TEXT ADAPTATION
Published on Apr 04, 2016
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TEXT ADAPTATION
DUSTIN KOEHLER
HELLO, MY NAME IS DUSTIN KOEHLER AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT TEXT ADAPTATION AND CREATION, AND SOME TOOLS AND METHODS THAT I USE TO MODIFY AND CREATE READING MATERIALS FOR MY STUDENTS.
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OBJECTIVE
LEARN AND APPLY APPROACHES TO TEXT ADAPTATION
MY HOPE IS THAT YOU LEARN ABOUT SOME TOOLS AND MATERIALS THAT YOU CAN USE IN YOUR TEACHING. I'M GOIING TO DISCUSS WAYS THAT YOU CAN FIND, MODIFY, AND CREATE READING MATERIALS FOR YOUR STUDENTS AND THEN TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH TEXT AND APPLY SOME OF THE APPROACHES THAT I'M USING IN MY TEACHING. I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY DISCUSS SOME RESOURCES THAT I CURRENTLY USE DURING MY PRESENTATION, BUT YOU'LL HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE AND USE THEM THROUGH A PADLET PAGE. SO, BEFORE I TALK ABOUT TEXT ADAPTATION AND CREATION, I THINK IT'S USEFUL TO GIVE SOME SOME OF THE CONTEXT THAT LED ME TO MAKE TEXT ADAPTATION A KEY PART OF MY TEACHING.
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY (ALP)
ALL-DIGITAL CURRICULUM
I TEACH IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. WE ARE AN IEP THAT FOCUSES ON PREPARING PRE-ENROLLMENT STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE. ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, SORT OF ON A WHIM WE MOVED TO AN ALL DIGITAL THEMATIC-BASED CURRICULUM AND ABANDONED TRADITIONAL TEXTBOOKS. IT WAS A SHORTENED SUMMER SEMESTER. WE DID THIS A WEEK BEFORE OUR SEMESTER STARTED. WE HAD NO RESOURCES EXCEPT OUR COMPUTERS, OUR MINDS, AND OUR OBJECTIVES. SO WE WERE WORKING WITHOUT A NET.
WE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH THIS APPROACH, SO WE'VE NEVER USED A TEXTBOOK SINCE. BEFORE EACH SEMESTER WE MEET TO CHOOSE 4 THEMES FOR THE UPCOMING SEMESTER. WE USE THOSE THEMES TO TEACH OUR LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES. WE DON'T HAVE SEPARATE CLASSES FOR EACH LANGUAGE SKILL, BUT HAVE INTEGRATED SKILLS CLASSES INSTEAD. THERE IS ONE INSTRUCTOR PER LEVEL, SO WE TEACH 4.5 HOURS/DAY, 4 DAYS/WEEK. I TYPICALLY HAVE INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS.
SOME EXAMPLES OF OUR THEMES ARE: THE ENVIRONMENT, CULTURE CHANGE, CRIME & DEVIANCE, GOVERNMENT, LANGUAGE, LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION.
WE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH THIS APPROACH, SO WE'VE NEVER USED A TEXTBOOK SINCE. BEFORE EACH SEMESTER WE MEET TO CHOOSE 4 THEMES FOR THE UPCOMING SEMESTER. WE USE THOSE THEMES TO TEACH OUR LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES. WE DON'T HAVE SEPARATE CLASSES FOR EACH LANGUAGE SKILL, BUT HAVE INTEGRATED SKILLS CLASSES INSTEAD. THERE IS ONE INSTRUCTOR PER LEVEL, SO WE TEACH 4.5 HOURS/DAY, 4 DAYS/WEEK. I TYPICALLY HAVE INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS.
SOME EXAMPLES OF OUR THEMES ARE: THE ENVIRONMENT, CULTURE CHANGE, CRIME & DEVIANCE, GOVERNMENT, LANGUAGE, LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION.
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FREEDOM
EXCITING & LIBERATING...
THIS WAS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ME. WE WERE TAKING A PRETTY BIG RISK THAT FIRST SEMESTER, BUT IT WAS VERY LIBERATING FOR ME - FRANKLY, I DIDN'T ALWAYS LOVE THE CONTENT OF OUR TEXTBOOKS AND I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE BUT TO USE THEM. SO I WAS EXCITED TO HAVE A ROLE, AND TO GIVE MY STUDENTS A ROLE, IN CHOOSING OUR CONTENT. ONE OF OUR FIRST THEMES WAS GOVERNMENT AND I WAS SO EXCITED TO SHARE ONE OF MY PASSIONS WITH MY STUDENTS. IT'S BEEN A TON OF WORK BECAUSE I'M CREATING ALL OF OUR READING, SPEAKING, AND WRITING MATERIALS, PLUS OUR ASSESSMENTS. I'M ALSO FINDING OR CREATING OUR LISTENING MATERIALS. THIS LEADS TO THE CHALLENGE OF THIS APPROACH.
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OBSTACLES
WHAT CAN THEY READ?
WE'RE FREE AND YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET, RIGHT? IT'S AN OCEAN OF MATERIALS AND THAT'S GREAT. BUT THE PROBLEM IS IT'S AN OCEAN OF MATERIALS. IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING TO FIND SOMETHING TO USE. MOREOVER, MOST OF IT ISN'T DESIGNED FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS.
SO THIS WAS OUR BIG CHALLENGE - WHERE CAN WE FIND MATERIALS THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN ACTUALLY READ? THIS IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR INTERMEDIATE AND BEGINNER STUDENTS. OUR MATERIALS NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE AND READABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS BUT ALSO ACADEMIC - WE'RE PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR UNIVERSITY.
THE TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS HAVEN'T PUT OUT MANY DIGITAL MATERIALS THAT ARE LEVELED FOR OUR READERS. SO WHAT DID I DO? I JUST STARTED MAKING MATERIALS ON MY OWN. OUR FIRST THEME WAS GOVERNMENT AND I HAVE A POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE, SO I WROTE WHAT I KNEW..
SO THIS WAS OUR BIG CHALLENGE - WHERE CAN WE FIND MATERIALS THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN ACTUALLY READ? THIS IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR INTERMEDIATE AND BEGINNER STUDENTS. OUR MATERIALS NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE AND READABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS BUT ALSO ACADEMIC - WE'RE PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR UNIVERSITY.
THE TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS HAVEN'T PUT OUT MANY DIGITAL MATERIALS THAT ARE LEVELED FOR OUR READERS. SO WHAT DID I DO? I JUST STARTED MAKING MATERIALS ON MY OWN. OUR FIRST THEME WAS GOVERNMENT AND I HAVE A POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE, SO I WROTE WHAT I KNEW..
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NEWSELA
LEVELED TEXT USING LEXILE
HOWEVER, WE DID START TO FIND SOME MATERIALS THAT WE COULD USE MOVING FORWARD. ONE OF THE FIRST RESOURCES THAT WE FOUND WAS NEWSELA. MY WIFE TEACHES IN A K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL AND SHE TURNED ME ONTO THIS WEDBSITE.
IT'S A FREE SITE THAT TAKES NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND PROVIDES THEM AT 5 DIFFERENT READING LEVELS, ANYWHERE FROM 3RD TO 12TH GRADE READING LEVELS USING THE LEXILE MEASURES. NOW WE HAD READILY AVAILABLE TEXTS THAT STUDENTS OF ALL LEVELS COULD ACCESS. WE ALSO HAD MATERIALS THAT WE COULD USE FOR DIAGNOSTICS SO WE COULD PINPOINT A READING LEVEL RANGE FOR THE TEXTS WE WERE ADAPTING.
I DID NOTICE THAT SOME CONTENT IS LOST BETWEEN DIFFERENT LEVELS, WHICH I DIDN'T LIKE. IDEALLY, YOU WANT TO ADAPT WITHOUT LOSING THE KEY IDEAS. I ALSO SAW THEY WERE MEASURING THEIR TEXT USING SOMETHING CALLED A LEXILE LEVEL.
IT'S A FREE SITE THAT TAKES NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND PROVIDES THEM AT 5 DIFFERENT READING LEVELS, ANYWHERE FROM 3RD TO 12TH GRADE READING LEVELS USING THE LEXILE MEASURES. NOW WE HAD READILY AVAILABLE TEXTS THAT STUDENTS OF ALL LEVELS COULD ACCESS. WE ALSO HAD MATERIALS THAT WE COULD USE FOR DIAGNOSTICS SO WE COULD PINPOINT A READING LEVEL RANGE FOR THE TEXTS WE WERE ADAPTING.
I DID NOTICE THAT SOME CONTENT IS LOST BETWEEN DIFFERENT LEVELS, WHICH I DIDN'T LIKE. IDEALLY, YOU WANT TO ADAPT WITHOUT LOSING THE KEY IDEAS. I ALSO SAW THEY WERE MEASURING THEIR TEXT USING SOMETHING CALLED A LEXILE LEVEL.
LEXILE ANALYZER
MEASURING TEXT READABILITY
I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD TOOL TO MEASURE READABILITY. IT BASES ITS RATING ON SEVERAL FACTORS, INLCUDING SENTENCE LENGTH AND CORPUS-DETERMINE WORD FREQUENCY.
BEFORE I FOUND LEXILE, I HAD BEEN CREATING MATERIALS AND SIMPLIFYING THEM, AT LEAST I THOUGHT, BUT I HAD NO METRIC TO MEASURE WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHETHER OR NOT MY EFFORTS ACTUALLY MADE THE TEXT EASIER TO READ. WITH LEXILE, I NOW HAD A TOOL TO MEASURE THE CHANGES THAT I WAS MAKING.
BEFORE I FOUND LEXILE, I HAD BEEN CREATING MATERIALS AND SIMPLIFYING THEM, AT LEAST I THOUGHT, BUT I HAD NO METRIC TO MEASURE WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHETHER OR NOT MY EFFORTS ACTUALLY MADE THE TEXT EASIER TO READ. WITH LEXILE, I NOW HAD A TOOL TO MEASURE THE CHANGES THAT I WAS MAKING.
OPENSTAX
OPEN-SOURCE TEXTBOOKS
WHILE I HAD A DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND HISTORY, AND I LIKE TO THINK I'M WELL-READ ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS, I AM BY NO MEANS AN EXPERT ON THE THEMES WE WERE TEACHING. ONE WAY AROUND THAT IS ANOTHER SOURCE WE FOUNDEARLY ON - OPENSTAX.
OPENSTAX MAKES FREE, DIGITALLY AVAILABLE, PEER-REVIEWED AND EDITED TEXTBOOKS. THEY COVER A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS, LIKE PSYCHOLOGY, HISTORY, AND SOCIOLOGY. WE NOW HAD AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF READING MATERIAL.
BUT THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM - THEY ARE WRITTEN FOR NATIVE-SPEAKING COLLEGE FRESHMAN. AT THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL, MY STUDENT CAN HANDLE MATERIALS WRITTEN AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL READING LEVEL.
BUT WITH LEXILE, I COULD NOW TAKE MATERIALS LIKE OPENSTAX AND SIMPLIFY THEM DOWN TO MY STUDENTS READING LEVELS. SO THIS IS HOW WE GOT STARTED TWO YEARS AGO AND WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN.
OPENSTAX MAKES FREE, DIGITALLY AVAILABLE, PEER-REVIEWED AND EDITED TEXTBOOKS. THEY COVER A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS, LIKE PSYCHOLOGY, HISTORY, AND SOCIOLOGY. WE NOW HAD AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF READING MATERIAL.
BUT THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM - THEY ARE WRITTEN FOR NATIVE-SPEAKING COLLEGE FRESHMAN. AT THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL, MY STUDENT CAN HANDLE MATERIALS WRITTEN AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL READING LEVEL.
BUT WITH LEXILE, I COULD NOW TAKE MATERIALS LIKE OPENSTAX AND SIMPLIFY THEM DOWN TO MY STUDENTS READING LEVELS. SO THIS IS HOW WE GOT STARTED TWO YEARS AGO AND WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN.
JUST A NOTE
THIS IS TIME CONSUMING
I'VE COME A LONG WAY MYSELF. I STARTED OFF GIVING MY STUDENTS INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTS IN WORD AND NOW I'M CREATING WHOLE BOOKS USING iBOOKS AUTHOR.
IN FACT, MY COLLEAGUE, WHO BY THE WAY SIGNED US UP FOR THIS PRESENTATION, IS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE WITH ME, AND THEN DECIDED TO GO TEACH IN CHINA INSTEAD, AND I HAVE PUBLISHED ONE OF OUR BOOKS AND HAVE MORE IN PROGRESS.
SO, LIKE I'VE SAID, THIS IS A LOT OF WORK. I GET THAT NOT EVERYONE IS AS CRAZY AS I AM. I LOVE MATERIALS CREATION. I'VE JOKED WITH COLLEAGUES THAT THIS IS MY FORM OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYONE ENJOYS THIS AS MUCH AS I DO, SO I'VE TRIED TO INCLUDE SOME READILY-AVAILABLE MATERIALS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN USE SAY NEXT WEEK IN CLASS. THAT BEING SAID, MATERIALS CREATION AND ADAPTATION CAN HELP YOU TO ENGAGE YOUR STUDENTS AND SHOULD PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR TEACHING.
IN FACT, MY COLLEAGUE, WHO BY THE WAY SIGNED US UP FOR THIS PRESENTATION, IS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE WITH ME, AND THEN DECIDED TO GO TEACH IN CHINA INSTEAD, AND I HAVE PUBLISHED ONE OF OUR BOOKS AND HAVE MORE IN PROGRESS.
SO, LIKE I'VE SAID, THIS IS A LOT OF WORK. I GET THAT NOT EVERYONE IS AS CRAZY AS I AM. I LOVE MATERIALS CREATION. I'VE JOKED WITH COLLEAGUES THAT THIS IS MY FORM OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYONE ENJOYS THIS AS MUCH AS I DO, SO I'VE TRIED TO INCLUDE SOME READILY-AVAILABLE MATERIALS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN USE SAY NEXT WEEK IN CLASS. THAT BEING SAID, MATERIALS CREATION AND ADAPTATION CAN HELP YOU TO ENGAGE YOUR STUDENTS AND SHOULD PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR TEACHING.
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KEY QUESTIONS
- WHAT TO WRITE OR ADAPT?
- WHAT CAN YOU ADAPT?
- ARE YOUR TEXTS APPROPRIATE?
- HOW TO ADAPT?
- OTHER CONSIDERATIONS?
I WANT THIS SESSION TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON PRACTICING TEXT ADAPTATION, SO I'M GOING TO BE BRIEF IN MY REMARKS. I WANT TO COVER THE FOLLOWING KEY QUESTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS.
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WHAT TO CREATE/ADAPT
- CORE, SUPPLEMENTAL, & EXTENSION TEXTS
- TOPICAL CONTENT
- STUDENT INTERESTS
- SKILL PRACTICE
- ASSESSMENTS
- MODELS
YOU CAN CREATE OR ADAPT TEXTS FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF PURPOSES. AT ALP, WE ARE CREATING AND ADAPTING OUR CORE READING TEXTS, BUT YOU MAY JUST WANT TO CREATE SOMETHING AS A SUPPLEMENT OR EXTENSION OF CONTENT FROM YOUR READING TEXT. THERE MAY BE ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT AT ANY GIVEN TIME - FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND STUDENTS MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE ISSUES OR THE CANDIDATES. STUDENTS MAY EXPRESS INTEREST IN CONTENT THAT ISN'T COVERED IN YOUR TEXTBOOK. MANY OF US HAVE TO WRITE OUR OWN ASSESSMENTS OR CREATE MODELS OF WRITING ASSIGNMENTS. ALL OF THESE TEXTS CAN BE MADE AS ORIGINAL CREATIONS OR ADAPTATIONS.
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WHAT CAN YOU ADAPT?
- PUBLIC DOMAIN & GOVERNMENT DOCS
- CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED
- FAIR USE
MATERIALS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN OR THAT ARE PRODUCED BY MOST GOVERNMENTS ARE FREE FOR YOU TO ADAPT AND DISTRIBUTE. CREATIVE COMMONS OFFERS MUCH MORE OPEN LICENSING THAN TRADITIONAL COPYRIGHT. OPENSTAX IS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL. FAIR USE ALLOWS YOU SOME FREEDOM TO CREATE DERIVATIVE WORKS FROM COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS AND DISTRIBUTE THEM TO YOUR STUDENTS.
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APPROPRIATE TEXTS?
- INDEPENDENT LEVEL?
- INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL?
- FRUSTRATION LEVEL?
- FOCUS OF PRIMARY & SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
- NO REAL METRICS FOR IEP TEXTS
ONCE YOU'VE FOUND OR WRITTEN A TEXT THAT YOU WANT TO USE, YOU NEED TO FIND OUT IF ITS APPROPRIATE. IS IT A TEXT THAT YOUR STUDENTS CAN READ INDEPENDENTLY? DOES THE TEXT REQUIRE GUIDED READING? IS THE TEXT SO DIFFICULT THAT YOUR STUDENTS WILL BE DISCOURAGED IN THEIR EFFORTS TO MAKE SENSE OF IT?
THIS IS A CONCERN FOR IEP INSTRUCTORS. K-12 TEACHERS HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEIR TEXTS ARE APPROPRIATE, BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE AT LEAST, IEP PROGRAMS HAVE MUCH FEWER GUIDELINES IN THESE CONCERNS.
JUST AS AN AS AN EXAMPLE, I HAVE A FRIEND AT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY. THEY HAD A LEVEL WIDE READING ASSESSMENT THAT STUDENTS HAD TO PASS TO MOVE UP. 80% OF THEIR STUDENTS FAILED IT. WERE THEIR TEACHERS FAILING THEM? NO. WHEN THE TEXTS WERE RUN THROUGH THE LEXILE ANALYZER, IT WAS FOUND THAT THEY WERE WRITTEN AT A LEVEL APPROPRIATE FOR NATIVE-SPEAKING UNDERGRADUATES.
THIS IS A CONCERN FOR IEP INSTRUCTORS. K-12 TEACHERS HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEIR TEXTS ARE APPROPRIATE, BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE AT LEAST, IEP PROGRAMS HAVE MUCH FEWER GUIDELINES IN THESE CONCERNS.
JUST AS AN AS AN EXAMPLE, I HAVE A FRIEND AT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY. THEY HAD A LEVEL WIDE READING ASSESSMENT THAT STUDENTS HAD TO PASS TO MOVE UP. 80% OF THEIR STUDENTS FAILED IT. WERE THEIR TEACHERS FAILING THEM? NO. WHEN THE TEXTS WERE RUN THROUGH THE LEXILE ANALYZER, IT WAS FOUND THAT THEY WERE WRITTEN AT A LEVEL APPROPRIATE FOR NATIVE-SPEAKING UNDERGRADUATES.
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KEYS TO ADAPTATION
- CLEAR MAIN IDEAS & TOPIC SENTENCES
- SIMPLIFIED GRAMMAR, SYNTAX, & VOCABULARY
- EXAMPLES, DEFINITIONS, APOSITIVES
- CLEAR REFERENTS
- PICTURES & GRAPHIC SUPPORT
- WHITE SPACE & LARGE FONT
- HEADINGS & SUBHEADINGS
HERE ARE SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES THAT YOU CAN USE TO HELP YOU ADAPT AND WRITE YOU OWN TEXTS SO THAT THEY ARE MORE READABLE FOR YOU STUDENTS.
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HOW TO MEASURE
- FLESCH-KINCAID
- LEXILE
THERE ARE TWO EASY TO USE WAYS TO MEASURE YOUR TEXT'S READABILITY. FLESCH-KINCAID IS A MEASURE THAT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH MICROSOFT WORD. IT MEASURES READABILITY BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF LETTERS PER WORD AND NUMBER OF WORDS PER SENTENCE.
LEXILE IS THE MEASURE THAT I USE AND I'VE ALREADY BRIEFLY DISCUSSED HOW IT MEASURES READABILITY. I PREFER LEXILE BECAUSE IT USES A CORPUS TO ACCOUNT FOR WORD FREQUENCY. YOU'LL FIND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE BOTH METHODS ON THE PADLET FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
LEXILE IS THE MEASURE THAT I USE AND I'VE ALREADY BRIEFLY DISCUSSED HOW IT MEASURES READABILITY. I PREFER LEXILE BECAUSE IT USES A CORPUS TO ACCOUNT FOR WORD FREQUENCY. YOU'LL FIND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE BOTH METHODS ON THE PADLET FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
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HOW TO DELIVER CONTENT
- WORD, PAGES, PP, KEYNOTE, ETC.
- GOOGLE DRIVE
- iBOOKS AUTHOR OR EPUB
YOU CAN PROVIDE YOUR ADAPTED MATERIALS IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS. YOU CAN USE WORD PROCESSORS OR PRESENTATION APPLICATIONS. I FIRST USED WORD TO MAKE MY MATERIALS. YOU CAN USE EPUB, BUT I'VE FOUND THESE TO BE A BIT CLUNKY. AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY, I'VE BEEN USING iBOOKS AUTHOR LATELY. IT'S MUCH EASIER TO USE AND COMES WITH TEMPLATES THAT ARE REALLY EASY TO USE. ALL OF THESE CAN BE CONVERTED TO PDF SO THAT STUDENTS CAN ACCESS THEM USING ANY TYPE OF HARDWARE.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
- MUST USE DIAGNOSTICS TO FIND LEXILE RANGE
- STILL NEED TO PRE-TEACH VOCAB, BUILD BACKGROUND, CONNECT TO PRIOR LEARNING, TEACH READING STRATEGIES
- ONLY A TOOL - NOT AN EXACT MEASURE
IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT JUST ADAPTING TEXT DOES NOT MEAN YOUR STUDENTS WILL FULLY UNDERSTAND IT. YOU STILL NEED TO USE DIAGNOSTICS TO FIND THE APPROPRIATE RANGE. YOU STILL NEED TO PRE-TEACH SOME UNKNOWN VOCABULARY, BUILD NECESSARY BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, CONNECT YOUR CONTENT TO PRIOR LEARNING, AND TO TEACH READING STRATEGIES. ANOTHER IMPORTANT CAVIAT IS THAT LEXILE IS NOT AN EXACT MEASURE - INSTEAD, IT GIVES YOU A RANGE THAT YOU CAN USE TO CREATE TEXTS THAT YOUR STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO READ. IT GIVES YOU A TARGET FOR THE ADAPTATION AND WRITING THAT YOU DO.
QUESTIONS?
SO, NOW I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. OTHERWISE, I'VE CREATED A PADLET THAT HAS RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN USE TO HELP YOU IN YOUR TEXT ADAPTATION.
I'VE ADDED LINKS TO LEXILE'S SITES, NEWSELA AND TWEEN TRIBUNE, OPEN SOURCED ACADEMIC TEXTBOOKS, MATERIALS THAT I'VE CREATED.
I THINK IT IS WORTHWHILE TO TRY TEXT ADAPTATION AND TO MEASURE IT YOURSELF. WE DID THIS AT OHIO TESOL AND WE HAD ONE GROUP WHO WORKED ON A PARAGRAPH FOR LIKE 10 MINUTES AND THOUGHT THEY HAD DONE A GOOD JOB OF SIMPLIFYING THE TEXT - INSTEAD THEY REALLY HAD NOT SIMPLIFIED IT MUCH AT ALL. SO GIVE IT A SHOT. THANK YOU.
goo.gl/CyAqCH
I'VE ADDED LINKS TO LEXILE'S SITES, NEWSELA AND TWEEN TRIBUNE, OPEN SOURCED ACADEMIC TEXTBOOKS, MATERIALS THAT I'VE CREATED.
I THINK IT IS WORTHWHILE TO TRY TEXT ADAPTATION AND TO MEASURE IT YOURSELF. WE DID THIS AT OHIO TESOL AND WE HAD ONE GROUP WHO WORKED ON A PARAGRAPH FOR LIKE 10 MINUTES AND THOUGHT THEY HAD DONE A GOOD JOB OF SIMPLIFYING THE TEXT - INSTEAD THEY REALLY HAD NOT SIMPLIFIED IT MUCH AT ALL. SO GIVE IT A SHOT. THANK YOU.
goo.gl/CyAqCH
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