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Dive Into The Deep End

Anchor texts build understanding of complex ideas.

By Diane Zimmerman
April 2016
The Internet has opened new avenues for professional learning design — especially the use of text and video to extend learning and create opportunities for the social construction of knowledge. When text is paired with collaborative designs, participants engage in powerful learning, which provides quality time to think out loud together. Engaging adults in text invites them to be active interpreters of critical themes. When a reader knows that a social contribution is expected, she comes prepared to explain personal understandings. In 2014, instructional coaches Katrina Litzau and Vicki Murray designed professional learning to support teachers and principals in developing a deeper understanding of the cognitive processes of leadership. Steeped in the Common Core State Standards and building on quality literacy instruction, they designed the

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Authors

Diane P. Zimmerman, Katrina M. Litzau, and Vicki L. Murray

Diane P. Zimmerman (dpzimmer@gmail.com) is a retired superintendent and author of Liberating Leadership Capacity: Pathways to Educational Wisdom (Teachers College Press, 2016). Katrina M. Litzau (katrina@litzau.net) and Vicki L. Murray (vickimurrayco@gmail.com) are professional learning specialists and elementary and middle school instructional coaches.

References

Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: A lifetime of learning about writing, reading, and adolescents. (3rd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Calkins L. (1994). The art of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Costa, A., Garmston, R., & Zimmerman, D. (2014). Cognitive capital: Investing in teacher quality. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Zimmerman, D. (2014). Cognitive capital: Investing in teacher quality. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Graves, D. (1994). A fresh look at writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Johnston, P. & Goatley, V. (2014). Research making its way into classroom practice. The Reading Teacher, 68(4), 245-250.

Lehman, C. & Roberts, K. (2014). Falling in love with close reading: Lessons for analyzing text — and life. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Litzau, K. & Murray, V. (2014). Anchor texts. Available at www.cognitivecaptial.org/about-anchor-texts.html.


Diane zimmerman
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Diane P. Zimmerman (dpzimmer@gmail.com) is a retired superintendent and author.


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