Dr. Lori Hughes Dr. Lana MyersLone Star College-Montgomery

Let's Come Together: Strategies for Integrating

Reading and Writing in Texas

May 9, 2013

• Quick Context – LSC-M and IRW

• Focus on Motivation

• Activities and Assessments to Encourage and Motivate

Presentation Agenda

Quick Context

LSC-M and IRW

The Challenge

• Nationwide, Developmental students experience low success, completion, and retention rates

• Developmental Education Research Suggests:

“Among those who take remedial classes, the more remedial coursework taken [is associated] with the least likelihood of educational success” (Russell, 2008, p. 3).

“About one-quarter of all students referred to three levels below college level for both math and reading drop out between courses” (Bailey, 2009, p. 14).

Stop out

Drop out

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) charge (granting agency) to Developmental Education Demonstration Projects (DEDP) grantees ($1.5 million dollar grant):

• Combine upper-level reading and writing to accelerate students’ progress through the developmental sequence

• During the grant cycle, all five DEDP colleges piloted upper-level IRW courses with identical:

• Textbooks

• Syllabi

• Learning Outcomes

• Curricula

• Lab Software

The Response

Zero full-time faculty were100% dedicated to Developmental English

Selected full-time faculty typically taught 1 DE course per semester

The remainder of the sections were taught by adjuncts

Little professional development available which focused on Developmental English

Reading and writing were taught as separate courses with specialized curricula, syllabi, and

textbooks

Two levels of reading (ENGL 0304 and ENGL 0305)

Two levels of writing (ENGL 0306 and ENGL 0307)

A homegrown, faculty developed lab comprised the 1 hour lab component of the course

There were few opportunities for accelerating the Developmental sequence

Developmental EnglishDepartment Prior to Curriculum

Redesign

Dev. English Classrooms and Class Caps

• Dev. English Computer Classrooms - 24 computers each

• Class caps • Previously - 24 students

• Starting in fall 2012 - 20 students

Two new, integrated courses developed:

• ENGL 0302: Integrated Reading and Writing I (full-scale in fall 2012)

• [Dev. Writing I (0306) + Dev. Reading I (0304)]

• ENGL 0309: Advanced Developmental Reading and Writing (piloted spring 2011, fall 2011, and spring 2012; full-scale in fall 2012)

[Dev. Writing II (0307) + Dev. Reading II (0305)]

• Each course meets four hours per week – 3 lecture; 1 hour lab

(An additional hour of classwork per week is required to be completed in the Dev. English Homework Lab – 10% of students’ grade)

Development of Integrated Reading and Writing at LSC-M

Placement for ENGL 0309 and ENGL 0302

• Students who place into either upper-level reading or upper-level writing are placed in ENGL 0309

• Students who DO NOT place into either upper level course are placed into ENGL 0302

Scaling of Integrated Reading and Writing Sections

Scaling

Spring 2011 Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Fall 2012 Spring 20130

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 0 0

64

2 3 3

38

25

0302 sections

0309 sections

Focus on Motivation

What is motivation?According to Glynn, Aultman, and Owens, “motivation is an internal state that arouses, directs, and sustains human behavior. It plays a fundamental role in learning.”

An individual is more vested in his or her education if he or she is intrinsically motivated. What are the strengths of intrinsically motivated students? (Beffa-Negrini, Cohen, and Miller).

Show higher conceptual understanding

Demonstrate more creativity and creative thinking

How can instructors intrinsically motivate students? Kostelecky and Hoskinson note that instructors should allow students to decide for themselves if,

and when, they will engage in the learning process.

Once they do, their learning takes on a more personal meaning and may become more important to them

Focus on Motivation

How does a student’s relationship to his or her instructor impact intrinsic motivation? (Kostelecky

& Hoskinson).

Students' perceptions of positive relationships with parents and teachers contribute to success in academic settings.

In addition, intrapersonal variables such as perceived competence, perceived control, and perceived autonomy support have been shown to affect young adolescents' achievement and motivation.

Finally, researchers have also identified systematic links between these interpersonal and intrapersonal variables

Wlodkowski advocates the use of five behaviors to guide the motivating instructor:

Offer expertise

Have empathy

Show enthusiasm

Demonstrate clarity

Furnish a safe learning environment in which students feel respected

Focus on Motivation (Continued)

Activities and Assessments to

Encourage and Motivate

The Stephen King Connection

Transition from In-Class “Homegrown Labs” to Online Labs• In fall 2011, 50% of instructors used MyReadingLab / MyWriting Lab; 50% used “In-House”

labs

• In spring 2012, comparative data prompted transition to 100% use of online labs (lab paid for by grant)

• In fall 2012, students purchased lab codes for Aplia Lab (Cengage product) with their Cengage textbooks

Starting in fall 2012, students are required to complete an extra lab hour in the Developmental English Lab (G 202/203) each week

• Students are assigned a lab software as determined by faculty cohort structure:

• Aplia – Cengage Product

Our Labs Motivate

Strategy: Show enthusiasm - Showcase a successful student’s work after a major assignment

Successful

Student Example

(Positive

reinforcement and

modeling)

Positive Reinforcement

• Provide detailed feedback

on graded assignments• Brainstorming assignments

• Outlines

• Drafts

• Second drafts

• Final versions

• After a Final Draft is graded and returned, require an additional revision assignment to further underscore an understanding of content and grammar edits to improve subsequent essay assignments

Demonstrate Clarity

Strategy: Demonstrate Clarity

• Encourage students to have more control over their work

Perceived Control

Strategy: Perceived Control

Moment of Learning Assignment Adapted from Sugie Goen-Salter

Source Material

• Encourage students to have more control over their work

Perceived Control (cont.)

Strategy: Perceived Control (Continued)

• Student chosen research topics

• Student shared scholarly sources (Collaboration provided though a Discussion Forum in Angel)

Brainstorming Exercise

Respond to “What do I stand for?” by Fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQkBeOisNM0

• Encourage students to have more control over their work

Perceived Control (cont.)

Strategy: Perceived Control (Continued)

Associated reading: Two essays of your choice from Waiting for Superman.

Your job in this essay is to compare and contrast two different essays that you choose from Waiting for Superman. Since the main theme of this essay is education reform, you know the main aspect that these two essays have in common. However, there are many differences that these writers have about their ideas toward education reform as well. Choose two essays to write about. Your task is not to describe what the authors write about, but really focus on the specific ideas they have and how they differ. You should show how the two essays are similar, but also how they differ.

The second aspect of your essay is to reflect on this type of writing in one paragraph. What did you learn from this assignment? What benefit does comparison and contrast have on your understanding of the readings? What challenges did you face while writing? What are you most proud of in this assignment? 

Beverley Turner, Chair of Developmental English, developed a methodology for engaging students’ self strategies for affective efficacy.

These strategies are incorporated into all IRW courses.

New Focus on Affective Efficacies

Strategy: Perceived Competence (Continued) • Examples of journaling assignments focusing on Affective Efficacies.

Affective Efficacies Perceived Competence

Self-Discipline Your second essay is due by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Discuss the steps you will take to ensure that the essay is completed and submitted on-time. What do you have left to complete? When will you make the time to complete your essay? Will you go to The Write Place for assistance? If not, who will you ask to be your second pair of eyes for the essay?

Self-Directed Reflect on all of the assignments you have to complete this week.

Then, write a Misson Statement for yourself as if you were a non-profit organization or corporation. A Mission Statement is a formal written pronouncement of the purpose of a organization.

Strategy: Perceived Competence (Continued) • Examples of journaling assignments focusing on Affective Efficacies.

Affective Efficacies: Self-Knowledge

Self-knowledge

What are your best subjects? Why do you think they are easy for you?

What subjects are difficult for you? Why do you think they are so challenging?

Self-knowledge

If you could learn about anything you wanted to, what would you choose to learn about? Be specific.

If people were to come to you for information about something you know a lot about, what would the topic be?

Strategy: Perceived Competence (Continued) • Examples of journaling assignments focusing on Affective Efficacies.

Affective Efficacies:Self-Directed

Self-directed Now that we have reached the middle of the semester mark in ENGL 0309, reflect on your experiences in the course thus far. Respond in a brief essay to the following questions.1) What has been your favorite part of the course (discussions, exams, reading journal, readings)? Why do you like this particular thing best?2) What might you like to see more of as we move into the second half of our course? 3) What do you think about the text Waiting for Superman? Would you recommend it to others? why or why not?4) What do you think of the Aplia lab?5) What other comments do you have regarding the course?

Strategy: Show EnthusiasmThemes and novels used in some sections starting in fall 2012

• Theme:  The Olympic Spirit: Motivational Coaching for Life

• Novel: Making the Most of Your Life:  Eight Motivational Stories and Essays

• Theme: Coping with and transcending Childhood Adversity

• Novel: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wall

• Theme:  Education and Its Impact

• Novel: Waiting for Superman: How We Can Save America's Failing Public Schools. Editor Karl Weber

• Theme: Our Furry Friends, Reading and Writing about Animals

• Novels: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein and In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall

• Theme: Finding Your Adventure

• Novels:  Drive by Daniel Pink and Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Show Enthusiasm

Activate your schema

• What do you know about Jane Goodall, her research, her background?

• What do you know about the study of animal behavior?

Activate Schema

Video Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDliq_Rt11o

Activity

Additional Reading / Pre-Reading Strategies

ActivityVocabulary Exercise

- Identify challenging words in the text- Write down the definition of the word- Write an original sentence with the word

Additional Reading / Pre-Reading Strategies

ActivityGrammar Exercise

- Closely examine one page of text in the work for the use of commas.

- Then, using the nine comma rules, identify which rule is used in which sentence.

- Then, write original sentences using the comma rule as if you were adding to the original text of the work. In other words, use the author’s tone and voice when writing the new sentences.

Commas / Capitalization / Complex Sentences

Read the article “America’s Community Colleges on the Ascent” by Arthur Cohen

• Reflect on your decision to attend a community college. What were your expectations? What were your concerns?

• What is Cohen’s thesis?

• What kind of support is used? Do you agree or disagree with his ideas? Why or why not?

Read, Reflect, and Write

Activity

KWL Strategy• Engage students in the KWL strategy concerning a text• Use the “Learned” column for a post reading

assessment or large group discussion

Read, Reflect, and Write

Activity

Critical Reviews Summary • As a pre-reading strategy, ask students to read multiple

reviews of textbooks, essays, and / or novels on Amazon.com or a similar website

• Then, have them write a quick summary of the negative and positive aspects of the reviews.

• Discuss the reviews as a large group and then engage in additional pre-reading activities by talking about the work’s title, author, cover art, etc.

Read, Reflect, and Write

Activity

View the Inspiration™ iPad app • Look at the ways that you can be inspired to create using Inspiration’s app (

http://www.inspiration.com/visual-learning/graphic-organizers)

• What do you think of this particular tool for your writing/reading process?

• Let’s try it!

• Now, reflect on your experience. How can this app help you to organize what you read and write? What are the drawbacks?

Inspire!

In-class /online

Activity

Favorite Author• Post a discussion of your favorite author (now or in the past)

• What makes him or her such an admired author?

• Write five questions you might ask this author if you could meet him or her.

• Now, with a partner, exchange interview questions. Each of you take on the “persona” of this author and try to answer at least two of the questions posed by your peer.

Reading/Writing Connection

In-class /online

Activity

Every activity encourages motivation by:

showing enthusiasm in assignment creation

clarity in assessment

allow freedom in readings and writings as much as possible

for every reading, connect a writing assignment and vice versa

The Bottom Line

1) Journal Prompts for an online IRW class

2) Self-Strategies arranged for sequenced learning of Affective Efficacy

3) Affective Efficacy Prompts for an Online Class

4) Affective Efficacy Prompts for a face-to-face class

5) Comparison / Contrast Essay Prompt

6) Research Essay Prompt

IRW Assignments(supporting documents)

Glynn, S.M., Aultman, L.P., and Owens, A.M., (2005). Motivation to learn in general education programs. The Journal of General Education, 54(2), pp:150-170.

Beffa-Negrini, Patricia A., Nancy L. Cohen, and Brian Miller. "Strategies to Motivate Students in Online Learning Environments." Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior 34.6 (2002): 334. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 19 Sept. 2011.

Kostelecky, K. L., & Hoskinson, M. J. (2005). A "novel" approach to motivating students. Education, 125(3), 438-442.

Nist-Olejnik, S. & J.P. Holschuh (2013). College success strategies. Boston: Pearson.

Wlodkowski, R.J. Characteristics and skills of a motivating instructor. In: Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. San Francisco; Jossey-Bass: 1999.

Wong, E., Wiest, D., Cusick, L. (2002). Perceptions of autonomy support, parent attachment, competence, and self-worth as predictors of motivational orientation and academic achievement: An examination of 6th and 9th grade regular education students. Adolescence, 37, (146), 255-266.

Works Cited

Presenter Contact Information: Lori.r.hughes@lonestar.eduLana.c.myers@lonestar.edu