Webinar

 This morning I participated in a webinar on selecting and using core reading programs.

My evaluation: LOVED it! 

Although I was pretty tired because I didn't get much sleep prior to the start of the webinar, I thought it was absolutely fabulous. So many things that were discussed were exactly on par with what I have been thinking about core reading programs. There was some technical difficulty with the sound throughout the hour long presentation, but it was completely worth waking up for and I am even more excited to get my hands on the book written by the presenter Peter Dewitz.

What is a webinar you might ask? Good question. I didn't know either until I took part in one. But I have to say, it was pretty cool!

I was imagining that it would be a video presentation that I would get to watch, but it was actually a lot different than I anticipated. It was better because it actually allowed the participants to utilize a chat function in order to ask questions and make comments throughout the presentation rather than simply listening. Instead of viewing a video of the presenter, we were viewing his power point presentation and we could hear his voice. I tried to take some photos of what the screen looked like so I could post about it.

Here is a close up of the chat window

I found it hard to focus on both the presenter and the chat conversation so I mostly just listened and viewed the slides because  I was more interested in his research than what the other participants were discussing. This interactive chat feature was great though because it allowed us to ask questions which were then answered at the end of the presentation.

 Twice during the presentation, an additional window popped up asking us to answer a question. We were given about a minute to respond. then the group results were posted.

I thought that was a really cool feature as well. 

By no means was this presentation meant to discredit the value of core reading programs, but the Mr. Detwitz did share research indicating that this type of program is best if not used with fidelity. 

Go figure. 

Some of the more salient points that really resonated with me were:

• core programs do not allow the gradual release of responsibility that is most beneficial to students
• most of the stories are not written by actual children's authors.
• the programs are research based, yet some of this research is market research conducted with teachers to see if they like the lessons and the program design. 
• one slide showed the average number of minutes that students who are below grade level readers spend actually engaging in the act of reading during a 90 minute core lesson and it was astounding. For the Treasures program that my district uses, the figure was about 10 minutes. TEN minutes a day spent reading!
• the basic design of core reading programs has barely changed in the past 20 years despite the ever increasing diversity of our student populations.

At one point, Mr. Dewitz shared an example of the vocabulary that was selected for the book Thunder Cake.

On the left you can see the words designated by the reading program to be the "vocabulary" words for instruction, yet the left column shows 9 more words that most likely would also be challenging for students, but are not considered vocabulary words for this text. He emphasized that a scripted program cannot gauge where your students are in their vocabulary knowledge, therefore it is very appropriate for the teacher to select vocabulary words and stopping points based on your knowledge of your particular students. Also, he mentioned that the vocabulary words selected for study should have relevance outside of the particular text being read so students grasp a more universal understanding and can apply the words elsewhere in their lives. 

I love that he validates teacher knowledge and skills, don't you?

Overall, I was really pleased with this presentation. I was told the power point would be posted on the IRA website, but I don't think that has been done yet. When it is, I will try to attach it in a different post so you can read through the entire presentation. It was really informative and made me feel confident that my misgivings about using core programs with fidelity are warranted and quite common among teachers. He actually cited four research studies about fidelity that I will try to track down and post for you as well.

Although the sound was a little sketchy throughout due to a storm in VA where Mr. Dewitz was located, the quality of the webinar was very good and it provided me with lots to think about! My amazement with technology continues to grow and I feel so fortunate to be teaching and studying in a time when there is so much potential for the use of technology to increase learning.

Video Instruction

Let's face it, most kids like TV and enjoy watching videos. It sometimes frustrates me that a video can be more successful in teaching my students than I am because they are so engaged in watching the screen, however I do think videos can be meaningful instructional tools.

Recently I have been using a lot of science videos, well actually they are really short video clips ranging from 2-5 minutes, as part of my science unit on amphibians. When it comes to science, video images of creatures in the wild are as close as I can get to the real thing. Our school subscribes to Discovery Education which has an online database of amazing videos that can be sorted by topic and grade level. The kids are very engaged and always learn from the videos. I have found great videos for science, math, reading themes, and even grammar!

I think it is important to have a specific objective for watching the video and it is more meaningful to let the children know something in particular they are watching for, rather than allowing them to just sit back and watch as if Spongebob is on the screen. 

I typically like to use a book either before or after a video to extend or repeat the information and when possible, I think short video clips on a specific topic can be more meaningful than longer videos that cover a lot of topics. I am not advocating replacing my instruction during an entire lesson with a video so I can sit back and organize my desk. I think using a video as a steppingstone and part of a lesson is a great way to engage students, yet a video should not be the only component. The introduction to establish the purpose for viewing as well as discussion following the video are essential in making the viewing experience meaningful. I am always watching the video along with the students and I do not use video time as teacher break time. 

I recently discovered some cute videos on parts of speech and shared the first clip with my English Language Development group this morning. I know that I can stand in front of the group and explain that a noun is a person, place or thing and they will learn that information, but I do think that information paired with interesting visuals, characters and music can make information more memorable.

Check out this video that covers:

• What is a noun?
• Proper Nouns and Common Nouns
• Capitalizing Proper Nouns
• Plural nouns with "s"
• Plural nouns with "es"
• Plural nouns with "ies"
• Final Quiz

I will begin each lesson this week with a clip that is part of a whole video about a little bookworm that is a picky eater. Each clip is only about 2 or 3 minutes and the daily objectives are presented clearly. Additionally, the clips are perfectly sequenced so that each day adds a little more information to the previous day's knowledge. Following the video, I will conduct an activity relating to the daily objective to check for understanding. 

How do you feel about using videos for instruction? Are there particular subjects for which videos can be used more meaningfully?