1. What Digital Resources Are
Available to Support STEM?
Teacher Effectiveness Academy
Library Information Services and Instructional Technology
2. Participant Outcomes
Participants will:
• Increase awareness of how to access digital content that
supports the Common Core State Standards for ELA and
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects.
• Cite a least two ways to utilize trans-disciplinary BCPS
Online Research Models to engage students in STEM
investigations, research, inquiry, and problem solving.
3. Select Your School Level
Elementary School Teacher Middle or High School Teacher
4. Why focus on digital content now?
• The CCSS for English Language Arts and
Literacy calls for students to be able to:
▫ Read texts of increasing complexity;
▫ Read and use exposition, including literary
nonfiction;
▫ Read a wider range of reading materials;
▫ And use reading, writing, speaking and
listening, language skills and strategies across all
subject areas
• in order to be prepared for college and the
workforce.
5. Reading
Critical Communicatio
Thinking & n
Problem
Solving
Research Investigations Writing
Creativity &
Collaboration Innovation
Speaking &
Listening
6. Increase in Text Complexity: Grades 2-3
Lexile Ranges
Aligned to
CCR
Expectations
Old
Lexile
Ranges
Typical 450 -
450 - 790
Reader
Lexile
Scores
725
140 -
700
7. Increase in Text Complexity: Grades 4 - 5
Lexile Ranges
Aligned to
CCR
Expectations
Old
Lexile
Ranges
Typical
770 -
645 -
Reader
980
Lexile
Scores
845
445 -
910
8. Where can you find a wide range of
expository texts (including literary
nonfiction) of increasing complexity
about all subjects?
12. SIRS Discoverer - Extension
Time permitting, view video of
WHY using SIRS digital content
saves time in searching for
information. Click image on right.
15. Why focus on digital content now?
• The CCSS for English Language Arts and
Literacy calls for students to be able to:
▫ Read texts of increasing complexity;
▫ Read and use exposition, including literary
nonfiction;
▫ Read a wider range of reading materials;
▫ And use reading, writing, speaking and listening,
language skills and strategies across all subject
areas;
• in order to be prepared for college and the
workforce.
16. Reading
Critical Communicatio
Thinking & n
Problem
Solving
Research Investigations Writing
Creativity &
Collaboration Innovation
Speaking &
Listening
17. Increase in Text Complexity: Grades 6-8
Lexile Ranges
Aligned to
CCR
Expectations
Old
Lexile
Ranges
Typical 955 -
860 - 1155
Reader
Lexile
Scores
1010
665 -
1100
18. Increase in Text Complexity: Grades 9-12
Lexile Ranges
Aligned to
CCR
Expectations
Old
Lexile
Ranges
Typical
1080 -
960 - 1355
Reader
Lexile
Scores
1220
855 -
1210
19. Where can you find a wide range of
expository texts (including literary
nonfiction) of increasing complexity
about all subjects?
20. What secondary digital resources are available?
Many MORE than we can share with you today!
30. Review objectives
• Have you increased your awareness of how to
access digital content to support the Common
Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects?
• Can you cite a least two ways to utilize trans-
disciplinary BCPS Online Research Models to
engage students in STEM
investigations, research, inquiry, and problem
solving?
Welcome to today’s Educator Effectiveness Training on the digital resources that are available to support STEM. As is true of all the trainings, you may choose to present this training as a 30 minute session to your school staff, or (based on your evaluation of what your teachers already know and are able to do) you may choose to use the Extension activities built-in to the training. We strongly encourage you to co-present the digital resources training with your library media specialist as he or she has received extensive training on each of the digital resources.
Soon after the CCSS were adopted in June, teams of educators from across that state began working on a gap analysis by comparing the State Curriculum Standards with the Common Core State Standards. In English Language Arts, there were several key “take-aways”: Text complexity must be evaluated and students must read more complex texts in all subject areas. There must be an emphasis on reading informational texts.
SIRS Discoverer contains a wide range of expository texts (including literary nonfiction) of increasing complexity about all subjects. Click the SIRS Discoverer icon to start the screen cast.
How does BrainPop provide access to a wide range of expository texts (including literary nonfiction) of increasing complexity about all subjects? It’s simple; turn on Closed Captioning. Click the BrainPop icon to begin the screen cast.
Defined STEM is a collection of digital resources designed to promote effective and relevant connections between STEM classroom content and STEM career pathways, thus providing learning opportunities for students. Defined STEM provides teachers a resource where they can access highly effective media content, literacy tasks, and related support materials – all aligned to the Common Core English Language Arts and Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects. These resources and materials allow teachers to prepare students for entry into the 21st century global market place, where students must excel in science, math, technology and engineering to become a contributor to the marketplace. Click on the Defined STEM icon to view the screen cast.
Soon after the CCSS were adopted in June, teams of educators from across that state began working on a gap analysis by comparing the State Curriculum Standards with the Common Core State Standards. In English Language Arts, there were several key “take-aways”: Text complexity must be evaluated and students must read more complex texts in all subject areas. There must be an emphasis on reading informational texts.
The Online Research Models (ORM), developed by Baltimore County Public Schools, represent an exciting way to guide student research toward higher-level thinking that fully utilizes digital resources. The research models will help teachers meet the CCSS’s increased demand for research by providing the scaffolding and a key collaborator: the school’s library media specialist. The ORM are designed as web pages that present students with a clear research structure, including a research scenario, a learning task, rubrics and scoring tools, directions for use of various media resources, links to useful web sites, creation of a product or presentation, and reflection. Students who use the self-guided online research lessons are challenged to employ thoughtful reading, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information to create answers, not just find them.
Click the Schoolyard Habitat icon to view the screen cast.
The Online Research Models (ORM), developed by Baltimore County Public Schools, represent an exciting way to guide student research toward higher-level thinking that fully utilizes digital resources. The research models will help teachers meet the CCSS’s increased demand for research by providing the scaffolding and a key collaborator: the school’s library media specialist. The ORM are designed as web pages that present students with a clear research structure, including a research scenario, a learning task, rubrics and scoring tools, directions for use of various media resources, links to useful web sites, creation of a product or presentation, and reflection. Students who use the self-guided online research lessons are challenged to employ thoughtful reading, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information to create answers, not just find them.
Click on the Biotech Connections icon to view the screen cast.
Click on the icon above to view tutorials and resources on each of the elementary databases.
Click on the icon above to view tutorials and resources on each of the elementary databases.
