Welcome parents and distribute hard copies of the slide-show for parents to take notes.

Literacy is the meaning that your children construct through interactions with a variety of text! It is worth noting that we no longer view text as simply reading!

Show parents videos of students working with varied texts--showcasing that text is no longer limited to a text book but might be a guest speaker, a primary source document, a podcast, etc.

Show parents that literacy can also be what students create when making meaning--it is the creations that occur because of the meaning that is made.

Show varying examples of student work that represent literacy--note the importance of the creation process.

We believe that literacy is the creation AND the negotiation of text---text in the expanded view. Literacy means grappling with the content information . . . working with it until it makes sense and can be applied in a creation process.

Show video examples of school students in the negotiation process. (videos of reading, collaborating, viewing, etc.)

Let's Discuss.

In small groups, answer as many of the questions as you can!

1. How is this view of literacy different than the traditional view of literacy as the ability to read well?

2. How might this view of literacy be beneficial to your children?

3. How does this view of literacy support the skills necessary for the world that we live in today?

Okay . . . this seems so ambiguous, but, we have a plan!

At this point--unveil the 3 year plan and introduce Phase 1.

The team as of right now--is your literacy coach and principal! Fantastic right--but wait--here is your opportunity to join.

We are looking for team-oriented, progressive teachers from each department willing to work (for comp time or during school hours with a substitute) on providing high-quality professional development.

This is your opportunity to TAKE BACK PLT TIME--if you have complained in the past, this is your opportunity to make it great. ;)

Will you be the person to lead--to put yourself out there.

In the famous words of Teddy Roosevelt:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Parent Involvement:

Creating Parent PLT :)

Family Fun Nights will be implemented in years two and three--community members will join us to create high quality opportunities for parents and students to engage in negotiation and creation.

All PLT for the next three years will be centered around disciplinary literacy implementation.

Pass out action plan!

Formal evaluation will not occur--instead, we will take multiple surveys and provide multiple opportunities for feedback.

The goal is not to measure the results but instead to create an environment that supports literacy as learning--before and after surveys will be disseminated, but we will continue to move forward by capitalizing on the good and tweaking the things that need improvement.

We expect full scale implementation of disciplinary literacy based classrooms--we expect a culture of collaboration and support--a culture of transparency.

Show video of teachers using disciplinary literacy techniques in the classroom.

Let's Review:

Why Literacy?
What will we do?
How will we do it?

Any Questions!?