100 % Engagement: So, WHAT IN THE WORLD is SOCRATIC SEMINAR?

August 25, 2017

100 % Engagement:  So, WHAT IN THE WORLD is SOCRATIC SEMINAR?

Kathryn E. Jennings, M.S. Ed. Reading Specialist, Educational Leadership

Scott Filkins of NCTE and ReadWriteThink describes Socratic seminar as the following: "Socratic seminars are named for their embodiment of Socrates’ belief in the power of asking questions, prize inquiry over information and discussion over debate.   Socratic seminars acknowledge the highly social nature of learning and align with the work of John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, and Paulo Friere." 

Elfie Israel defines Socratic seminars as "a formal discussion, based on a text, in which the leader asks open-ended questions.  Within the context of the discussion, students listen closely to the comments of others, thinking critically for themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses to the thoughts of others.  They learn to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly" (89). 

In short, Socratic seminar is a research-based, evidence-based way to elicit discussion during a close reading of text. The CCSS (Common Core State Standards) call for close reads of short in-depth pieces of reading. In addition, students are expected to explain in detail the explicit and implicit meaning of the text, the author's purpose and intent of writing the text, the author's word choice (and even punctuation choice), the author's claim and evidence, etc. The list goes on and on. 

A reader would find him/herself in a tizzy if he/she attempted to accomplish all of the above and more with just one read. Close reading allows readers to read a short piece multiple times, in order to delve deeper into the connotative and figurative meaning of text. Socratic Seminar simply provides a framework for discussion of close reads. When paired with the CCSS, close reading and Socratic Seminar allow teachers to  determine if a student will be prepared for the PARCC assessment and will allow teachers to, in turn, prepare students for the PARCC and college-level work.

Close Reading relies on the act of text-marking. In order to text-mark, students often need an idea of how to start. For some readers, they are able to just mark their thinking process on the text; however, for many others, they aren't even sure what to think about when reading.

Here are a few starters I have used with students: 1. Mark at least 5 areas where you felt stumped or confused in the text. Stop and jot a question. 2. Mark at least 5 areas where you felt like you truly understood the text. It is okay if you disagreed with the text. Stop and jot your thinking.  3. Mark 5 unknown words or phrases and look up their definitions. Write the short definition next to the word in the text.  With these, students are usually able to get a pretty good start on marking text. From the notes, students are then given a text response sheet based on CCSS. 

More on that later ...

Engaging Literacy by RE-ENGAGING with the World Around Me

Re-Engagement with the NOW!By Kathryn E. Jennings, M.S. Ed.

At one time in my teaching career, seven years ago to be exact, I felt pretty darn confident in my ability to lead youth into expressing themselves using English Literature and Composition.

Reflecting back on this blogpost from 2015, I now have 2,000 followers on Twitter, have a blog in the works, share via Google+ and have many connections through LinkedIn.The world is not going to stop getting more techy and more connected, so we have 2 choices:

• Let the world go on without us, or

• Engage with the world!

However, here I am five years out, and I am starting over! Yes, I have taught the last five years, but I haven’t taught English–HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH! This subject is one of the most beautiful on the planet…it brings in every subject, every interest, every opinion… WOW! I am pretty passionate on this topic, I must say.

However, at this very moment, this very second, I feel absolutely and utterly terrified. Terrified of what?

Terrified of the unknown,

terrified of failure,

terrified of passion for what I am teaching

–terrified…plain terrified!

Yep, that pretty much covers it!

You see, at one point in my teaching career, I could catch every escaped comma, every misplaced modifier, every disagreed verb or antecedent or subject, every disconnected thought–everything!

I was the Queen of Grammar, with no fear in the world! My alumni students will tell you…they had nicknames for me! Yep, I was proud of the titles I was given–especially now when I hear the thank you’s that have been passed along my way.

Now…I feel like a freshman in college! I feel like I am starting over!

Well…

I AM!

Could I go on and gather all of the stuff I taught when I was a rockstar high school English teacher? Could I just teach my old stuff?

Yep, I could!

But would it be right?

Would it be easier?

Would it be effective?

Well, here is  a confession

–since I am so well-known for these–

I have never taught exactly the same stuff more than a year in a row!

Why? Isn’t that a lot of work?

Yep!

But…

It is fun!

It is what you need.

It is what I need.

I  change what I am teaching based on what is going on RIGHT NOW!

When I teach a story I have taught before, I refer to a different literary connection–it is never the same…maybe a movie I just saw, a song I just heard, a tweet I heard about…I change based on what you need to hear, what you can understand.

It sure sounds like I love what I do.

Yep.      I    DO!

But, man, it is hard.

It is terrifying.

It is a brand-new adventure…EVERY

STINKING

DAY!

So,

here is to spending the rest of my summer

pinning,

blogging,

tweeting,

reading,

writing,

listening,

watching,

vine-ing (is that the term for searching through Vines…I mean, we say YOU-TUBING and GOOGLING, right?!?!),

and whatever else I need to do to get caught up.

Caught up on what is interesting, what is happening RIGHT NOW!

So, best of luck to you, MY new 155 students…may this year be as much of a year of learning for you as I KNOW it will be for me…SCHOOL IS IN SESSION for the ol’ short red-headed vivacious teacher…Jennings (yep, I said that too–I left off the Mrs. part…why? Well, you do anyway…and times are a changin’/ Oh, times, they are a changin’).

Happy Networking! @engagedliteracy

What I Learned from Two Years of 1:1: Engaged Literacy

Engagement through TechBy Kathryn E. Jennings, M.S. Ed.

There are three main points of consideration when thinking about engaged literacy in an engaged world. These three include the following:

• 1) factors that influence the use of technology in the classroom,

• 2) best practices of using technology in the classroom, and

• 3) technology and student achievement.

The Center for Promise conducted a study and found some valuable information for technology integration (2015): 
Wong (2011) also includes that students should be involved in the decision-making process for the classroom technology. In fact, much can be learned from students (as they often know much more than us because they have grown up using devices in their everyday lives). Wong also says that technology should be added in small doses. Too much, too fast is overwhelming for all stakeholders. He, like many other technology researchers, says that BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is a great program for schools.
 Wong adds that "on-demand professional development" is the way to go for teachers in the implementation of technology. The final takeaway from Wong is his push for experimentation with technology. Administrators and teachers must be flexible with technology. In fact, it must be encouraged for students and teachers to "play around" with the available technologies in order to find what works best for each student and teacher's needs. 

The factors that influence the use of technology in the classroom are first the teacher's experience with technology use, the availability of the technology for students, and the push from administration to use technology in the classroom. In a study done by Baek, Jung, and Kim (2006), the finding was that teachers with little teaching experience were more likely to use technology than more experienced teachers who were "forced" by administration. 

In my experience, I find this to be quite true. In my younger, more experimental years, I definitely was more likely to use newer technologies. As a more experienced teacher, I find myself less likely to just "play around" with new ideas in the classroom. Instead, I look for the more tried and true practices. Another factor that influences technology use in the classroom is the availability. 

In a study completed by Latio (2009), it was found that teachers were less likely to use technology if it was available, the location of the technology was inconvenient, and the time available for technology was null. Now in 2015, more schools are adopting 1-1 technology where all students have a device for use. This adoption has made using technology more feasible for teachers and students. 

Key takeaways from the study, based on information gathered from five school districts, include recognizing the importance of:

1. Planning and investing in bandwidth and wireless connectivity to power educational technology

2. Providing ongoing professional development opportunities that equip educators to effectively integrate digital learning and employ new instructional approaches

3. Restructuring the traditional classroom to personalize learning

4. Developing creative strategies by connecting with stakeholders outside of the district, and

5. Using data systematically to improve learning and instruction.

Best practices for technology in the classroom are using data to influence classroom decision-making and instruction, using the classroom setup as a means to educate (21st Century Classroom), and experimentation with technology.  

Student achievement is overwhelmingly influenced by the presence and use of technology. In a study completed by Schacter (1999), all studies led to positives in the area of student achievement. Scores on tests were higher, engagement in the classroom was higher, all areas of growth were stronger. Being that research was completed sixteen years ago, the more current research only adds to the argument for technology in the classroom. In a study completed by Bello (2014), he says, " Thus, the mere presence of technology seems to have more impact on student grades than the ways in which teachers use it." This sentence connects the research on best practices to student achievement. Both are saying the exact same thing: 

"The mere presence of technology" has more effect than the way it is used. 

Question Splash: Engaged the Reader through Questioning
By Kathryn E. Jennings, M.S.Ed. 
October 10, 2017

Just a few short years ago, my third grade Title I reading group and I played a game I called Question Splash, nothing fancy--just a splash of questions on the board. 

I said, "Ask me a question. Ask me a question about anything, anything in the entire world." The responses I got were silly at first, but then the questions started getting interesting. We wrote this list up on the board, and then we narrowed down the list to three choices. The students then chose the most interesting question.

The result:

What is a volcano?

I then took my students to my computer and told them to ask me more questions about volcanoes. They could ask any question that we could research the answer to. This was the list they proposed. 

What is a volcano? What is it made of?

What is molten rock?

What is the study of volcanoes and what is the name of scientists who study them?

How many volcanoes are there?

How tall is a volcano? How wide?

Where was the first volcano? Where is the closest volcano to Illinois?

Where are most of the volcanoes?

What is the oldest known volcano?

How are volcanoes named?

Where is Pompeii and what does it have to do with volcanoes?

How do they form?

How do they erupt? What volcano has erupted the most?

Why when volcanoes erupt do they make landforms?

What is lava? What happens when lava cools? How long does it take for lava to cool?

How do volcanoes make ash fall?

Why would a volcano be dangerous? What kind of damage do volcanoes make?

What volcano caused the most deaths?

After the students formed their list, we categorized these questions, as you see above. We put them in a logical order--that if we answered the questions, the story would make sense.

Next, I taught my students to highlight each question they wanted to answer and using the comments tool in Google Docs, they were to research and post the answers to each questions. Finally, because I didn't want them to not give credit for another person's work, they were shown how to insert the hyperlink.

We did a couple questions and then it was time for my 30-minute reading session to end. The students were so excited and were upset it was time for PE. They wanted to keep learning.

I shared the document with my students and told them they could access it in their Google Drive. I told them we would continue working on the document the following day.

Later that day, I pulled open the document and found that my students, my third grade students, had already answered most of the questions we had listed. Several had posted more questions because they were interested in something they had learned while reading independently.

By the time, I had these students back in class to START our lesson. They had already finished it. They took upon themselves to learn the lesson. It was their learning goal: "What is a volcano?"

If we, as educators, could give kids this kind of freedom each day, could you imagine what that classroom could be? The experiences our children could have are endless. The raw imagination drives a child to do incredible things, make incredible discoveries, and accomplish incredible new possibilities!

I am floored by my students and their work. 

I hope you can QUESTION SPLASH your way into new discoveries too!

Book of Your Own: It's Your BOYO! #engagedliteracy

Book of Your Own / It's Your BOYO! #engagedliteracy
Book Talks Engage Readers and Promote the Love of Literacy

By Kathryn E. Jennings, M.S.Ed. Reading Specialist, Educational Leadership
September 15, 2017

When I think about what I did to get kids to read, one of the first that comes to mind is the BOYO!

Now, what the heck is a BOYO? Yes, BOYO sounds an awful lot like YOLO, but hey, it's catchy! :-) 

Needless to say, the book report was probably not going to be something my students were going to want to do.

1.     It required them to choose a book.

2.    Read it.

3.    Then make a slideshow presentation about the book.

4.    Then present the slideshow to their classmates.

5.    And finally be put on the spot for some question and discussion of the book.

WOW! I was crazy to think this idea might work with these readers who DID NOT want to read.

Book of the Quarter Rubric

5 –A material 4-B material  3-C material  2-D material 1- F material

Book Choice -- _________/5 Length (at least 14 slides) _________/5

Catchy Opener--________/5 Catchy Closer--_________/5

Setting--_________/15    where, imagery, when –each is worth five points

Characters--_____/10   physical and emotional characteristics

Plot--_________/10            Conflict/Resolution _________/10

Theme-- _________/5     Symbolism ______/5

Quotation________/5  Spicy Word ________/5

Proofreading _____/10  Creativity of presentation _____/5

TOTAL __________/100  NAME: ______________________ Class: _______

Yep, that is all.

I showed them an example.

Then I created a Google Slides Template, and guess what?

They transformed the template and made it better than I could have ever imagined.

And, the presentation help me to assess standards of the Common Core ELA using literature that was

1.     ENGAGING FOR THEM,

2.    INTEREST-BASED,

3.    AT THEIR LEVEL, and

4.    SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT!

YEP! Try IT!                                  Let me know how it goes!

BY THE WAY, JUST GET FUN BOOKS IN THE HANDS OF YOUR KIDS! 

They will read--you have to just give them the GOOD STUFF!   

 ~    Mrs. J.

Engaged Readers Talk Back to Their Text:

August 25, 2017

Engaged Readers Talk Back to Their Text

Kathryn E. Jennings, M.S. Ed. Reading Specialist, Educational Leadership

One of the many things kids are awesome at is talking back. We all have the kids who simply like to argue... 

                                     Argue because they want to do something. 

                                              Argue because they don't. 

                                                            Argue for the sake of arguing. 

What is wonderful about argument is that it is necessary 21st Century skill, so I can work with that. ;-)

I remember my first year in a literacy improvement classroom back in 2011.

"I am not reading a book."

"Yes, you need to choose a book to read. It can be whatever you want to read."

"I don't have anything I want to read."

Omg...I swear this kid will read  a book if it kills me. "Let's go find a book you will read."

Next, I always escorted these students to the library to choose a book. Our conversation (while in the library) included their interests, what was going on in their life, what problems they were having, what did they wish they knew more about, what music did they listen to, what friends did they have/ not have, what did they watch on television, did they use social media, etc. 

YIKES! A million questions I would ask to find that "just right" book. 

Let me just tell you:

THIS

                  IS

                                      THE

                                                                    BIGGEST

s

                       t

                                     r

                                               u

                                                              g

                                                                                 g

                                                                                             l

                                                                                                           e

                                                                                                                       EVER! 

After this battle, you have pretty much succeeded, and the next part is pretty easy.

I would ask the students about their books. What do you like? What character is interesting? Are you like that character? How? What is frustrating about your book?

Then, I would listen to them tell me about the book. Here you can gauge if that student is truly engaging in the book or not.

Well....needless to say, not many students were indeed engaging with their books. Their eyes were blazing like lightning across the page, so they could show they "read" a lot--I think truly in hopes I would leave them alone.

Well, I am one of the most annoying people you will meet. I am a nosy teacher. I get in your business, especially your reading business. And I don't leave you alone until you get it.

So, I figured out that my struggling readers HAD to have something to do when they were reading. I know, it sounds like I am defeating the purpose of reading, but think about how many things they do at once every day. They text, talk, tweet, post on FB, SnapChat a friend, listen to music, and do various other things all at the same time. They are multitaskers. In fact, if they aren't multitasking, they are BORED! So, I gave them something else to do while they read.

Here is something I tried, and for many, maybe I can even say most, of my students got to the point they internalized the strategy. I borrowed the "Say Something" bookmark from Kylene Beers. If you don't know what that is, follow this link: Say Something Strategy.

In this strategy, students simply TALK BACK to their books. I had my students choose one sentence starter for each category and they wrote their response on post it notes, eventually their responses became too long for little stickies, so they moved on to notebook paper. Then we would talk about what they wrote. I also had them record the page number from the book that inspired what they wrote. 

Pretty soon, my kids could do 2 sentences per category. Eventually, they could turn and talk about them. And then they could share out (or yell out because that is what it became :-) ) what they wanted to share. It took a semester to get them to do this, but I had to tell them to quit talking back to ME and start talking back to the BOOK.

We used this strategy with EVERYTHING we read. EVERYTHING! I posted the categories ALL OVER the classroom and ALL OVER the schools. I told them to use these five categories for everything they read: predict/infer, question, clarify, connect, comment or visualize (they could choose).

I modeled these categories, I had them guide me through them, I had them show each other, I had them TALK BACK to each other about their books. I obsessed over talking back to text.

And guess what . . .

They did.

SLIGHT UPDATE/ TECHIE TIP: #booksnaps  are AWESOME FOR ENGAGEMENT! 

Not my idea, 

but you should check it out on Twitter for more details!