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There are options for teachers to incorporate a variety of literature into their classrooms, as the CCSS provides for that flexibility. For example, there are websites that provide free downloads of books and audiobooks. One of these websites is http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/. Not only does it provide students with choices of literature that may apply to their funds of knowledge, it also gives teachers an easy way to differentiate and accommodate for different kinds of learners. Audiobooks are a good supplement for learners at different reading levels.

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This article examines project-based learning, which aligns with a literacy practices approach.

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To succeed in today's complex, dynamic, and globally connected world, students need to have a depth of understanding and learning that is far more than memorization and recollection of facts and figures. Rigorous project-based learning (PBL), as well as the skills and resources for achieving it, offers a promising pedagogical approach to helping all students succeed.

Is it possible for students to demonstrate deeper conceptual understanding and get the same or better scores on an AP test?

One of The George Lucas Educational Foundation's (GLEF's) current initiatives is a research program called Knowledge in Action (KIA), for which the Foundation provides funding, design, and collaboration. It received the 2013 Exemplary Research in Social Studies Award from the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). The program is designed and managed by a collaborative group of learning scientists, curriculum experts, teacher leaders, and GLEF Research staff. The research team is applying a rigorous PBL approach to the design of college-preparatory courses, so students can participate in authentic tasks that provide an experiential platform for learning that prepares them for college and careers.

Background and Purpose of the Research

In 2008, the Knowledge in Action Project was started through a collaboration with a research team from the University of Washington's College of Education and the Bellevue School District in Washington. The project began with the redesign of Advanced Placement (AP) courses because they have been considered the gold standard for rigorous courses in American high schools. The research project sought to answer two questions:

Is it possible for students to get the same or better scores on an AP test with a well-designed project-based learning course when compared with students of similar backgrounds and prior academic performance who are taking a traditionally taught course?

Is it possible for the students taking the PBL course to demonstrate deeper conceptual understanding of the subject matter as measured by an assessment of deeper learning when compared with students experiencing the traditionally taught course?

"Many want equity of access to rigorous courses; what we really want is equity of outcomes."
-- Dr. John D. Bransford, University of Washington

In addition, by deploying PBL, researchers were committed to designing a course that provided opportunities and support for greater student disciplinary engagement across a diverse range of learners, with an architecture that was both sustainable and scalable.

While the push for equity of access to rigorous upper-level academic experience is an important first step, the Knowledge in Action Project team also believes that working toward equity of outcomes for all students is what it takes to truly eliminate the achievement gap for students.

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Knowledge In Action Research: Helping to Make the Case for Rigorous Project-Based Learning | Edutopia

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To succeed in today's complex, dynamic, and globally connected world, students need to have a depth of understanding and learning that is far more than memorization and recollection of facts and figures. Rigorous project-based learning (PBL), as well as the skills and resources for achieving it, offers a promising pedagogical approach to helping all students succeed.

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Though grade level items should be viewed as suggestions (i.e. an activity for 6th graders may be appropriate for a given group of 8th graders or 5th graders, depending on the group), this website has many suggestions for lessons and classroom strategies.

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Achievethecore.org :: ELA / Literacy - ELA / Literacy Lessons

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This is an illustrated informational text that describes the many characteristics of butterflies. Through a poetic narrative, students ...

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The Literacy Practices Approach and Bloom's Taxonomy

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The Literacy Practices Approach and Bloom's Taxonomy

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In looking at Bloom's Taxonomy, the literacy practices approach seems to meet the following cognitive processes dimensions:

Understand - explain

Create - generate, produce

Apply - implement

Analyze - organize

It also moves past the factual knowledge dimension toward the procedural and metacognitive dimesnions.

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The knowledge dimension represents a range from concrete (factual) to abstract (metacognitive) (Table 2). Representation of the knowledge dimension as a number of discrete steps can be a bit misleading. For example, all procedural knowledge may not be more abstract than all conceptual knowledge. And metacognitive knowledge is a special case.

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As stated in the text, connections between students' funds of knowledge and the classroom are crucial. I reflected on ways this could be done in my observation classroom. The students are beginning to read The Great Gatsby. An overarching theme related to the text is the American Dream. Students could reflect on their personal American Dream by creating multimedia presentations. They could also interview their parents or other family members about their ideas of the American Dream, and they could write compare/contrast essays. Finally, they could examine the social issues that could prevent them from achieving their personal American Dream and take action to address the conflict. For example, if a student wishes to attend a university, they could look at inequities in college acceptance and could write a letter to a congressperson to urge legislation to ensure equality.

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The various frameworks for ELA have pros, but seem to emphasize parts of the whole as opposed to looking at the subject holistically. For example, the Shared Cultural Knowledge framework fails to recognize diversity in literature (Beach et al., 2012, p. 23). Addressing the CCSS through the literacy practices approach allows teachers the opportunity to incorporate a variety of resources and literature to meet the needs of the students, as well as the community.

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It is important to recognize that students may not come to the classroom having achieved the previous grade's benchmarks. The CCSS does lay out standards in terms of grade level, but the authors of the text argue that language arts should be viewed holistically. Teachers should consider the needs of students when creating classroom events, as opposed to solely relying on the grade-level standards as prescribed.

It is also important to recognize that textbooks aimed at certain grades may not always be appropriate for a given set of students. Teachers should be aware that textbook companies aim to make a profit, and because of this, the content may not apply in all situations. Publishers include or exclude information based on buyers. The CCSS does not specify texts which must be used in classrooms, which gives schools and/or teachers flexibility.

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Literacy Practices Approach in the 21st Century

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Literacy Practices Approach in the 21st Century

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"As a teacher in the 21st Century, you may want to rethink familiar notions of classroom instruction, instead involving students as co-learners in a redefined workspace" (Beach et al., 2012, p. 74). This can be achieved in several ways. One example is to create a media lab in which students collaborate on a variety of projects, involving multiple literacies (especially a digital literacy).

In this model, students are not dependent on the teacher as the sole holder of knowledge. Rather, they work together to create knowledge.

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Collaborating, synthesizing, connecting, constructing, framing, creating

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Constructing classroom events and spaces for meaningful activities -> Common Core State Standards -> instruction in the use of literacy practices -> using literacy practices to change the status quo (Beach et al., 2012, p. 43)

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"Media and digital literacies are rapidly being recognized as more important for language arts teachers to address" (Beach et al., 2012, p. 38). Many students are familiar with literacies at home and among their peers, such as rap music, blogging, magazines, and more. The literacy practices approach takes into account the various literacies that students bring into the classroom.

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According to Beach et al. (2012), there are several curriculum frameworks for English Language Arts:

ELA as Literacy Skills

ELA as Content Constituting Shared Cultural Knowledge

ELA as Knowledge of Literary and Rhetorical Forms

ELA as the Use of Reading/Writing Processes or Strategies

Though these frameworks address various aspects of ELA (such as the composing process as part of the fourth framework), the literacy practices approach differs in its social aspect. It focuses on creating events for students. The authors advocate this approach.

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A literacy practices approach "builds on the knowledge and experiences of your students, draws on the worlds they live in, and connects those worlds to texts, language practices, and critical issues" (Beach et al., 2012, p. 6).

This approach requires teachers to relate content and experiences to their students in order for effective learning to take place.

It also encourages engagement in texts, as this approach says that knowledge isn't necessarily acquired by students, but rather is something students do.

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Toolkit aligned with the Common Core State Standards

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A Guide to Aligning the Common Core State Standards with the Framework for 21st Century Skills Get the P21 COMMON CORE TOOLKIT Download Center

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Beach, R., Thein, A. H., & Webb, A. (2012). Teaching to exceed the English language arts Common Core State Standards: A literacy practices approach for 6-12 classrooms. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.