Colorado State University offers a useful guide to reading on the web. While it is aimed at college students, much of the information is pertinent to readers of all ages and could easily be part of lessons in the classroom. The following list includes some of the CSU strategies to strengthen reading comprehension, along with my thoughts on how to incorporate them into classroom instruction:
Synthesize online reading into meaningful chunks of information. In my classroom, we spend a lot of time talking about how to summarize a text by finding pertinent points and casting them in one’s own words. The same strategy can also work when synthesizing information from a web page.
Use a reader’s ability to effectively scan a page, as opposed to reading every word. We often give short shrift to the ability to scan, but it is a valuable skill on may levels. Using one’s eye to sift through key words and phrases allows a reader to focus on what is important.
Avoid distractions as much as necessary. Readbility is one tool that can make this possible. Advertising-blocking tools are another effective way to reduce unnecessary, and unwanted, content from a web page. At our school, we use Ad-Block Plus as a Firefox add-on to block ads.
Understand the value of a hyperlink before you click the link. This means reading the destination of the link itself. It is easier if the creator of the page puts the hyperlink into context, but if that is not the case, then the reader has to make a judgment about the value, safety, and validity of the link. One important issue to bring into this discussion is the importance of analyzing top-level domains. A URL that ends in .gov, for example, was created by a government entity in the U.S. Ask students what it means for a URL to end in .edu. What about .org? .com? Is a .edu or .org domain necessarily trustworthy?
Navigate a path from one page in a way that is clear and logical. This is easier said than done, since few of us create physical paths of our navigation. However, a lesson in the classroom might do just that: draw a map of the path a reader goes on an assignment that uses the web. That visualization of the tangled path might be a valuable insight for young readers.
Group items tagged
1More
10 Wiki Strategies for Educators - Wiki Project - 2 views
-
Good strategies for integrating a wiki into a teachers online work with students.
1More
hmelo.pdf (application/pdf Object) - 4 views
-
Problem-based approaches to learning have a long history of advocating experience-based education. Psychological research and theory suggests that by having students learn through the experience of solving problems, they can learn both content and thinking strategies. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method in which students learn through facilitated problem solving. In PBL, student learning centers on a complex problem that does not have a single correct answer. Students work in ollaborative groups to identify what they need to learn in order to solve a problem. They engage in self-directed learning (SDL) and then apply their new knowledge to the problem and reflect on what they learned and the effectiveness of the strategies employed. The teacher acts to facilitate the learning process rather than to provide knowledge. The goals of PBL include helping students develop 1) flexible knowledge, 2) effective problem-solving skills, 3) SDL skills, 4) effective collaboration skills, and 5) intrinsic motivation. This article discusses the nature of learning in PBL and examines the empirical evidence supporting it. There is considerable research on the first 3 goals of PBL but little on the last 2. Moreover, minimal research has been conducted outside medical and gifted education. Understanding how these goals are achieved with less skilled learners is an important part of a research agenda for PBL. The evidence suggests that PBL is an instructional approach that offers the potential to help students develop flexible understanding and lifelong learning skills.
1More
shared by Roland O'Daniel on 07 Mar 11
- No Cached
A Comparison of Single and Multiple Strategy Instruction on Third-Grade Sudents' Mathem... - 2 views
udel.academia.edu/...s_Mathematical_Problem_Solving
problem solving schema-based instruction general strategy instruction
shared by Roland O'Daniel on 07 Mar 11
- No Cached
-
This problem comprehension or schema knowledge is facilitated when the schema underlying a given text is used as a vehicle to translate the information in the text into a semantic representation. this would involve restating the problem, identifying the problem type (i.e. change), discerning relevant and irrelevant information, determining information that is needed for solution, and representing the problem as a diagram (Mayer, 1999). Problem solution requires representing the problem as a number sentence or list of operations or identifying subgoals for multistep problems (i.e. strategic knowledge) and carrying out single or chains of calculations (i.e. procedural knowledge; Mayer 1999). Because additive problem structures (i.e. change, group, compare) involve a "family" (e.g. 3, 5, 8), connecting the number family to the problem structures is critical to problem solution (Van de Walle, 2004). Although procedural knowledge is important, it (is extremely limited unless it is connected to a conceptual knowledge base" (Prawat, 1989, p. 10). SBI- Schema-based instructionGSI- General strategy instruction SBI Components (some not necessarily all) a) SBI that used either number line diagrams to understand the semantic structure of compare word problems or schematic diagrams to solve a range of word problems. b) schema-induction instruction, c) SBI that explicitly taught for transfer by focusing on similar problem types, and d) SBI combined with metacognitive instruction. different format, different question, unfamililiar vocabulary, irrelevent information, combining problem types, and mixing superficial features
3More
Strategies for online reading comprehension - 2 views
-
-
Works great with diigo. Have students highlight the pertinent information and add a sticky note to share with their research group.
-
-
We traditionally think of reading in terms of sounding out words, understanding the meaning of those words, and putting those words into some contextual understanding. f the kind of text our students are encountering in these online travels is embedded with so many links and media, and if those texts are connected to other associated pages (with even more links and media), hosted by who-knows-whom, the act of reading online quickly becomes an act of hunting for treasure, with red herrings all over the place that can easily divert one's attention. As educators, we need to take a closer look at what online reading is all about and think about how we can help our students not only navigate with comprehension but also understand the underlying structure of this world.
1More
ReadingQuest | Reading Strategies for Social Studies - 0 views
-
A website for teachers that explores comprehension and content reading strategies and when to use them in social studies.">
80More
SRTrainingSummer09 / Chapter 6- Group 1 - 0 views
-
seen pages
-
-
kids need to read the whole book to understand the main ideas
-
This is so not true. Targeted reading can provide students essential content and save time for other activities.
-
-
So you have to prioritize; you have to decide to teach a few things well and fully- let some other stuff slide.
-
- ...42 more annotations...
-
Maybe we believe that kids need to read the whole book to understand the main ideas in our subject.
-
I don't believe this at ALL. Quite possibly, I err on the opposite end fo the spectrum, where students don't know WHY they have a textbook. Perhaps, some of these new strategies can make in-class reading more productive and encourage more use of the book.
-
-
They need you, the teacher, to break the work into steps and stages, and to give them tools and activities and work habits that help.
-
Scaffolding, vocabulary strategies really work well with breaking up text into manageable chunks for students.
-
-
Like the social studies teachers at Stagg High School, you could try to identify the 12 or 16 absolutely key, “fencepost” concepts in every course you teach. You might agree in principle that kids would do better to understand a dozen key ideas deeply, that to hear 1,000 ideas mentioned in passing. But what are the right fenceposts for your subject, your course?
-
Finding these fencepost ideas is always difficult in a department where each person feels different topics require more coverage than others.
-
-
beyond the classroom
-
definately a key to motivating readers. They need to know why it matters to them.
-
-
So you have to prioritize; you have to decide to teach a few things well and fully- let some other stuff slide.
-
Ah. The "selective abandonment" approach. Reminds me of my days teaching Arts & Humanities -- 25 pages of random facts in the Core Content about the progress of Western, non-Western, and other indigienous visual art, drama, dance, literature, music, religion, philosophy, from time immemorial to present...all in 18 weeks of block scheduling.
-
-
have to decide to teach a few things well and fully- let some other stuff slide.
-
what do you let slide and what to you cover? does each individual teacher decide this or is it done as a department?
-
-
Whatever our subject, we may believe that “the state requires us” to cover everything in the textbook, however thinly
-
This newer kind of test tries to determine not just whether students retain factual information, but whether, given an authentic problem, they can reason effectively.
-
-
In fact, the 50 states differ widely in the sort of high-stakes tests they actually administer.
-
Do we have any framework for the new KY tests? Like...standards, core content...?
-
-
But what are the right fenceposts for your subject, your course?
-
-
Sounds plausible, given the current fervor of politicians to supervise us, but we’d better be sure it is the reality
-
-
So you have to prioritize; you have to decide to teach a few things well and fully- let some other stuff slide.
-
-
Don’t leave kids alone with their textbooks We can harness the social power of collaboration, having kids work in pairs, groups, and teams at all stages of reading to discuss, debate, and sort-out ideas in the book.
-
I find this works well in social studies, especially with topics that apply to events in the world today.
-
-
Don’t leave kids alone with their textbooks
-
to remember ideas, learners must act upon them. Period. You can have students move their noses above any number of pages, left to right, top to bottom, but that is neither teaching nor learning.
-
-
What’s Really on the State Test?
-
in response to selective abandonment, I found in the A & H Core Content that most of it was unnecessary to do well on the test. Most of my students were able to perform at the Proficient/Distinguished level without a text...and without covering every single thing on the suggested list. Highly discouraging for a new teacher...effort, in a sense, wasted.
-
-
roe of textbooks
-
-
only a fraction (17% in mathematics for example) understand a field well enough to do higher-level operations or performances. (2000).
-
-
Sure, we can make students read daily sections of the textbook as a matter of compliance and obedience.
-
-
NAEP tells us
-
-
cussedness
-
the content of any subject field has different levels of importance. There are some anchor ideas we ant students to understand in a deep and enduring way, others that are important to know about, and finally, some aspects where a passing familiarity is sufficient.
-
-
1.Does the idea, topic, or process represent a big idea having enduring value beyond the classroom? 2.Does the big idea, topic, or process reside at the heart of the discipline? 3.To what extent does the idea, topic or process require uncoverage? 4.To what extent does the idea, topic, or process have the potential for engaging students?
-
-
the reform movements between1820-1850. There are four distinct strands which emerged during this period- religious renewal, abolitionism, the early women’s rights efforts, and workplace reform- each of which receives several pages of coverage in the textbook
-
making sure your kids can think like a scientist, a mathematician, a historian, or a writer.
-
Many books couldn’t be studied this way because information in earlier chapters is crucial for understanding later ones. But textbooks frequently can be easily subdivided.
-
Another way to subdivide the chapter is to have students divide in groups and present their information in a creative way to their classmates.
-
-
Have empathy. Remember, not only are you a grownup and a subject matter expert, you have also read this textbook five or 10 times before. The material may seem easy to you, but it may really be Greek to the kids.
-
Jigsawing
-
You can also pair proficient and poor readers and do a parallel reading in a jigsam format for added differentiation and support for struggling readers.
-
-
giving students support before and during reading
-
Make more selective assignments
-
Greek to the kids
-
-
Choose wisely. Make more selective assignments
-
This is particularly important for honors/excel students. Accelerated does not mean "do more of the same."
-
-
more are using constructed responses, items that present some data (a chart, article, or problem) and then ask students to work with it. This newer kind of test tries to determine not just whether students retain factual information, but whether, given an authentic problem, they can reason effectively.
-
-
With jigsawing activities, when kids sit down to find the links between movements like abolitionism and worker’s rights, they are coming pretty close to “doing history,” not just dutifully accepting what the textbook says.
-
This does require students to be trained in how to do effective jigsaw strategies.
-
-
assigning fewer pages
-
Especially important for students in regular-pace and more slowly-paced groups. Do reading in class, alongside practice.
-
-
focus on making sure your kids can think like a scientist, a mathematician, a historian, or a writer.
-
-
websites
-
I finished a course last year by using my WJHS Wiki, a website with discussion forums you can build, ideas you can exchange, and digital copies of assignment lists, expectations, etc. it was pretty cool.
-
-
Have empathy.
-
The material may seem easy to you, but it may really be Greek to the kids.
-
-
similarities
-
laboring under tough requirements to “cover” material, having
-
ACCESS: Textbook Feature Analysis Directions: Use this activity to better understand the textbook in this class. Its purpose is to teach you how the textbook works by showing you what it is made of and how these elements are organized.
-
1More
Mathematics Teachers' Subtle, Complex Disciplinary Knowledge - 3 views
-
What mathematical competencies must a teacher have to teach the subject well? This has proven difficult to investigate (1). A current view is that teachers' knowledge of mathematics "remains inert in the classroom unless accompanied by a rich repertoire of mathematical knowledge and skills relating directly to the curriculum, instruction, and student learning" (2). Unfortunately, there is no consensus on which "knowledge and skills" might activate teachers' inert knowledge. Two perspectives prevail, neither with a research base that enables strong claims about practice. The majority of current studies focus on explicit knowledge of curriculum content and instructional strategies. Such knowledge might be assessed directly through observation, interview, or written test (2), with a parallel research emphasis on the formal contents of teacher education programs [e.g., (3)]. A second school of thought, presented here, is that the most important competencies tend to be tacit, like skills involved in playing concert piano, learned but not necessarily available to consciousness.
1More
Looking at Student Work - 2 views
-
Great resource for developing a protocol for looking at student work with your PLC, staff, department. Offers not only protocols, but strategies for introducing the idea to your group, supporting the activity long-term to meet the needs of your staff/PLC.
1More
shared by Roland O'Daniel on 02 Oct 09
- Cached
Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience - 0 views
serc.carleton.edu/...index.html
education geoscience science web2.0 math instruction high middlegrades
shared by Roland O'Daniel on 02 Oct 09
- Cached
-
Geared toward developing good instructional strategies for entry level geo-science courses at the post-secondary setting, the suggestions can easily be applied to 6-12 setting and are just good instructional practices. Well organized and includes different perspectives and connected content.
1More
Arcademic Skill Builders: Online Educational Games - 2 views
-
The website says: "THE Place For Educational Games!Our research-based and standards-aligned free educational math games and language arts games will engage, motivate, and help teach students. Click a button below to play our free multi-player and single-player games! In the future we'll add features enabling you to save records, tailor content for differentiated instruction, and pinpoint student problem areas." I think using the games in conjunction with a holistic approach to developing skills would make for a great way of getting students to practices some skills. Let students play, set goals, monitor those goals, reflect on their progress, and apply strategies/heuristics to specific problems they struggle with would create an environment in the classroom where learning was fun, self-monitored, and successful.
9More
Feature Articles: Writing in Mathematics - Common Objections and FAQs - 0 views
-
Though much mathematics instruction focuses on representing ideas with symbols and manipulating those symbols, students still understand mathematics by linking those forms with meaning (Kessler, 1987).
-
I think this is one area that teachers working in content literacy struggle with. It takes a very different way of looking at mathematics instruction to value this opinion. I think many of the teachers acknowledge it, but few value it enough to invest the time to understand how to do it well. Our task then becomes to find out ways of enabling math teachers to incorporate writing activities that are well supported and successful.
-
It is true that we need to help math teachers with this, but it is also the realization from the math teachers that this concept is valid.
-
-
Start small. It takes a long time to grade writing, especially if you have large classes or teach multiple courses. “Start with one class or use a journal for a specific unit” (Brandenburg, 2002).
-
-
What kinds of writing activities should I have my students do?
-
I really liked the way the article listed these strategies. Considering math is my weakest area of understanding (due to not being able to read and comprehend the material in a fluent manner) these strategies make it easier to offer ideas as a literacy coach to math teachers.
-
- ...1 more annotation...
-
Stephanie Krajicek
-
NOte at the bottom of the article Stephanie's credentials. She's an English and French teacher by training. She iis writing the article because she is comfortable writing. Who can we get to write this article with us?
-
1More
Professional Development Vocabulary Links2.pdf (application/pdf Object) - 0 views
Ten Simple Strategies for Re-engaging Students | Edutopia - 0 views
3More
Mind - Research Upends Traditional Thinking on Study Habits - NYTimes.com - 0 views
-
“When students see a list of problems, all of the same kind, they know the strategy to use before they even read the problem,” said Dr. Rohrer. “That’s like riding a bike with training wheels.” With mixed practice, he added, “each problem is different from the last one, which means kids must learn how to choose the appropriate procedure — just like they had to do on the test.”
-
Yet even more rationale for a variety of problems with different perspectives. I love that variety helps deepen a persons ability to differentiate similarities and differences!! Great stuff.
-
-
In one of his own experiments, Dr. Roediger and Jeffrey Karpicke, also of Washington University, had college students study science passages from a reading comprehension test, in short study periods. When students studied the same material twice, in back-to-back sessions, they did very well on a test given immediately afterward, then began to forget the material. But if they studied the passage just once and did a practice test in the second session, they did very well on one test two days later, and another given a week later.
1More
Beyond Google - 15+ Tools and Strategies for Better Web Search Results - 2 views
-
Great set of resources for research starting points beyond Google for younger students.
1More
10 Personal Response Systems Teaching Strategies: Best Practices for Using Clickers to ... - 5 views
2More
Literacy Technologies Training - Content Literacy - 3 views
-
I think our school is right on the edge of using many different sites and strategies with technology. We will be moving into a new building and be thrust into how to have students use this technology. I want to use extranormal (animation) with my intervention students. I need to look at google docs and voicethreads.
-
1More
6 ways journalists can use Quora as a tool for reporting, sharing ideas | Poynter. - 0 views
-
Quora is an interesting tool and it looks like it is getting some attention from the journalism community. On Quora, people ask and answer questions, harnessing the power of the internet and scale.