Thursday, June 9, 2011

Learning Styles

LEARNING STYLES PRESENTATION
1. EXPLAIN STYLES
2. HAVE THEM PREDICT WHAT STYLE THEY THINK THEY ARE (BY STANDING
3. TAKE THE SURVEY
4. IN GROUPS, DISCUSS IF/WHY THERE WAS A DISPARITY BETWEEN THE PREDICTION AND THE RESULTS
5. Now that you are aware of different learning styles, how can this impact you as a facilitator?
a. Have them generate a list of suggestions for learning styles

writing studio

Dishon’s eyes were wide with wonder. He could hardly believe that he was standing in the middle of his very own bedroom. But there he was. A week ago, his mom had told him that the family would be moving into the apartment downstairs. But she hadn’t said anything about him getting his own room. Like on all his birthdays, Mom had made sure the best gift was a surprise.
Amazed, Dishon stared at the blue walls plastered with posters of the one and only Armor Force, the most invincible crime fighting team in all of comic book history. He looked at the bunk beds pushed against the wall and the wooden dresser next to them. But his heart thumped when he saw a computer sitting atop a wobbly old stand in the corner of the room. He rushed over. On the stand rested an envelope with his name written on it. He tore it open and read the note. To my special boy, it read, Happy tenth birthday! Hope you like your new room and your computer. The computer’s old, but it works and it’s yours. Love you, Mom.
Wow! Dishon thought. His mom had thought of everything- a new computer, new posters. He tossed the letter next to the computer and pulled back the window’s gray curtain. He peeked out and saw that he had a perfect view of the building’s backyard. Now, he could watch the older boys play basketball back there without even leaving his room. Dishon grinned as he rolled out the computer desk chair. And then he spied it- the latest issue of the Armor Force comic book sat glossy and crisp on the chair. He gently placed the comic book on top of the computer and plopped into the seat. Now, this is the good life, he thought as he leaned back, kicking up his feet onto the rickety desk and folding his arms behind his head.
Out of all the boys who lived in the apartment building- Dishon, Marcus, Ruben, and Jamil- Marcus had been the only one who had his own room and he made sure the others knew it. “Your rooms are too crowded. Come over my house,” he would say anytime the boys wanted to get together to play video games or read comics. But now Marcus’ days of showing off were finally over. Now, Dishon could invite the crew over to his house; he couldn’t wait to tell his friends.
And better still, his little sister Sabrina wouldn’t be crowding his space any more. No more putting her dolls back into the toy chest, no more sharing his bunk bed, and no more looking at pink Little Princess sheets and pillows everyday. In his own room, Dishon finally could read his comics in silence. He could work on his Armor Force fan website in peace and quiet! Everything in the room belonged to him. The blue walls were his; the beds were his; the computer was his. His, his, his!!
This summer was off to a great start.
Dishon glanced at the mountain of boxes piled atop the gray carpet. Then, his eyes traveled to the shiny, new copy of the Armor Force comic book. He knew he should start unpacking; his mom had said that she wanted all his things put away before the end of the day. But instead, he ripped open the comic book. He would get to the boxes later. Did his mom really expect him to waste the morning unpacking when the new issue of Armor Force lay right in his hands? He hoped not, not when he was the first kid on his block to have it. He wanted to make sure he would be the first to tell his friends whether Freegate, leader of the Armor Force, finally destroys Malavor, head of The Annihilators.
Dishon lay on the bottom bunk and read. Soon he was in the middle of the story- the part where Freegate uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and separate the Malavor’s molecules. He was just about to turn the page when a welcome sound crept to his ears- the pop of bacon frying in a pan. Soon, the aroma of eggs and pancakes danced about his nose. He grinned. Bacon, eggs, pancakes! Mom was making his favorite breakfast. First my own room, and now this, he thought. My life keeps getting better.
Dishon sped through the rest of the comic book. He was on the last page when he heard a sound come from the kitchen, but this time it wasn’t a welcome sound at all; it was something that completely melted the smile from his face.
“Come here, Peanut,” his mom had called from the kitchen.
Dishon frowned. Mom only called him Peanut when she had bad news, really bad news. And just like that, he knew that his perfect day was perfectly ruined.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Revision of HOC/LOC

Writing Studio and HOCs/LOCs

HOCs (Higher Order Concerns) are organization, focus, audience/ purpose, and development.

LOCs (Lower Order Concerns) focus on word choice, sentence structure, and mechanics.

During Writing Studio, facilitators should encourage students to focus primarily on HOCs, though LOCs may be addressed, specifically when a pattern of errors is detected.

LOCs

Sentence Structure, Punctuation, Spelling, Usage, Word Choice
Questions Suggested Actions
Does the writing sample contain the same pattern of errors?
Do any errors detract from the writing sample’s clarity? Read the writing sample from the end to the beginning to check for errors.
Read the writing sample aloud.
Have someone else read the essay aloud to you.
Refer to an online grammar resource, such as The Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Refer to a grammar book.
Keep a log of frequently repeated errors and check for those in each of your writing samples.

Electronic Portfolio Prompts


  • SUGGESTED PROMPTS FOR STUDENT ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO: (to be added to Facilitator Resources: Technology)

    START:
    • Describe your goal (s) for a class/for your learning.
    • What class do you think will be the hardest for you? What potential obstacles do you perceive? What can you do to help overcome these obstacles?
    • In which class (es) do you see yourself having the most success? Why? Do you see any way you can transfer your practices for this "manageable" class to one that may be more challenging?
    MID-WAY
    • Reflect on a learning strategy you have used (since the start of the EOF program/or perhaps in life) that has been successful for you? Why do you think it has worked? Do you think you can apply this strategy to other classes or areas of study (or life)?
    • Describe a practice you have done (since the start of the EOF program/ or perhaps in life), that has undermined your learning success. Why do you think you practiced this behavior? What alternative practices could you have done?
    Describe a success you have experienced so far. Why were you successful?

  • Describe a setback you've experienced. What can you learn from it?

  • Describe a learning practice (s) you have learned from another studio member/classmate/and/or facilitator. Have you tried it? If so, how? Will you try it? If so, how?
    END:
    • Of which accomplishment in the EOF program are you most proud? Explain.
    • What learning strategies have you learned/honed during the EOF program? How will you apply these throughout your college career?

Training Documents: Reading Protocol and HOC/LOCs

Training Activity: Reading Protocol


1. Provide Facilitators with two short reading passages, perhaps sections from Schunk and Zimmerman. Provide a focus question for them to answer. Give them 10-15 minutes to read.

2. Inform facilitators Mentors will conduct reading studio with 3-4 facilitators. Note, what the mentor is asking, the feedback,

3. Reconvene- Ask FACILITATORS to discuss any strategies used in this exercise (or on other reading tasks) to deepen their interaction with the text. What worked for them?

4. As an entire group, discuss the facilitators' observations of reading protocol, as conducted by the mentors.

5. In their groups, facilitators will have a mock studio, with mentor as a student participant.

6. Mentor shoud debrief this smaller group.

7. Debrief- Whole group.

5




Training Activity: HOC/LOC




1. Place Facilitators into pairs.




2. Facilitators will be handed two samples of the same essay- one with marks circling almost every spelling, grammar, sentence structure error (LOCs), one with questions focusing on HOCs.




Facilitators will be given around 5 minutes to read the essays.




3. Mentors will poll the Facilitators with this question. "If you were the writer of the essay, which version of the essay (LOC or HOC) would you want to receive back from your professor?"




Facilitators will explain their rationale.







4. Facilitators and Mentors will discuss the categories of HOCs (thesis focus, audience/purpose, development, organization) and LOCs (sentence structure, spelling, grammar, word choice)- Mentors will present theory that supports focusing on HOCs. Mentors will present questions that arise around HOCs




5. Facilitators will be split into groups of three or four. They will be given a category of HOC (thesis focus, audience/purpose, organization, development). They will write down questions they can pose (or a student may pose) to focus draw attention to a specific HOC (For example: Is the writer's purpose clear? Does the organization of the paper make sense?)




Groups will then brainstorm activities students can engage in to help with their particular HOC (outline, web, etc).




6. Groups will share their lists of questions and activities.




7. Tie this into seeing the bigger picture. Prepare and post an HOC/LOC document based on ideas generated during the workshop.



8. Groups will partcipate in a mock studio session using sample essays and ideas about HOCs that were generated during the workshop.



















Thursday, June 2, 2011

Electronic Portfolio

The electronic portfolio document should be updated so that the student portfolio serves as a space for student reflection in the context of self-regulation.


Electronic Portfolio:

1. Mentors will explain the purpose of the e-portfolio - to help students identify/express/refine their own learning goals, reflect on strategies that promote learning, reflect on strategies that detract from learning, develop plans for learning

2. Mentors will provide a link to sample portfolio.

3.Facilitators will create their own portfolios, using a prompt from the list.

4.Mentors will review list of documents that must be included in the portfolio.
a. cover page
b. three entries
*Prompts should still be provided, but they primarily should focus on students' goals for classes/learning/the EEO program
(For example: Describe your goal (s) for a class/for your learning.
Reflect on a learning strategy you have used (since the start of the EEO program/or perhaps in life) that has been successful for you? Why do you think it has worked?
Describe a practice you have done (since the start of the EEO program/ or perhaps in life), that has underminded your learning success. Why do you think you practiced this behavior? What alternative practices could you have done?
What class do you think will be the hardest for you? What potential obstacles do you perceive? What can you do to help overcome these obstacles?
In which class(es) do you see yourself having the most success? Why? Do you see any way you can transfer your practices for this "manageabale" class to one that may be more challenging? )
Of which accomplishment in the EEO program are you most proud? Explain.
5. Mentors will set a due date for electronic portfolios.

6. Mentors and facilitators will discuss how to implement portfolio into the schedule and mentors will address any concerns/questions facilitators have about the portfolio.

Revision of Training Practices

The Training Practices section of the Facilitator website thoroughly delineates the responsibilities of the mentors during facilitator training under the theory of Third Spaces. However, since the Writing Studio is working to include Self-Regulated Learning Theory into its model, I suggest Training Practices be revised to include activities that allow facilitators to examine their own ways of self-regulating.


Self-Regulation key points:

-According to Schnuk and Zimmerman, self-regulation refers to process by which students attain, develop, and apply modes of thinking, attitudes, and behaviors to meet learning goals.

Self-Regulation involves an:
-emphasis on incremental theory-the belief that intelligence is not fixed but can be expanded through the implementation and adaptaion of learning strategies
-emphasis on the role a student's interest level plays in meeting proximal and distal goals, increasing knowledge, and deepening cognitive abilities
-understading of the relationship between high self-efficacy and deep learning, attainment of personal goals, and higher performance


Since Writing Studio now incorporates theories of Self-Regulation into its framework, it is essential that facilitators have opportunities to not only reflect on their own attitudes, perceptions and behaviors regarding learning , but also to be trained in practices and language that will students in recognizing, developing, expanding, and adapting their own self-regulatory beliefs and practices.

To this aim, facilitators will engage in activities that:
-allow them to assess their own learning goals, conditions for optimal learning, and self-regulating strategies
-develop language to support students as they reflect on their learning process
-identify resources students can use to optimize their learning
-help them recognize (their own and students') self-handicapping attitudes and behaviors as well as strategies to overcome them
-develop strategies for helping students to identify their learning goals and to establish strategies to meet them

I also suggest that the language of the Training Practices be reworked to emphasize the role of the facilitator, as opposed to the mentor, during the training. The training should be (mainly) facilitator-centered, with facilitators (who have most contact with the students) being able to imagine scenarios, develop language strategies, plan activities, etc.

We can add a component that looks something like the following:
By the end of Facilitator training, facilitators will have:
-reflected on their own SRL
- participated in mock studio sessions
- developed language strategies to promote incremental learning, goal-setting, reflection (on perfomance, attitudes and behaviors)
-identified characterisitcs of "effective group dynamics" and developed activities/language/practices to promote/maintain such in their groups
-discuss/categorize high order concerns/low order concerns-develop language to prioritize high order concerns
-discuss multiple discources and develop language to promote audience awareness for students

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Revision of Language: Strategy: Miscommunication

During writing studio, it is possible that occasionally a student will attempt to monoplize the session by using more than his/her allotted time, or by consistently steering conversation back to him/herself. This student may even interrupt others or dismiss others' contributions.

This behavior, if left unchecked, can severely damage the group dynamic. Studio seeks to foster an atmosphere in which students feel included, feel safe enough to take learning risks, and feel that their voices are respected. However, if a facilitator allows one student's voice to dominate, other studio participants may feel alientated, as if their viewpoints are not valued. Thus, they may be tempted to alienate the group, deciding to "check out" since they feel as if their voices are not respected anyway.

To help facilitators establish and maintain a positive group dynamic, strategies have been devised to help you when you encounter students who seek to monopolize studio time.

An important key to remember when responding to students who monopolize studio time is to avoid alienating anyone.

A. Acknowledge what the monopolizing student has said. (For example, "That's an excellent point/question; I can hear your passion; Seems as if you have thought about this from several angles." )
B. To redirect the monopolizing student, it may be helpful to ask the student to write a few notes about the points he/she have been making. This will give the student time to reflect, will give others time to interject, and will provide you with a few moments to decide how you will proceed (For example, you could say "What I want you to do is jot down 3 questions about your idea that you can ask the group about later." Or "List three groups of people who may disagree with your point of view.")
C. To include others, examine the body language of the other students. Is someone nodding his/her head, leaning forward, or looking frustrated? This may be a student who wishes to contribute to the discussion. Nothing is wrong with pulling this student into the conversation. You could use phrases such as, "Marcus, I see you nodding? How do you feel about what Jan was just saying?"
When seeking to include others, it may be helpful to poll students. This is a less threatening way for students to enter into the conversation. You could say something such as, "Give a thumbs up if you have encountered the same problem as Jan (the student who was monopolizing). After polling students, you could then invite individuals to expand on the poll question.

Note: Another key is to examine the motivation of a student who is monopolizing the conversation. Is he just passionate about the topic? Is she frustrated? Is she attempting to silence voices? Listen actively for clues that may indicate the student's motive and respond accordingly, using language you deem appropriate for the situation.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

GOALS FOR STUDIO PROGRAM

1. Help students have an authentic learning experience

2. Help students feel like they have an extensive support network for transitioning to college

3. Help students have a "safe" place where they don't feel supressed


* I interpret students using everything for their advancement as having the ability to reflect on how they can apply all that they experience in studio into their learning processes. If they set their own goals based on their personal assessment of their needs, students will develop in a way that makes them feel liberated instead of "put upon". They'd not only be able to accept, reject, question, integrate all that happens in studio but also appy that active learning to their academic loves.