Module 2 Cloze Procedure 5s3h5b

Gilles 1 Emily Gilles Dr. Monsour ED 327 10/7/14 Cloze Procedure Findings: The paragraph that I chose was from the infotext Writing Fiction, A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway. In the selected 100 words used for the Cloze procedures, there were 7 sentences, 155 syllables including proper nouns, and 153 syllables without proper nouns. The 100 words chosen are: “Like their mold-ravaged house, the Microserfs also receive almost no sun as they pursue their project shipping deadlines round the clock; the litter of objects listed gives clues to whatever thin slices of personality remain. What generalizations might you make about the Microserfs after reading this age? Are they self-absorbed? Driven, wealthy, immature? Focused or sloppy? All these descriptions may apply, but they seem bland and inadequate when Juxtaposed with the list of specific details that bring them to life in a way that mere adjectives never could. Here is Michael Martone again: “The reader is to” Using the Fry Chart Cloze Procedure, the grade level was between 9th and 10th grade based on the 7 sentences and 155 syllables (it did not vary without the proper nouns because the syllable count was only 153 without them). Using the word documents Flesch-Kincaid Cloze Procedure, the grade level was 8.4 with the Flesch Reading Ease at 56.6%. This was found using the spelling and grammar check in Word Documents. Using the Gunning Fox Index Cloze Procedure, the reading level came to be 10.52, so in between 10th and 11th grade. I found this by dividing the number of sentences into the number of words, coming to an average sentence length of 14.3. I then found the number of „big words‟ (which are three syllables or more) and divided that by 100 to find the percentage of big words, which ended at 12%. I then added the average sentence length with the percentage and multiplied that sum by 0.4 to find that the reading level was at 10.52. There might be a discrepancy based on what was deemed to be difficult words, such as the more than three syllable count or also the number of sentences compared to the number of larger syllabic words. When looking in the book itself, I found an excerpt by the author that might explain the discrepancy as well: “Writing Fiction is used by many instructors in both beginning and advanced writing courses and for students at very different levels of understanding. We have tried, therefore, to make it practical, comprehensive, and flexible”.

Gilles 2 Resource List for Content Reading Level Materials: Resource Chosen: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Below Level: 1. “Thug Notes”- a satirical summary of the novel on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmKEltYUy6k) 2. Video Spark notes- another summary of the novel, this time more indepth on YouTube that goes into explaining the themes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmKEltYUy6k) 3. Illustrations by Matt Kish that interpret the novel with an article that explains some of the pieces (http://flavorwire.com/421836/mattkishs-brilliant-illustrations-for-joseph-conrads-heart-of-darkness/2) 4. A study guide for the novel that explains key concepts in an easily understandable format and language (http://wwwpersonal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english320/sg-Conrad-HD.htm) On Level: 1. A website that has a more intermediate level study guide that has more complex words than the basic level study guides (http://www.gradesaver.com/heart-of-darkness/) 2. An oral interpretation of the novel, completely done only through audio and no visual (http://www.loudlit.org/works/heartofdarkness.htm) 3. A YouTube video that has a more critical analysis of the novel as well as on Conrad himself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr6UBofPZm4) 4. The movie interpretation of the novel- created in 1993 that can cause students to contrast the two versions for meaning on an intermediate level (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110002/) Above Level: 1. Interpretations and Ideas from the Joseph Conrad Society on the novel (http://www.josephconradsociety.org/student_resources.htm) 2. An academic article from “All Africa” on the questionable concepts of racism and colonization that’s raised in the novel (http://allafrica.com/stories/201304080353.html) 3. A discussion of the original publication of the novel in regards to it’s literary time period during the Victorian Age (http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/conrad/pva46.html) 4. An academic article on Joseph Conrad’s biography and how he came to write the novel (http://loki.stockton.edu/~kinsellt/projects/hod/bio.html)

Gilles 3 Analysis Findings: In gathering the resource list for the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, I was aware that the novel itself is at a higher difficulty level itself. With that in mind, I knew that a lot of the below and even on level resources would have to be summaries and analysis’ of the novel in order to assist students in reading that material. All of the resources that I found were at the reading level according to the Cloze results because I used the Cloze procedure offered by the Advanced Google search as well as a few that I tested using the Fry Graph Cloze Procedure. This novel is usually taught in the 11th grade, so I used that grade level for the resource list. For below level resources, I tried to find more videos and audio clips in order for students to be able to follow along while engaging with the video. One that I enjoyed the most was #1 provided by “Thug Notes” on YouTube. It was almost a parody of the novel, but it gained attention by presenting the information in a simplistic and relatable way. This is important when the text is very difficult, in order for the students to not become frustrated while learning. For on level resources, I tried to find a mixture of written and visual/audio analysis and interpretation of the novel. Students can still get confused with the material for on level analysis, and guiding them into more critical thinking is important. For example, there were a few study guides that explained concepts but also the movie version of the novel that they have to engage with on a higher level in order to see the differences between the two versions. For above level resources, I found a lot of academic articles that discussed the themes of the novel on a higher level, connecting them with the world and different social issues. One that I thought was very interesting was the academic article that explored whether the novel was racist. I realize that this article would not suit all classrooms as it could cause pandemonium, but that faucet of the novel is very important to explore with above level students who would be more mature in discussing the real racial implications. If I did not have access to other reading materials, I would adapt the text in simpler ways for the students on every level. I think that the text would frustrate a lot of readers for the below level, and thus I would create a guide of main points to look at in each chapter of the novel. I would also explain key ideas to them, and have them find what they think were examples of those in the text as they read, that way they’re not overwhelmed with finding the ideas themselves. As for on level, I would have them begin to find those ideas themselves. I would give them important ages to look at, and then they would have to derive the meaning for themselves. As for above level, I would have them just create a discussion themselves with the author, with only a little guidance. They would have to come up with the key ideas and themes, as well as find textual . I would evaluate the student’s knowledge of the content if they could not read of comprehend it with group projects. This lets the students bounce ideas off of each other, and puts less stress on one singular student to come up with all of the analysis. If one student is at a higher level then the other than they can complement each other with different viewpoints, and that allows for both of them to get new ideas from the text. I think that if in groups they discuss the novel then they will get

Gilles 4 more knowledge then if they struggle singularly, so that this way they can work together.