Key+Frameworks+-+NOTES

Key Frameworks - NOTES Hello there Everyone, I have added my references to the references page.....

Thursday 9AM

Wed night 11 pm

Ok, added my references in order. Added formatting like double spacing and hanging indents and title. I highlighted any issues I think need addressing.....


 * Danielle, I think your DOI's aren't supposed to be capitalized. I changed them to doi. Hope that's ok. **


 * Tara, I think your journal references need to be reworked. They are unfortunetaly not in APA format. Example from the APA style guide is: **


 * =====** Mathieson, C. M., Bailey, N., & Gurevich, M. (2002). Health care services for lesbian and bisexual women: Some Canadian data. //Health Care for Women International, 23 //, 185-196. Retrieved from http://www.tandf.co.uk /journals/titles/07399332.asp **===== ||


 * Note - the italisized font above should be the same font size as the rest - the wiki messed it up. ..... **


 * 1. What is the focus of your design project?**
 * ** To develop a (BIOLOGY or CHEMISTRY)? unit plan for Grade (8 or 9?) that focuses one students that experience reading comprehension difficulties. The idea is to employ differentiated instruction and a well-researched strategies in order to aid these students in mastering aspects of the unit such as comprehension in the related vocabulary and non-fiction text. **
 * ** My approach will be to provide varying graphic organizers (and some student assessments) which help students to visually connect vocabulary terms to images and diagrams in order to help them to understand the meaning and relationships between and among science words and concepts. **
 * ** To develop cognitive strategies that will help our learners achieve mastery in our chosen content area **
 * I am incorporating Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) into the science curriculum for adolescence with Learning Disabilities (LD) with the objective of improving reading comprehension and vocabulary retention. A broad teaching strategy is required to incorporate SFA and complements other beneficial strategies such as active learning and activation of past knowledge. SFA includes creating relationship charts and maps to develop the most important ideas of a passage alongside the key vocabulary words (Bos et al. 1989. pp. 385). SFA should not be used as the sole method for teaching reading comprehension, but rather sould be used in collaboration with other strategies.
 * I will be providing spaces for students to draw images that represent concepts in biology. For example, after reading about a cell organelle, the student will draw it using a painting application.
 * Early on in this course, the student will be taught how to self-monitor behaviours related to learning disabilities in reading. Self-monitoring involves recording targeted and measureable behaviours using a graph after an activity has been completed. This method helps the student to manage his own time and to set his own goals. For example, a student who has read 2 pages or has correctly spelled 6 out of 10 specific vocabulary terms, would indicate this on some sort of graph. The goal for that week may be to increase to reading 3 pages of text per science lesson, or to crrectly spell 8 out of 10 vocabulary terms. The skills and the type of measurement are chosen with the teacher's help. skills that will be monitored will be based on the reading activities that the student performs

> 1. B1 - demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of lliving things > 2. B2 relate the main features andproperties of cells to their functions > 3. B3 explain the relationship between cells, tissues, organs,and organ systems > 4. B4 explain the functioning of the immune system, and the roles of the primary, secondary, and tertiary defence systems. PLOs retrieved from []pg 30 > 1. Learning requires the active participation of the student. > 2. People learn in a variety of ways and at different rates. > 3.Learning is both an individual and a group process. (pg 11 of IRP PDF link above)
 * It is expected that students will fufill the following BC Curriculum Prescribed Learning Outcomes of the Science 8 Cells and Systems Unit:
 * The development of this IRP has been guided by the principles of learning:


 * 2. How are you situating your design activities in the academic literature?**
 * Activities will be comprehension strategies which have been extensively studied and reviewed. These graphic organizer activities will aid students in the quest to be active participants and readers in their learning of vocabulary (C. R. Adler, 2001). Examples of intended graphic organizers are visual dictionaries, frayer models, mind mapping, cause and effect, and venn diagrams.
 * Value can be found in the inclusive approach; unlike the common top-down hierarchy that is common in many schools.
 * The use of drawings to demonstrate comprehension of a reading passage was shown to be more effective in helping students with learning disabilities to improve their reading comprehension than a combination of drawing and text-based methods (main idea selection or summarization) or using text-based methods alone.(Leopold & Leutner, 2011)
 * Students with learning disabilities were more productive and when they used self-monitoring methods to document their progress (Joseph & Eveleigh, 2011).
 * Malone and Mastropieri (1991–1992) indicate that self-monitoring alone and self-monitoring in combination with reading strategies both had a positive impact on reading comprehension in students with learning disabilities (as cited by Josephep & Eveleigh, 2011). By combining this idea with that of Leopold & Leutner (2011) this course will combine reading activities and self-monitoring.


 * Research has shown that the use of graphic organizers may provide a framework for students to understand vocabulary related connections to non-fiction text" (Wanzek et. al, 2011)
 * Academic literature suggests that students with learning disabilities have trouble expressing their ideas in verbal and written form. These studies suggest that content enhancing strategies, coupled with cognitive strategies for learning (such as graphic organizers, visual imaging and imagery, computer-assisted instruction, cognitive mapping, main idea identification, self-questioning and summarization) have produced positive results in teaching comprehension to students with learning disabilities. (Stetter et al. 2011, Jitendra et al, 2011)


 * 3. What/Whose ideas about learning and learning environments are relevant?**
 * **Kinesthetic and tactual approaches have often positive results with students with LD in reading comprehension. Visual approaches in the form of graphics, not text.**
 * **Schema Theory: the learner will structure the new or incoming knowledge based on already known knowledge. Teaching is most effective when the instructor is aware of the learner's preconcieved notions or knowledge base. Knowledge exists in networks and graphic organizers will be able to help the learner make connections to what they have learnned in the past to the new information presented. (Piaget-based theory)**
 * SFA requires the classroom to be "broad in instruction, deep in processing, and interactive in nature" (Bos, C.S. et al. 1989. pp. 389). The learning environment should support collaboration amongst the students through discussion, small group exercises and other learning strategies. A teacher utilizing this strategy will incorporate the individual needs of each student by not only formal testing but marking individual progress.
 * See my answer to #4. It covers this question too.


 * The cognitive strategy for learning and teaching: “all cognitive strategies share a common goal - to teach students how to interact with the content so that learning becomes more deliberate, self-directed, and self-regulated. Further, these strategies involve the same processes reading the text, asking questions, drawing connections, finding main ideas, clarifying meaning, rereading, and paraphrasing or summarizing key information.” (Jitendra et al ,136)
 * Incorporating SFA into the learning strategy reflects the values of constructivism in that individuals are generating knowledge from their interactions and experiences, and the learning environment supports the construction of learning rather than just feeding information (Duffy, T., and Cunningham, D. 1996. pp.2).
 * Constructivism - attributed to Piaget - the learner must be an active participant, looking for ways to relate the content to previous experiences and what he/she already knows. Learners are actively (not passively) engaged in constructing thier own understanding through the use of various graphic organizers.
 * Howard Gardner's Multiple intelligences - he posited that learners have various cognitive abilities and therefore many different learning styles exist


 * 4. What/Whose theoretical insights and perspectives frame your thinking about the particular group of learners your project targets?**
 * **The theoretical insights and perspectives that frame my thinking and use of graphic organizers with this particular group of leaners are the following: Dexter and Hughes for the use of graphic organizers,** **Carole Cox - using graphic organizers in Literature-based science instruction,** **C. R. Adler for seven strategies for reading comprehension (graphic organizers included) and** **Stahl and Bravo for Vocabulary Assessment methods for content areas.**
 * The perspective that frames my understanding of this audience is from my experience working with adolescence. Separation of students with LD within classrooms in conjunction with societal stigma has prevented recognition of individual success and valuable contributions to community. Value has not been placed on the learning of students with LD.
 * The problems that students with LD have: “experience greater difficulty in the upper elementary grades, when the focus shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. Specifically, they have problems finding the main ideas and important supporting details, making predictions, drawing inferences and summarizing information.” (Jitendra et al, 135-136)
 * Instructional strategies to help students with LD: “effective instructional practices for students with LD include using content enhancements (e.g. advance and graphic organizers, visual displays, study guides, computer-assisted instruction) and instruction in cognitive strategies (e.g. text structure, main idea identification, summarization, self-questioning, cognitive mapping, reciprocal teaching” (Jitendra et al, 136)
 * Explaining the thought process has more of an impact on student comprehension than providing instructions or using a reading strategy alone (H. L. Swanson, 1999 as cited by Hollenbeck, 2011).


 * It is very important for teaching strategies to involve clear, detailed and structured instruction in order to help students with learning disabilities in reading. Specific feedback must be included in the learning strategies (Gersten et al., 2001; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000; Snow, 2002; H. L. Swanson, 1999 as cited by Hollenbeck, 2011).
 * We will be using a combination of strategies instead of isolated ones. The aim is to help students to connect the use of strategies with the act of reading (Gersten et al., 2001; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000; Snow, 2002; as cited by Hollenbeck, 2011). This will help students with learning disabilities to develop independence in reading.


 * 5.How are you framing the primary educational activities?**
 * **Examples are: IPAD apps such as Text to 'Speech, cooperative group learning, comprehension quizzes using IPAD apps such as Peek and Evernote, wiki logging, using a variety of graphic organizers, creating toon art to relate understanding of content/vocab.., mind mapping using software programs such as Vue.**
 * The primary education activities will involve the comprehension of passages through the use of relationship mapping; development of main concepts and related vocabulary, association to reality and synthesis. Technology will be used to support students through the development of main concepts of stories, prompts to assist in the identification of vocabulary.
 * One such activity will focus on written and visual summarization and on the use of visual organizers as well as online drawing applications to assist students with finding the main ideas in a passage of text and in reproducing the idea through both text and pictures (Neufeld, P., 2005 & Leopold, C. et al., 2012).
 * The student will be periodically asked to draw pictures that represent scientific concepts.
 * At the end of each section, the student will be prompted to monitor his progress


 * We will be using activities that are age-appropriate and relevant to this age of student. Will we have a varied, engaging and dynamic set of activities based in both traditional and technological contexts
 * Our aim is that there will be enough variation among the interactivities that a student will be able to find one or more tactics that address and work for his/her learning style. If student identifies positively with an activity, hopefully the can re-use this for further unit study and even other academic subjects


 * 6. How are you framing the use of educational media?**
 * **With our site design, we hope to create a tool for several different interest groups to use.**
 * **Teachers could use it as a teaching tool for any grade 8 students that struggle with reading/vocabulary comprehension.**
 * **Students will be able to navigate through the site, learning information, completing activities, and self-evaluating and self-monitoring themselves along the way.**
 * **Parents could use it as a tool in order to explore tools that may help them to aid their children's learning at home. Parent could use the tools we provide for later units.**
 * We might provide a teacher's guide that would explain how to adapt this method to other science topics or any topic at all.
 * By providing a variety of activities that are used repeatedly, both the teacher and the student can gain experience using our methods, so that they can better understand how to apply them in sections of the science coursse that we have not covered, or in other subjects.


 * References For Erin: **

Bos, Canadace. S., Anders, Patricia, L., Filip, Dorothy., Jaffe, Lynne, E. 1989. //The Effects of an Interactive Instructional Strategy for Enhancing Reading Comprehension and Content Area Learning for Students with// Learning Disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities. V.22. No. 6. June/July 1989. Retrieved by: []

Duffy, Thomas. M., and Cunningham, Donald. J. 1996. //Constructivism: Implications for the Design and Delivery of Instruction.// Foundations for Research in Educational Communications and Technology. Indiana University. Retrieved from:

References for Emily:

Adapted from Adler, C.R. (Ed). 2001. //Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read//, pp. 49-54. National Institute for Literacy. Retrieved from []

Wanzek et. al (2011). Efficacy of a reading intervention for Middle School students with learning disabilities. //Council for Exceptional Children, 78(1),// 73-87. Retrieved from ??? UBC Link...need this.

References for Tara (I will include a specific reference on each page if I use a direct quote or idea):

Frederick J. B., Thomas E. S., & Margo A. M. (2011). Science education and students with learning disabilities. // //, v26 n4 p223-232 Nov 2011. 10 pp. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5826.2011.00343.x

, &  (2011). Cognitive strategy instruction for improving expository text comprehension of students with learning disabilities: the quality of evidence. , v77 n2 p135-159 Win 2011. 25 pp. Retrieved from []

(2012). Science text comprehension: Drawing, main idea selection, and summarizing as learning strategies. // ,// v22 n1 p16-26 Feb 2012. 11 pp. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2011.05.005

Neufeld, P. (2005). Comprehension instruction in content area classes. // //, v59 n4 p302-312 Dec 2005. 11 pp. doi: [|10.1598/RT.59.4.1/abstract]

, & 2008). Effects on science summarization of a reading comprehension intervention for adolescents with behaviour and attention disorders. //  //, v74 n2 p135-154 Win 2008. 20 pp. Retrieved from []

Stetter, M. E., & Hughes, M. T. (2011). Computer assisted instruction to promote comprehension in students with learning disabilities. //International Journal of Special Education//, v26 n1 p88-100 May 2011. 13pp.

Danielle's references (To add after I have typed them out in Word.)



Tara's rough draft to answer question one of the proposal: