Overview of Institute
The Authentic Pedagogy for Integrating Reading into Geography Institute will prepare teachers to integrate reading strategies into authentic geography and social science curriculum in order to help students achieve required levels of reading. The institute is organized around Geographic Foundations, Immigration Origins and Settlement Patterns, Authentic Pedagogy, and Reading Strategies. As a result of the institute:
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Participants will incorporate authentic lessons into their curriculum.
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Participants will construct authentic geography lessons and strategic reading strategies available to teachers statewide via the MAGE website.
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Participants will utilize this curriculum in their classrooms and present their results of students’ learning to colleagues during a professional meeting.
Goals of Institute
The purpose of the institute is to enable teachers to develop an authentic curriculum focused on integration of reading into geography lessons that deal with the origin regions of immigrants to the Twin Cities and the neighborhoods in the Twin Cities that house large numbers of immigrants.
The major goals of the institute are:
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To enable teachers to put into practice the principles of authentic pedagogy in their classrooms
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To expand teachers’ knowledge of geography’s fundamental concepts and the geography of major world regions to understand the linkages of students’ lives and the origin areas of recent immigrants to meet the social studies standards
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To enhance teachers’ understanding of strategic reading strategies
As a result of the institute, teachers’ impact on students’ learning should be significant. Their students will think more deeply and engage in substantive conversations of geography through critical reading and literacy learning activities to make meaningful connections beyond the classroom. Furthermore, the dissemination of learning could potentially impact thousands of students.
Objectives of Institute
The Authentic Pedagogy for Integrating Reading into Geography Institute has several objectives for the participants:
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Develop a lesson that incorporates geography content, reading strategies, and authentic pedagogy to meet the social studies and reading standards
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Attend two follow-up sessions
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Present the lesson and the results of students’ learning of the lesson to colleagues at a professional meeting
Lesson
Complete a lesson for your content area using authentic pedagogy and a reading from a nonfiction, fiction, or informational text. The lesson template serves as a guide to construct a lesson that incorporates information from lectures, strategic reading strategies, and authentic pedagogy to meet social studies and reading standards. Microteaching will occur on Friday, July 29.
Follow-up Sessions
Two follow-up sessions will complete the institute. The review and renewal sessions will focus on sharing institute results, preparing a presentation, participating on a field trip, and learning about GIS. An email will be sent prior to each follow-up session outlining the day’s events. Follow-up Session #1 is Saturday, September 17 from 9:00 to 3:00 at Macalester for an all-day field trip, rain or shine, to St. Paul and Minneapolis. Follow-up Session #2 is Saturday, October 8 from 9:00 to 3:00 at Macalester for a presentation and practice using Geographic Information Systems.
Professional Development Presentation
Share the Authentic Pedagogy for Integrating Reading into Geography Institute with your colleagues at an in-district or out-of-district professional meeting. This presentation may be given to a subject area, grade level, or heterogeneous group of colleagues. It may be given to colleagues in your school, school district or at a subject-area workshop. You may present your lesson individually or collaboratively. Document your presentation using the form provided by February 15.
This “action research” will validate your effective teaching, meet the institute goals, provide you with course credits or CEUs, and encourage a vision for your future teaching.
