Over the summer, the Learning Lab conducted a pilot program for C.A.P. 098/099 Lab classes. Before the 14-week summer session began, the Lab offered C.A.P. classroom teachers a choice. English teachers could choose to collaborate in the traditional manner or elect a 12-week series of reading workshops. Out of 14 sections at the Main Campus, taught by nine different instructors, three teachers teaching five sections elected the reading workshops, along with one teacher from the Northwest Regional Center. Five Lab teachers, both full- and part-time, took part in the pilot program.
The workshops’ overall objective was to teach and practice a systematic, study approach to reading non-fiction. More specifically, we wanted students to learn to preview, question, and annotate, and we hoped that by focusing on this limited skill-set and by repeating the process a number of times across a variety of texts typical of college reading, students will understand the value of this process and adopt it.
The twelve sessions were divided into 3 groups, each focused on a theme. The themes used this summer were tattooing, bullying, and brain/gender differences. For each theme, 4 different reading selections were chosen from textbooks, newspapers, magazines, and journals. These materials reflect the types of readings students typically encounter in college courses. Every week, Lab teachers asked students to recall what was read the previous week, preview the current week’s reading selection (identify author and source, develop questions about the new text, and speculate about possible connections with previous readings), read (both silently and aloud) stopping often to identify significant ideas, and to annotate the text. Each reading had a related activity sheet that gave students opportunities to use their notes, as well as the text, to answer questions, complete outlines, and, ultimately, write a short summary.
The summer pilot was intended to assess the suitability of the reading selections, to work out the logistics of the activity, and to familiarize teachers with the program. Based on feedback through the summer, it seems that most of the articles are suitable, but a few are a bit long and may be abridged. It is possible to reproduce and distribute the materials in a timely manner, to maintain the students’ portfolios (which are individual folders with copies of the texts and activity sheets), and to devote time in each Lab session to confer individually with each student. Also, we believe that even Lab teachers with minimal backgrounds in teaching reading can follow the guidelines and deliver quality and consistent instruction.
The pilot has been informative, and with slight modifications the Lab reading workshops will be available in the Fall semester 2005 to C.A.P. 098/099 teachers who select this option.
©Copyright 2005. Contact author for permission
Maintained by Jay Howard,Sept 2005