English Language and Composition

470 - Closing the Achievement Gap By Means of Diverse Texts and Socratic Seminars

Lead Presenter(s)

• AM

  Agile Milton

  Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Teacher
  Viera High School

From the outset, I will open up the session with a discussion of various texts--essays (Josh Groban's A-ha Moment Essay from O Magazine), speeches (i.e. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream"), and full-length nonfiction texts (Hidden Figures) that my students have considered over the past four years and which have worked best with minority students. Next, I will continue the session to show how I use Gale's Opposing Viewpoints database to hold Socratic seminars on topics that relate to the texts (i.e. Racial profiling). Then, I will highlight sample free response questions that relate to the texts read and topics covered and showcase student samples that connect the previous two components. Finally, I will provide statistics on the success rate of my minority students over the past four years on the AP English Language and Composition exam and then allow participants to ask questions about my methods and procedures.

Learning Objectives:

• First, participants will learn how to facilitate their minority students to critically interact (read and analyze) with nonfiction texts, in which they can relate. Second, participants will also learn how to facilitate their students of color to navigate (discuss by means of Socratic Seminar and respond to by means of argumentative or rhetorical analysis) topics in which they are familiar. Third, participants will learn how to choose free response questions that build on the previous outcomes in order to prepare minority students to score well on the AP English Language and Composition exam. Fourth, participants will ask questions to reflect on their own pedagogy.