Building Academic Vocabulary Through Technology

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Building Academic Vocabulary Through Technology
Sean Christopher Steve Graser CSLO/Model
Schools/IRT SChristopher_at_e1b.org /
SGraser_at_e1b.org www2.wnyric.org/schristopher
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• Name
• School, Grade Level, Content
• What are you/your school currently doing in
  regards to vocabulary instruction?

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• Dr. Bobb Darnells major contribution to our
  workshop is.

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My PD Idol
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• His philosophy on staff development.. Start
  Late, Take Breaks, and End Early

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INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY

• We will introduce a topic and you will break into
  three activity groups.
• Create a word list of associated terms
• Draw a picture of term
• Discuss one of your favorite experiences with the
  term.

Image courtesy Microsoft
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YOUR TOPICS ARE

• The first term we will be discussing
• Summer
• The second term we will be discussing-
• Galeophobia

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RTTT

• CCLS ELA
• NYS Teaching Standards

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Example

• Carving is appropriate for most green and blue
  slopes, and even some black slopes. However, if
  you try to carve through moguls, especially in
  packed powder or corn snow, you're going to
  face-plant."

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BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

• Differences in background knowledge are directly
  correlated to differences in student achievement.

Image courtesy Microsoft
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Facts About Words/Vocabulary

• There are approximately 200,000 words in a
  dictionary (Does not include many words).
• By inception to school student have heard between
  13,000-48000 and know 5,000-25,000.
• Research indicates that the socio-economic status
  of a family greatly impact early vocabulary
  development.

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More Facts

• 86-98 of a childs vocabulary mimics that of a
  parents/care giver
• Words heard in a hour
• Professional 2153
• Working Class 1251
• Welfare 616

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And Even More Facts

• Affirmations and prohibitions
• Professional 325
• Working Class127
• Welfare/Poverty 511
• New words learned (Grades 1-3)
• Advantaged 8/3000 Disadvantaged 2/750

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Classroom Instruction Pyramid

• Click HERE for the Pyramid Activity

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Instructional Retention Rates
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Questions to Ponder

• How was vocabulary taught when you went to
  school? In elementary school, in middle school,
  in high school.
• How many of your pre-service teacher education
  classes focus on vocabulary instruction?

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A few more question..

1. Does your school have a required protocol for
   teaching vocabulary?
2. Has your school developed a prioritized list of
   vocabulary? If so, please explain.
3. Do you implement the same strategies for
   vocabulary instruction in all content areas?

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Impact of Direct Vocabulary Instruction

• Research shows a student in the 50th percentile
  in terms of ability to comprehend the subject
  matter taught in school, with no direct
  vocabulary instruction, scores in the 50th
  percentile ranking.
• The same student, after specific content-area
  terms have been taught in a specific way, raises
  his/her comprehension ability to the 83rd
  percentile.

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BUILDING STUDENTS VOCABULARY

• Allows them to discuss academic content
• Provides a foundation for them to build new
  learning upon
• Allows easier transfer of learning from one
  subject to another

Peoples knowledge of any topic is encapsulated
in the terms they know that are relevant to the
topic.
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VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

• -Depends on an interaction between two key
  factors
• The ability to process and store new information
  in our fluid memory
• The number and frequency of our museum like
  experiences
• Taken together we are talking about background
  knowledge!

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What students need to learn.

• The meanings for most of the words in a text so
  they can understand what they read.
• How to apply a variety of strategies to learn
  words meanings. How to make connections between
  words and concepts.
• How to accurately use words in oral and written
  language.

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Criteria to Consider

• Has the word been introduced in previous grade
  levels?
• Is this term critically important to the content
  I will be teaching the entire school year?
• Does the term have endurance and leverage?

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Generating Vocabulary Lists

• Phase 1
• Make a decision regarding number of words for
  each grade level/content area

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What Words should I be Teaching?

• 1. How do I currently choose the vocabulary words
  I explicitly teach?
• 2. How many words do I teach in a school year for
  each grade level and content area?

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Phase 2

• Rank order a list of words for each grade level
  and content

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Phase 3

• Based on these lists determine how many terms
  should be taught in each academic area.

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Phase 4

• Generate the final list of terms in each academic
  area by making additions, deletions or other
  alterations.

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Phase 5

• Assign terms to specific grades.

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THE PROCESS
Six-Steps for Teaching New Terms

• First 3 steps introduce and develop initial
  understanding.
• Last 3 steps shape and sharpen understanding.

Image courtesy Microsoft
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THE (6) STEP PROCESS

1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of
   the new termno definitions!
2. Ask students to restate the description in their
   own words
3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or
   graphic that represents the term or phrase
4. Engage students periodically in activities that
   help them add to their knowledge of the terms
   they are using
5. Ask students to discuss the terms
6. Involve students in games that allow them to play
   with terms

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How to Teach Vocabulary

• Provide direct, explicit instruction to help
  students learn word meanings.
• Provide many opportunities for students to read
  in and out of school to encourage indirect
  learning of vocabulary.
• Introduce new vocabulary in multiple contexts.
• Engage children in daily interactions that
  promote using new vocabulary in both oral and
  written language.
• Actively involve students connecting concepts and
  words.
• National Panel Report

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INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY

• Visit/Meet Virtual Field Trips,
  Videoconferencing
• Multi-media United Streaming, EdVideo Online,
• Graphic Organizers Kidspiration or Inspiration
• Current events - make new terms applicable MSNBC
  Videos, Google News
• Use photos or images Pics4Learning, FreeFoto,
  Worth1000
• Website resources Vocabulary Hangman, Free Rice
• Use Smart Board Notebook Files Example
• Play with words and learn at Visuwords
• Oh my! Take them there using Google Earth

Download Google Earth
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INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY

• Create Word templates that students can use 4
  Square
• Use pictures, symbols or graphic representations
  Addition (Kidspiration), Food Chain
  (Kidspiration), Climate (Word), Frustrated (Word)
• Create PowerPoint or Word templates that students
  can use - 4 Square
• Tell a story that integrates the term Photo
  Story (or iPhoto for Mac)
• Download Photo Story and Windows Media Player 10
• KidPix - Create Pictures and Slideshows
• Here is an example of the Jeopardy Template

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THIS IS JEOPARDY!

• Here is an example of the Jeopardy Template

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We have more for you.

• The child comes home from his first day at
  school.
• Mother asks, "What did you learn today?"
• The kid replies, "Not enough. I have to go back
  tomorrow."

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Step 1

• Provide a description, explanation, or example of
  the new termno definitions!
• Use video or virtual field trips
• Describe your own mental pictures
• Tell a story that integrates

THE (6) STEP PROCESS
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Step 2

• Ask students to restate the description in their
  own words

• Rely on background knowledge and experience
• Use description, example, explanation of their
  own
• Form links between new term and those already
  known

THE (6) STEP PROCESS
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Step 3

• Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or
  graphic that represents the term or phrase.

• Allows processing of information in new modality
• Provides second processing of the information to
• reinforce and deepen meaning

THE (6) STEP PROCESS
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Step 4

• Engage students periodically in activities that
  help them add to their knowledge of the terms
  they are using

• An academic vocabulary notebook encourages
  students to write their continuing impressions
  and understandings of the word
• Encourage students to use the new term in
  writings and conversation to make term familiar
  to student

THE (6) STEP PROCESS
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Step 5

• Ask students to discuss the terms

• Students can write about their understanding in
  the academic vocabulary notebook
• Discuss with class understandings of the term and
  note what class members have discovered about the
  word

THE (6) STEP PROCESS
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Step 6

• Involve students in games that allow them to play
  with terms

• Various games will provide further exposure to
  the new term
• Students will gain a deeper integration of the
  word by its continued review

THE (6) STEP PROCESS