Session 5: Assisting Students in Understanding and Constructing Texts

This session consists of Multiple Simultaneous Diverse Learning Activities (MSDLAs). There will be an introduction to the centers by the facilitator in LA 5.1, and LA 5.2 through LA 5.6 are 5 centers, 25 minutes each. You will be in center 1 (LA 5.2) you will be reviewing HW 4.6 about the Literacy Guidelines. As you read through the learning activities, be aware of items you may need to prepare for teachers to use at different centers. You are also the time keeper for MSDLAs so be sure to be aware so everyone has 20 minutes at each center. Put a number at each center so they know where the next center is positioned and it’s often helpful to put the directions on a card available for them to see when at the center. Teachers need to bring their work from HW 4.6. They should also bring their unit plan they have built so far; their AVG notes and the notes from the Wright Book; at least one reading they will have students use in their unit plan to be used in LA 5.4. LA 5.6, they’ll need paper to take notes on. 

LA 5.1—You will do the quick review as outlined in the learning activity on EdTech. Explain to the students what the four other centers besides will be and be sure they have any materials they may need. Divide teachers into five groups and the order in which they will move. Begin the centers. This center has a note-taking sheet for all of the sessions, so be sure all teachers have access to it.  

LA 5.2Center 1, the teacher center. Teachers share their thinking from HW 4.6 using their notes on the sheet they filled out. Follow the plan in the EdTech learning activity. At the end of their time with you, ask them to hand in their form from HW 4.6 for grading. 

LA 5.3Center 2. This is based in the two AVGs teachers watched and took notes on as well as the reading from the Wright book from homework. Teachers will discuss together the three questions in the learning activity. Then they’ll work with colleagues with the next questions to assist one another in improving their unit plans. They end the activity discussing the last question.  

LA 5.4Center 3. This one is about text structures and text features. They will read the summary by clicking on the link and then discuss the three items contained in the instructions. Then they open up the Academic Language Toolkit and review it together. They consider the tools to see if one or more of them might work well in their unit. Next they pull up the Depth of Knowledge document and discuss together how to use the terms they find there to try to deepen the depth of knowledge for students to attain, and how to support it. Last, they consider their unit plan and what they can do to improve it. 

LA 5.5Center 4. They need to have AVG 5.1 notes from homework, and make a list of what good readers do. Reviewing the article they read in homework: Increasing EL Student Reading Comprehension with Non-fiction Text and find a place in their unit where they could model a strategy for their students. For #4, they are assigned to create a mini-lesson they can use in their lesson modeling that strategy. They should have brought at least one reading from their unit and spend some time beginning the process of highlighting what good readers do within their unit.  

LA 5.6—Center 5. Teachers discuss as they read the math literacy practices in the link. They discuss what they see differently regarding seeing the language of math differently. Then they discuss what they can do regarding vocabulary and text structures in their instruction. Each person writes answers to the questions in #5, and then share with each other.  

LA 5.7—You review each of the centers and ask the questions within the learning activity. Ask them the question in #3 and then explain the homework for this week before they leave.  

HW 5.1—The reflection piece. 

HW 5.2This is the time for teachers to work on their unit. It recommends things from the course, especially the session 5 key ideas worksheet, to use in doing this work. They develop the documents and activities they will incorporate into their unit. They need to keep notes on this work for use in session 7. 

HW 5.3—They watch AVG 6.1 and fill out the notes on the viewing guide. They need to follow the directions withing the activity to be sure they find 6.1, the correct video for them to watch and make notes. They should bring the notes to session 6. 

HW 5.4—Students one of the four teachers listed in the directions. Each teacher and the teaching situation is described in detail so teachers can make the best choice for them. They go to tellcases.byu.edu to locate the teacher they want to watch. They need to use the worksheet included so they can answer the questions.  

HW 5.5—Teachers read chapter 9 in the Wright book. There is a graphic organizer they need to fill out. When they have finished, they should reflect on the way they instruct writing currently and answer the tw questions that follow.  

HW 5.6—Teachers now consider the writing they are asking students to do in their unit in light of the two students they have studied from their class. They need to make notes of changes and strategies they could include that will give better access to these two learners and others as they approach the writing required. Remind them to bring their notes to session 6. 

This content is provided to you freely by Equity Press.

Access it online or download it at https://equitypress.org/tell_facilitator_guide/session_5R.