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Marcus Whitman Middle School

Home of the Trailblazers

Schoolwide AVID

Schoolwide AVID

AVID WICOR graphic with symbol for writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading.

WICOR Writing

Writing is:

  • A learning tool
  • A personal and public communication tool
  • A record of thinking

Stundents who write:

  • Consider audience and purpose
  • Engage in various writing processes to address specific situations
  • Support their thinking
  • Demonstrate understanding

The AVID curriculum supports writing through the use of:

  • Cornell note taking
  • Learning logs
  • Quickwrites and reflections
  • Process writing
  • Peer evaluation
  • Authentic writing

WICOR Inquiry

Inquiry is:

  • Uncovering one’s understanding
  • Asking critical questions
  • Engaging in thinking, learning, and discussion

Students who inquire:

  • Analyze and synthesize materials or ideas
  • Clarify their own thinking
  • Probe others’ thinking
  • Work through ambiguity

The AVID curriculum supports inquiry through the use of:

  • Skilled questioning techniques
  • Costa’s Levels of Thinking
  • Socratic Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Investigations
  • Guiding questions

 

WICOR Collaboration

Collaboration is:

  • Teamwork with shared responsibility
  • Sharing of ideas, information, and opinions
  • Formal and informal discussion

Students who collaborate:

  • Work together toward a common goal
  • Develop positive interdependence
  • Work in focused study groups
  • Suppor the learning of others through inquiry

The AVID curriculum supports collaboration through the use of:

  • Socratic seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Philosophical Chairs
  • Group activities and projects
  • Peer editing groups
  • Service learning projects

WICOR Organization

Organization is:

  • Managing materials and practicing methodical study habits
  • Planning and prioritizing school, work, and social tasks
  • Engaging in mental preparation and goal-setting
  • Strategically and intentionally taking responsibility for one’s own learning

Students who organize:

  • Develop and use processes, procedures, and tools to study effectively
  • Manage their time through prioritizing and goal setting
  • Are prepared for courses, participate during instruction, and interact with instructors
  • Self-direct, self-evaluate, self-monitor, and self-advocate

The AVID curriculum supports organization throught the use of:

  • Binder and organizational tools
  • Calendars, planners, and agendas
  • Graphic organizers
  • A focused note-taking system
  • Tutorials and study groups
  • Project planning and SMART goals

WICOR Reading

Reading is:

  • Strategically gaining meaning, understanding, and knowledge from print and other media
  • Purpose driven
  • Interactive

Students who read:

  • Understand text structures
  • Apply prior knowledge and make connections to other texts, self, and the world
  • Make predictions and ask questions
  • Create visual images as they read

The AVID curriculum supports reading through the use of:

  • Deep reading strategies
  • Note-taking
  • Graphic organizers
  • Vocabulary building
  • Summarizing
  • Reciprocal teaching