages from picture books
Integrating Technology - 1st Reading
You can create Skitch images in one of six ways:
1. Take a photo using the Skitch Camera
2. Select an existing image from your device
3. Create a Skitch image from a webpage or a map
4. Paste an image from the device clipboard
5. Create a Skitch image from a blank page
6. Open a PDF in Skitch from another app
Integrating Technology - 1st Reading
Use PaperPort Notes to annotate PDFs
Integrating Technology - 1st Reading
Text, Pencil, Highlighter, Eraser tools
Sticky note tool Voice-to-text
tool to leave notes
● Use PaperPort Notes to annotate PDFso The Easy Way → Open a PDF in your iPad, click “Open
With…” at bottom, select PaperPort Noteso The Slightly More Steps Way → Create or paste text in a
Google Doc, Download As PDF, Open PaperPort Notes, Click Import, Click Google Drive
● Benefit: Students can revisit annotations in future readings/discussions● Benefit: Works great with Reading A-Z, ReadWorks.org,
SuperTeacherWorksheets.com, http://teacher.depaul.edu/Reading_Passages_NONFICTION.html
Integrating Technology - 1st Reading
● Sticky Notes Appo Use to answer who,
what, where, when, why questions after the first reading
o Use to ask who, what, where, when, why questions ABOUT the text
Integrating Technology - 1st Reading
● Teacher sets focus for second reading● Teacher reads aloud the text● Students listen and revisit annotation
o Technology makes it easier to reclassify parts of the text
● Students expand on discussiono Focus on text dependent question (text structure,
vocabulary, author’s purpose, inferences)
2nd Reading & Discussion
● Record students reading texto Some students need to hear the text multiple
timeso Document students’ growth over timeo Improve fluency
● Record student discussions to revisit as a larger group
● YouTube Capture● QR Codes
Integrating Technology - 2nd Reading
● Google URL Shortener Extension for Chrome
● www.qrstuff.com● i-nigma (free QR code read app)● Put the QR Code on a text passage, in the
back of a book, or on your newsletter to direct students and parents to a passage.
QR Codes
● Teacher’s choice: Teacher read, partner read, or independently read
● Teacher leads discussion about opinions, arguments, or intertextual connections relating to the text
3rd Reading
● Make a YouTube Video where students share intertextual connectionso Video can prompt whole class discussions
● Students write responses in a blogo Preparation for a Prose Constructed Response
(PCR)o Authentic audience, interaction with native
English speakerso Teacher can prompt students to dig deeper into
text
Integrating Technology - 3rd Reading
www.kidblog.org
● Brozek, E., & Duckwork, D. (2011). Supporting English language learners through technology. Educator’s Voice, (4), 10-15.
● Carrasquillo, A., & Nunez, D. (1988). Computer-assisted metacognitive strategies and the reading comprehension skills of ESL elementary school students. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.cu-portland.edu/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED301838.
● Chen, C., & Hsu, S. (2008). Personalized intelligent mobile learning system for supporting effective English learning. Educational Technology & Society, 11(3), 153-180.
● Elsner, D. (2011). Developing multiliteracies, plurilingual awareness & critical thinking in the primary language classroom with multilingual virtual talking books. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.cu-portland.edu/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED530011.
● Godzicki, L., Godzicki, N., Krofel, M., & Michaels, R. (2013). Increasing motivation and engagement in elementary and middle school students through technology-supported learning environments. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.cu-portland.edu/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED541343.
● Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. London: Pergamon Press.● Tsuei, M. (2011). Development of a peer-assisted learning strategy in computer-supported collaborative learning
environments for elementary school students. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42(2), 214-232.● Turgut, G. (Oct. 2011). A case study on use of one-to-one laptops in English as second language classrooms,
Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 3(4), 28-47.● Winkle, P. & Goertler, S. (2008). Did we forget someone? Students' computer access and literacy for CALL.
CALICO Journal, 25(3), 482-509.
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