Webquests for Information &

Literature Circles

SuperConference 2008Cindy Matthews

Community Foundation: ‘Just Like Me’

I am new to using Literature Circles as an instructional strategy with my students.

I have used Lit. Circles with my students, but am looking to add depth to my repertoire.

I am new to using Information Circles as an instructional strategy with my students.

I have used Info. Circles with my students, but am looking to add depth to my repertoire.

I have used Webquests with my students.

Agenda

Literature Circles: What are they? > roles

Establishing common practice

Information Circles: What are they? > critical thinking

Establishing dialogue & roles

Reflections > School-wide plan Webquests: What are they? > resources & samples

Design: adaptation & creation

Further Reading & Questions

Literature Circles

small, temporary discussion groups of diverse students who have chosen to read the same story, poem, article or book

an organizational strategy that offers ‘voice and choice’ in a community of readers, as a forum for independent reading and cooperative learning

provide opportunities for shared talk.

Harvey Daniels’ model: while reading each group-determined portion of the text, each

member prepares to take specific responsibilities in the upcoming discussion, rotated for each regular meeting.

The goal is to guide students to deeper understanding of their reading, through discussion and extended written and artistic responses.

Literature Circles; Daniels, H.

Establishing Literature Circles

Modeled Dialogue: think-alouds & text connections Shared Circle Dialogue & roles: ‘Fat and Skinny’ ?s Guided Literature Circles: community building/responsibilities ‘Voice & Choice’: mixed group books & reading plans

Think AloudsMaking Connections

Remind

Text-to-Self

Text-to-World

Text-to-Text

• a strategy for a literary mini-lesson

Roles in Literature Circles

Discussion Director Summarizer Literary Luminator Wild and Crazy Word Detective Illustrator Choreographer

Role Cards

Text Title ______________________________________

Author ______________________________________Pages _____________SummarizerCreate a graphic organizer based on the day’s reading. Choose an

organizer that is suitable to the type of text read. E.g. Plot Graph, Story/Article Pyramid, Sequence Chart, Venn Diagram.

Using the ideas on your graphic organizer, write a 5-8 sentence summary of the text.

Consider the following when summarizing:What are the elements (setting, character, plot, conflict, climax) of

the story? What is the main idea?What are the key points?What are the main events?

• a training tool for a procedural mini-lesson

Community Building Tasks

‘Knee-to-Knee, Eye-to-Eye’ Paired Verbal Fluency ’30-60-90’ ‘Put Yourself on the Line’ / Four Corners Placemats Jigsaw Discussion Web / Appreciative Inquiry Triangle Debate

• strategies for procedural mini-lessons

Gradual Release of Responsibility:

Guided Inquiry

ReadAloud

ReadAloud

SharedReading

SharedReading

GuidedReading

GuidedReading

IndependentReading

IndependentReading

Information &

LiteratureCircles

Information &

LiteratureCircles

IndependentWriting

IndependentWriting

GuidedWriting

GuidedWriting

Shared /Interactive

Writing

Shared /Interactive

Writing

ModelledWriting

ModelledWriting

Oral Language

Oral Language

BalancedLiteracy

BalancedLiteracy

Media Literacy

ICT Skills

Information Circles

work on the same principle as literature circles, only in this case the students read non-fiction instead of fiction.

Short text learning tasks: shared reading of magazines, articles, posters and webpages are

purposeful for instruction about the features of different text forms students guided in identification of characteristics of non-fiction texts

and media (titles, diagrams, font variety, images)Group research projects: shared learning in the Inquiry and Research Process synthesis of the process leads group to produce and present an end

product of some sort Info Tasks; Koechlin, C. & S. Zwaan

Establishing Information Circles Modeled Critical Thinking: Q-Matrix > Inquiry & Research

Process Shared Text Deconstruction: Media Literacy/Graphic Organizers Guided Inquiry for Info. Circles:

on-line resources & software ‘Voice and Choice’:

role & presentation styles can align with Multiple Intelligences

Critical Thinking & Questioning: the Q-Matrix

• a tool for literary & research mini-lessons

Inquiry & Research Process /Media Literacy Triangle

• tools for literary & research mini-lessons

Skills for ‘Grand Conversations’

Questioning• Question webs • open-ended/how and why ?s• Inner voice, constructing meaning (post-its)• ‘wonder’ notebooks / mini-research projects

Making Inferences • Pictures/diagrams and text• Themes/big ideas• Teaching “how” to make inferences

• strategies for literary & research mini-lessons

Conversation Complements

Short stories, poems, articles, current or controversial, independent reading level

Double-entry Journals Anticipations Guide - stepping stone Post-it notes - questions/connections Passing notes/writing in role/round robin Drawing/visualizing On-line discussions, blogs Authentic/performance tasks, WebQuests

• tools for literary & research mini-lessons

Roles for Information CirclesResource Manager/ Presentation Planner Collect resources of different media for reading/viewing and for presentation ideas. Select a medium and draft a plan for the group presentation.

The Data Digger Find information to help your group find the answer to our class question. Track new and interesting words/ phrases that you discover.

The Questioner Create group questions. Vary your questions, using the question starters. Review the work of your group members to confirm that the questions are being answered.

The Connector Make personal connections to the information you are reading and viewing. Is this important? Why? Do you agree or disagree? Why? What are the issues? What is your opinion?

The I llustrator Record the key ideas you discovered in a visual format. You might try a chart, graph, sketch, web, cartoon, diagram or a combination of visual formats.

Summarizer Your task today is to summarize key information. What is the most interesting thing you have learned? What is the most important thing you have learned? Why?

Reflective Questions

>>As you think of your students’ needs in terms of reading comprehension, how might Literature Circles extend their learning?

>>Considering the text and media resources and research practices in your school library, where might you start with Information Circles?

Webquests

inquiry-oriented activity, most or all of the information used by learners drawn from the Web

teacher chosen websites serve as links within an organizational framework that requires reflective manipulation of information to complete learning tasks

designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it

allow for diverse entry points to the Inquiry and Research Process support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation students work independently and collaboratively with this inquiry-oriented

tool. model developed by Bernie Dodge & Tom March in 1995 at San Diego State

University, outlined in “Some Thoughts About Webquests” School Library Information Centre (SLIC) Handbook, 2003

 

CyberLiteracy: e-Project formats

Webquests Cyberguides, ~inquiries Wiki Environments Blogs On-line Projects Virtual Tours Scavenger Hunts Guided Tours Pathfinders

Developing WebquestsBuilding Blocks of a WebQuest short paragraph to hook and prepare the reader; should include

the essential question or purpose of the webquest

short paragraph to describe the end product or culminating performance

an outline of the steps, resources and tools for organizing information

an assessment rubric to describe the evaluation criteria needed to meet performance and content standards

a summary of the learning for reflection purposes; may include some extension questions

information to share with other educators re: target learners, curriculum expectations and integration

http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/buildingblocks/p-index.htm

Multimedia Literacy

Where, as Loertscher, Koechlin & Zwaan argue, Webquests are limited by the use of only one information source – the Internet, connecting to literature, non-fiction texts, personal experience and collaborative discussion highlights the significance of ‘high quality information sources regardless of the medium’. Ban those Bird Units, 2005

On-line Resources

Annette Lamb’s Internet Expeditions: Exploring, Using, Adapting and Creating WebQuests

                                      

Greater Essex County Webquest Locator

Sample Webquests

Janet Medders’ Primary webquest

Deirdre Cronin’ssurvivor webquest

Becky Oakley &Cynthia Wilson’s Poe webquest

Sample Webquests

Joel Krentz’Nutrition Webquest

Toronto Public Library’s History Quest

Kristin Bombard’sNew 2 Canada Webquest

Purposeful Tasks: Primary

Retelling Tasks Compilation Tasks Developmental and grade-appropriate tasks need to be scaffolded

for students to gain a sense of independence with webquests. Primary students can approach the technical learning of webquests

more easily when the literacy tasks are familiar.

from Webquest Taxonomy

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/taskonomy.html

Purposeful Tasks: Junior

Journalistic Tasks Creative Product Tasks Grade-appropriate tasks need to be scaffolded and integrated with

other sources for students to be challenged by webquests. Junior students are more familiar with a variety of social and

technical skills and literacy foundations. Their learning lies in the integration of the skills to advance their thinking, with guidance.

Purposeful Tasks: Intermediate

Analysis Tasks Persuasion Tasks Content-rich tasks need to be advanced and integrated with other

sources for students to be challenged by webquests. Intermediate students respond well to problem-based research tasks

that require comprehensive integration of the social and technical skills along with literacy foundations, from fiction and non-fiction texts.

Creating Webquests Initially, templates created in a software document serve as ‘e-sheets’ or worksheets. Graphic design can be added with software such as Clicker 4, Smart Ideas, Adobe

Photoshop, Macromedia X, to raise the level of cognitive processing and creativity. More polished designs can be ‘borrowed’ from a variety of on-line sources, using an on-line ‘fill-in-the-blank’ creation guide, though jpg use may be limited.

      Designing a WebQuest

Topic: ____________________________ Grade:___________

Curriculum Expectations

Introduction

Task

Process

Resources

Evaluation

Conclusion

© 2006 Toronto District School Board - -Imagine the Learning! @ Your Library:

Elementary Research Guide

Adapting & Creating Webquests

•Eliminate Linkrot•Mix and Match•Adjust Level or Purpose•Adapt for Region•Extend Scope

•Choose a Topic•Select a Design•Choose Development Tools•Create Assessments•Develop Process•Synthesize•Evaluate your Webquest

Resources for further readingBrownlie, F.,Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses: a unique

approach to Literature Circles

Cole, A.D., Knee to Knee, Eye to Eye: Circling in on Comprehension

Daniels, H., Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups

Daniels & Steineke, Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles

Harvey & Goudvis, Strategies That Work

Harvey, S. Non-fiction Matters

Koechlin & Zwaan, Info Tasks for Successful Learning

Koechlin & Zwaan,Q Tasks

Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century

Lipton & Wellman, Pathways to Understanding: Patterns and Practices in the Learning-Focused Classrom

Loerscher, Koechlin & Zwaan, Ban Those Bird Units

Ministry of Education, Ontario, Think Literacy : Cross-Curricular Approaches Grades 7-12

TDSB, Cross-Curricular Literacy: Key Strategies for Improving Middle Level Students’ Reading and Writing Skills, Grades 6-8

TDSB, Imagine the Learning@Your Library: Elementary Research Guide

Wilhelm, J., Improving Comprehension with Think Aloud Strategies

Wiggins & McTighe, Understanding by Design