Iowa Core ELA Standards How will things look different to administrators?

Creating change “Real change is brought about by gentle pressure relentlessly Applied."

Don’t start by looking at each “tree” (each standard)…

Look at the BIG picture—the whole forest.

ELA: 3 Big Shifts 1.Building cultural, content and vocabulary knowledge through content-rich, fiction, nonfiction and informational texts. 2.Reading, writing, speaking and listening grounded in evidence from text. 3.Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary.

Nature of Text Pre-Iowa CoreIowa Core Emphasis on literature Gradual shift from literature to information text across grades Major emphasis on single texts Balanced emphasis on literary and informational text in elementary Balanced coverage throughout elementary; imbalance towards informational after that Greater emphasis on multiple texts

Writing Expectations Pre-Iowa CoreIowa Core Early emphasis on narrative One big research project per year/semester Writing in ELA classes Three text types: argument, informative/explanatory and narrative Ongoing inquiry ~ short and long research throughout the year Writing across the curriculum

Appendices A and C

Video

Writing Lessons Pre-Iowa CoreIowa Core Separate reading and writing lessons Writing about one’s own ideas and opinions Persuasive writing Writing often down- played Integrated reading and writing lessons Writing about ideas and knowledge gained from external sources Argument writing Writing is much more important … define argument not as “wrangling” but as “a serious and focused conversation among people who are intensely interested in getting to the bottom of things cooperatively”.

Video Example/Evidence

Technology Pre-Iowa CoreIowa Core Not much emphasis in English Language Arts Students use writing technology Students use research technology Students use communication and presentation technology

ELA: 3 Big Shifts 1.Building cultural, content and vocabulary knowledge through content-rich, fiction, nonfiction and informational texts. 2.Reading, writing, speaking and listening grounded in evidence from text. 3.Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary.

Resources

AEA 267 ELA Iowa Core Contacts Drinda Williams Barb Shafer Heather Gould