While I was able to brainstorm many potential problems to address, I found one that seemed more pertinent than the others. In reviewing our MEAP data from last year, our committee found that all three grades (6-8) scored significantly lower on the informational reading section of the test. While we arrived at this decision as our area of greatest weakness, we didn’t exactly brainstorm any solutions for how to address the problem.
In reviewing the curriculum that I taught for the 7th grade this past year, I never explicitly taught informational reading skills or addressed the tool set required, other than to focus on some of the skills during different genre units or to briefly focus on informational reading during the research unit. In previous years, the unit constructed to address informational reading did a haphazard and aimless job in my opinion. The unit was based on advertising and culminated in a digital story advertisement that students made themselves. In my opinion, this could be a perfect example of using technology for a fun activity but not necessarily to advance higher level thinking or important skills related to informational reading.
Instead, I would like to find a way to foster this important reading skill across the course of the year, while also making it fun and interesting for students. Some of the skills I hope to develop include evaluation of text, ability to summarize text, identify main points and supporting points, identify and evaluate bias, analyze organizational patterns, use prediction, inferences, and concluding skills to analyze and make connections with material, and practice synthesizing within and across different pieces of text. One of the first goals would be to create a context that engages students, allows for student interaction, and allows for creativity in creating lessons to elicit the skills above. I believe such a unit would be important not only for increasing MEAP scores, but more importantly increasing student source analysis for the research project, close reading across units, and life skills and engagement in reading more generally.
Lindsay ~ Terrific description! My students have a difficult time with informational text, too! They do just fine with narrative - the genre storyline, plot, conflict, resolution, characters, etc. are much easier to remember than something that contains a lot of facts. I loved the way you have already started to identify the skill sets you plan weaving into in your TechQuest.
ReplyDeleteLindsay,
ReplyDeleteAwesome job identifying a real problem. I love that you have not only reviewed your MEAP data but you are using it to make a difference in instruction. You have done a nice job identifying what has not worked so far and the reasons why.
Good luck! You are off to an excellent start with your TechQuest project.
Julie :)
Hi Lindsey.. I tried to see if it would let me post but I believe you will have to okay it. I never got an "invite" through email but I will post either way and we will see if it sends to you! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea on using technology to help enhance the writing and reading process! This is something I believe every area of teaching could use help on! They are really hammering us to push reading and writing skills in our courses and being an "elective" teacher it comes as a challenge. This would be an awesome tool to have and I can't wait to see what you develope!
You have a great idea and you presented it very clear and understandable!
I noticed you too are taking 811 right now! I am doing that as well... if you want to bounce any questions or concerns back and forth I am here!
Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteYou have a very nice flow to your project description. I like how you make reference to analyzing data to come up with your topic and then move into the ways you have and have not taught this topic in the past. This give you a good foundation to suggesting technology as a solution to your probem.
I find it interesting that you and Susan mentioned your students struggle with informational text concepts. At the charter school I work at our students take an addaptive computerized test three times a year. For the past two years, our 7th and 8th grade Language Arts scores were lowest in informational text, so this has become our target area of instruction. We try to implement ways across the curriculum to support this so they are not just getting instruction and experience in LA alone. I'm not sure that we've been very effective as of yet, but at least we understand there is a problem and we are trying to fix it.
I look forward to reading about the ideas you come up with for integrating technology to help solve this probelem! Hopefully I can glean something we can use with our students!
Very well-written work!