STEM Network
Reading Apprenticeship
A Routine of Inquiry
On the first day, we collected a list of questions that individuals had during the day. We opened the second day by giving each table group time to focus on one or more of the inquiry questions and using Reading for Understanding and collaboration to delve into the process of finding answers. Below is the list of inquiry questions and the responses from the group.
How often do I use these RA techniques? Every class? For how long?
From Reading for Understanding p. 99, we decided that we need to determine what our goals are for the course and link them to the content. We need to choose the best Reading Apprenticeship techniques to support our students toward our content goals. Then we need to incorporate those into our class -- into what we’re already doing. And we need to change our questioning styles to be more like, “What made you think that?” to draw out the metacognition from our students and demand it.
Will I have enough time to cover all my material?
From Reading for Understanding p. 94 We read about the active learning approach. We have evidence from the literature that Active Learning is more effective in science, so I need to invest in this so that my students will be better students. I want to set them up for success for higher level courses. It is really a balance between what you need to cover and covering it with active learning.
Employing the formative assessment tells you whether your students are learning so that you can save time where you can in the long-run and stretch things that need to be stretched.
This Reading Apprenticeship is not an “add-on” to what you’re doing, it’s changing HOW you’re doing what you’re doing.
How do I choose engaging reading materials?
Reading for Understanding p. 151 discusses expanding choices of reading materials.
We talked about allowing them to go out and find their own articles. Some of us had experience with that and how some students come back with things that are much too complex for a first-year class. Instead, we are thinking that we need to scaffold the readings and make sure that they move up in level. Then the instructor can choose 2-3 articles for a topic and post them online and allow students to choose how to move through them or how many of the articles to read.
How can we rethink SLOs with RA concepts in mind?
From Reading for Understanding p. 317, we started talking about assessment and how we can get students to internalize these techniques and infuse SLOs with RA. We were thinking about having a workshop where instructors bring the SLOs and map how they match up to the four dimensions
What if the students hate doing this?
Congratulations! You know what your students are thinking! This is metacognitive success!
We discussed p. 274 and 127 of Reading for Understanding, and decided that we would describe the purpose of the activity beforehand, come up with reasons beforehand and have students brainstorm reasons to read.
If they hate it because they don’t like group work, we would remind them them that their life is full of times when they will have to work with people and not necessarily want to.
From p. 132 of the National Academy of Sciences article --- this is a process and Reading Apprenticeship values the process and not just the answer.
From Ch. 6 - Reaching Students ---
How we project the information to the students is important. And we need to display confidence when we bring these strategies into the classroom.
We should introduce one strategy at a time and really delve deeply into why we are using it and how the students are engaging with it through their feedback. Finding ways that everyone will be safe and comfotable in the environment helps to provide
How can this inquiry routine connect to your classroom?
I could have a list of questions just this you and have groups choose what to address in their groups.
I was amazed at how we could have set out with you answering these questions to make sure that we covered them all, but in our groups we did cover them all - but we had to listen to each other share and work together in a genuine way. But we got through all of the questions!