Chapter 13 Student Attitudes: Encouraging Content Literacy

Agenda Good News Jeremy Warren Vann Scholarship Educational Current Events: –Alisa Long –Steven Singletary Chapter Portion: –Elizabeth DePriest P –Sally Batson P

Factors that affect motivation Expectancy –Certainty-When actual events are what students expect, arousal is low- present the unexpected –Time- Immediate expectancies are more likely to motivate than Intermediate or Remote. –Desirability- Valence—expectancy of pleasure

Relationship of valence to expectancy of success The student wants to succeed and expects to. The student knows that he or she can be successful but does not care. The Student wants to succeed but does not expect to. The student doubts that he or she can succeed but does not care. Valence High Low Expectancy of Success High Low

Factors that affect motivation Incentives –Symbolic –Material –Psychological Guidelines 1.Use a variety of incentives 2.Individualiz incentives 3.Don’t use incentives when they are not needed 4.Provide incentives as soon as possible after the desired behavior

Assessing Reading Interests Use existing interests to attract students to your content General interest inventory Content interest inventory

Constructing a Content Interest Inventory 1.Make a list of interesting subtopics 2.Identify materials for each area 3.Add a few blanks at the end of the inventory-open ended 4.Word process the inventory 5.Decide what form students’ responses will take.

Administering a Content Interest Inventory Make your purpose clear Read the inventory aloud as students respond

Interpreting the results Can be calculated like a GPA Interpret same way-3.0 being a strong attitude

Promoting Content Literacy No guarantees

Create a print-rich environment Classroom library Displaying books Quote of the day

Give students a chance to read Content area Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)

SSR Guidelines 1.Make the purpose of SSR clear 2.Define acceptable materials 3.Encourage students to select materials in advance 4.Announce the time limit 5.Prohibit studying 6.Enforce silence 7.Participate in SSR your self 8.Avoid accountability 9.Link SSR to the Content Literacy Interest inventory

Read alouds Brief selections Carefully chosen Nonfiction bet but don’t rule out fiction

Vary your teaching methods SLIGHT differences between what you do and what students expect can increase arousal Varying methods-graphic organizer one day, feature analysis another

Look for links with the lives of your students How does new material relate to student? If no other connection, –relate to coming events (quiz). –Ask students why they think an objective is important

Provide choices where possible Make sure all the choices lead to your objective Advantages –Allows student to chose what has highest valence for them –Power transfers tot eh student –Urges active engagement of student

Look for interdisciplinary connections Thematic planning-team Can still be done alone