12.3 Strategic Teaching

When and Where Did I Find It:   I found this term when reviewing our LTED 625 text,  Teaching Reading:  If Not Me Then Who? (Billmeyer & Barton, 1998,  p. 57).  Strategic teaching is the title of SECTION 3 of this book.  
Full citation 
Billmeyer, R. & Barton, M.L. (1998).  Teaching reading in the content areas:  If not me, then who? (2^nd ed.).  Aurora, CO:  Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory.  


What it means: The term strategic teaching is a term Billmeyer and Barton use to describe the decisions a purposeful teacher is constantly making when teaching.  They say,


"Teaching strategically means being purposeful and thoughtful about planning instruction.  It means analyzing how every aspect of the lesson will contribute to the instruction goal or objective.  It means selecting teaching and learning strategies that will enhance student learning.  It means helping students acquire the skills they need in order to be self-directed, independent learners.  
Specifically, teachers need to help students learn how to:
1.  prepare for learning through prereading activities;
2. ensure comprehension through the use of metacognitive strategies during reading; and 
3. extend and refine the new knowledge they aquire."  

                           (Billmeyer & Barton, 1998, p. 57, emphasis added)

Level of Familiarity: I know this term well.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Not only do I know this term well, but I certainly want to know this concept well.  Of particular note, is  the importance to recognize the distinct difference between strategic teaching and strategic learning/thinking. 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?   I think for students to excel as strategic content area literacy teachers, they must understand the difference between strategic teaching and strategic thinking/learning.  While strategic teaching is often designed to facilitate and/or hone strategic thinking/learning; strategic thinking/learning CAN (and hopefully OFTEN) occurs without the assistance of strategic teaching.     Probably at the most basic level, I hope my LTED 625 students in particular see how the CONTENT AREA LITERACY MULTIGENRE PROJECT was designed to provide them with multiple opportunities to develop their strategic teaching knowledge and abilities.   

12.2 Formative Writing Assessment

When and Where Did I Find It:   I found this term multiple times when re-reading Chapter 6 of the text, The Digital Writing Workshop, for my LTED 618 class, (HIcks, 2009,  pp. 104-109). The first time it appears is when the author was arguing the point that when assessing students' digital writing, the focus of the assessment still needs to be on the writing "rather than the tools themselves."  He says, "we need to begin thinking about what it means to assess the process and products of digital writing, using means that are both formative and summative" (Hicks, p. 104).    

Full citation 
Hicks, T. (2009).  The digital writing workshop.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.


What it means: The term formative assessment is a term Hicks uses to identify the judgements that are made on a piece of writing while the piece is being created (ie. during the process of writing).   At the same time he uses this description as a way to distinguish these judgements from those made on the final piece (or the product).   

"Formative writing assessments include 'commenting on drafts, soliciting peer response, and holding writing conferences' whereas summative writing assessments are 'a letter grade on a final essay or portfolio, or a standardized test score' (NCTE 2008)" 

                           (as cited in Hicks, 2009, pp. 105-106)

Level of Familiarity:  Assessment of process and product has been a part of my professional knowledge since the time of Masters Degree studies when I became a fellow in the National Writing Project.   However, understanding the ways in which formative (and summative assessment) are developed, discussed, and analyzed in a digital writing workshop has been a recent undertaking in my professional development.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   As a teacher of writing, I do believe I need to consider what Hicks offers here as a way to understand formative (and summative) writing assessment.   However, I was glad to see that Hicks notes that "it may be artificial to divide the two types of assessments in this manner...[and] one could argue that a final portfolio is just as much a formative assessment of the writer as it is a summative assessment of the writing itself" (p. 106) as I would also agree that this analogy does have it's limitations.  

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?   
Having a clear understanding of formative (and summative) assessment would teachers, parents, and dare I say....even students....to better interpret the results of the assessment data.  Content Literacy Teachers, in particular, need to have an understanding of how judgements are made on their students knowledge and abilities and the role that writing plays in demonstrating their competencies.

12.1 Summative Writing Assessment

When and Where Did I Find It:   I was doing some re-reading over the Thanksgiving Break in preparation for the Spring term and I came across the terms summative writing assessment and formative writing assessment (which I selected as my term to post for entry 12:2).  I found this term multiple times when reading Chapter 6 of the text, The Digital Writing Workshop, for my LTED 618 class, (HIcks, 2009,  pp. 104-109). The first time it appears is when the author was arguing the point that when assessing students' digital writing, the focus of the assessment still needs to be on the writing "rather than the tools themselves."  He says, "we need to begin thinking about what it means to assess the process and products of digital writing, using means that are both formative and summative" (Hicks, p. 104).    

Full citation 
Hicks, T. (2009).  The digital writing workshop.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.


What it means: The term summative writing assessment is a term Hicks uses to identify the judgements that are made on a piece of writing while the piece is being created (ie. during the process of writing).   At the same time he uses this description as a way to distinguish these judgements from those made on the final piece (or the product).   

"Formative writing assessments include 'commenting on drafts, soliciting peer response, and holding writing conferences' whereas summative writing assessments are 'a letter grade on a final essay or portfolio, or a standardized test score' (NCTE 2008)" 

                           (as cited in Hicks, 2009, pp. 105-106)

Level of Familiarity: Although I know this term well, it is only in the last three years that I have begun to carefully analyze how particular aspects of summative (and formative assessment) would change in a digital writing workshop.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   As a teacher of writing, I do believe I need to consider what Hicks offers here as a way to understand summative (and formative) writing assessment.   However, I was glad to see that Hicks notes that "it may be artificial to divide the two types of assessments in this manner...[and] one could argue that a final portfolio is just as much a formative assessment of the writer as it is a summative assessment of the writing itself" (p. 106) as I would also agree that this analogy does have it's limitations.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?   
In our educational culture of high stakes assessments I certainly believe that all teachers need to have an understanding of how judgements are made on their students knowledge and abilities.   Having a clear understanding of summative writing assessments (and formative assessments) would help them to better interpret the results of the State Test data.   I also think this term (and formative writing assessment) are important for my LTED 625 students to know because they provide a richer description and rationale for assigning what Daniels, et.al. call "Public Writing."

11.2 Studying

When and Where Did I Find It:   Studying was a term defined in the article assigned in LTED 625 for this week.  
Full citation David, S.J. (1990).  Applying content study skills in co-listed reading classrooms.  Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 33(4), 277-281.

What it means: The author of the article "use Anderson and Armbruster's (1984) definition of studying as a special form of reading that is done in order to perform an identifiable cognitive task" (Davis, pp. 278-279). ... In addition, studying is also described "as preparing for criterion task" (p. 279).  Finally, the author notes that studying is an "idiosyncratic process" (p. 280).


Level of Familiarity: I certainly knew what this word meant and have experienced the need to "read in order to perform an identifiable cognitive task" but I am not sure if in my reading experiences I would have used the term studying to identify my purpose for reading.   

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   I certainly think it is important to know this word well and to be able to distinguish this particular type of cognitive effort from other types of cognitive efforts involving reading.   For example, the cognitive efforts I use when reading before bed to relax is certainly distinct from the effort I use when reading in order to perform.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?   
This is certainly a term that all teachers and students (and possibly parents and administrators) need to understand as studying is a natural part of schooling.   It is interesting though, that even though there is a shared understanding across these groups that studying is a part of schooling, it is not a term we spend a great deal of time discussing across K-12. 

11.1 Catawampus or Cattywampus

When and Where Did I Find It:   I was reading my daily email from A.Word.A.Day and this was the word featured on Tuesday 11.08.11.
Full citation A.Word.A.Day. (online).  catawampus. http://wordsmith.org/words/catawampus.html (11.11.11).

What it means: According to the website, it is an adjective which is used to describe something as  1. Askew; crooked.   2. Diagonally positioned: catercornered.
Also interesting to note is the etymology of the word:

From cater (diagonally), from French word quatre (four). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kwetwer- (four), which also gave us four, square, cadre, quadrant, quarantine (literally, period of forty days). Earliest documented use: 1840. The word is also spelled as cattywampus.

Level of Familiarity: I knew what this word meant, but I admit, I had completely forgotten the word even existed until I saw it.  

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   I think this is a really fun word.   I like to say it (I like the way it sounds).  Also, even though it is a word that was created to help in literally describing a particular geometric shape/angle, I think it is a really useful word to use to describe one's emotional or physiological shape.   If someone said to you, "I'm feeling cattywampus today,"  you would know to be very careful with how you interacted with this person. 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?   
To be fair, I suppose I cannot expect others to find this word as interesting and memorable as I do.  However, I do think knowing this word would help those who are interested in art, interior design, mathematics, geometry, and writing figuratively.  

10.2 Orbis Pictus Award

When and Where Did I Find It:   I was reading the NCTE website about the upcoming National Conference and I noticed that the authors who were awarded the 2011 Orbis Pictus Awards were going to be featured at the conference.   
Full citation NCTE. (online).  Orbis Pictus Awards. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/awards/orbispictus (11.03.11).

What it means: According to NCTE, 
"The Orbis Pictus Award was established by the Elementary Section of the National Council of Teachers of English in 1989 to honor nonfiction for children. For the 2010 award, the seven members of the committee read, evaluated, and discussed over 350 books submitted by publishers to select an award winner, five honor books, and eight recommended books. " 
                                                       (NCTE, http://www.ncte.org/awards/orbispictus Retrieved, 11/03/11)


Level of Familiarity: Although I knew this category of award winners existed, I could not have placed the name of the award if asked.  

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Yes, I do want to remember the Orbis Pictus Awards.   Even in my YA Literature class, it would be useful for me to share this additional award classification with my secondary students as well as the more well known awards such as the Printz Award, National Book Award, and others.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?   
I think all K-12 educators (and teacher educators) should be aware of the Orbis Pictus Awards.   I also think my current LTED 625 students might be interested in knowing about the most recent award winners, since they might want to see if any of these recent winners would be useful to use as supplementary materials for the students they are responsible for in their Content Area Multigenre Project.    

10.1 Self-Efficacy

When and Where Did I Find It: I didn't really find this term, but it is one that came up in conversation recently and I wanted to remember where I found it.   I went back to my files to locate an article I remembered a student from a LTED 625 (back in 2008) brought to class for his Reciprocal Teaching discussion.  
Full citation
Walker, B.J. (2003).  The cultivation of student self-efficacy in reading and writing.  Reading and Writing Quarterly, 19, 173-187.

What It Means: "Self-efficacy refers to people's beliefs about their capabilities to carry out actions required to achieve a confident level of achievement (Bandura, 1993).  Specifically, they are beliefs that individuals have that they can do something like read a book, write a poem, or dance.  Self-efficacy beliefs refer to specific judgments rather than more global judgments like being a good reader, writer , or dancer.  In fact, self-efficacy often refers to specific situations within a learning environment based on learn goals" (as cited in Walker, 2003, pp. 174).  

Level of Familiarity: Even though I am familiar with this concept, I was glad to find the article so I could refresh my memory of the full meaning of the term.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes. As Walker states, "Understanding the situational nature of self-efficacy can help teachers design classroom procedures that reinforce positive attributions for specific tasks" (p. 174). 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?  I definitely think this is an important concept for teachers to understand.  Again, to quote Walker directly:  "...students who are efficacious are more likely to work hard, to persist, and seek help so they can complete a task.  These same students use cognitive and metacognitive strategies to increase their understanding. ... Self-efficacy is also linked to motivational beliefs like interest, value, and utility, as well s positive affective reactions.  Collectively these characteristics of self-efficacy demonstrate a relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance." (Walker, p. 174)