Animo Pat Brown Science Department

READING

AND

ACADEMIC DISCOURSE

IN THE NON-ELA CLASSROOM

Who we are…

We are normal teachers — not experts.We are here to share what we have tried as a result of our grant, and hopefully to learn from you! Jason Batten, chemistry & physics Rob Daniell, physics & biology Janeé Gerard, chemistry & physics Alexis Hanson, biology & anatomy &

physiology Andy Osterhaus, physics & robotics

Daniell

Background: Our SchoolDaniell

Where we teach…Animo Pat Brown Charter HS

Public Charter School in South Central LA Public Funding Accountable to LAUSD/WASC/etc. More autonomy than a traditional public school

Admission by neighborhood lottery Our Students (~550 kids total):

96% Latino, 4% African American 99% socioeconomically disadvantaged 75%+ English Learners 10% SPED

Daniell

Daniell

Background: Our Grant

Students have great CST scores, but they still struggle immensely when they get to college.

How can we help them deal with rigorous college coursework?

Batten

Physics (9th) Bio (10th) Chem (11th)0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Percent of Students Scoring Advanced/Proficient (2012 CST)

APB Fremont South Gate

Our Grant Program Title: “Developing Scientistis” PD #1: Model-Based Reasoning

Work with Dr. Cindy Passmore, UC Davis Align curriculum to authentic scientific practice

PD #2: Reading Apprenticeship Work with RA division of WestEd Structure metacognitive conversation around

reading PD #3: Center for Math and Science

Teaching Work with Kathy Clemmer, LMU Develop systems that support fluent scientific

practice

Batten

Our Goal Today: Make Thinking Visible

In order to succeed in college, our students must think much more rigorously and deeply.

The only way to work together with students on their thinking is to make this thinking “visible”.

Today we present two ways we have had success in this: Reading Academic Discourse

Batten

Agenda

Reflect on your practice Part I: Reading

Importance View work samples of student thought on readings Review strategies for achieving this

Part II: Academic Discourse Importance View transcripts of class discussions Review strategies for achieving this

Discussion (if time) Benefits to our students Remaining challenges

Batten

Brainstorm:What are you currently doing?

What strategies do you use to help students think deeply about complex texts?

What strategies do you use to help students discuss their thinking in class?

Gerard

PART I: Reading

Gerard

Why MUST we teach reading?

~50% of HS students taking the ACT in 2008-09 did NOT meet the benchmark score (21/36) in reading.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) “the need for remedial reading appears to be the most serious barrier to degree completion”. Only 30% of students from 1992-2000 who took a

remedial college reading class went on to receive a degree or certificate.

In contrast, 69% of students requiring no remedial reading course in college graduated with a degree.

Gerard

Why we MUST teach reading

Difficulty of college texts & periodicals measured by Lexile scores has increased since 1962 (Stenner, Koons, & Swartz, in press)

Teaching content-based complex reading is essential for both high- and low-income kids!

Gerard

Making Thinking Visible: Reading

The rules of reading change from discipline to discipline.

Skilled readers carry out a multitude of invisible processes while they read.

We must surface these invisible processes to teach them to our students.

Two ways to make them visible: Speaking our thinking out loud (Think

Aloud) Annotating our thinking (Talking to the Text)

Gerard

Review student work samples This are authentic samples: from high to

low! Individually: Annotate (through pg. 11)

Multiple work samples from each grade level.

What evidence of thinking do you see on these pages?

With partner: Share out observations Group Discussion:

What did you notice? What questions do you have?

Gerard

Strategies for Achieving This Making reading routine

Replacing many lectures with readings Think aloud

Teacher thinks aloud Reciprocal think aloud Partner think aloud

Thinking stem bookmarks Scaffolding reading through the year

Teacher-made textbook and other authentic sources Short Long Highly chunked Extended time Quite structured Freedom

Everyone

Do you have any additional strategies?Osterhaus

PART II: Academic Discourse

Hanson

Why MUST we teach academic discourse?

Video sample Our inspiration: teacher evaluation rubric

Hanson

Review student discussion transcripts These are authentic samples: recorded

this week! Individual: Read and annotate

What kinds of thinking do you see students engaging in? E.g. analyzing ________, clarifying _________

Partner: Share Group Discussion:

What do you notice? What questions do you have?

Hanson

Strategies for achieving this

Assessing student participation via seating chart

Sentence Starters Formal Informal

Group accountability cards Making discussion routine:

Post-warm-up (catalyst), post-reading, homework/exam review, etc.

Pre- and post-discussion input from teacher

Everyone

Do you have any additional strategies?Daniell

Discussion

Discussion

How does this sort of teaching benefit students?

Osterhaus

Benefits Increases depth of thought in all areas of

class; as kids learn to discuss with one another, they are enabled to work through content at a deeper level.

Class becomes much more interesting and student-centered.

Kids learn a valuable set of professional skills for life beyond secondary school.

Principal quote: "I've been seeing a general shift: more explaining and less copying."

Osterhaus

Remaining Challenges

How to measure the impact of this work? How to adapt this to different groups of

students? Different periods have different

personalities Establishing these routines takes time

At the beginning of the year, we are behind in pacing

Starting out is difficult Creating authentically situated materials

is difficult Ex) Models of the atom packet

Everyone

Thank you!

Questions?

For further information, please contact Jason Batten at batten.jason@gmail.com

Batten