Chapter 12: Moving the Field Forward as Leaders and Literacy Advocates (youtube)

I used PowerPoint, converted it, and uploaded it to YouTube.  The timings were set more appropriately but during the conversion, each slide was shortened in length significantly (most slides were set for 20 seconds in length in the original format).  Please pause at each slide to read through and then proceed through the video. 

Chapter 1: Examining the Historical Context for Teaching Reading

A poem

Reading,

A complex task,

A never ending debate,

Which is best?

What must go?

Early on,

Children of the elite,

Learned of the alphabet and sound-symbol relationships,

Read educational texts.

Tick tock, tick tock,

Time goes on,

And change again happens,

Analytic and synthetic phonics approaches came about,

But are they effective?

Tick tock, tick tock,

Time continues on,

Basal reading series,

Ability grouping,

Reading level grouping.

Do these truly work?

More holistic,

More integrated methods came about,

The years I was schooled,

Tick tock,

Again those methods have gone away.

Time continues ticking along,

Federally funded research is done,

National panel recommendations given,

Controversial,

Critically reviewed,

Needs more explicit teaching,

more of the big five.

Reading,

A complex task,

Integration of,

Thoughtful application of,

 many skills and strategies,

Must consider a variety of,

Social, political, cultural, and educational contexts.

Tick tock,

What's to come next?

Tick tock,

What's to come next?

Reflection:  I started kindergarten in 1983 and went to a small suburban school in western New York State.  Phonics were definitely stressed when I was learning to read.  I had excellent teachers who pushed me to excel, and reading seemed to come easy for me.  I was encouraged at home and at school.  I have many books, read every day, and was read to every night.  I also have two brothers.  One is just two years younger than me, and he struggled in school.  He struggled to learn to read and write.  He had the same teachers as I had.  That type of reading program simply did not work for him.  But it wasn't just him.  I know others struggled learning to read as well.  So I can understand the desire to try to find the best, research based methods to teach children how to read.  With education constantly changing, it is so vitally important for teachers to have professional development available to them.  This makes reading specialists and coaches even more valuable.  I know how hard it can be to adapt to and learn different things.  I lived in Alaska from 2006 to 2012.  2012 was the year I moved back to Florida.  Common core, what's that?  I was clueless.  So much had changed, and I was desperately trying to play catch up.  I don't think there will ever been only one right answer in regards to reading education.  I think it's one of those fields that will also be changing and evolving as people change and evolve as well.

Referencs
Vogt, M., & Shear, B. (2011). Reading specialists and reading coaches in the real world. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Chapter 7: Language and Literacy Development for English Learners

     English learners (ELs) need additional instruction and practice to develop oral fluency in addition to explicit reading instruction in the five core reading components.  It is important for teachers to carefully assess EL's literacy and language development and proficiency, ideally in both the L1 and English.  Conversational English is acquired prior to academic English.  Reading specialists and coaches need to help classroom teachers identify and explicitly teach academic language.  Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model was designed to develop English proficiency, academic language, and content knowledge simultaneously.  To enhance their teaching of all students, teachers must be sensitive and aware of their own and their students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).
      My experiences with working with English learners is very limited.  In addition, I have not taken any ESOL  workshops or classes.  While all these ideas make perfect sense to me, providing the modifications seems overwhelming at the moment.  I would imagine many classroom teachers feel the same way, and that leads itself towards the importance of the reading coaches role in helping assist teachers to implement these modifications for ELs.  
     I took five years of French in middle school, high school, and college.  Having fluent (or at least semi fluent) conversations was always a struggle for me and others in my class.  I could not imagine the struggle to try to learn academic language in a school setting in which only French was spoken.
     I have had several friends over the years who are from very different cultural and linguistic backgrounds compared to myself (typical white, European American, English speaking).  One was from Peru; another from Germany; another from Russia; another from Ghana, and yet another from Ecuador.  Through our friendships, I can testify to the increased acceptance and appreciation I have gained by becoming good friends with them.  Simple conversations and comments they have made has lead me to believe that they realize I appreciate and honor their differences.  As people, we have more similarities than differences.  The differences can sometimes be what makes us feel distant from others around us.  A feeling of acceptance and knowing ones culture is honored goes a long way of breaking down any walls and barriers, both in the classroom and out.

References
Vogt, M. & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading Specialists and Reading Coaches in the Real World. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Chapter 11:: Planning and Implementingn Multidimensional Professional Development

View my prezi presentation here.

Chapter 9: Implementing a Comprehensive Literacy Program in Middle and Secondary Schools

Literacy learning in secondary schools has moved away from the ideas of “reading in the content areas” and “every teacher is a reading teacher” to viewing content learning through a more expansive sense (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Adolescent learners need an “assessment-based and evidence-based literacy program with explicit, mediated, and socially situated instruction” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 177).  To prepare them for college and employment, they need instruction in critical thinking and domain-specific strategies.  Adolescent learners need many opportunities to be involved in a vast variety of text forms.  “Rich engagement, appropriate challenge, self-directed learning, and motivating instruction” are among the needs of adolescent learners (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 178).  They need to learn a variety of meaningful, explicit, independent, and imbedded strategies for vocabulary development.  To facilitate content area learning, instruction in technologies that incorporate in-school and out-of-school literacies.  Their instruction should value and incorporate “opportunities to makes connections to lived experience” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 178).  To extend content learning, adolescent learners need opportunities for “in-depth, student-directed, and teacher-supported inquiry” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 178).

Several challenges facing adolescent literacy professionals include large numbers of struggling readers, a lack of resources and qualified professionals, and obstacles achieving change in content area classrooms.  Adolescent literacy professionals should collaborate with teachers, provide professional development for teachers, model literacy strategies in classrooms, help middle and high school professionals develop professional development plans, and support administration and teachers establish and use a school wide literacy plan (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 183-184).

Although all of my teaching experiences are with preschool programs and elementary schools, I can relate to and understand the importance of adolescent literacy programs for middle and secondary schools.  Reading specialists and professionals for adolescents are in much more of a teacher support role rather than one who supports the teachers along with work with the students who are struggling.  It will be interesting to see if the numbers of reading professionals for middle school and secondary schools is seen more of a necessity for schools rather than a position that is not always seen as necessary.

References

Vogt, M., & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading Specialists and Reading Coaches in the Real World. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Implementing a Comprehensive Literacy Program in the Elementary School (Chapter 8)

An Overview of the Reading Process

Oral Language Development

                Long before children enter school, they explore and acquire language as they hear words and sentences, grow in their understanding of how language is used, and develop their own understandings of English (or whatever their home language) phonological structure (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Young children need many books.  They need to be read to often and have books they can look through as well.  They need a variety of books (picture books, fiction, nonfiction, nursery rhymes, poetry, alphabet, song) available and read aloud to them.  Young children need to hear nursery rhymes and sing songs.  Books on tape (CDs) and music CDs are favorites among young children, and they benefit in their oral language development by listening to them.

Knowledge of Letter Names and Concepts about Print

                Knowing letter names does not promise reading proficiency, although there is a strong correlation between a child’s knowledge of letter names and reading success for beginning and developing readers (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Print concepts include understanding text directionality, meaning comes from print (rather than illustrations), speech-to-print match, spacing between words, book concepts (e.g., authors, illustrators, titles), and sentences (e.g., capitalization,  end punctuation) (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Again, children need access to many books.  Big books, (normal sized) books, and charts are essential tools helping to develop these concepts.  Children need to be read to, but they also need to have books they can look at independently.  Teachers need to explicitly teach these concepts.  Children need to be read to frequently.

Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

                Phonological awareness is an awareness of the phonological segments in speech.  It involves “the ability to perform tasks such as rhyming and alliteration, and it is considered to be at a more rudimentary level than phonemic awareness” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 161).

                Phonemic awareness involves the manipulation of sounds in spoken words including segmenting words, onset and rime (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Children need many opportunities to experience word play, hear nursery rhymes, sing songs, and listen to numerous stories.  Children need many books available to them including ones with nursery rhymes, poetry, and songs.  Exposure to music and songs helps with these concepts.  Word play games are helpful and can be in the form of letter tiles, board games, and other materials.

Phonics

The relationship between the letters in written words and the sounds in spoken words is phonics (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Children need to be exposed to good, quality literature on a regular basis.  Other materials that can be helpful when teaching phonics includes paper, white boards, and letter tiles.  Phonics games can be helpful and motivating for children.

Instant Word Recognition

                Instant word recognition refers to the large number of words readers should be able to read instantly and cannot be sounded out (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Materials that can be helpful when teaching instant word recognition include books, sight word flashcards, and a variety of sight word games.

Fluency

                Fluency and automaticity are closely related.  Fluency refers to the absence of word identification problems that could potentially prevent comprehension when reading (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Children need many books.  They need opportunities to self-select texts and need regular independent reading time.  Explicit feedback from a teacher can be beneficial.

Vocabulary Development

                “…children develop vocabulary through reading, reading enhances children’s vocabulary development and background knowledge; and vocabulary knowledge contributes to reading comprehension” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 164).  The two goals of vocabulary instruction are the acquisition of new meanings and to teach strategies for independent vocabulary acquisition (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

                Children need the opportunity read many books to help enhance their vocabulary development.  Incidental and direct methods are necessary for learning new vocabulary.

Comprehension

Comprehension involves how people construct meaning as they read, write, and speak (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Comprehension needs explicit instruction.  Children need to be read many books and need to hear teacher think alouds.

Spelling and Grammar in Reading and Writing

                It is agreed upon that spelling is a developmental process.  Invented spelling is often encouraged for beginning readers and writers.  Spelling instruction eventually emphasizes an inductive approach.  Struggling spellers often benefit from a “deductive, systematic, and direct approach” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 166).

Grammar should not be taught as an isolated skill or separate subject.  Vogt and Shearer (2011) encourage the teaching of grammar through writing instruction.

References

Vogt, M., & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading specialists and reading coaches in the real world.

Boston, MA: Pearson.

Matching Context to Students: Assessment as Inquiry (Chapter 5)

One of the main responsibilities of a reading specialist is communicating to the teachers, administrators, and parents the literacy strengths and needs of students (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Assessment is the process of gathering data to better understand strengths and weaknesses of student learning.  Assessment can be completed by observation, testing, interviews, as well as in other acceptable ways.   In education, diagnosis often includes instructional planning and an assessment of the student's strengths and weaknesses (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

Recent approaches to reading intervention have become known as a difference model or contextualized difference model.  A difference model simply means there is a mismatch between what a student needs and what is being offered in regards to literacy instruction and materials.  The teacher’s responsibility is to determine the source of the mismatch and appropriately adjust materials and instruction to attain a closer match (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).  The concept of the difference model (versus the deficit model) seems to make much more sense to me.  Similar to the idea that you cannot change others’ behaviors, but you can change yourself and how you react to others; the difference model embraces the idea that people are who they are (rather than there is something wrong, we must fix them), and asks how can I best support their learning.  Interestingly, I have heard that the Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs and various school nutrition programs (ex. Free breakfast) stem from the deficit model which leads me believing that the deficit model does have a vital place in education in some ways.

A number of factors must be considered in contextualized assessment.  Home factors (e.g., family structure, number of moves, changes in schools), community factors (e.g., language use within the community, values about literacy), identity (e.g., ethnicity, certain physical attributes), and school factors (e.g., school quality, resources available) are recognized as some of the complex and cultural factors that inevitably affect learning (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

The purpose of a Learner Assessment Profile (LAP) is to provide information in a factual way free of judgments and biases.  The goal is to achieve a closer match between students’ needs and what is offered in the classroom (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

"You can't make a pig fatter by weighing it more often." (author of quote unknown)

            A concern of many educators is time spent screening, testing, and monitoring students is taking valuable time away from instruction.  Regardless, evidence needs to be available that documents student learning (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).  Finding the balance between the assessments that need to be done (regardless of whether they are high stakes, authentic, or some other form of testing) and not taking away too much precious instructional time is paramount.

References

Vogt, M., & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading specialists and reading coaches in the real world. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Differentiating Instruction to Meet Learners' Needs: Framing Literacy Intervention (Chapter 6)

Chapter 6 Glogster

Forming a literacy Team and Creating a Literacy Vision (Chapter 3)

      "We believe in the power of the past to inform the future” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 57).

     When establishing a literacy team, members must be selected and roles defined.  Wellins, Byham, and Wilson (1991) stated teamwork is essential and can result in increased knowledge and expertise, ownership, and empowerment for participants (as cited in Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 58).  Creating and implementing a collaborative vision with the goal of improving the school’s literacy education program is the literacy team’s responsibility.  Teams help us face challenges as educators that simply cannot be solved by any one person alone (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

 
     When selecting members for a literacy team, you want enough members to get the job done without having the group size impede effectiveness.  Many literacy teams have between seven and fifteen members.  Several groups should be represented including administrators, reading specialists, teamers, and support personnel (e.g., psychologists, media specialists, Title I teachers); some include students, parents, and community members as well.  It is imperative that the team understands how to be a team and believes that a team is “a unit that sees itself as a force for change” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 61).  It is essential that each literacy team member understands they are acting as a representative who is willing to promote a group agenda.  The role of its members must be defined.   Gordon (2004) lists the following characteristics for effective teams: “shared identity, clear focus, diversity of perspectives, role clarity, high levels of collaboration, administrative support, effective decision-making strategies, and continuous self-assessment” (as cited in Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 61).

     The following video is a fun look at the importance of working on a collaborative team.  

     “We need to find out where we are relative to literacy and literacy instruction, so that we can figure out where we want to go and how best to get there” (Vogt & Shearer, 2011, p. 65).  The mission statement exemplifies a mission or vision influenced by belief, theory, and research.  It helps facilitates transforming the literacy curriculum.  It entails long-term commitment to collaborative planning and problem solving.  The four important purposes of a vision statement include identifying beliefs and examining how they define literacy and literacy practice in different contexts, clarifying a direction for change over time, motivating people to reconstruct their actions towards accomplishing the goal, and coordinating the actions of a variety of people in equal ways (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

     In developing a literacy vision statement, one must first search for an existing vision statement.  Next, survey the cohort groups.  Lastly, disseminate the vision statement (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

     The school literacy goals need to align with state and IRA/NCTE Standards (Vogt & Shearer, 2011).

     A recurring theme I have noticed in the chapters Reading Specialists and Reading Coaches in the Real World is the importance of teamwork and collaboration.  It almost seems common sense, but like the authors pointed out, as teachers, we too often close the door and do our own thing.  That is something I have witnessed frequently in some of the schools I have worked in.  I have also seen teachers work well on teams, collaborating with others.  Those teachers are less stressed out; students seem to work more harmoniously, and student achievement is greater.  I have also had the experience of working on a team that does not act as a team, and one or more members do not fulfill their end of their commitment.  I think that is a common experience for many people and often leads to a negative view of working on teams. 

References

Vogt, M., & Shearer, B. (2011). Reading specialists and reading coaches in the real world.

     
     Boston, MA: Pearson.