Dear Coach Coordinators and Experts,
Thank you to everyone for you help and feedback. The January vocabulary
Action Seminar went to ‘repro’ and you will be notified when the materials
are available for pick-up at Beaudry.
School teams must bring the following materials:
Data from Units 1 & 2, grade 3
Intervention Guide
EL Support Guide, if available
Participants will have two packets.
1. Powerpoint: 3 slides to a page
2. Handout packet (see below)
The handout order is as follows for your participants (revised from your
packet for ease of handling.)
Handout # Description of page
1-2 Excerpt from Voice of Evidence in Reading Research
3-5 Gr. 3, Unit 3 End-of-Unit Vocab Assessment; Writing
Prompt/Rubric
6-7 Getting Started (first two) pages from TE explaining the
parts of the writer’s notebook
8-16 Personal Thesaurus (see strategy 2 in AEMP binder) and
Personal Dictionary (same as what was given at
cc/expert meeting: one blank, one example)
17-18 Word concept map (one blank, one example)
19 How do I fit it all in? handout (compliments of Celia
Domingue-Pettus)
20 Ronni’s top 12
Local District are photocopying:
Agenda
Workshop Attendance Verification Form (with signature)
Thank you for making this professional development evening a rich,
scintillating experience for our school leaders!
Your team members
Please call or email with questions/comments!
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Vocabulary Action Seminar – January 2005
Beyond Strategy Instruction
Agenda Items (materials) Presenter’s notes Time
Renewing our charge… Purpose: to frame the urgency of 15 min
(Coach coordinator/ the work at the school sites and
superintendent/director to build on salient points from
role) their last presentation with Ronni
See talking points. Ephraim and Betsy Eaves. This
person should also set
(slides 2-4)
expectations for the evening
4:00 – 4:15
meeting.
(Dr. Vigil or Marti)
Overview of Reading First Briefly explain the three goals of 5 min
Action Seminar vocabulary instruction:
1. Provide students with
Professional
skills/opportunities to learn
Development words independently.
(Coordinator role) 2. Teach students the meanings of
(slides 5 & 6) specific words.
3. Nurture a love and appreciation 4:15 – 4:20
(slide 5)
of words and their use
-Bauman, Kame'enui, & Ash, in press
Remind participants that the last
vocabulary professional development
focused on the first goal (importance
of strategy instruction and
opportunities to apply strategies).
Explain that this evening’s agenda
focuses on vocabulary goals bullets 2
and 3.
Before moving to slide 6, have
participants review agenda and
objectives:
1. Identify actions to move the
instructional practice of
teachers.
2. Determine how to extend
vocabulary instruction beyond
the transparency and
dictionary.
3. Recognize meaningful practice
(Herlinda) as a follow-up to vocabulary
instruction.
2
State expectations for how this
professional development will be
used at the school site. Include:
(slide 6) 1. Coaches should have the
depth of knowledge to make
the intent and content
applicable to every teacher at
any grade-level.
2. Administrators’ depth of
knowledge and follow-up is
critical to successful
implementation.
3. 75% of professional
development should be aimed
at helping teachers apply new
learning in the classroom.
Therefore, any grade-level
meeting or banked Tuesday
presentation should be
supplemented with strategic,
meaningful, ongoing coaching
with a set number of teachers
(Herlinda) for a set period of time.
Follow-up conversation Data 35 min
(Coordinator role) Explain that before moving forward
with tonight’s objective, school
teams will have an opportunity to
reflect on the actions taken since the
last action seminar in October. Allow
10 minutes to review their most
recent Grade 3 data using the
following guiding questions:
(slide 7)
1. What evidence did you see of
strategy instruction at your
school?
2. How did you use the
information provided in the last
professional development?
3. How does the data reflect the
evidence seen and actions
taken?
4:20 – 4:55
3
Then, have schools talk with their
concerned colleagues. Allow 7
minutes per school team. (15 min.)
4. Share the data collected,
evidence seen, and actions
taken since the last seminar.
Colleagues may give
(Herlinda) constructive feedback.
Tonight’s Objectives Show slide showing the evening’s 10 min
Lesson Design objectives, focusing on Objective #2
& #3. To activate prior knowledge,
(Content Expert Role)
pose this question to the group. (It
(slides 8-14)
will appear in the blue box when you
click on the space bar.)
(slide 8)
During your classroom observations,
what evidence do you have that
vocabulary development and
instruction is extended beyond
strategy instruction (the
transparency) and the dictionary?
(slide 9)
Transition from the previous
Note: Arrows appear when
discussion into the importance of
you click on the space bar.
lesson design by illuminating the
curricular connections between the 4:55 – 5:05
seeding vocabulary during the unit
(Cecilia) opener, prior knowledge, vocabulary,
fluency, comprehension, and writing.
Deepening Rationale Remind participants that well- 25 min
done research is evidence-based
Professional Reading
and should be used to inform
(slides 10 & 11)
effective teaching practice.
Allow participants 10 minutes to
read Excerpts from Voices of
(slide 10)
Evidence in Reading Research,
(Handout 1 & 2)
and Bringing Words to Life,
Chapter 1.
After about 10 minutes, then
summarize key statistics from the
(slide 11) 5:05 – 5:30
readings.
(Cecilia)
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What does it mean to Explain the difference between 20 min
know a word? receptive and expressive
(slide 12-14) vocabulary. Have participants 5:30 – 5:50
browse the End-of-the-Unit
(slide 12) vocabulary assessment and the
(Handouts 3-5) PWA writing prompt (click space
bar to expose question) and
facilitate a brief discussion
regarding the demands each has
on a child’s vocabulary
knowledge. The end-of-the-unit
vocabulary assessment tests
receptive vocabulary, but does
not require a child to know how to
generate the word and use it in
authentic contexts. If a child can
score a 10/10 on the vocabulary
assessment, does it necessarily
mean that he can incorporate
“robust” vocabulary into his
writing and speaking? (no)
*Read a sample of student writing
to make the point of the
importance of expressive
vocabulary.
This is consistent with our data.
Our instructional practices must
have expressive vocabulary
development as the goal, not
receptive.
Connect expressive vocabulary
(slide 13) with the stages/attributes of “To
know a word” on the next slide.
Use the example to exemplify the
point. (Appendix A, after trainer
notes)
Then, as time allows, have
(slide 14) participants try the self-
assessment using the adult words
(Genevieve)
on the next slide.
Tiering Display slide #15 explaining that 10 min
(slides 15-17) there are too many words to
teach. Not all words call for direct
(slide 15) instruction. Some do. Students 5:50 – 6:00
need to learn between 500 and
(Genevieve) 1000 words per year to stay on
grade-level (various data,
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including Beck et al, Nagy &
Anderson, Allington, etc.) BUT
many share roots and inflectional
structures. Beck estimates that
(slide 16)
about 400 need explicit teaching.
*participants do not have this
Briefly, review tiering, explaining
slide, they have a 81/2 x 11
that tier two words are the focus
copy in handout packet.
for instructional purposes. This
takes preparation and planning.
Show example of e.g. of tiering
(slide 17)
planning guide.
Transition by saying: Tier one,
two, and three words are
important to keep in mind with
(Genevieve) planning to differentiate
instruction. (note arrows)
Vocabulary Resources in Remind participants that last time 10 min
Open Court we located all the places in the
(slides 18 & 19) Teacher’s Edition where
vocabulary was found. Explain
(slide 18) IWT/Workshop is a time when
vocabulary can be meaningfully
pretaught, developed, and
Pages needed: practiced with teacher guidance
2000 2002 (click on the space bar).
Intervention
Guide
164 167 Therefore, participants will
EL Support
Guide
n/a 242 investigate the multiple teaching
opportunities available in OCR
Resources (Intervention Guide, EL
Support Guide, Visual Glossary)
to be used to reinforce core
instruction. Point to relevant
(slide 19) parts of EL Support Guide
Introduction.
Pose the questions on slide 19,
“What are the multiple
preteaching and reteaching
opportunities in the support
materials? What opportunities
are there for deeper learning?”
Have participants look at and note 6:00 – 6:10
each vocabulary-teaching
opportunity.
(Geri) Bring closure to this section by
reviewing possible opportunities
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for vocabulary instruction.
Beyond Dictionaries Explain the reason why we must go 5 min
Student-Friendly beyond dictionary definitions to
really know a word.
Definitions
*Remember using dictionary
(slides 20 & 21)
definitions is one strategy; it is
simply not enough.
(slide 20)
More so, student-friendly
explanations help children derive
(slide 21) more meaning about words. We will
be looking at strategies for teachers
to provide opportunities for students 6:10 – 6:15
(Geri) to grapple with word meanings next.
Digging Deeper Allow time for participants to browse 20 min
(slide 22) or jigsaw the activities on slide #22.
If time allows or if necessary, you
(Geri) may give the following examples. 6:15 – 6:35
Personal Thesaurus Reference the Writer’s Notebook in 15 min
Personal Dictionary Getting Started pages. Explain that
(slide 23-26) the Personal Thesaurus, an AEMP
strategy, is an excellent resource for
(slide 23 & 24) recording vocabulary for later use in
(Handouts 6-18) writing. Model how the personal
thesaurus works. (see Handout,
also.)
1. Using the target word, act out
the word. (ESL Visual Glossary
is a resource.)
2. Have students generate
synonyms for the target word.
3. The teacher may chart these
words.
4. Students write the word they
already know in the top box
5. Synonyms new to the
student’s lexicon are written
on the lines below.
(Each word can be written in a
different color to differentiate
choices.)
6. Antonyms are listed below the 6:30 – 6:50
synonym lines within the
(slides 25-26) dotted framed box.
Also, model the personal dictionary
(Geri) and the word concept map as a
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teacher guided tools that can be
developed with students’ over the
(Geri) course of the week.
Planning for Multiple Show the slide entitled Planning for 5 min
Exposures Multiple Exposures. Review where
(slide 27) vocabulary is taught within the five-
(Handout 19) day lesson planner (whole group).
Model how this would fit into an OCR
five day lesson planner, showing
6:50 – 6:55
handout entitled “How do I fit it all
in?” This section is critical to
(Geri) meeting objectives 2 and 3.
Action Plan Give participants a copy of Ronni 15 min
(slide 28) Ephraim’s Top Twelve action steps as
(Handout 20) a way of reflecting upon where the
administrative team wants to focus.
School Teams Plan:
Remind participants that instead of
turning in written planned actions
this year, schools will be keeping
their own copies of their action plan.
The action plans should be
meaningful and realistic, not done
for compliance reasons.
Have teams plan using the guiding
questions:
What are your objectives? How will 6:55 – 7:10
your team continue to improve
vocabulary instruction at your school
site? What are you plans for sharing
this professional development with
your school faculty?
(slide 29) Explain the concept of SMART goals
and encourage participants to
formulate SMART goals.
(Herlinda)
Team Share After ample time to work as a school 15 min
(slide 30) team, have school teams partner up (about 7
8
with another school team. Have min per
team)
each team explain their
implementation plan to the other.
School teams should offer
constructive feedback and ask
probing questions. 7:10 – 7:25
(Herlinda)
Closure and Next Steps Explain that next time teams should 5 min
Feedback Forms be prepared to share with their
(slide 30) partner school the successes and
challenges that they experienced as
their action plan was implemented.
End of a final quote from the Middle
Level Leadership Center.
7:25 – 7:30
Ask participants to complete
(Herlinda) feedback forms & close.
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Possible Talking Points for Opening of Action Seminar
January 2005
Purpose: to set the stage for the work to be done this year.
Time frame: 10 minutes
We have evidence that…
1. When the level of implementation is high and the teaching is skillful
that all groups of students make progress.
2. When the school works from a shared and explicit vision of
academic success that the work of the teachers, coaches and the
school leaders is more focused and that learning is more likely to
improve.
The school needs to…
1. Have an established vision of how to work to improve achievement
based on coherent instruction.
2. Establish methods and systems focused on academic improvement
that are collegial and collaborative.
3. Take intentional, coordinated actions to improve teaching and learning.
4. Be co accountable with districts to provide evidence that all student
groups are making academic progress based on improvements in
teaching
We must keep ourselves doing what matters…
1. Our own research is giving us insights for ACTION
2. Consistent improvements in achievement through improvements
in teaching must be our essential focus
3. Develop co-accountability between teacher, coach, principal,
director as our tool to improve schools
4. Learn together how to improve teaching in the room with the
students
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Appendix A
To be used with the right side of slide #18 to give a more
specific example. (Beck, McKeown, & Omanson, 1987)
No knowledge
General sense
Not knowing the meaning, but that map has something to do with a
picture on a paper or that mendacious has a negative connotation
Narrow, context-bound knowledge
Knowing map refers to a visual representation that shows all of the
Earth’s surface, but unable to describe a visual representation of the
universe or the ocean floor as a map.
Having knowledge of a word but not being able to recall it
readily enough to use it in appropriate situations. Student
says: “The teacher rotated the map to show how the earth turns.”
Explanation: Student knew that map was associated with a visual
representation of the earth, but was unaware that a spherical, 3-
dimensional representation is called a globe.
Rich, decontextualized knowledge of a word’s meaning, its
relationship to other words, extensions to metaphorical uses
e.g. I have to mentally map out how I will proceed from here.
Noun - a visual representation that shows all or part of the Earth’s
surface with
geographic features, urban areas, roads, and other details
Noun - A map of the universe or solar system
Verb - To map out directions to my house
Verb - To map uncharted territory
Verb - To map the genetic code of chimpanzees
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