CIF Questioning and Writing to Learn

• English
• 10th Grade

The Common 

Instructional Framework

The Common 

Instructional Framework

Common Instructional Strategies

Learning by Collaborating

Learning by Writing

Learning by Reading

Learning by Discussing

Learning by Questioning

Learning by 

Scaffolding

Student

Engagement

for

Learning

Adapted from Bridgewood's Common Instructional Strategies, 2018

Adapted from NC New Schools, Common Instructional Framework

Of the Six (6) Instructional Strategies within the framework, with which are you most comfortable?

Collaborative Learning (NOT group work)

Writing as a tool to facilitate learning

Reading as a tool to facilitate learning

Discussion to facilitate learning

Student-generated questioning

Scaffolding for learning readiness

Of the Six (6) Instructional Strategies within the framework, with which are you least comfortable?

Collaborative Learning (NOT group work)

Writing as a tool to facilitate learning

Reading as a tool to facilitate learning

Discussion to facilitate learning

Student-generated questioning

Scaffolding for learning readiness

Which primary instructional strategy?
Jigsaw, Gallery Walk

1. Problem-Solving
2. Writing to Learn
3. Collaborative Learning
4. Reading to Learn

Which primary instructional strategy?
Discussion Board, Exit Ticket

1. Collaborative Learning
2. Scaffolding
3. Critical Thinking
4. Writing to Learn

Which primary instructional strategy?
Paideia Seminar, Panel Discussion

1. Learning by Discussing
2. Learning by Writing
3. Learning by Reading
4. Scaffolding

Which primary instructional strategy?
Anticipation Guide, K-W-L

1. Writing to Learn
2. Reading to Learn
3. Scaffolding
4. Discussing to Learn

Which of the following terms or phrases are associated with Scaffolding (choose all that apply)?

1. Analogy
2. Organizing
3. Comparison
4. Spectrum

Which primary instructional strategy?
Investigation, Research

1. Questioning to Learn
2. Learning by Discussing
3. Writing to Learn
4. Reading to Learn

How did you do?

CIF Overview

CIF Overview

Collaborative Learning - Students work in collaborative groups with the goal of LEARNING. 

Writing to Learn - Students write with the goal of learning something new, usually about themselves and their learning. Helps develop metacognition.

Classroom Talk - Teacher's create and facilitate discussions to enhance student engagement and learning. The discussions can range from small group to whole class or even be online.

Literacy Circles - Offer opportunities for students to develop textual analysis, contextual, connection, vocabulary, communication, and questioning skills. 

Scaffolding -  Provides a framework for learning by providing something familiar in order to learn something new. It gives students a context, motivation, or foundation from which to understand the new information that will be introduced during the coming lesson. It can be used in all content areas. Scaffolding enables the learner to be successful in more rigorous work by motivating the learner’s interest related to the task, providing direction to help the learner focus on achieving the learning goal, and reducing learner frustration and risk of failure. 

Questioning -  A way to explore new possibilities, create new solutions, or dissect situations in a new way. It is the vehicle for opening and expanding ideas and beliefs. 

The art of questioning is connecting concepts, making inferences, increasing awareness, encouraging creative and imaginative thought, aiding critical thinking processes, and generally helping students explore deeper levels of knowing, thinking, and understanding. 

QUESTIONING

QUESTIONING

Everything begins with a question.

KNOW

UNDERSTAND

BE ABLE TO DO

Define the different levels of questioning.

Place questions into appropriate categories.

Write questions at different inquiry levels.

From: TeachThought.com

6 Cognitive levels of learning

Use the action verbs to create learning objectives/outcomes

Costa's Levels of Questioning

1. Recall
2. Understanding
3. Universal 

From TeachingThought.com

Just like Bloom's power verbs, Costa has his own.

Recall or Gathering

Understanding or Processing

Universal or Applying

Which states were bound by the restrictions in the Emancipation Proclamation?

What was the effect of the Emancipation Proclamation on the Civil War?

What would have happened had the Emancipation Proclamation included more restrictive clauses such as ending slavery in all states?

Write one recall/gathering level question.

Write one understanding- or applying-level question.

Write one universal- or applying- level question.

WRITING TO LEARN

“If writing is assigned purely for evaluative purposes, students will come to see it as a narrow, hoop-jumping task unrelated to learning. Their potential to see writing as a valuable learning tool and a necessary life-long skill will be diminished.” –Blummer et. a

What should you KNOW, UNDERSTAND, and be able to DO?

Know - What facts or recall-level information will your students have to know to continue?

Understand - How will your students take the facts they know at the recall level and investigate, experiment, decode, or compare?

Do - What will your students do with the information they now understand? To add rigor, how will they test new innovations?

WRITING TO LEARN

• Can be integrated into any discipline
• Enhances learning by engaging students in the course material
• Allows students to explore and clarify concepts, ideas, procedures, impressions, opinions, etc.
• Promotes critical thinking skills and participation in class discussion
• Familiarizes students with writing for purposes beyond assessment
• Enables students to experience how low-stakes writing can serve their needs
• Encourages students to build knowledge en route to more formal assignments (scaffolding)
• Does not require evaluation or response 

From UMT.edu Writing Center

This kind of writing is informal, exploratory, and often ungraded. In these low-stakes writing activities, students explore and puzzle through the content of the discipline. The goal in writing-to-learn

activities is not necessarily ―good‖ writing that communicates well-formed thoughts. Rather, the goal is to use writing as a tool to explore ideas, discover possibilities, and clarify thoughts.

Writing to Learn
Strategies

• Aha! Statement 
• Blog Entry 
• Crystal Ball Prediction 
• Dear Absent Student 
• Dear Confused Student 
• Discussion Board 
• Dialogue Journals

• Exit Ticket 
• Entrance Ticket 
• Journal Entry 
• Letter to . . .  
• Opinion Proof 
• Quick Write 
• RAFT
• Summaries

Writing to Learn  Strategies

R.A.F.T Writing Strategy

• Role (Are you a journalist, soldier, witness, castle, engineer,   endangered species, or the human heart?)
• Audience to whom the writer is speaking (Are you writing to a friend, newspaper readers,  your dog, scientist, or museum?)
• Formats for writing (Is it a letter, speech, text message, obituary, Tweet, infographic, top 10 list, or editorial?)
• Topic addressed (What's the subject or the point of this piece?)

From National Behavior Support Service

Now you try! Write a R.A.F.T.

Rigor and Writing to Learn strategies

What is your role?

Who is your audience?

What format will you use?

Topic: rigor and writing to learn

Questions?