Session+3


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= Session 3: Using Technology Before, During, and After Reading Strategies =



__Essential Questions:__
1. What are some key literacy strategies and how are they useful? 2. How can we use technology to promote the use of literacy strategies?

__Tasks__
In the discussion tab of your virtual notebook home page, create a new post entitled "Monitoring Understanding" and respond to the following questions:
 * 3.1 __Opener__:**
 * How do you monitor students' understanding in your classroom?
 * How might that practice change as you implement more technology?


 * 3.2. __Session 3 Essentials__**
 * __The Article__: During this session we will be working with the same article in a variety of ways. The article relates to ongoing issues with the fallout from the Gulf oil spill (you don't need to read it yet, just know its here):


 * __The Strategies__: We will be working with this article and using different literacy strategies that also incorporate technology. One key aspect of this session is to look at before, during, and after reading strategies to provoke and monitor student understanding. What do we mean by before, during, and after reading strategies? __Please read__ the following:


 * Once you have read the overview of before, during, and after reading strategies, please __summarize__ what you have read and __discuss__ some of what you already do in these areas by __posting__ in the discussion tab of the Before, During, and After Reading page of your virtual notebook.

Wordle is a great web-based tool that creates a visual representation of a given text. Words that have a higher frequency in the text are given more prominent positions in a larger font in the Wordle. As you will soon see, Wordles can be customized and individualized in many different ways. Below is a Wordle that was created using text from FDR's December 8th, 1941 "Day of Infamy" speech following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
 * 3.3 __Before Reading Activity - Wordle__**

Take a look at the Wordle below and __answer the following questions__ as the initial content of your Before, During, and After Reading page.
 * How useful would this Wordle be as a before reading strategy for your students?
 * What type of learners would benefit from using a Wordle?




 * Once you have answered those initial questions, you will now __create your own Wordle__ using the article on the Gulf Oil Spill. **You still should not have read the article**.
 * Watch the video below on how to create a Wordle, then follow the directions below to create your Wordle and to transport your Wordle to your wikispace virtual notebook:


 * How to Create a Wordle video:** http://www.vimeo.com/17061927

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 * Task || Directions ||
 * Go to Wordle Website || Select the following link www.wordle.net ||
 * || Select Create from the top of the webpage
 * Inserting text || Before continuing, copy the text of the article you will be using as your text. Then, in Wordle, once you have selected create, on the next screen (see below) you can paste the text that you wish to use for creating the Wordle. The first option on the page allows you to paste in your text. Once your text has been pasted into the box select the "go" icon, which will create your Wordle, which you can then manipulate.
 * Manipulating your Wordle || Once you have hit "go" the Wordle will automatically be created. In the example below we used the Declaration of Independence.



Using the toolbar (shown below) at the top of your Wordle you can edit the appearance of your Wordle. You can use different fonts, different orientations and different color schemes.



Here is an example of how we changed the appearance of the original Declaration of Independence Wordle:

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 * Now that you have created a Wordle using the oil spill article, we can use the World as a before reading strategy. What observations and predictions can you make based on this Wordle? What connections to your background knowledge can you make? Please __answer__ these questions in a post in your virtual notebook entitled "Before Reading - Wordle."


 * To get the Wordle into your wikispace you need to __take a screenshot__ of the Wordle. Here are links that give you directions for how to take a screenshot depending on your operating system: Windows Screenshot Mac -OS-X Screenshot


 * Once you have created your Wordle and taken your screenshot __save the screenshot__ to your virtual notebook as an image file then __upload the file__ to your notebook in the Before, During, and After Reading page. (See Session 1 if you need to review instructions). An image of your Wordle should now be seen on that page of your notebook.

One way that we can show our thoughts and our understanding of a text is through the process of annotation, or marking up a document. In some cases, teachers have used sticky notes as a way to annotate when students can't write directly on a text. With handouts that the students can keep, teachers often have the students write their mark ups on the handout. Mark ups generally consist of comments, questions, connections, inferences, predictions, summations of key points, etc.
 * 3.4 __During Reading Activity - Annotating a Text__:**

Simply put, annotation provides evidence of thinking and understanding.


 * While there are different formats and icons involved, it is possible to annotate texts in the 2003, 2007, and 2010 versions of Microsoft Word. We will take you through only the basic essentials for marking up a text (using Word 2007 images) and will then have you mark up the text of the oil spill article as your during reading strategy.

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 * Task || Image/Explanation ||
 * 1. Open the document you intend to mark-up || Using the Word tool bar select open and follow route to desired document. ||
 * 2. Selecting the highlighter || On the tool bar select the highlighter icon as circled below.
 * 3. Highlighting text || When highlighter is selected drag across the text you wish to highlight. Different colors can be selected by using the drop down menu (upside down triangle) next to the highlighter icon. ||
 * 4. Selecting the add comment feature || First select the Review **tab on the tool bar as circled below.**
 * Select the text you wish to comment on by placing your cursor within the word you wish to comment on or by highlighting a passage you wish to comment on. Next select the** New Comment **icon on the tool bar as circled below.**
 * 5. Writing the Comment || When the text has been selected and you have clicked the comment icon a box will appear to the right of your document. You can type directly into this box. Below is an example of this. You can customize your comments by titling them, changing the color and font, etc.


 * Please __read and mark up__ the oil spill article. At the end of the article please __summarize__ what you read and __comment on__ how your thoughts after reading the article are similar to or different from those you had after viewing the Wordle. Then __add brief thoughts__ on the process of annotating a text and how it might be helpful as a during reading strategy.


 * Next, save your marked up document to your virtual notebook files and then embed it into your notebook in your Before, During, and After Reading page.


 * 3.5 __After Reading Strategy: Slide Presentations__**

To check for and demonstrate understanding after having read a text, there are many useful vehicles. One such vehicle is a presentation tool called Slide. Slide is a tool available through wikispace widgets by clicking Edit, Widget, Slideshow, and Slide:

The Slide presentation below will give you an overview of both what a Slide is and how to make a Slide. Supplementary written directions can be found here: **Slide Directions**

media type="custom" key="6621677"


 * Having watched the slide presentation above (and perhaps having viewed the written directions) __create your own Slide__ presentation based on the oil spill article and your conclusions about the topic. For another example, below is a link to a Slide created by a Student from Malden High School representing her view of a 21st century classroom: Student Slide


 * When finished, __embed__ your Slide in your notebook in the Before, During, and After Reading page. Below where you have embedded it, give a general explanation of your choices of images and music.


 * __Post__ in the discussion tab of your Before, During, and After Reading page how the Slide presentation tool might be used to assess student knowledge and understanding. Title this post "Slide."


 * 3.6 __Forum Post__**
 * Return to the Moodle site and post in the forum regarding the essential questions for this session: what are before, during, and after literacy strategies? How can we use technology to enhance this work with students?