Presentation for ILA 2019 - Disciplinary Literacy and Inquiry

1. Disciplinary Literacy & Inquiry
for Deep Learning
Hiller A. Spires, Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor
North Carolina State University
Shea N. Kerkhoff, Assistant Professor
University of Missouri-St. Louis
October 2019

2. • How do we support disciplinary literacy and
inquiry in the classroom?
• How can we use Project-Based Inquiry (PBI)
Global to engage students in reading, writing, and
thinking in the disciplines?
Overview

3. How do we
support
disciplinary
literacy and
inquiry in the
classroom?

4. •McConachie and Petrosky (2010) define disciplinary
literacy as “the use of reading, reasoning, investigating,
speaking, and writing required to learn and form
complex content knowledge appropriate to a particular
discipline” (p. 6).
•Emphasize and embrace the different demands a text
places on readers and writers (Spires, Kerkhoff, & Paul,
2019)
•“Habits of mind associated with each discipline”
(Zygouris-Coe, 2012, p. 42)
•Cognitive, social, and semiotic processes specific to
the disciplines (Coatoam & Fang, 2014)

5. Figure 2. Adapted
from Spires,
Kerkhoff, & Paul,
2019

7. Word
recognition
automaticity
and fluency
Genre and text
structure
knowledge
Background
knowledge of
topic and
discipline
Strategy
knowledge
Vocabulary/
language
knowledge
Successful
comprehension
of a text
Comprehension is one part of
what we want readers to do
with texts…within a broader
view of CRITICAL READING.
Power and
authority to
read texts
of their
choosing
for real
purposes Learning
leads to
change and
transformation
of self and
community
(Davis, 2018)

8. (Spires et al., 2016)
Ask a Compelling a Question

9. Gather and Analyze Sources
• Read critically for information that can answer your question
• Make sure sources are credible
Creatively Synthesize Claims and Evidences
• Create list of annotated sources, claims and evidence sheet, and multimodal products
• Claims and supporting evidence should answer your compelling question
Critically Evaluate and Revise
• Self, peer, and expert evaluation based on a teacher/student-generated rubric
• Revise claims, evidences, and multimodal products based on peer and expert feedback
Share, Publish, and Act
• Publish multimodal products through social media, school website, etc.
• Hold a PBI Global Showcase in your school community
(Spires et al., 2016)

10. Critically Evaluate Sources

11. Understanding – Students know when
information makes sense.
Relevancy – Students know when information
meets their needs.
Accuracy – Students know how to verify
information with another source.
Reliability - Students know how to tell when
information can be trusted.
Bias – Students know that everyone “shapes”
information and how to evaluate this.
Stance – Students are “healthy skeptics” about
online information.
Critically Evaluate Sources
(Leu et al., 2011)

12. Bring It All Together: Inquiry-based Learning
- Motivation and Engagement
• Choice
• Purposeful/Authentic Learning
- Building Background Knowledge and Skills
- Collaboration
• Literacy as Social Practice
- Teacher Scaffolds/Guidance
- Differentiation
- Iterative Design
- Knowledge Creation
(Spires et al., 2016)

13. Person Early College for Innovation & Leadership
&
Wake STEM Early College
Spring 2019
PBI Global Showcase

14. How might you
incorporate disciplinary
literacy and
inquiry in your class?
Discuss successes and
challenges of
conducting inquiry-
based projects.
Turn & Talk

15. How can we use
Project-Based
Inquiry (PBI)
Global to engage
students in
reading, writing,
and thinking in
the disciplines?

16. Let’s Get Started with a Read-Aloud

17. Step 1: Ask a Compelling a Question
Step 2: Gather and Analyze Sources
Step 3: Creatively Synthesize Claims and Evidence
Step 4: Critically Evaluate and Revise
Step 5: Share, Publish, and Act
PBI Global* Process
(Spires et al., 2016)

18. Teacher Generated Student Generated
T chooses texts.
T designates inquiry
questions.
T assigns genre.
S choice from T ’s
options.
S and T decide
S chooses texts.
S designs inquiry
question.
S matches genre to
voice, message, and
audience.

19. SAGE on
STAGE
MEDDLER
in the
MIDDLE
GUIDE on
SIDE
(McWilliam, 2008)

20. Now it’s Your Turn: Inquire and Create

21. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVoEp2dkHDI&feature=youtu.be

22. References
• Coatoam, S., & Fang, Z. (2014, December). Language and literacy practices across academic
disciplines. Paper presented at the meeting of Literacy Research Association, Marco Island, FL.
• Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2008). Teaching disciplinary literacy to adolescents: Rethinking
content-area literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 40-59.
• Spires, H. A., Kerkhoff, S. N., & Graham, A. C. K. (2016). Disciplinary literacy and inquiry:
Teaching for deeper content learning. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 60(2), 151-161.
• Spires, H. A., Kerkhoff, S. N., & Paul, C. M. (2019). Read, write, inquire: Disciplinary in grades 6-
12. New York: Teachers College Press. https://www.tcpress.com/read-write-inquire-
9780807763339
• Zygouris-Coe, V. (2012). Disciplinary literacy and the common core state standards. Topics in
Language Disorders, 32(1), 35-50.