Disciplinary Literacy Virtual Library > Self-Paced Learning Modules

Module 1:  What is Disciplinary Literacy?

Lessons are designed for educators wishing to increase their understanding of disciplinary literacy at their own pace.
Lesson 1.1:  Introduction—Definitions of Disciplinary Literacy 
Lesson 1.2:  Disciplinary Literacy in Action—STEM Enhanced Disciplinary Literacy
Lesson 1.3:  Research—What Do Experts Say About Disciplinary Literacy?
Lesson 1.4:  Planning for Disciplinary Literacy in Your Classroom
Lesson 1.5:  A Disciplinary Literacy Concept Map

Lesson 1:3:  Research - What Do Experts Say About Disciplinary Literacy?

Task 1:  Learning from Experts on Disciplinary Literacy

"Watch Timothy Shanahan's talk "What is Disciplinary Literacy?""
Select two of the following resources to read:

Carnegie Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy (2010). Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success. New York, NY: Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Kamil, M. L., Borman, G. D., Dole, J., Kral, C. C., Salinger, T., and Torgesen, J. (2008). Improving adolescent literacy: Effective classroom and intervention practices: A Practice Guide (NCEE #2008-4027). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. 

Lee, C. D. & Spratley, A. (2009). Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy. Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

Shanahan, Timothy and Shanahan, Cynthia. (2008). Teaching Disciplinary Literacy to Adolescents:  Rethinking Content-Area Literacy.  Harvard Educational Review, Volume 78, pp. 40-59.

Task 2:  A Definition of Disciplinary Literacy

Revisit the definition you wrote for disciplinary literacy in lesson 1.  Refine it based on your learning in lessons 2 and 3.