Module Seven: Activities

Summarizing Strategies

Activity 1 — Note Taking Is Summarizing

Step 1: Read the instructor’s Introduction to the module.

Step 2: View the Video
Summarizing and Note Taking
Based on the work of Bob Marzano and his associates, this YouTube video created by educator, Chad Jones, for a workshop in his school, provides a good overview of the research basis for summarizing and note taking.

Step 3: Complete the Required Readings

Take Note: Five Lessons for Note Taking Fun
Want to reduce cheating and plagiarism? Teach your students one or more of these motivating ways to take notes. Doing so will increase their summarizing skill.
Marzano Summarizing and Notetaking Slide Show created by Adam Geller.
Includes classroom examples.
Why Use Summarizing?
The Art and Science of Teaching/Summarizing to Comprehend

Step 4: Select One of the Options

Choice #1

One of the important sub-skills of summarizing is determining what is important and what is not important in a text. Effective summarizers must choose wisely from the array of ideas and concepts before them.

The same is true for students attempting to become good note takers. From the entirety of a lecture or text, note takers must quickly determine which verbal information is essential and which is expendable.

Teacher modeling can be a useful strategy in assisting students with this process. Consider how you would adapt the following procedures to your students and content, and share on the Discussion Board.

Select the Reading Material
Listen to a Podcast or a TEDtalk or an excerpt from a presentation, lecture, trade book or text you intend to use. Generate a set of notes that reduces the content.

If possible, use a graphic organizer or visual that "fits" the content.
Practice the Strategy on Your Own
Take notes using the blank graphic organizer you created.
Discussion Posting
In a posting on the Discussion Board, share how you would model notetaking with your students. How will you increase students’ skills from novice summarizer to independently determining what is important from the unimportant?
Discussion Responses
Respond to a minimum of two other participants' postings.

Choice #2

Step 1: Required Readings
Complete the required reading before selecting a strategy to teach your students.

Billmeyer, R. (2006). Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, 2nd ed.
- p. 67-68 - "Cooperative Retelling;" (summarizing in own words)
- p. 71 - "Group summarizing" (condensing information)
- p. 76 – 79 - "Learning Log Format" (build deep, active reading skill)
- p. 81 "Pairs Read" (peer modeled summarizing)
- p. 86, 87 - "Probable Passages & Story Frame" ("scaffolding" idea and words to include in a summary)
- p. 118 - "Text Tagging" (selecting ideas and concepts to use in summary)
- p. 126–128 - "Window Pane Summary" (restating in own words)

Step 2: Select a Strategy
Select one of the strategies from the readings in Step 1 above.

Step 3: Discussion Posting
In a posting on the Discussion Board, provide the name of the strategy and a brief description of the content you will use and any adaptations you will make to the strategy.

Step 4: Discussion Responses
Respond to a minimum of two other participants' postings.

Topic: Choice 1-Teaching Note Taking OR Choice 2-and the name of the Billmeyer strategy you selected (your name)

Reminder: You do NOT need to complete an Action Planfor this week. You will be submitting Activity 2: Reflective Summary, instead.

Rubric here!
Rubric for
Discussions.

Activity 2 — Reflective Summarizing

Step 1: View the Video
Summarizing: An After Reading Strategy
Summarizing, being able to take a reading selection and sum it up in a short paragraph or sentence, helps readers better understand what they read. This peer learning lesson idea helps students to extract the essential information and summarize a text.

Step 2: Complete the Required Reading

Billmeyer, R. (2010). Strategic Reading in the Content Area: Practical Application for Creating a Thinking Environment, 2nd edition. Chapter Six, "Voices from the Classroom." p. 109-186.

Classroom teachers share their reflections about teaching reading in their content area. Read one or more of the reflections most similar to your teaching position.

Reflective Summarizing

We have just completed the first half of the course! In Chapter 6 you heard others reflect on their experiences teaching reading in the content area.

Now it’s your turn to reflect on your course experience thus far.

Step 3: Review the Rubric
Review the Reflection Paper Rubric before beginning this assignment.

Step 4: Write a Reflection
In a written narrative, please observe the following guidelines:

Consider this organization for your reflection:

Summarize information that presents what you have learned about your students as learners during this course.
Summarize information that presents what you have learned about yourself as a teacher and learner in terms of "my new knowledge."
Include questions or concerns or hopes you still have about helping your students become better readers.

Avoid a sequential retelling of the course.
Emphasize a few key personal connections, new ideas, or new learning.
Discuss any plans for curriculum or instructional changes and applications.
Pose questions, "puzzlements," if any.
If you include a reference section of research or professional books, please follow the the APA citation format. APA citations are not required for the essay portion.
Write with a strong voice that is honest, personal, and engaging and makes others think about and react to your ideas and point of view.
Three pages is the maximum length (minimum of 500 words).
Text should be double-spaced, with 12 point font, 1 inch margins.
Carefully review the assignment rubric before submitting your reflection.

Step 5: Dropbox
Place the document in the Dropbox for me.

Review the Dropbox Tutorial.

Topic: Reflective Summarizing (your name)