Final synthesis project

Synthesis Project
Maggie Kingsbury,
Lisa Moe, and Stephanie Zellmer
Hamline University
LANG 7903 – Summer 2013

Beach, Richard, Amanda Haertling. Thein, and Allen Webb. Teaching to Exceed the English Language Arts Common
Core State Standards: A Literacy Practices Approach for 6-12 Classrooms. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print.
Strop, Janice Marcuccilli., and Jennifer Carlson. Multimedia Text Sets: Changing the Shape of Engagement and
Learning. Winnipeg: Portage & Main, 2010. Print.
Focus Texts:

The Common Core State Standards
•  The CCSS are the latest development in the
standards-based approach and attempts to
hold high expectations for every student.
•  “The Common Core State Standards set
general goals for student learning but they
do not specify what or how to teach” (Beach,
4).

The Common Core State Standards
•  The CCSS should be implemented based on each
students’ individual needs and interests.
•  The CCSS is an instructional approach geared towards
raising expectations of students rather than teaching to
the standards.
•  The CCSS is focused on a Literacy Practices approach.

Literacy Practices Approach to the
Common Core State Standards
The Literacy Practices Approach is an approach that “will
make implementing the Common Core State Standards
effective and meaningful” (Beach, 4).

•  Allows students to exceed the standards.

•  Builds upon students’ prior knowledge and
experiences.

•  Builds upon students’ prior knowledge and
experiences.
•  Connects the world students live in to the texts
they are reading.

Types of Literary Practices
1. Framing events
2. Constructing and enacting identities
3. Collaborating with others
4. Synthesizing and connecting texts
5. Constructing multimodal texts
6. Adopting a critical engagement
perspective

The CCSS & Multimodal/Critical Literacy
Multimodal literacy is the ability to create multimodal
texts that “combine images, video, voice, print, and/or
music” (Beach, 57).
•  Includes the use of multimodal forms of
literacy that are popular with teens:
o  social media, YouTube, internet websites, video
games, etc.
•  Requires knowledge about how digital
literacies engage the audience in social and
cultural ways.

The CCSS & Multimodal/Critical Literacy
Multimodal literacy is the ability to create multimodal
texts that “combine images, video, voice, print, and/or
music” (Beach, 57).
•  Multimodal/Critical Literacy must use a
variety of texts in order to engage the reader
in learning that is meaningful to each
student’s specific social and cultural
background.

From Duke's Webinar:
Teachers misinterpret
what is expected in their
classroom. Seventy
percent of the text being
taught should be
informational, but that is
throughout the school
day, not within the ELA
classroom!

"... adoption of a standards-based
approach has sometimes resulted in
rigid, top-down approaches to
instruction and assessment" (Beach,
10).
"...there is also no strong evidence
indicating that adopting standards will
necessarily improve student
achievement" (Beach, 10).
"...research suggests that standards
may have negative effects on non-
white students' performance and drop-
out rates" (Beach, 11).

Other Pitfalls According to Beach
1. Homogenization of Instruction

2. Fragmented Curricula

3. Overly Specific Content Standards

4. Teaching to the Test

5. Failure to Acknowledge Cultural
Diversity

1.  Homogenization of Instruction
5. Failure to Acknowledge Cultural Diversity
6. The Influence of Economic Inequities on Student
Performance

By implementing the CCSS, teachers will be able
to engage a greater range of students in a larger
range of situations (Duke's Webinar).

The CCSS increases continuity for
students.
Allows for greater content
knowledge.
Gets students college, career, and
citizenship ready.
Teachers have the ability to use
the CCSS in their classroom to
engage students in their own
unique ways.

USING MULTIMODAL
TEXTS TO ACCOMPLISH
THE GOALS OF THE
COMMON CORE STATE
STANDARDS

What Curriculum
Should Teachers Use?

“The hope of the Common Core State Standards is that,
this time, a more consistent set of goals across states
will make standards-based reform more
effective” (Beach 4).

What does this mean for
educators?

²
For various reasons, some states
do not have sufficient standards
that are necessary for learners to
become effective adult
participants in society.
These states would need to make
the biggest changes. Other
states may not need to change
much, if anything.

²
School districts should not
drop effective and relevant
standards they already have
and replace them with the
CCSS.

²
The CCSS offers a consistent foundation for standards that should
be expanded upon by states and school districts.

“We believe that English language arts teachers can view the adoption of the
Common Core State Standards as an opportunity to generate an innovative,
engaging curriculum that will enhance instruction in our discipline, raise
intellectual aspirations for all students, and, to the extent possible, improve
the public’s regard for schools” (Beach 5).

What were too many teachers
expected to be before the CCSS?

Merely deliverers of knowledge (Beach 7)

Under the CCSS, teachers
continue to be or become …

•  ²social planners

•  ²facilitators

•  ²facilitators
•  ²co-learners

This affects curriculum because …

teachers actually have more flexibility in
their curriculum choices:

•  power to increase student
engagement by addressing student
interests through the use of multimedia
resources

•  power to increase student
engagement by addressing student
interests through the use of multimedia
resources
•  ability to be more efficient by
addressing student needs vs. a “one
size fits all” approach

... assessments may become more
authentic and reflect what students
must know and be able to do as adults
in the “real” world of work and ...

... assessment may be multimodal and
involve student choice, increasing
engagement and causing students to
go deeper and attack more complex
material.

... teachers are able to adapt according to society’s current
needs without constantly rewriting local standards,

... can focus on achieving a common goal (Beach 6),

...are able to encourage
mentorship (Beach
7),

... and become
revitalized by
asking them to
"acquire new
forms of expertise”
by becoming
lifelong learners
(Beach 7).

The CCSS is …
“a roadmap for
developing your own
curriculum that is
relevant to your unique
students and
classrooms, their prior
knowledge and diverse
social and cultural
settings” (Beach 17).

Final Words on Curriculum
You will need to “build on
your own state’s or
district’s previous
curriculum that may
consider the unique
demographic makeup of
your students” (Beach 17).

Vocabulary: The CCSS
•  CCSS.ELA-LiteracCCRA.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown
and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing
meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference
materials, as appropriate.
•  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative
language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
•  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.6 Acquire and use accurately a range of
general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for
reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary
knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to
comprehension or expression.

Vocabulary: According to Beach
•  Vocabulary instruction should be geared towards student’s lives in the “real
world”.
§  Vocabulary activities should be authentic and meaningful to
student’s lives.
•  Vocabulary instruction needs to go beyond learning the meaning of word in
context, but HOW to use that word in a social and professional setting.
“…allow your students to define their purpose in creating a project— for
instance, creating a video about traffic problems surrounding their school—
they will be more motivated to complete the project than if you had simply
assigned a project with your own purpose in mind” (Beach 47).

Vocabulary: According to Strop & Carlson
“...for instruction of specific words to make an impact on
reading comprehension, the understanding must be
beyond a superficial level” [Irvin et al. 2007, 116].

Vocabulary: According to Strop & Carlson
“...for instruction of specific words to make an impact on
reading comprehension, the understanding must be
beyond a superficial level” [Irvin et al. 2007, 116].
Students need to:
•  read
•  write
•  hear
•  speak
•  think
•  view
vocabulary words and engage in a
variety of experiences around
those words.
Stu

What is Vocabulary?
Content vocabulary is...

What is Vocabulary?
Content vocabulary is...
•  the understanding of words in a specific
content area
•  the ability to apply the words in
meaningful and accurate ways

Vocabulary as Code Breaker
The code breaker:
•  can decode language accurately within a particular
context, situation, or content area
•  has the ability to speak, write, read, and define
vocabulary
•  has knowledge of the conventions regarding prefix, root,
and suffix

Vocabulary as Code Breaker
“What is the definition
of this word in this
context?” (Strop,
20)
“What other words
have the same
prefix or
suffix?” (20)

Vocabulary as Meaning Maker
The meaning maker:
•  can recognize the differences in language when used in
various contexts
•  has the ability to make appropriate word choices in
order to effectively communicate
•  can recognize the relationship of vocabulary across
content areas

Vocabulary as Meaning Maker
“How do meanings change in
different contexts and text
forms?” (21)
“How does the language of this
text communicate the author’s
intent?” (21)
“What words in the text
foreshadow upcoming
events?” (21)
“What are the characters
feeling? How do I know?” (21)

Vocabulary as Text User
The text user:
•  is able to apply background knowledge (including social, historical,
and cultural experiences) to organize and comprehend texts
•  is able to use knowledge of vocabulary and the conventions of
language to scaffold content knowledge
•  understands different purposes of vocabulary in various contexts

Vocabulary as Text User
“If I write a response to this text,
what words will I use?” (21)
“In what ways is this text similar
in its language to other
texts?” (21)
“What words will I select and
use from this text if I
dialogue about the subject
matter?” (21)

Vocabulary as Text Critic
The text critic:
•  is able to analyze how vocabulary is used to influence
readers
•  is able to use appropriate vocabulary in order to
respond to, or argue for/against an issue
•  understands that the use of language and vocabulary
has the power to influence the audience

Vocabulary as Text Critic
“What language does the author
use to position himself or
herself?” (21)
“What is or is not said in this text,
and why?” (21)
“What is fact and what is opinion in
this text?” (21)
“What language leads me to this
conclusion?” (21)

Teaching Vocabulary
Using Multimedia Text Sets to Teach Vocabulary
“MTS offer a variety of texts from a
variety of sources” (Strop, 21).

Teaching Vocabulary
§  Students need to encounter vocabulary from:
•  print
•  video
•  Internet
•  music
•  cartoons
•  photographs
•  etc.
§  Vocabulary activities need to engage students in
reading, writing, listening, viewing, and speaking in
order to develop a collection of in-depth
vocabulary.

Teaching Vocabulary
§  Students need opportunities to use the Four
Resources Model.
§  Teachers should implement rich language into
daily instruction.
§  New words need to be explicitly explained.
§  A Variety of text types should be read aloud
frequently.
§  Graphic organizers and think-alouds allow
students to visualize language.

The CCSS call for a
literacy practices
approach: “the
actions students
perform to
understand and
produce texts for
classroom
events” (Beach 33).

“literacy practices are what people do with
literacy” (Beach 33).
Students can also use their writings as
springboards for discussion.

Actions are "always social because they
involve relations between the self and
others” (Beach 33).

There is a link
“between the
activities of
reading and writing
and the social
structures in which
they are
embedded and
which they help
shape…” (Beach
33)

It’s like learning
how to speak,
understanding
what the
purpose of
being able to
speak is, and
using speaking
to achieve a
purpose.

The types of writing suggested by
the CCSS becomes increasingly
social in nature as we ask
students to spend more time
taking a side and informing or
explaining.
In the real world, adults argue
their points with other adults either
in person or in forums such as
blogs and letters to the editor.
This makes writing a social
activity.

Teaching reading and writing
as two separate skills (Beach
22)
Focusing on formalist writing
like the 5-paragraph essay
structure (Beach 26)
Teaching writing "to the test"
Assuming that what worked
for you when you were in
school works for today's
learners
Viewing writing as a literacy skill
Teaching students to "write in the
real world, or communicate with
others beyond the teacher" (Beach
26)
Providing engaging and meaningful
reading and writing experiences
(Beach 23)
Offering writing experiences "in a
variety of formats for a variety of
different purposes" (Strop 14)
Focusing in meaning instead of form
(Beach 28)

Warning Signs That You May Need to Rethink How
You Are Teaching Writing…
Students are...
1.  skipping prewriting/planning
2.  providing minimal peer editing or feedback
3.  submitting inaccurate self-assessments

The CCSS emphasizes
“the need for students
to ‘develop personal,
cultural, textual, and
thematic connections
within and across
genres as they
respond to texts
through written, digital,
and oral
presentations,
employing a variety of
media and
genres’” (Beach 26).

To be engaging and meaningful, writing needs to have a purpose beyond an
essay to submit for grading (Beach 28).
Students need a rhetorical purpose to fully engage in the composing
process. This includes a sense of audience and purpose (Beach 30).

“persuasive writing is
enhanced when students are
thoughtful about using writing
to convince audiences to
support their positions on a
particular issue” (Beach 31).

How Should We Teach Writing?
•  Continue to provide
direct instruction
•  Model the writing
process
•  Provide exemplars
AND...

1. Frame Events
Create “engaging classroom events that result in
students developing and using literacy practices to
produce language or texts” (Beach 35).

Frame Events cont.
Engagement happens when students can connect the
event to their lives through, for example, …
· inquiry projects
· online role play
· “critiquing the status-quo policies (35)
· formulating arguments (debate)

Frame Events cont.
Examples specific to ELA… (p. 36)
· book club/lit. circle discussions
· role plays
· hot-seating
· spoken-word performances
· writing conferences
· digital video productions

2. Attend to Affinity Spaces
Definition: “Issues and topics that emerge from and/
or connect to students’ lives can be shaped to
constitute classroom events” (Beach 36).

Affinity Spaces cont.
You need to know your students’ interests and be “up” on
teen pop culture.

Affinity Spaces cont.
World of Warcraft was used as an example in Strop, but
an up-to-date example would be Call of Duty or
Minecraft; sports and activities students participate in…

3. Acquiring Dispositions
“Through fostering student
autonomy as active, contributing
members of classroom events,
students acquire certain
dispositions of perseverance,
dependability, responsibility,
emotional stability, and
openness to novel experience
related to success in life and
college” (Beach 37).

Acquiring Dispositions cont.
“co-planning and collaboration
with their peers fosters
dependability and
responsibility” (Beach 37).

4. Valuing Multiple and "New" Literacies
Teach students
how to
participate in the
digital literacies
of their current
culture so they
can be effective
participants
(Beach 39).

4. Valuing Multiple and "New" Literacies
Use current tools of
technology and
incorporate
multimodal
responses to
critique, analyze,
evaluate, and
create (Beach 39).

5. Incorporating the Use of Multimedia Text Sets
A report from Writing Next: Effective Strategies
to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and
High Schools (2007) reveals: “no single
approach to writing will meet the needs of all
students.”

5. Incorporating the Use of Multimedia Text Sets
Therefore, it is
important that
writing practices
include the
interweaving of a
variety of writing
experiences, such
as strategies,
instructional
methods, and
genre” (Strop 14).

Writer As Code Breaker
“uses grammar,
paragraph structure,
and word choice that
focus on
organization...writes
and communicates in
different genres for
different
purposes" (Strop 15)

Attempts to understand the meanings of
graphics, charts, pictures, non-print media (15)

“How do the conventions within this text help me understand the
mood and tone?”
"Does the layout of this piece reflect its intent?”
(Strop 15)

Writer As Meaning Maker
* “understands and composes meaningful texts for particular audiences by
writing to accomplish a goal, or writing to inform, instruct, persuade, or
respond” (Strop 15)
* “constructs and designs texts “intended for a variety of audiences and
purposes” (Strop15)

Writer As Meaning Maker
“How will I feel as I read this text?”
“What does the audience already know
about the subject matter? “
“Is this piece of writing engaging?”
(Strop 15)

Writer As Text User
•  “understands and composes
writing for different
purposes” (Strop 15)
•  considers options and alternatives
in text structure for different
audiences in different contexts
(15)
•  understands how to shape writing
by choosing different alternatives
to fit different social and academic
conditions (15)

Writer As Text User
•  “What kind of text is this?”
•  “What is my goal with this piece of writing?”
•  “Who is the audience?”
•  “How does this text connect or relate to other texts?”
(Strop 15)

Writer As Text Critic
“is aware of and able to use
writing strategies to develop
ideas…critically analyzes
written drafts and transforms
them while considering the
knowledge and point of view
represented and not
represented in the content…
demonstrates an awareness of
intertextuality and text design
that influences different
audiences and interests” (15)

Writer As Text Critic
Graphically, where do I focus?
How does word selection
develop argument?
Whose perspective or POV is
evident?

“By making purposes visible to students
and offering them an array of roles to
take on as a writer, they become better
at figuring out writing” (Strop 17).

Comprehension: The CCSS
Students:
•  Demonstrate
Independence

Students:
•  Demonstrate
Independence
•  Build Strong Content
Knowledge

Students:
•  Demonstrate
Independence
Knowledge
•  Comprehend and
Critique

Students:
•  Demonstrate
Independence
Knowledge
Critique
•  Value Evidence

Students:
•  Demonstrate
Independence
Knowledge
Critique
•  Understand Cultural
Diversity

Students:
•  Demonstrate
Independence
Knowledge
Critique
•  Understand Cultural
Diversity
•  Use 21st Century
Literacies

Comprehension: Beach & Strop
"...a process of extracting and constructing
meaning" (Strop & Carlson, p. 3).
Three Elements:
1. Reader
2. Text
3. Activity

Reader
The reader does the comprehending.
Students need to become critical readers.
They need to be able to read deeper into a
text than just the surface level.

According to Strop and Carlson (2010),
there are four roles that students take
on as readers to help build
comprehension:
1. Code Breaker
2. Meaning Maker
3. Text User
4. Text Critic

Athlete as Code Breaker
Code breakers recognize the differences in text
structures and know how to effectively utilize
these differences to gain the most meaning
out of the variety of texts.

Archaeologist as Meaning Maker
When students take
on the role of a
meaning maker, they
are able to
comprehend a text
and show their own
understanding
through various
spoken, written, and
visual texts.

Tour Guide as Text User
Students build their
comprehension based on
their understanding that
texts are written for
different purposes, in
different settings, and for
different audiences.

Film Reviewer as Text Critic
This role requires students to use all of the
previously mentioned roles (Code Breaker,
Meaning Maker, and Text User) in order to
comprehend the information and then look at
it through a critical lense.

Beach et. al (2012) stresses the
importance of comprehension
strategies:
1. Building background information
2. Contextualizing words
3. Making Predictions
4. Inferencing
5. Making connections
6. and more!

Teaching Comprehension
1. Making Connections
•  Text to Self
•  Text to World
•  Text to Text

•  Text to Self
•  Text to Text
2. Questioning

•  Text to Self
•  Text to Text
2. Questioning
3. Visualizing

•  Text to Self
•  Text to Text
2. Questioning
3. Visualizing
4. Inferring

•  Text to Self
•  Text to Text
2. Questioning
3. Visualizing
4. Inferring
5. Determining Importance

•  Text to Self
•  Text to Text
2. Questioning
3. Visualizing
4. Inferring
5. Determining Importance
6. Synthesizing

Resources for Teaching
Common Core Curriculum Maps in English Language Arts, Grades 6-8. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2012. Print.
Common Core Curriculum Maps in English Language Arts, Grades 9-12. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2012. Print.
Fisher, Douglas, and Nancy Frey. Common Core English Language Arts in a PLC at Work, Grades 9-12. Bloomington, IN: Solution
Tree, 2013. Print.
McEwan-Adkins, Elaine K., Elaine K. McEwan-Adkins, and Allyson Burnett. 20 Literacy Strategies to Meet the Common Core:
Increasing Rigor in Middle & High School Classrooms. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree, 2013. Print.
"Mission Statement." Common Core State Standards Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2013.

Vocabulary
Bear, Donald R., Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, Francine R. Johnston, and Donald R. Bear. Words Their Way: Word Study for
Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2012. Print.
Flanigan, Kevin. Words Their Way with Struggling Readers: Word Study for Reading, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, Grades
4-12. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2011. Print.

Writing
Beers, G. Kylene. Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2013. Print.
Buehl, Doug. "Written Conversations." (n.d.): n. pag. Wisconsin Education Association Council. Reading Room Archives, 02 May 2007.
Web. 30 July 2013. <http://www.weac.org/news_and_publications/education_news/2006-2007/readinginroom_written.aspx>.
Common Core State Standards: High School. YouTube. TeachingChannel, 06 Sept. 2011. Web. 30 July 2013. <http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym-VHwbpAQM>.
Daniels, Harvey, and Nancy Steineke. Texts and Lessons for Content-area Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2011. Print.
Daniels, H., Zemelman, S. & Steineke, N. (2007). Content-Area Writing: Every Teacher’s Guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
"English Language Arts Standards » Writing » Introduction for 6-12." Common Core State Standards Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July
2013. <http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/introduction-for-6-12>.
Gallagher, Kelly. Write like This: Teaching Real-world Writing through Modeling & Mentor Texts. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse, 2011. Print.

Comprehension
•  http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy/
comprehension_strategies.html
•  http://www.readingrockets.org/article/3479/
•  http://wvde.state.wv.us/strategybank/comprehension.html
•  http://www.readingquest.org/strat/
•  Harvey, Stephanie, and Anne Goudvis. Strategies That
Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and
Engagement. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse, 2007. Print.

Final synthesis project

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Final synthesis project