What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction - International ...

Session Activities
Initiating learning
Working in pairs or small groups, participants should visit two or
three of the bookmarked websites. In a brief, whole-group discussion,
invite responses to this chapter’s first Question for Discussion: What
new forms and functions of literacy did you encounter? How might
these prepare children for their literacy future?
Interactive group design
Carousel brainstorming allows participants to reflect on, discuss, and
record what they know about subtopics within a larger topic. This
group technique is useful whether activating background knowledge
prior to reading or checking understanding after studying a topic.
1. Divide the whole group into five small groups. Distribute one
of the Carousel Brainstorming on New Literacies sheets to each
group.
2. For a five- to seven-minute period, members of each small
group reflect on, discuss, and record key terms, phrases, or
ideas for the questions presented on each sheet.
3. At the end of this brief period, each group passes its sheet
along to the next group.
4. Repeat the process until all groups have had a chance to record
their thinking on each of the five sheets.
5. A whole-group discussion can then focus on commonalities
and differences among the groups’ thinking about each
question.
Learning logs: Reflection and application
Invite participants to reflect and record their thoughts on the
following in their learning logs: How are the changing technologies
of literacy affecting your instruction, assessment, and professional
development? How should they be affecting these things?
Extended Learning
Ask participants to spend some time online in the coming week,
browsing the Web for outstanding websites and online resources
From the Professional Development Edition of What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction
(3rd ed.), © 2009 International Reading Association.
43