chapter 5 quickening the pace of students’ background knowledge acquisition
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Chapter 5 Quickening the Pace of Students’ Background Knowledge Acquisition. Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2009). Background Knowledge: The Missing Piece of the Comprehension Puzzle. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Today’s Purposes. Discuss the learning cycle and the role of background knowledge - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Chapter 5Quickening the Pace of Students’ Background Knowledge Acquisition
Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2009). Background Knowledge: The Missing Piece of the Comprehension Puzzle. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Discuss the learning cycle and the role of background knowledge
• Examine techniques for building background knowledge through indirect means
• Examine techniques for building background knowledge through direct experiences
Today’s Purposes
The Learning Cycle• A person’s learning is continually
influenced by gains in information
• The new information can either confirm (assimilation) or revise (accommodation)
• According to Piaget, these are done in order to maintain equilibrium
Information
Attention
Purpose
Prior Knowledge
selects
directs
generates
modifies
Understanding
creates
Table Talk
Marzano notes that there are two ways to build background knowledge: directly and indirectly. What are examples of each that you use in your classroom?
• Teacher modeling of comprehension skills is effective with adolescents (Alfassi, 2004)
• Provides students with insights into the ways that an expert makes cognitive decisions
• An opportunity to profile discipline-specific expertise
Building Background with Think-Alouds
• Annotating a piece of text in English
• Interpreting a piece of sheet music in band class
• Reading and interpreting an editorial cartoon in history
• Others?
Other Examples
Wide Reading
• One of the quickest and least expensive ways to build background knowledge (Ivey, 2006)
• Written text provides both a window and a mirror of human experiences
• The Matthew Effect: Strong correlation between reading volume and reading acheivement (Stanovich & Cunningham, 1997)
• Two approaches: Sustained Silent Reading and Independent Reading
Comparing SSR and Independent Reading
Sustained Silent reading Independent Reading
Goal Reading for pleasure Reading for knowledge acquisition
Text Choice Students select from a nearly unlimited range of possible materials
Students choose from a constrained list identified by the teacher
Text Difficulty
Student alone determines whether text meets his or her needs
Texts may be differentiated to meet range of reading levels in the classroom
Text Topic Wide range of topics within school and district guidelines
Topic selected by teacher as part of the curricular emphasis
Accountability
No book reports or assigned reading logs
Assignments may include reading logs, written summaries, discussion groups
Teacher Role
Reading while students read, and holding brief conferences with individual students
Conferring with students on reading topic and administering informal assessments
Table Talk
What are some of the benefits of implementing SSR? Independent reading? What are some of the complications to take into account?
Graphic Organizers
• Another means of building background knowledge indirectly
• Strengthens schema by showing relationships among concepts
• Best practices for using graphic organizers (Vekiri,2002):– Displays should address the goals of the
task– Displays should be provided along with
explanations and guidance– Displays need to be spatial and timely in
coordination with text
Adapted from: San Lorenzo (CA) High School English Department.
Appeal Definition Example
LOGOS
A deliberate appeal to the reader’s sense of logic and need for factual proof or reasonable sense.
It is against the law to let a dog run free and you could be fined.
ETHOS
A conscientious appeal to the readers’ appreciation o f credentials or professional experience.
I am the Neighborhood Watch captain and it is my job to keep the block safe.
PATHOS
A deliberate appeal to the reader’s emotions, including pity, sympathy, fear, guilt, compassion, or love.
There is an elderly man who could get knocked over, and my little kids are afraid of the dog.
Graphic Organizer in Social Studies
Building Background Through Direct Means
• Guest speakers provide “an invitation to learn” (Wortman, 1992)
• Goals for bringing in a guest speaker include:– Bring the field into the classroom– Open students’ minds to varying viewpoints– Alter students’ attitudes and perceptions in
favorable ways (Payne, et al., 2003)
Field Trips
• Make connections to classroom learning
• Research ahead of time
• Prepare students
• Prepare chaperones
• Follow up (Kisiel, 2006)
Assessing Your Practice
How do teachers foster background knowledge across the sc hool day? 5 4 3 2 1
Use the rubric to determine your goals for buildingBackground knowledge in your classroom.
Building Background Knowledge
Indirect and direct methods for building BK are used daily, including teacher modeling, wide reading, and experiential learning outside the classroom.
Indirect and direct methods for building BK are used daily, including teacher modeling and wide reading. These methods are confined to in-class learning.
Indirect methods, such as wide reading and experiential learning are used, but teacher modeling occurs only occasionally.
Methods for building background knowledge are used occasionally, primarily when students demonstrate a gap.
Lessons are designed to present content. Any gaps in background knowledge are assumed to be the responsibility of students.
• Use interactive maps available at http://www.mapsofwar.com/ to provide students an overview (with timeline) of the development of religion, democracy, war, and other topics of interest for US and World History classes and middle school social studies classes.
• Check out virtual dissections available online, including one for the eye http://www.eschoolonline.com/company/examples/eye/eyedissect.html
• Learn more about the logistics of implementing a schoolwide sustained silent reading program by reading The SSR Handbook by Janice Pilgreen (2000; Heinemann).
Building Your Own Background Knowledge