Agenda+518+1.23.12


 * What are features of academic language in my subject area? How can I support students’ academic language development?**

12:00 - 12:05 - Welcome and Good News
 * http://gonzagateach.wikispaces.com/21st+Century+Literacies
 * Key Assessment
 * 1) Opening discussion on the purpose of daily reading assignment journals. Concluded that we will use our own strategies for active reading and share those strategies next week. Important to continue the conversation in light of fluency strategies in the classroom.

12:05 - 12:15 - Discuss //Holler If You Hear Me// with a partner - //deferred in interest of time.//

12:15 - 12:30 - Video Examples of Academic Language - //deferred in interest of time.//
 * How is "academic language" a social justice issue?

12:30 - 1:00 - Content-specific Academic Language
 * vocabulary ("brick" and "mortar" terms)
 * grammar
 * style
 * organization
 * genre
 * ways of thinking

In subject area groups, compare your lists of academic language features in your discipline - //deferred in interest of time.//

1:00 - 1:10 - Break

1:10 - 1:50 - Teaching strategies for supporting students' academic language development
 * Key Concepts
 * Identify a language focus (3-5 brick terms and associated mortar language)
 * Identify any relevant academic genres and the necessary language and organization
 * Teach the language focus (mini lesson)
 * Post key terms, definitions, and language frames/sentence starters
 * Integrate the language into the lesson
 * Practice
 * Students need to opportunities to understand the academic language AND
 * They need opportunities to USE it
 * Assess both content and language

Classroom discussion on academic language: In groups discuss – What is it? Why does it matter? What is particularly challenging in your content area?

Collection of challenges in different content areas


 * Kinsey – science – sheer volume of new words involved in science. Not familiar from another context so it takes more explanation.


 * Jeremy – also science – students are intimidated by big words and don’t practice vocabulary outside of the classroom so it remains isolated in the classroom.


 * Nick & Nick – history & language arts – thinking processes involved in academic learning is difficult to teach. Linear thinking or complex thinking and discerning between the two. Academic language is important in communicating higher levels of thinking. Example: supporting opinions.


 * John – history & l.a. - students in different places, need to dismiss assumptions about prior knowledge. Abbreviations are another part of academic language that can be very challenging to teach.


 * Jared – losing academic language to emotional response. Train students to read academically and to think while they read rather than just for enjoyment. Important to help students acknowledge other perspectives.


 * Brett – social studies – diverse knowledge and breadth of academic language makes the topic challenging. Have to make the language interesting and relevant to the student. Teachers responsibility to organize information for the students.


 * Kinsey & Susan – social studies – challenge of teaching primary documents and the evolution of language.


 * Josiah – Espangol – academic language can distract from language acquisition. Grammar based and audio-lingual are not used as much any more, learning the language is done in a different way today. Foreign language and academic language have a unique relationship. Complex terms can get in the way.


 * Kinsey – rather than avoid academic language, practice association


 * Thuy – science – difficulty with academic language (example: ions). Continuing to address the academic language and practice helps the students learn. Very confusing when there are so many terms.


 * Susan – set the stage for understanding, then keep practicing through repetition. Need to have many meaningful encounters with the word in order to acquire it.


 * MUST! Teach. Understand. Use.**

Complicated issues associated with academic language. Strategies are over simplistic if used as a spell to bewitch student brains into comprehension. Clear that strategies are used together to build proficiency.
 * Seven Useful Strategies
 * [|Word Walls]
 * Interactive collection of words or parts of words used to teach vocab, spelling, letter-sound correspondence and more. The idea is that students can look at the wall and be reminded of a word, term, idea, etc. they have learned. Can be either teacher or student responsibility. Could opt to have definitions included as well, but should determine based on class. Use as a reinforcement, not a primary mode of instruction. Scaffolding technique. Variety of uses - French, English, science, elementary, etc. See link for more examples and pictures.
 * [|Word Webs]
 * Alternative to word definition. Main way language is learned is through association and connections with other concepts, phrases, ideas. Create a web of words that are often associated or used together. Similar to a concept map. Use with high mileage words, or words with depth. Builds both concepts and language.
 * [|Language frames/sentence starters]
 * Scaffold which allow students to create thinking skills and develop vocabulary. Fill in the blank model in order to help students develop vocabulary and structure as a tool. Can get too routine and formulaic if overused.
 * [|Personal Academic Language Dictionaries]
 * In a notebook, students chart important academic words. Example: Section for word, for predictions, for final meaning. Students create an on-going dictionary of academic words. Jeremy's class uses in science journal. Journals don't have to be exactly the same - students should use associations that make sense to them.
 * Translating between academic and social language
 * Build awareness of the concept. Done as an activity in EDTE 518. Teachers can learn the difference between student language and textbook language, can see gaps in knowledge, recognize stumbling blocks, learn new vocabulary, expand on difficult concepts, where does language get in the way of the concept. Student-friendly language. Students can see what they know and comprehend it better, could be frustrating if they don't have any context.
 * Highlighting academic language in a text
 * Compare the two examples with the students. What are the differences? How do we learn more about the language that is being used? Why is that important?
 * [|Graphic Organizers]


 * Sample Text**

The Battle of Lexington
After the passage of the Stamp Act, tensions between the colonists and the British government continued to rise, and the colonists began to organize militias. On April 19, 1775, British troops marched from Boston to the nearby towns Lexington and Concord to arrest the militia’s leaders, John Hancock and Sam Adams, and to confiscate their weapons. The militias learned in advanced that the British were coming, and about 70 militiamen, also called minutemen, assembled before dawn on the central green of the town of Lexington. As dawn was breaking, a shot rang out which set off the first battle of the American Revolution. But who fired the shot? The historical sources disagree. http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/chapter/2667


 * To Do for Wednesday**
 * 1) Brainstorm a response to this questions. Jot down your ideas.
 * "How would you describe the process of reading?"
 * "What are characteristics of good readers?"
 * "How can I help a struggling reader in my subject area?"
 * 1) Go to this site [] and download the document "Secondary Literacy." This can be found towards the bottom of the page under "Related Readings." (Tech hint: Did you know you can search for specific words on webpage? Just type "Control f" (PC) or "Command f" (Mac) to reveal a small search bar at the top of the page under the address bar. Type in your search terms and incidences of the term will be highlighted. Try it on this page using the term 'secondary literacy'.) Save the reading so you can annotate it.
 * 2) Read chapters 1 & 2 and chapter 4. As you are reading, highlight key concepts and passages that provide answers to the three questions listed in #1 above. Skim the sections explaining details about specific diagnostic tests. You need to be aware of these tools, but don't need to know details. If you don't already have a PDF viewer installed that lets you highlight and annotate your PDF's, you can download a free one. For PC, I recommend [|PDF-XChange] or [|Skim] for Mac.
 * 3) Be prepared to discuss key concepts from these chapters when we meet. **Note: This is very important reading.**
 * 4) Read Zwiers, chapter 7 - You choose an approach that works for you to actively read the text. Share this in class on Wed.


 * Module 2 is up here (Due on Monday)**