Nonfiction Reading that FITS!

A few months ago during an in-service meeting, co-workers who work in the Special Education department  presented this "great new site."  www.NewsELA.com.  I must admit that my heart wasn't into experiencing one more bit of technological genius; after all, we had a new administrator, a new grading program, and lots of new expectations coupled with lots of new paperwork. Learning something else "new" wasn't on my list of priorities However, this week, even though it's the week before Christmas break and I'd be crazy try something new, I decided to try it. After all, it actually sounded like a decent idea.  In fact, NewsELA brags to be: "an innovative way to build reading comprehension with nonfiction that's always relevant:  daily news."  The program promises to be "easy and amazing."  

I thought, "What the heck; let's see how it works."  I'm so glad I did!

WHY NewsELA?

1. It is easy to sign up. 
2. It is free.
3. It is user-friendly.

THE SET UP:  Creating classes was easy; I just followed the prompts after signing up, and my classes practically registered themselves. 

The next part had me a little worried, “How to assign my kids to the classes.”  I shouldn’t have worried one bit.  The LS Teachers explained that they created accounts for their kids -- something I wasn’t looking forward to doing.  Instead, I had my kids simply click on “Sign Up” at the top of the page.  Using their school username and password they registered, used the classroom code (Look in your my "settings cog" icon), and were ready to roll!

HOW TO USE IT:  First, I showed students how the program worked for me -- the icons for what I could see in the settings cog and my binder.  I can monitor the date they accessed the program, the title, the reading level, and the student’s percentage on each quiz. It's actually pretty amazing!

Then, I had students select a heading (in the blue) of their choice.  Some wanted to read something specific about their shop, so they clicked on the magnifying glass icon (with a + sign), typed a key word in the search bar, and found success! 

Next, I asked students to discover the differences between articles – other than a picture and the title.  “What does this article have that the other article does not?”  They were able to see the date of publication, the resource, the number of likes.  Most important to the manner I want to use the program, the fact that one article might have a light bulb while the other might not was what I wanted them to discover; this light bulb indicates that there is a 4-question quiz (designed to mimic a standardized testing format).  

Finally, I briefly explained Lexile Levels to them. The kiddos basically understood that the levels with the smaller numbers are easier to read, and the MAX level might be read by someone studying in college. 

KIDS CAN OWN THEIR PROGRESS:  I invited my students to select an article of their choice and set the reading to the level they on which they wish to read.  For the next few moments, you could have heard a pin drop as they did as I asked – THAT’s the power of student-choice. 

 I always love approaching a conversation that is on-task
to the purpose; here, Matt, an electriical occupations student,
 is demonstrating with his hand the gist of the article.
about prosthetic devices with robotic mechanisims.  He was 
suprised when I caught him making connections to his 
shop and actually enjoying using the program!  
Mission accomplished!

As they finished, some scored perfectly (thanks to selecting a level that was too simple for them), and some struggled (thanks to over-reaching for a level too challenging).  This is where I set the challenge.  I returned to my binder to show them the results on my side. I showed the how I select CLASSES, hover my mouse over the class to expand to a drop down message, “EXPAND TO VIEW ALL STUDENT ACTIVITY,” and clicked on that message bar.  I then clicked on a student name to see their article, grade level read, date, and quiz percentage.   

I then asked, “If you go to a gym to exercise but never sweat, are you really getting the best exercise possible?  If you go to a gym and overdo it and hurt yourself, are you really getting the best exercise?”  Most begin to understand my point.  “The mind is like a muscle.  If you don’t exercise it, you can’t make it stronger; if you overuse it to the point of injury, you only experience frustration.” 

Of course I had a student who told me that a mind is, “in fact, NOT a muscle; it’s an organ.” 

My joking response to that student was, “And if you know that, YOU should have selected a higher reading level!” 

SETTING GOALS:  I told the kids, “If you read on a certain level and get 100%, the next time you read, try a higher level.  If the level you read is too frustrating or if you earned less than 50% on the quiz, then change your level so it’s not so challenging.”  I encouraged them that when they began scoring 100% scores, they should then they should challenge themselves on next level! 

GRADING – SAFETY ZONE:  While I DO believe in holding kids accountable with grades, I also believe that it is appropriate to use data to guide instruction.  Once the kids select their perfect reading level, I tell them that I’m not going to grade their scores; I’m going to grade their attempts to improve those scores.  “At first, we will use NewsELA as homework about two times a week.  If you don’t have a computer, I can give you a printed copy of the article of our choice.  If you read and take a quiz on two different days, then I’ll give you full credit for homework.”  This creates a safety-zone where kids feel comfortable to try and fail and try again!     

Josh checks over a problem he missed.  Having a
safety net to miss a problem and the the opportunity to
learn from mistakes is crucial in education. Kids need
to learn to work through their confusion, and programs
like NewsELA help in that endeavor.  The task of the teacher
is now to simply monitor the room and keep the 
kids on-task -- easy to do when you have a great site like this!

I did tell them that they will move up quicker if they make sure they understand their mistakes.  They can do this by clicking on the red circle that marks their incorrect answer after they finish their quiz.  If they still don’t understand, I have built it in to my classroom procedures so they ask a partner in their group before they ask me.  I facilitate the review process and only intervene to clarify and re-teach concepts.  I can also “kill two birds” by sharing the mini-lesson with the partner, as well. 

MODIFYING:  Because our standardized tests are still in paper form, I make sure I modify by giving special-needs kiddos a printed copy so they can use highlighting and note-making skills throughout – just as I hope they would on state tests.  This way, they can also take the piece home if they need extended time.   

Overall, students seemed to enjoy using NewsELA.  Some students are going to buck every lesson, no matter what hoops a teacher might tap-dance through; remember, that it’s still important to try. 

WAIT, STICK TO MY GUNS, AND SEE:  I look forward to learning to use the site to assign specific articles that blend with our discussion; I REALLY look forward to seeing if this helps the kids improve their reading levels!  I just need to be patient, be consistent in assigning homework, and evaluate the effectiveness as I contine trying the program.  It DOES seem to be worth it!

(first published in one of my earlier blogs on Dec 20, 2014)