WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.919 This is The Reading Instruction Show. I'm your 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:06.740 host, Dr. Andy Jonson. Topic of today's show, 00:00:07.820 --> 00:00:10.900 legitimate professional development for teachers 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:15.339 of reading. Now, expert reading teachers have 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:18.739 a specialized body of content knowledge related 00:00:18.739 --> 00:00:22.519 to reading. The International Literacy Association, 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:26.339 they have a set of standards. for literacy slash 00:00:26.339 --> 00:00:29.960 reading specialist and describes knowledge in 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:33.840 several areas. I've adopted and adopted some 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:37.719 of these and identified six types of knowledge 00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:42.579 required to be an expert reading teacher. But 00:00:42.579 --> 00:00:45.920 before you send me emails about how kindly old 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:49.579 Miss Peterson taught kids to read for 35 years, 00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:55.520 let me clarify. Yes. You can be a very good teacher 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:58.979 of reading to many children without having a 00:00:58.979 --> 00:01:01.479 fully developed knowledge base in some of the 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:05.879 six areas that I'll describe. But to be an expert 00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:08.859 reading teacher, one needs to be able to make 00:01:08.859 --> 00:01:13.840 the best decision for all students in all phases 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:18.799 of literacy instruction. An expert reading teacher 00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:22.239 has the knowledge and skills to enable all children 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:26.780 to develop their full literacy potential. This 00:01:26.780 --> 00:01:30.000 teacher prepares all students to be able to read, 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:34.780 write, and think in the real world, to use literacy 00:01:34.780 --> 00:01:38.319 for authentic purposes in the real world. And 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:41.560 this is far different from preparing them to 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:44.680 take the next standardized test. Here are the 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:48.000 six areas one needs to know, needs to have knowledge 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:50.579 in. Number one, human literacy learning. This 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:53.000 is theories of human learning and development 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:56.620 related to literacy. Two, literacy processes, 00:01:57.099 --> 00:01:59.480 the processes used by the brain to create meaning 00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:03.379 with print and use print to create meaning from 00:02:03.379 --> 00:02:06.280 both a cognitive and neurocognitive perspective. 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:09.060 Number three, literacy methods, the different 00:02:09.060 --> 00:02:11.919 methods or approaches to teach reading and writing. 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:15.969 Number four, literacy pedagogy. These are the 00:02:15.969 --> 00:02:18.349 research -based strategies related to literacy 00:02:18.349 --> 00:02:23.289 learning and how and when to use them. Number 00:02:23.289 --> 00:02:27.469 five, literacy research. How to read research 00:02:27.469 --> 00:02:31.969 as well as a familiarity with the wide -body 00:02:31.969 --> 00:02:35.550 literacy -related research. And last one, number 00:02:35.550 --> 00:02:39.610 six, literacy assessment. and diagnosis. This 00:02:39.610 --> 00:02:42.030 includes such things as miscue analysis, running 00:02:42.030 --> 00:02:45.330 records, qualitative reading inventories, authentic 00:02:45.330 --> 00:02:49.449 assessments, as well as the strengths and limitations 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:55.370 of standardized tests. Now let me say that legitimate 00:02:55.370 --> 00:02:59.270 professional development for teachers is necessary. 00:02:59.889 --> 00:03:02.409 We don't create finished teaching products in 00:03:02.409 --> 00:03:05.710 three semesters of any teacher preparation program. 00:03:06.150 --> 00:03:09.949 Now I use the word legitimate, legitimate professional 00:03:09.949 --> 00:03:13.169 development to exclude programs and services 00:03:13.169 --> 00:03:17.210 that are profit -based. These are usually little 00:03:17.210 --> 00:03:20.250 more than infomercials disguised as professional 00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:23.349 development. Here there is no check and balance, 00:03:23.830 --> 00:03:26.330 there is no blind peer review of the information 00:03:26.330 --> 00:03:29.590 provided, and only the information that supports 00:03:29.590 --> 00:03:34.590 their product or service is presented. Information 00:03:34.590 --> 00:03:38.909 that does not, is not. The best example of this 00:03:38.909 --> 00:03:42.469 is letters professional development for teachers. 00:03:43.449 --> 00:03:48.490 There is no legitimate research provided to suggest 00:03:48.490 --> 00:03:52.530 that letters A enhances students reading achievement, 00:03:53.509 --> 00:03:57.810 B enhances teachers ability to teach effectively, 00:03:58.330 --> 00:04:04.060 and C is more effective than other types of professional 00:04:04.060 --> 00:04:08.740 development. And remember, having elements that 00:04:08.740 --> 00:04:12.159 are supported by research doesn't make the program 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:16.939 research based. Every program has some element 00:04:16.939 --> 00:04:21.920 that can be supported by research. Now, with 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:24.860 legitimate professional development for reading, 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:28.420 you will very rarely encounter a magic method, 00:04:28.860 --> 00:04:33.069 formula, program, or product. Instead, legitimate 00:04:33.069 --> 00:04:35.910 professional development for reading instruction 00:04:35.910 --> 00:04:39.750 provides the six types of knowledge I just described. 00:04:41.290 --> 00:04:44.050 Teachers won't simply be given a list of pedagogical 00:04:44.050 --> 00:04:47.970 skills or a program to follow with fidelity. 00:04:49.649 --> 00:04:52.790 Instead, they'll be provided with an understanding 00:04:52.790 --> 00:04:56.569 of how all phases of literacy learning occurs 00:04:56.569 --> 00:04:59.720 along supporting research -based theories and 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:02.680 a variety of pedagogical skills that they can 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:07.959 then adopt and adapt as needed. Effective professional 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:10.980 development also enables teachers to develop 00:05:10.980 --> 00:05:14.720 their professional knowledge and skills in the 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:20.040 context of the classroom practice. Now, I recognize 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:23.199 my own bias here, but good professional development 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:26.620 still comes from accredited graduate programs 00:05:26.620 --> 00:05:29.779 in education where professors have spent significant 00:05:29.779 --> 00:05:32.980 time, our whole professional lives, immersed 00:05:32.980 --> 00:05:37.259 in research related to the field. Knowledge is 00:05:37.259 --> 00:05:40.980 important. These types of programs are usually 00:05:40.980 --> 00:05:44.240 aligned with the International Literacy Association 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:48.110 standards and informed by a wide body of research 00:05:48.110 --> 00:05:52.149 -based knowledge in a variety of ways. But most 00:05:52.149 --> 00:05:56.230 importantly, this type of professional development 00:05:56.230 --> 00:06:01.250 is not influenced by motives. For example, with 00:06:01.250 --> 00:06:04.569 a legitimate graduate class offered by a real 00:06:04.569 --> 00:06:10.629 professor, that professor is not bound only by 00:06:10.629 --> 00:06:13.629 what a body of research has determined to be 00:06:13.629 --> 00:06:17.060 best practice. They don't get paid more for saying 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:20.600 some things or not saying other things. And their 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:25.600 courses continue to evolve. That is, as they 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.620 continue to learn and do scholarly work, review 00:06:28.620 --> 00:06:32.639 research, and teach students, their knowledge 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:37.680 basic sands and their thinking changes on issues. 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:42.660 This. enables them to make the change from semester 00:06:42.660 --> 00:06:47.699 to semester or even from week to week. Now compare 00:06:47.699 --> 00:06:50.980 this with the rigid type curriculum or programs 00:06:50.980 --> 00:06:54.500 offered by letters and their one -size -fits 00:06:54.500 --> 00:06:58.579 -all professional development. Here, the same 00:06:58.579 --> 00:07:01.480 information is presented the same way in the 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:05.319 same order for years. It's done this way in California, 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:10.509 Minnesota, Boston. Only when sales begin to slip 00:07:10.509 --> 00:07:16.370 will there be revisions. Now, what about professors 00:07:16.370 --> 00:07:19.230 who use their books in courses like you? Like 00:07:19.230 --> 00:07:22.850 me? Aren't I making money off my books? That's 00:07:22.850 --> 00:07:25.589 a good question. Let's look at profit. In the 00:07:25.589 --> 00:07:28.189 field of education, professors who write books 00:07:28.189 --> 00:07:31.610 are rare. And that's because academic writing 00:07:31.610 --> 00:07:35.480 is hard work. It takes a lot of time and an enormous 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:37.879 amount of thinking space, and most professors 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:40.120 who work in teacher preparation programs have 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:43.540 three or four classes to teach every semester. 00:07:44.740 --> 00:07:47.339 Besides, the time spent teaching one to three 00:07:47.339 --> 00:07:51.139 hours is typically necessary to prepare for each 00:07:51.139 --> 00:07:54.560 class period. You must also read assignments, 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:57.079 communicate with students, and provide service 00:07:57.079 --> 00:07:59.079 to the department, college, and field. Blah, 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:02.100 blah, blah, blah. And to be relevant, they must 00:08:02.100 --> 00:08:05.920 continue to read and synthesize the latest research 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:09.860 in the field and publish in academic journals. 00:08:11.019 --> 00:08:14.540 Writing a book like I have requires a great deal 00:08:14.540 --> 00:08:17.720 of time to think, plan, read research articles 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:21.339 and related books and take notes. And that's 00:08:21.339 --> 00:08:25.639 before the actual reading starts. Now I'm able 00:08:25.639 --> 00:08:28.160 to do it because I don't have many interests 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:31.660 outside of literacy instruction, except for playing 00:08:31.660 --> 00:08:35.740 the euphonium. But the truth is, I would make 00:08:35.740 --> 00:08:38.700 more money per hour working at a fast food restaurant 00:08:38.700 --> 00:08:43.019 than I do writing this book. Most professors 00:08:43.019 --> 00:08:46.159 earn very little for book royalties, and most 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:49.019 colleges and universities have a system in place 00:08:49.019 --> 00:08:51.519 for getting approval when students are required 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:55.509 to purchase their materials. Well, if you don't 00:08:55.509 --> 00:08:58.409 pick me, why do you write books? Again, good 00:08:58.409 --> 00:09:02.629 question. Four reasons. First, most often there 00:09:02.629 --> 00:09:06.230 is not an adequate textbook to use. They're too 00:09:06.230 --> 00:09:09.350 expensive, full of too much stuff, or don't contain 00:09:09.350 --> 00:09:13.870 the right information. And second, I write to 00:09:13.870 --> 00:09:17.110 contribute to the field. Hopefully, my ideas 00:09:17.110 --> 00:09:19.669 will add to the greater conversation in some 00:09:19.669 --> 00:09:25.139 small way. And third, it's part of my job. The 00:09:25.139 --> 00:09:28.379 state of Minnesota pays me to be curious about 00:09:28.379 --> 00:09:31.220 literacy things, to find out and then to write 00:09:31.220 --> 00:09:34.539 about them. That's called scholarship, scholarly 00:09:34.539 --> 00:09:38.620 work. And fourth, all people are not always motivated 00:09:38.620 --> 00:09:41.799 by money. Some people are motivated, some people 00:09:41.799 --> 00:09:45.120 are motivated simply to do the right thing. And 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:48.559 the field of education tends to attract these 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:54.350 kinds of people. What about programs? Accredited 00:09:54.350 --> 00:09:56.990 graduate programs at universities can provide 00:09:56.990 --> 00:10:00.429 good professional development for teachers. And 00:10:00.429 --> 00:10:03.590 of course, accredited graduate programs differ 00:10:03.590 --> 00:10:07.929 in quality. One of the ways to determine the 00:10:07.929 --> 00:10:11.110 quality of a graduate program is to look at the 00:10:11.110 --> 00:10:13.870 publishing record of the professors teaching 00:10:13.870 --> 00:10:18.570 in the program. Have they been published? Publishing 00:10:18.570 --> 00:10:21.610 books and journal articles requires that one 00:10:21.610 --> 00:10:25.190 read and synthesize the latest research in the 00:10:25.190 --> 00:10:28.789 field. If they've never published, what makes 00:10:28.789 --> 00:10:33.909 them relevant? What about the liberal agenda? 00:10:34.370 --> 00:10:36.830 Conservative pundits often accuse professors 00:10:36.830 --> 00:10:40.629 of pushing a liberal agenda. It's the liberal 00:10:40.629 --> 00:10:43.110 agenda! They're teaching the liberal agenda! 00:10:43.769 --> 00:10:47.870 I'm not quite sure what that is. What's an example 00:10:47.870 --> 00:10:51.789 of a liberal agenda? But just saying this is 00:10:51.789 --> 00:10:54.690 an example of anecdotal evidence and I think 00:10:54.690 --> 00:10:58.870 of them. What is a liberal agenda? Define your 00:10:58.870 --> 00:11:02.909 terms. What specific things are said or done? 00:11:03.529 --> 00:11:06.730 And do you have any data to support a proposition 00:11:06.730 --> 00:11:11.169 that professors push a liberal agenda? Do you 00:11:11.169 --> 00:11:15.149 have any evidence to suggest that we brainwash 00:11:15.149 --> 00:11:18.950 students? I wish I was that powerful. If I had 00:11:18.950 --> 00:11:21.789 the power to brainwash students, they would certainly 00:11:21.789 --> 00:11:24.750 study more and they would start their assignments 00:11:24.750 --> 00:11:28.970 much earlier. Now I've spent over 30 years in 00:11:28.970 --> 00:11:33.309 higher education. I have yet to encounter a professor 00:11:33.309 --> 00:11:37.049 with a liberal agenda or one who brings politics 00:11:37.049 --> 00:11:41.519 into their courses. must have a research -based 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:45.039 agenda or a knowledge -based agenda. But even 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:48.759 if I knew what a liberal agenda was, I simply 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.139 don't have time or space in my courses to have 00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:56.440 a liberal agenda. Too many standards. So the 00:11:56.440 --> 00:11:59.340 last thing is action research. Action research 00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:02.039 is an effective, efficient, and economic way 00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:05.360 to take research directly to classroom practice. 00:12:06.029 --> 00:12:10.009 Action research defining my terms is a systematic 00:12:10.009 --> 00:12:14.629 observation of some element of one's own teaching 00:12:14.629 --> 00:12:18.259 practice. Action research would serve to create 00:12:18.259 --> 00:12:22.139 learning specific to each teacher's classroom 00:12:22.139 --> 00:12:24.740 and an educational resource, connect research 00:12:24.740 --> 00:12:27.700 directly to classroom practice, and generally 00:12:27.700 --> 00:12:29.899 improve the professional status of teachers. 00:12:30.340 --> 00:12:34.720 I will be writing more about this in book number 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:37.980 two. This is the reading instruction show I, 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:39.100 Dr. Andy Johnson.