Introduce yourself and have some fun

Task Discussion

• 
  R. Joseph Rodríguez   July 10, 2012, 11:42 a.m.

  Good morning, teacher leaders.

  This charrette will be helpful as I work with students struggling to balance information literacy and close,critical reading.  Some students have experienced reading to find responses to multiple-choice questions and abandon the text after finding the answers. 

  Moreover, students struggle to transition from what they read to how a text communicates a message. 

  We are introducing strategies and routines for students to adopt as the read and write to learn, include self-regulation and metacognition.

  The book How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching (2010) has been helpful for discussions among faculty on student learning in higher education: 

  http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470484101.html 

  I recommend reading the sample Chapter 1, which provides a vignette on prior learning with methods and strategies to use in the classroom. 

  Your ideas and suggestions are welcome.

  Sincerely,

      Joseph

• 
  Claudia L'Amoreaux   July 10, 2012, 12:10 p.m.
  In Reply To:   R. Joseph Rodríguez   July 10, 2012, 11:42 a.m.

  Greetings, Joseph.

  I'm so glad to have you here in the charrette. Thank you for the link to the book and thanks especially for pointing us to the sample chapter. We'll be collecting and organizing a list of all resources shared. So far we've discussed doing it as a Google doc, but we're open to other suggestions.

  As for fun, couldn't let that awesome Cat in the Hat hat go by without a cheer!

   

  All the best,

  Claudia

• 
  Ruth Rominger   July 10, 2012, 12:10 p.m.
  In Reply To:   R. Joseph Rodríguez   July 10, 2012, 11:42 a.m.

  Thanks Joseph,

  This is a great start for our conversation about what are some successful approaches to teaching READING COMPREHENSION. 

• 
  Anonym   July 10, 2012, 1:59 p.m.
  In Reply To:   R. Joseph Rodríguez   July 10, 2012, 11:42 a.m.

  Hi Joseph,

  Thanks so much for posting this.  I really agree:  students are really struggling to balance information literacy and close, critical reading.  They don't know how to judge and assess what they've learned.  

  I think this is really important because so much othe research shows that for them to be good writers, we need for them to be good readers.

   

  Liz

• 
  Paul Allison   July 10, 2012, 9:05 a.m.

  Participating in this charrette is allowing me to try out some of what I am trying to build for students who are using a social networking site. So, for example, I'm trying to organize the different options we have for students to build a profile here: https://p2pu.org/en/groups/youth-voices-profile/content/profile/

  And this has me considering what else we might do and what seems odd at this point. An example of these questions: Is VoiceThread worth the effort?

  http://voicethread.com/share/164905/

• 
  nabb   July 10, 2012, 10:04 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Paul Allison   July 10, 2012, 9:05 a.m.

  Paul, 

  Thanks for sharing part of your family story.   Voicethreads could be used to "write" a narrative about a picture important to a student.   That narrative could become the first draft of a narrative assignment.  Plus, sometimes students need to talk through an idea before they write.   It could be a great way to find out why someone wants to write on a specific topic.  It is only worth the effort if you connect the technology to the course curriculum and assignments. 

  Nichole

• 
  Claudia L'Amoreaux   July 10, 2012, 12:35 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Paul Allison   July 10, 2012, 9:05 a.m.

  Greetings, Paul.

  Interesting question you pose about how to determine if a new tool is worth the effort required for mastery.  Given the focus on voice in your Youth Voices project, it certainly could be a good fit.  I have seen some creative uses of VoiceThread and have been intrigued by it, but haven't gotten around to it.

  Once I do commit to learning a tool, I'm always surprised by what I discover putting it to use. It looks like VoiceThread is pretty easy to get up and running. Was that your experience in making the piece you shared?

  I've also been amazed by the number of great video tutorials available, made by educators for educators, on just about any tool. Watching video tutorials has cut my learning curve considerably on more than a few tools. For example, here's a well-organized page of video tutorials created by teacher Brad Wilson on using VoiceThread:

  http://www.21innovate.com/voicethread-tutorials.html

   

  Claudia

• 
  Anonym   July 10, 2012, 2 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Paul Allison   July 10, 2012, 9:05 a.m.

  Hi Paul,

   

  I love Voice Thread.  I think it's a lot of fun and, depending on the assignment, can be really useful.

   

  Liz

• 
  Julie Lemley   July 11, 2012, 6:06 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Anonym   July 10, 2012, 2 p.m.

  It sounds like you use Voice Thread. Do you know what the technical requirements are for it?

• 
  Ruth Rominger   July 12, 2012, 12:31 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Julie Lemley   July 11, 2012, 6:06 p.m.

  Julie, VoiceThread is web-based, so a fairly current computer, browser and internet connection are needed. It can be used with text-only commenting. But it is really fun to use with microphone and speakers (or headset with mic) because participants can record their comments. There is also a way to call in a comment on a phone, which could be fun to experiment with students Ruth
• 
  Michael Damian Jeter   July 10, 2012, 9:03 a.m.

  To build on Nichole's statement that we should concentrate on Devlopmental English, a few questions:

   

  What characterizes the Developmental Class as opposed to the FYC Class? What texts, what assignments?

  How are they different from and similar to FYC?

  What should be a proper developmental sequence and why? I have taught at institutions with as many as five classes before one gets to FYC and others with only one such class. 

• 
  Malkiel Choseed   July 9, 2012, 11:34 p.m.

  Hello All,

  My name is Malkiel Choseed, and I teach all levels of English at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY.  I know I am joining this a bit late, but I wanted to at least post something before folks move on to the next part.

  This is my first time using the P2PU site.  I'm getting the hand of it, I think.  I suppose this is how my students feel when they first log on to ANGEL. 

• 
  Claudia L'Amoreaux   July 10, 2012, 12:38 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Malkiel Choseed   July 9, 2012, 11:34 p.m.

  Welcome, Makkiel. There is no late here. :D You're right on time. Glad to have you participating.

  I appreciate your comment that using P2PU for first time gives you a feel for how your students feel logging into a new course site.

   

• 
  Nicole_Helget   July 9, 2012, 11:15 p.m.

  HI all,

  I'm a reading and writing teacher at a small, rural community college with a growing English Language Learner population. Looking forward to reading all your thoughts!

• 
  Anonym   July 9, 2012, 7:20 p.m.

  Hiya gang!

   

  Great to meet all of you. I'm really looking forward to our conversation this week.  I'm wearing a few hats in our discussion.  First, and most importantly to our conversations, I teach Basic Writing at a large, urban community college in NYC (LaGuardia).  I am passionate about my Basic Writers and about Basic Writing as a critical entry point for college students who need additional time and support to become good writers.  I am also a fierce proponent of writing with technology and often echo Kathleen Yancey's work about the importance of technology in defining 21st century writing.  I call this the "digital imperative."  I write about this in the context of all composition courses (and I teach with technology in all of my courses) but I'm particularly passionate about technology as a basic skill in composition.  I look forward to hearing from you all about this.  My current research focuses on how we need to (and some departments are) moving technology into the curriculum as a specific curricular/learning outcome/goal.  I also write (and present) on technology and ePortfolios often as I am part of the LaGuardia ePortfolio Leadership Team.

  Nationally, I'm the co-chair of the Council on Basic Writing and have been working hard on our social media strategies, migrating our work for greater transparency and portability to a blog format and a Facebook page.  I also am on the editorials boards of CCC and BWe.  I'm a past member and managing editor of the Radical Teacher editorial board.  

  When I'm not busy teaching, grading and writing, I scuba dive.  I volunteer at the New York Aquarium on the Dive Team, which is one of the coolest things I've ever done.  So, if anyone is working on a way to grade under water, let me know.  :-)

• 
  Claudia L'Amoreaux   July 10, 2012, 1:11 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Anonym   July 9, 2012, 7:20 p.m.

   

  Hi, Liz.

  Feel free to add the link in for your Council on Basic Writing Blog and the FB page. I'm guessing you'll discover some readers here. And I just wanted to let you know I've been a fan and reader of Radical Teacher off and on for years.

  Some of the biggest fun of my life has also been in the water snorkeling - here I am in Kealekekua Bay, Big Island of Hawai'i - my favorite place on Earth. I swam there every day for a year and often encountered these playful, wild Spinner dolphis.

  

  Claudia

   

   

• 
  Anonym   July 10, 2012, 2:03 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Anonym   July 9, 2012, 7:20 p.m.

  CBW:  http://cbwblog.wordpress.com

  On Facebook:  Council of Basic Writing (you have to request to join, but once you do that, we'll add you to the group).

• 
  Amy Perry   July 9, 2012, 5:28 p.m.

   

  Hi All,

  I’m a grad student in Instructional Technology and a former English teacher (middle school, high school, and adult ESL). Most of my recent experience with open educational resources has been in the sciences, so I’m eager to collaboratively explore some of the unique challenges and features of an OER English program. I’m also looking forward to learning about digital tools that others have found useful in teaching writing to adults. 

  As an intern moderator, I’ll be helping to curate the conversation and provide any other assistance I can to help things run smoothly.

  Looking forward to the next two weeks!

  Amy

• 
  Penny   July 9, 2012, 4:38 p.m.

  I thought I would add a bit of multimedia using Jing when I realized that everything I have relates to using Moodle. That sounded boring, so I decided to stick with text! I am a coordinator for distance learning projects for a California-wide adult education leadership project called Outreach and Technical Assistance Network. We provide technical assistance for adult education agencies and teachers throughout the state. One of my projects is to develop distance learning options for our adult learners, and we have chosen Moodle as a course development program as well as open source materials such as those provided by MITE/NROC and HippoCampus.

  Since our student population is mostly English language learners and/or adults working their way back to educational goals of completing their GED or High School diploma or to acquire adult basic skills (ABE), we see the need for quality developmental materials for these learners. Although there is a lot of wonderful, high-quality materials out there for developing reading and writing skills, often times the instructional materials are written at a reading level way to high for ABE students, or English language learners. (Or they are at the right level, but the content is childish or "cartoony" for adults - they get discouraged because the materials being presented are obviously designed for children.)  Being part of creating a high quality developmental resource for adult learners will be very satisfying!

  Penny

• 
  Michael Damian Jeter   July 9, 2012, 3:12 p.m.

  It's difficult until there is a national core curriculum. Certainly, the goals of the NCTE are worthy.

  In lieu of a national curriculum, if we accept that college is the last step before most students enter their profession, then I would make a case that local colleges and their expectations should govern elementary, middle, and high scool curricula.

  Since we can find many different types of colleges, public school curricula at all levels should be driven by public, state colleges, with a goal that by preparing students for FYC in high school, fewer students would need developmental courses.

• 
  Ruth Rominger   July 9, 2012, 4:52 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Michael Damian Jeter   July 9, 2012, 3:12 p.m.

  What is the best way to start defining what the "public state college" curriculum standards are that we need to prepare students for?  

  Right now, it seems that the default "college prep" standards are the college placement exams, and the research says they are not accurately placing students into the right Dev English or college courses.  

  Dare to through out a "straw curriculum" in this charrette?

• 
  Michael Damian Jeter   July 9, 2012, 6:39 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Ruth Rominger   July 9, 2012, 4:52 p.m.

  Well, from my point of view, HS curriculum are still to literature heavy. College students come with an ability to rehash their hs teachers' interpretations, yet, the vast majority of college students will go no further than a survey course in literature, and those who do go on to literary study will find their hs teachers' interpretation terribly outdated. It is good for them to get their perceptions challenged, but it would be better if more knew how to develop an argument of their own.

  Certainly, the NCTE standards look good. In a general sense, the modern curriculum should teach students to develop a variety of arguments across multiple genres and media.

• 
  Anonym   July 9, 2012, 7:31 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Michael Damian Jeter   July 9, 2012, 6:39 p.m.

  For college composition, NCTE/CCCC is probably the best comprehensive organization that reaches the most people/schools.  But, basic writing, although a historic part of the composition field, is currently underrepresented at C's.  I'm glad to say that the 2012 conference will have a renewed focus on basic writing & I'm excited to see where it goes from there.  

  However, the WPA group has published the best set of standards for First Year Composition.  There is not a Basic Writing equivalent because what is meant by basic writing varies widely from school to school.

• 
  Malkiel Choseed   July 9, 2012, 11:43 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Anonym   July 9, 2012, 7:31 p.m.

  We used the WPA Outcomes for FYC statement as the basis for our own program's outcomes and mission statement.  I have found, however, that even some of the basic terms that many of us take for granted, such as 'revision' are interpreted very broadly by those teaching both mainstream comp and Dev Ed (at least at my school).  Hence the need for ongoing and sustained professional development as the basis for programatic change. 

• 
  Ruth Rominger   July 10, 2012, 1:35 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Malkiel Choseed   July 9, 2012, 11:43 p.m.

  Here is a link to the pdf of the Council of Writing Program Administrators (WPA) Outcomes for First Year Composition referred to previously. 

  WPA Outcomes Statement for First Year Composition

• 
  nabb   July 10, 2012, 8:36 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Ruth Rominger   July 10, 2012, 1:35 a.m.

  At my current institution, I am ashamed to say I am not really sure how we decided the Outcomes for Developmental and First-Year English.   First-Year English is part of the General Education Curriculum and each of the core competencies is evaluated on a rotating basis, but how we established what is or is not covered in each course, was set long before I arrived and I have not asked how we came to the established outcomes.  I think I'm like many teachers -- I use the master syllabus and make sure I am meeting the course and program outcomes established by my department/division.

  When I was at SUNY Plattsburgh I was much more involved in understanding and contributing to that process.  SUNY has system-wide standards for the core competencies including writing, and the colleges and universities regularly rotate through evaluating each of the core competencies by applying university-wide rubrics to student samples.  The recently revised expectations for writing are posted openly at

   http://www.suny.edu/provost/academic_affairs/SUNYWritingRubric.cfm

  and meld the original charge established by the SUNY Council on Writing (which really initiated not just state-wide but national conversations about the assessment of English), CCCC, and WPA.   

  Although SUNY is a bureaucratic system, I do appreciate that every college and university is represented on the SUNY Council on Writing (lovingly abbreviated to SUNY COW).  Finding a way for all colleges to be represented in a national conversation would be unrealistic, but a representative from each state or each state-wide school/system might work.   Perhaps it would be most realistic to take advantage of a conference forum, like CCCC's, to have a working group draft a set of standards or a plan to share what we already have established through WPA and CCCC's with our home institutions and the vested parties.   Or we could use something that has regional organizations, like NADE or CRLA, to have a forum for individual regions to talk about assessment and outcomes.  May be we need one online digitial repository (I know WPA has collected several samples and their own statements) for writing outcomes?  

  Many of us who are program administrators or who have been involved in the development of outcomes or assessment projects know about state, regional, and national documents.  We know about our fields established and accepted suggested outcomes, but I am not sure that others, including our colleagues in the field, are aware of these resouces.   And  all the documents we rely on as guides are not easily or readily accessed in one clearinghouse of information.  

  And the last thing I will say is that having taught both Developmental English and First-Year English, the two are different.   I do love the WPA document, but we are talking about students are who not yet ready for a class or two-class sequence that would meet those outcomes.  If our current conversation is on Developmental English, we need to think about where we would find and house recommendations for a national standard or reference on outcomes for Developmental English.

  Nichole 

• 
  Ruth Rominger   July 9, 2012, 3:03 p.m.

  21st Century Lit Skills?   Common Core Assessment?  College Placement Tests?  How do we reconcile these into a new generation of curriculum and learning resources?  

  NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) publishes a framework 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment.  Is this a good framework for reimagining Developmental English curriculum?

   "Twenty-first century readers and writers need to...

  • Develop proficiency with the tools of technology
  • Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and
  • cross-culturally
  • Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of
  • purposes
  • Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous
  • information
  • Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts
  • Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments"

  How do we build these learning experiences into new curriculum?  Obviously, we are talking about integrating digital and social media into the curriculum.  Are teachers prepared?
• 
  Anonym   July 9, 2012, 7:24 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Ruth Rominger   July 9, 2012, 3:03 p.m.

  I also think Yancey's "Writing in the 21st Century" is worth adding to the conversation.

   

  http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Press/Yancey_final.pdf

• 
  Rhonda Traylor   July 10, 2012, 7:25 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Ruth Rominger   July 9, 2012, 3:03 p.m.

  There are few teachers out there that are truly comfortable with digital and social media.  I know schools that constantly but memos in teachers boxes because so many of the teaching staff don't like email as a form of communication!  Between this and the lack of technology in manys schools, no schools are not prepared, not just teachers.

• 
  nabb   July 10, 2012, 8:09 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Ruth Rominger   July 9, 2012, 3:03 p.m.

  I think some of us have faced the challenge of incorporating digital and social media into the curriculum over the past day or so.   My Voki did not work becasue of a Flash Crash.   And I could not upload a video because my work computer does not have a camera.  Others had trouble accessing information because of the firewalls set on their work computers. 

  Using technology, even if you are tech savvy, can be daunting. Unlike textbooks which won't suddenly not open, or paper assignments which won't suddenly be blocked for words or content, technology always has the potential to be uncooperative.   

  Plus, I think we expect our students to be tech savvy, but they are not.   At least, not academically so.   Millennilas may be defined by their technology use, but if you read the article in the National Journal it is clear that their use of technology is not necessarily connected to the classroom.   That does not mean that it can't be connected to the classroom, but we have to remember to build time into teaching students how to use the technology as learners and not simply social grazers of information. 

• 
  nabb   July 10, 2012, 8:41 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Anonym   July 9, 2012, 7:24 p.m.

  Liz --

  I could not agree more.   Yancey's article is definitely a resource I rely on and encourage my writing tutors to read and think about -- as students and as professionals. 

  Nichole 

• 
  Julie Lemley   July 11, 2012, 5:29 p.m.
  In Reply To:   nabb   July 10, 2012, 8:09 a.m.

  You couldn't be more correct! Many of my online students may be Facebook aficionados, terrfic with Twitter, can text until you think their thumbs would fall off, and game like there is no tomorrow - but that doesn't necessarily translate into proficiency with academic technology - though it may very well provide some background knowledge. I try to incorporate sources for my students in case they are not as technologically savvy as they think they are.

• 
  Julie Lemley   July 11, 2012, 5:32 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Ruth Rominger   July 9, 2012, 3:03 p.m.

  An additional challenge to the use of technology in the classroom is the rapid rate at which it evolves. I would say though, if you are going to use technology - be proficient with it yourself before you have learners use it. If you are not, it will be difficult to deal with issues they have, which fosters frustration - rather than excitement or engagement.

• 
  Ruth Rominger   July 12, 2012, 12:33 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Julie Lemley   July 11, 2012, 5:32 p.m.

  Some teachers have said they involve their students who are most tech savy to help them and other students keep up with the technology. They find it further engages the students in the learning and gives them a sense of empowerment. Ruth
• 
  nabb   July 9, 2012, 2:47 p.m.

  Hello everyone! 

  I am new to P2PU, but not new to online learning.   I have been pursuing my third Master's in Adult Education online.   I am looking forward to our digital conversations about Developmental English.

  My interest in Developmental Education is twofold.   As the director of the Learning Center at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I train and supervise tutors who work with Developmental English students.   I would like to be able to provide additional resources for our tutors.  As someone with a strong background in English, I often teach Developmental English or Reading courses.  I would like to learn additional strategies and research to support my teaching.   

  Onward and Upward,

  Nichole

• 
  Michael Damian Jeter   July 9, 2012, 1:36 p.m.

  My name is Michael Jeter. I am between appointments now. I have spent most of my professional life as an adjunct since 1992, although I have taught high school from time to time.

  As much as possible, developmental courses should resemble first - year composition. Educators should build developmental courses around challenging readings and multiple types of writing that vary in style, length, and intellectual demand.

  While I grade/mark/evaluate drafts in my FYC as well as Developmental courses, evaluating early as well as later drafts should occor as a matter of course in Developmental courses. I recognize that some may object to my use of the term "grade," but my experience has been that students do not show their best efforts in work that they do not believe is evaluated.

  I will not teach isolated skills, but will use reading quizzes that require students to use written, full - sentence/paragraph answers.

• 
  Patrick McAndrew   July 9, 2012, 12:26 p.m.

  Hi,

  I am Patrick McAndrew and work for The Open University in the UK. I have connected up with the people from MITE in the past on how open and free resources can help bring people into education. Recently I have been working in a project called Bridge to Success which has used two open content courses to help people get started at community college. We have looked more at Mathematics than at English.

  I hope to spot more connections as things go along.

  Best wishes,

  Patrick.

• 
  Rhonda Traylor   July 9, 2012, 12:10 p.m.

  Hi!

  I am Rhonda Traylor and I am a full time high school English teacher and adjunct DEV English at Sinclair Community College. I also teach teacher education courses in the Master's program at Wright State University.  At my high school. I am the department chair and on the building leadership team. 

  I am excited about learning new ways to engage students and being part of a course that is pulling together best practices and research from around the country. What a wonderful concept.