Reading First Action Seminar

Los Angeles Unified Schools

March 31, 2005

Energizer

Scavenger Hunt

Objectives and Outcomes:

After examining evidence, school site team member will:

1. Assess the quality of the evidence.2. Produce three action steps for

improving the process of gathering evidence.

3. Plan and prepare to collect more exact evidence.

(through the lens of writing)

Examining Learning Environments

When you walk into an academically rigorous classroom of engaged students, what does it look like? Feel like? Sound like?

Handing Off

Handing off is a method of turning over to students the primary responsibility for controlling discussion. Having students “hand off” the discussion to other students instead of the teacher encourages them to retain complete control of the discussion and to become more actively involved in the learning process. When a student finishes his/her comments, that student should choose the next speaker. In this way, students maintain a discussion without relying on the teacher to decide who speaks.

OCR Program Appendix pg. 28

Examining Learning Environments

What are our expectations of our teachers during our staff meetings and professional development sessions?

What are our expectations of ourselves?

What adds up to good writing instruction?

Knowledgeof the

Standards

Quality Writing

Instruction+ Writing

ProcessGenre + =( ) ConceptualDevelopment

Unit Opener Phonics/Fluency Word Knowledge (2000)Developing Oral Language

Build Background

Preview andPrepare

Selection Vocabulary

Comprehension Skills

Exploring the ThemeInquiry Journal

Concept/Question BoardTheme Connections(small group discussion)Concept/Question Board

Discussingthe

Selection

OCR Ingredients

A carburetor is essentially a tube.

There is an adjustable plate across the tube called the throttle plate that controls how much air can flow through the tube.

At some point in the tube there is a narrowing, called the venturi, and in this narrowing a vacuum is created.

A Building Block for Writing:Background Building

In this narrowing there is a hole,called a jet, that lets the vacuum draw the fuel.

How do these C/Q Boards build schema?

Looking at Evidence

Table Talk

Is this good evidence of schema building?

Why or why not?What happened before, during and after?

5 Minute Break

Inquiring and Studying

Each of your action steps should address collecting additional evidence.

1. Choose one of your action steps.

2. Use your Teacher’s Edition to identify multiple opportunities to collect additional data.

Writing Objectives

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Actionable

R = Realistic

T = Time-bound

Action Plan

Follow-up WorkReading First Action Seminar

When you return to your school: Look for evidence that shows the progression of

building schema. For the April Action Seminar: Bring all the pieces that show progression of

the evidence collected.