WICR – The foundation strategy for AVID

With our AVID Demostration validation coming up and the desire to make Prairie the strongest school it can be, we wanted to remind teachers of WICR, the foundational strategy for AVID. We documentation of teachers at Prairie using WICR in all of our classrooms. I am sure most of you use the four parts of WICR in class everyday and don’t even realize it! Please read on and fill out the WICR check form on the back for a lesson or two and place them in Katie Reed’s mailbox!!

WICR — or writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading — forms the basis of the AVID curriculum. It gives students the skills they need to succeed in college-preparatory classes, like Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate. These techniques turn students from passive learners into active classroom contributors and critical thinkers, an approach that's necessary for college admission and success.

Writing to learn. AVID emphasizes writing in all subjects, with a focus on clarifying and communicating their thoughts and understanding material.

Emphasis on inquiry. AVID is based on inquiry, not lecture. Many activities, from Cornell notetaking to tutorial groups, are built around asking questions, which forces students to clarify, analyze, and synthesize material.

A collaborative approach. The AVID classroom is not a traditional one in which a teacher lectures to passive students. An AVID teacher is a facilitator and an advocate. But students, not teachers or tutors, are responsible for their learning. Tutors function as discussion leaders, while students challenge, help, and learn from one another.

Critical reading. AVID students don’t merely read words on a page. They are taught to analyze, question, critique, clarify, and comprehend the material.

W: WRITING
 Pre-write
 Draft
 Respond
 Revise
 Edit
 Final Draft
 Class/Textbook Cornell Notes
 Learning Logs/Journals
 Guided Reflections /

I:INQUIRY

 Costa’s Levels of Questions
 Skilled Questioning
 Socratic Seminars
 Philosophical Chairs
 Quick-write/Discussion
 Critical Thinking Activities
 Writing Questions
 Open-Mindedness Activities

C:COLLABORATION

 Group Projects
 Study Groups
 Jigsaw Activities
 Response/Edit/Revision
 Groups
 Collaborative Activities
 Team Building /

R:READING

 SQ3R (Scan, Question, Read, Recite, Review)
 KWL (What I Know, What I Want to Learn, Learned)
 Reciprocal Teaching
 “Think Alouds”
 Reader Response
 Graphic Organizers
 Vocabulary Building

TEACHER: LESSON OBJECTIVE:

CLASS:

DATE:

Writing / Inquiry
Collaboration / Reading