Investigating Disciplinary Literacy


Book Description

Investigating Disciplinary Literacy presents a framework for conducting professional learning cycles focused on disciplinary literacy, based on professional development and research projects that the authors have conducted with a range of districts over the past 5 years. In addition to outlining the steps of the cycle, the authors identify four "working habits" essential to initiating and sustaining DL projects: balancing content with process; creating a culture of adaptation and invention; attending equally to intermediate and DL skills; and positioning teachers and leaders as learners within projects. Written in a reader-friendly voice for a practitioner audience, the book provides practical, research-based guidance for those seeking to collaboratively explore and implement DL-related practices in context-specific, meaningful ways--Provided by publisher.




An UnCommon Theory of School Change


Book Description

This book is for educators who believe that schools need to be improved and are hopeful that real change can be achieved. The authors argue that if educators want to create more equitable, socially just, and learner-focused schools, then they need a more robust, transformational theory of school change—an UnCommon Theory. After describing the limits of current school improvement initiatives, the authors explain what is needed to actually engage in deeper school reinvention work. They take a deep dive into the most difficult work that school leaders do: questioning, rethinking, and reinventing the fundamental assumptions upon which our schools are built. The result is a practical book that provides readers with the knowledge and tools needed to do more than just tinker at the edges of school improvement. “This book will serve as a trusty coaching guide. The writing is clear and powerful.” —From the Foreword by Joseph P. McDonald, New York University “Educators contemplating or already on the journey of re-imagining their schools will find comfort and guidance to forge ahead.” —Carl Glickman, The University of Georgia “Can help each of us become the advocates for change that results in a better future for every student in every school.” —Douglas Fisher, San Diego State University “Will support educators to think differently about what it means to not only improve schools, but to move toward sustainable change.” —Kari Thierer, School Reform Initiative




Connecting Disciplinary Literacy and Digital Storytelling in K-12 Education


Book Description

The idea of storytelling goes beyond the borders of language, culture, or traditional education, and has historically been a tie that bonds families, communities, and nations. Digital storytelling offers opportunities for authentic academic and non-academic literacy learning across a multitude of genres. It is easily accessible to most members of society and has the potential to transform the boundaries of traditional education. As concepts around traditional literacy education evolve and become more culturally and linguistically relevant and responsive, the connections between digital storytelling and disciplinary literacy warrant considered exploration. Connecting Disciplinary Literacy and Digital Storytelling in K-12 Education develops a conceptual framework around pedagogical connections to digital storytelling within K-12 disciplinary literacy practices. This essential reference book supports student success through the integration of digital storytelling across content areas and grade levels. Covering topics that include immersive storytelling, multiliteracies, social justice, and pedagogical storytelling, it is intended for stakeholders interested in innovative K-12 disciplinary literacy skill development, research, and practices including but not limited to curriculum directors, education faculty, educational researchers, instructional facilitators, literacy professionals, teachers, pre-service teachers, professional development coordinators, teacher preparation programs, and students.




This Is Disciplinary Literacy


Book Description

Think you understand Disciplinary Literacy? Think again. In this important reference, content teachers and other educators explore why students need to understand how historians, novelists, mathematicians, and scientists use literacy in their respective fields. ReLeah shows how to teach students to: Evaluate and question evidence (Science) Compare sources and interpret events (History) Favor accuracy over elaboration (Math) Attune to voice and fi gurative language (ELA)




Culturally Responsive Teaching


Book Description

The achievement of students of color continues to be disproportionately low at all levels of education. More than ever, Geneva Gay's foundational book on culturally responsive teaching is essential reading in addressing the needs of today's diverse student population. Combining insights from multicultural education theory and research with real-life classroom stories, Gay demonstrates that all students will perform better on multiple measures of achievement when teaching is filtered through their own cultural experiences. This bestselling text has been extensively revised to include expanded coverage of student ethnic groups: African and Latino Americans as well as Asian and Native Americans as well as new material on culturally diverse communication, addressing common myths about language diversity and the effects of "English Plus" instruction.




What to Look for in Literacy


Book Description

Practical and rich in resources, this book provides a roadmap to monitoring, evaluating, and implementing effective literacy instruction in grades PK-12. Designed for district and school leaders as well as literacy coaches and consultants, this book contains all the strategies, guidance, and tools you’ll need to monitor the effectiveness of literacy instruction in your school or system. Top literacy experts Angela Peery and Tracey Shiel share concise, well-researched information about how to identify enriched literacy environments, what constitutes well-designed literacy lessons, and the components of effective literacy programs at each grade level. Chapters cover reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as collaboration, technology, and more, and offer adaptable strategies for different environments. Tools such as checklists and conversation frames are included to help busy leaders and administrators effectively monitor literacy instruction and provide constructive, thorough feedback to teachers. Each chapter features: Check-Up Tools to review documents and observe instruction Check-In Tools to guide your conversations and feedback given to teachers Reflective Questions for system and school leaders and instructional coaches.




Reading and Writing in Science


Book Description

Engage your students in scientific thinking across disciplines! Did you know that scientists spend more than half of their time reading and writing? Students who are science literate can analyze, present, and defend data – both orally and in writing. The updated edition of this bestseller offers strategies to link the new science standards with literacy expectations, and specific ideas you can put to work right away. Features include: A discussion of how to use science to develop essential 21st century skills Instructional routines that help students become better writers Useful strategies for using complex scientific texts in the classroom Tools to monitor student progress through formative assessment Tips for high-stakes test preparation




Disciplinary Literacy in Action


Book Description

"Much of the professional literature has focused on what disciplinary literacy entails; this valuable contribution explores how it can be implemented in complex school settings." —Doug Buehl, Author of Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines What happens when middle and high school teachers who know their content very well are told they should be teaching reading and writing too? Is there a bit of resistance? A decrease in self-efficacy? An overturning of curricula? In Disciplinary Literacy in Action, ReLeah Cossett Lent and Marsha Voigt show us a better way. In this sequel to ReLeah’s bestselling This Is Disciplinary Literacy, the authors provide educators with what they’ve wanted all along: a framework that keeps their subjects at the center and shows them how to pool strengths with colleagues in ongoing communities of professional learning (PL) around content-specific literacy. In each chapter, and with a blend of lively disciplinary literacy teaching ideas and razor-sharp insights on developing teacher efficacy and leadership, ReLeah and Marsha take educators through a powerful PL cycle they can replicate in their school. The authors know it works not just because the research says so, but also because they have spent years refining the model in schools, districts, and regions. With this book, you will be ready for Collaborative learning that preserves discipline-specific content yet keeps innovative daily practices of reading, writing, thinking, and doing at the forefront Planning by autonomous literacy leadership teams with administrative support Implementation augmented by peer and disciplinary literacy coaching Reflection that leads to ongoing collective problem solving In the end, it all comes back to how content teachers can best help students use literacy in all its forms to learn more deeply. With Disciplinary Literacy in Action, you have a proven framework for doing just that. This is the resource to lean on as you work to ensure all students use literacy as a tool to think, create, and communicate in any endeavor.




Teaching and Researching ELLs’ Disciplinary Literacies


Book Description

Written from a critical perspective, this volume provides teachers, teacher educators, and classroom researchers with a conceptual framework and practical methods for teaching and researching the disciplinary literacy development of English language learners (ELLs). Grounded in a nuanced critique of current social, economic, and political changes shaping public education, Gebhard offers a comprehensive framework for designing curriculum, instruction, and assessments that build on students’ linguistic and cultural resources and that are aligned with high-stakes state and national standards using the tools of systemic functional linguistics (SFL). By providing concrete examples of how teachers have used SFL in their work with students in urban schools, this book provides pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as literacy researchers and policy makers, with new insights into how they can support the disciplinary literacy development of ELLs and the professional practices of their teachers in the context of current school reforms. Key features of this book include the voices of teachers, examples of curriculum, sample analyses of student writing, and guiding questions to support readers in conducting action-oriented research in the schools where they work.




Global Developments in Literacy Research for Science Education


Book Description

This book highlights recent developments in literacy research in science teaching and learning from countries such as Australia, Brazil, China, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States. It includes multiple topics and perspectives on the role of literacy in enhancing science teaching and learning, such as the struggles faced by students in science literacy learning, case studies and evaluations of classroom-based interventions, and the challenges encountered in the science classrooms. It offers a critical and comprehensive investigation on numerous emerging themes in the area of literacy and science education, including disciplinary literacy, scientific literacy, classroom discourse, multimodality, language and representations of science, and content and language integrated learning (CLIL). The diversity of views and research contexts in this volume presents a useful introductory handbook for academics, researchers, and graduate students working in this specialized niche area. With a wealth of instructional ideas and innovations, it is also highly relevant for teachers and teacher educators seeking to improve science teaching and learning through the use of literacy.