Sample Workshop Agenda

Literacy Skills Workshop: Draft Agenda Important notes: • This workshop is for teachers in all content areas, but it is especially useful for classes that are taught in a non-native language, and for struggling readers. • Teachers have been asked to bring reading materials that they will be using in their class around the time of the workshop. • For each technique we cover, teachers will have an opportunity to try it with their own materials, and present to the group for feedback. 9:00 – 9:15 I. Introductions and Overview of Workshop: a. Main idea b. Note taking c. Summarizing d. 5 Activities – p. 108 i. Topic Web ii. Use main ideas to generate questions iii. 2-Column notes iv. Summarize 9:15 – 9:45 II. Reading Comprehension Strategies • Warm up: What are some struggles you have in your classes with reading comprehension? What best practices do you know of to address this? Share responses • Reading activity: good readers and poor readers • Some strategies: a. Student-adult reading b. Choral reading c. Tape-assisted reading d. Partner reading e. I – We – You (To-With-By) • Comprehension Strategies breakdown Before During After 9:45 – 10:30 III. Finding the Main Idea 1. What teachers already do: share ideas 2. Present Information a. Explicit, Direct Instruction – identify and state in own words i. Start with everyday examples b. Finding the Main Idea i. Identify Details ii. Compare details to determine what they have in common iii. Use your own words to explain what they have in common iv. Techniques to do this • Goldilocks • Labeling the bucket Sample Workshop Agenda by a U.S. Teacher 3. Example: Muslims in Spain (handout and PPT) 4. Do on own: work with your reading material to find the main idea of a small passage of reading 10:30 – 10:45 BREAK 10:45 – 11:30 IV. Topic Webs 1. Present Information • top-down webs allow for better organization of info: it is hierarchical • can be done before, during, and after a unit of study • different shapes & colors help the brain differentiate and retain important concepts and see how they relate to each other 2. Example: Unit on Islam (overhead) 3. Do on own: work with your curriculum to create a web of a unit of study 11:30 – 12:15 V. Using main ideas to generate questions 12:15 – 1:15 LUNCH 1:15 – 2:15 VI. Note Taking 1. What teachers already do: share ideas 2. Present Information a. 2 Column Notes: why and how b. detailed – shorter reading c. big picture – for longer reading a. section main ideas on left, paragraph main ideas on right 3. Example: This workshop so far – fill in the notes based on what we’ve done so far today 4. Do on own 2:15 – 2:30 BREAK 2:30 – 3:15 VII. Summarizing 1. What teachers already do: share ideas 2. Present Information a. bullet main ideas b. write overarching sentence c. turn main ideas into complete sentences d. use transition words e. proofread and edit 3. Example: Islam summary 4. Do on own: your day so far 5. Do on own using your content 3:30 – 4:00 VIII. Wrap Up • Question and Answer Session • Reflection on workshop and how you can apply it to your teaching