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Literacy Collaborative®
at The Ohio State University
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| Facets of Literacy Collaborative |
Literacy Collaborative at The Ohio State University is aimed at raising literacy achievements for Kindergarten through Sixth Grade students. The Literacy Collaborative program is a school reform model designed to provide ongoing professional development to teachers. Teachers work alongside trainers to become literacy coordinators as they put theory into practice. Participants learn how to observe students' reading and writing skills to better inform their teaching decisions.
What is a Literacy Collaborative School Primary School Training Intermediate Training
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WHAT IS A LITERACY COLLABORATIVE®
SCHOOL?
Becoming a Literacy Collaborative school is a long-term process that involves
comprehensive school change.
Seminars, institutes, and conferences are provided by the Literacy Collaborative
to support early literacy education. Many individual teachers and school staff
elect to participate in these educational experiences. Although such experiences
are a valuable beginning, real school change requires:
Those are the purposes for which the Literacy
Collaborative is organized.
A Literacy Collaborative school is defined as one with the following
characteristics:
1. Teachers and administrators in the school
and district have entered into a collaborative long-term relationship with a
regional university that is implementing a research-based Literacy Collaborative
program.
2. The school forms a leadership team to
support and monitor the program.
3. The school has trained a Literacy
Coordinator (LC) who teaches children daily (30% to 50% of the time) and has
received special training to provide staff development (50% to 70% of the time),
which includes (a) providing an initial course for primary teachers; (b)
providing in-class assistance to teachers by demonstrating, coaching, and
reflecting on teaching; (c) planning and working collaboratively with all
teachers in the school.
4. From the second year of participation,
the majority of primary teachers at a school are engaged in the Literacy
Collaborative training and follow-up support. The LC and primary teachers are
continually engaged in updating their knowledge and refining skills through
ongoing training and support.
5. There are adequate materials to support
rich literacy programs in Grades K-3 and to implement the literacy framework
using four kinds of reading and four kinds of writing.
6. Reading Recovery is provided as a safety
net for children who, even while experiencing an effective literacy program, are
having difficulty in the initial stages of learning to read and write.
7. There is a home reading program with
parent outreach.
8. Teachers in the school collect and
analyze data to assess the effectiveness of the program. Data are collected
yearly and provided to The Ohio State University.
[To obtain the Research Report look
here.]
9. The school is registered with The Ohio
State University as an active Literacy Collaborative school. With the
registration, schools are granted permission to use Literacy Collaborative
training materials within the school and to use the trademarked name on a
royalty-free basis.
Primary Level
Overview, Framework, Components, Implementation, Training
Overview
The Ohio State University Literacy Collaborative is a long-term professional development program designed to provide a comprehensive, school-wide approach to literacy instruction in the primary grades. The goal of this program is to raise the base of instruction to all students. Participation in this program helps schools achieve this goal in three ways. First, the Literacy Collaborative developers provide a dynamic framework for literacy lessons that build connections between reading and writing. Second, the Literacy Collaborative participation develops local capacity by training a building-level literacy coordinator. The literacy coordinator then assists the primary staff in learning how to teach for skills and strategies within the Literacy Collaborative framework. Third, the Literacy Collaborative developers require that the safety net of Reading Recovery be available for children in the first grade who are at-risk of reading failure.
The Literacy Collaborative began in 1986 when a group of Reading Recovery teachers from the Columbus Public Schools and staff from The Ohio State University formed a study group to look at more effective ways to teach children. In the ensuing years they developed and refined the Literacy Collaborative framework for literacy lessons. During that time OSU personnel also developed a delivery system for training local leaders who would be called literacy coordinators. The first class of literacy coordinators was trained in 1993-1994.
Schools that participate in the Literacy Collaborative make a five-year commitment. This commitment includes supporting the literacy coordinator as she/he works with teachers in the building, training of a literacy coordinator, releasing the literacy coordinator half-time to coach teachers, and collecting data to monitor the progress of children during the implementation of the Literacy Collaborative in the building.
Overview, Framework, Components, Implementation, Training
Framework
Teachers implementing the Literacy Collaborative use an integrated approach to teaching the language arts. The Literacy Collaborative framework for literacy lessons consists of a number of elements that provide massive amounts of reading and writing. These authentic opportunities for reading and writing are arranged on a continuum based on more or less teacher support. Some reading and writing tasks are demonstrated by the teacher. Others are accomplished with the support of the teacher. A few are done independently by the child.
[Karl Note: I've started reading on this whole subject, looking for whether this approach to reading emphasizes the "phonics" method or the "whole language" method. So far all the text has been psychobabble --- no clue as to what is here involved.
HERE, finally, we get a clue.
This section, presumably, is for the teaching of reading to children who have not yet had any teaching of reading.
The phonics approach would have such students "learning" what sounds exist -- the phonics. The whole language method would start, as this does, with reading not only words, but whole stories to a child.
This is about as destructive as I can imagine. If you have already read about the valid approach to learning to talk, then learning to read, you would know the importance of sounds, and then sounds associated with syllables where those sounds don't necessarily have any meaning.
The job of the teacher is to get the child to DUPLICATE a sound, first, not understand it. Understanding comes second in the proper sequence of learning to read.
Children taught through this method will be illiterate, and here is a famous University bragging that it is teaching teachers -- the worst possible influence that any "teachers' school" can have -- to deliberately destroy the educational process by using a teaching method that results in stupidity, and a socially compliant citizenry.
This is just exactly what the Wundt people wanted -- an "educational process" that makes people obedient servants of the state.
I will look further, hoping to find some glimmer of hope that they are not as destructive to our free people as it appears they are!]
There are four contexts for READING:
1. Reading Aloud to Children
2. Shared Reading
3. Guided Reading and Reading Workshop
4. Independent Reading
And four contexts for writing:
1. Language Experience and Shared Writing
2. Interactive Writing
3. Guided Writing and Writing Workshop
4. Independent Writing
These elements are:
· connected through attention to Letters, Words, and How They Work;
· integrated through Themes and Extensions;
· assessed through Documentation of Progress; and
· linked to families through Home and Community Involvement.
Overview, Framework, Components, Implementation, Training
Components
The principles on which the Literacy Collaborative operates are based on effective district, school, and teacher change and include components related to literacy learning and teaching, school-based leadership, professional development, and assessment and research.
School-Based Component
· Commitment: School leaders pledge a five-year commitment to the training and participation of the staff.
· Local Leadership: A trained literacy coordinator works with a literacy team composed of primary classroom teachers, Reading Recovery teachers, Title I teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, and school principals to develop and implement a local plan to support professional development.
Literacy Learning and Teaching Component
· Theoretical Base: The theory regarding how children learn is linked to classroom practice in that teachers systematically observe students and use the knowledge they obtain to inform instruction.
· Instructional Framework: Students learn literacy skills during authentic reading and writing experiences that include reading aloud to children, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, shared writing, interactive writing, writing workshop, and independent writing.
· Flexible Grouping: Teachers work with both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups of students depending on the teacher's instructional purpose. When it is appropriate, for example during reading aloud or writing workshop, teachers work with the entire class. At other times they meet with small groups or individual students.
· Safety Nets: Students needing more help receive one-to-one Reading Recovery tutoring.
· Home Outreach Program: A parent outreach program includes inexpensive little books that children first read in school and then take home called KEEP BOOKS®.
· Materials: The schools must invest in two kinds of book collections. Teachers must have access to carefully selected children's books that can serve as springboards for literacy activities. There must also be an adequate supply of leveled books housed in a central location for teachers to use in guided reading lessons.
Professional Development Component:
· Staff Development: Teachers participate in a long-term professional development program that integrates theory and practice and is conducted by a specially trained literacy coordinator.
· Staff Support: Literacy coordinators offer long-term support to the staff through study groups, in-class demonstration lessons, and coaching.
· Professional Growth: Literacy coordinators in-training participate in a year long course that includes seven weeks of training at OSU. After their initial year of training, literacy coordinators attend yearly professional development institutes.
Assessment and Research Component:
· Reflective Practice: Teachers continually reflect upon the effectiveness of their teaching through discussions, videotape analysis, and systematic observation of students' progress.
· Systematic Assessment: Both formal and informal measures are used to monitor student progress. These measures include tasks found in An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement (Clay, 1993), running records of text reading, and standardized tests. Teachers use the information gathered to inform their instruction.
· Research and Development: A five year data collection program analyzes changes in students' literacy learning and evaluates school change over time.
Overview, Framework, Components, Implementation, Training
Primary Level
Overview, Framework, Components, Implementation, Training
Implementation
Participation in the Literacy Collaboraive represents a long-term commitment to reshaping primary education in a school or district. Implementation takes place in five phases. For each phase, local planning and decision-making is required. The following list is accomplished with literacy coordinator support, school-based literacy team input, and staff participation.
Phase 1: Awareness and Planning
· investigate models for teaching and professional development
· achieve broad ownership
· develop a local plan
· submit an application
Phase 2: Literacy Coordinator Training and Start-Up
· train an in-school leader called a literacy coordinator
· create a school based literacy team made up of classroom teachers, Reading Recovery teachers, Title I teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, and principals who collaborate to provide leadership for the program
· provide awareness sessions to capture teachers’ interest
· begin to build a school book collection
· introduce personnel to the framework
· collect baseline data
Phase 3: School Level Implementation
· provide a year-long professional development course
· provide demonstrations, coaching, and analysis of teaching
· purchase more book collections for reading aloud and guided reading
· begin a home outreach program with the use of KEEP BOOKS
· collect and analyze data
Phase 4: Refinement
· continue professional development
· provide ongoing support to staff members
· add to the book collections
· continue the home outreach program with KEEP BOOKS
· collect and analyze data
Phase 5: Independent Implementation
· continue professional teamwork
· provide ongoing support to staff members
· continue the home outreach program with the use of KEEP BOOKS
· collect and analyze data
Overview, Framework, Components, Implementation, Training
Primary Level
Overview, Framework, Components, Implementation, Training
Training
The Literacy Collaborative staff development model builds local capacity by training a literacy coordinator who in turn supports teachers in the building as they take on new instructional practices.
Literacy Coordinator
During phase two of implementation literacy coordinators are trained at The Ohio State University while simultaneously implementing the Literacy Collaborative framework in their classrooms. In the training year (phase 2) the literacy coordinator
· attends 7 weeks of training at OSU (spaced across the calendar year);
· teaches primary-aged children for a half day each day using the Literacy Collaborative framework;
· participates in locally held guided meetings;
· videotapes and analyzes his/her teaching of literacy lessons;
· gathers baseline data; and
·
provides awareness sessions.
In the implementation year (phase 3) the literacy coordinator
· provides a year-long professional development course for primary grade staff;
· demonstrates and coaches in classrooms in the Literacy Collaborative school;
· teaches primary aged children in the Literacy Collaborative school for at least a half day each day using the literacy framework;
· attends the Literacy Collaborative Institute and ongoing professional development; and
· gathers and analyzes data.
In subsequent years (phases 4 & 5) the literacy coordinator
· provides continued professional development and classroom support for participating teachers in the Literacy Collaborative school;
· teaches primary aged children for at least a half day each day using the Literacy Collaborative framework, and
· trains teachers new to the school.
Classroom Teacher
Classroom teachers and other members of the primary literacy team are trained by their building literacy coordinator. Program participants
· join a year-long study group led by the literacy coordinator;
· videotape and reflect on their teaching of reading and writing;
· work with the literacy coordinator to refine teaching practices in their classrooms, and
· collect, analyze, and use data to inform instruction.
District Level Trainer of Literacy Coordinators
A two-year training program has been designed to prepare university and district-level personnel to offer literacy coordinator training locally.
Overview, Framework, Components, Implementation, Training
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