1
Issues for Learning and Teaching, Johnson, Syllabus
Writing in Education: Issues in Learning and Teaching
Helen L. Johnson
Powdermaker Hal 057D
718 997-5312
SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
“Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more” (Confucius). “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms”(Socrates).
Across civilizations and centuries, scholars and sages have emphasized the centrality of language to our understanding and engagement in the world. Through language - speaking and listening, reading and writing - learners construct and organize what they know, elaborate on their knowledge with questions that propel new learning, and share their understandings with others. Educators use language for all these purposes, and also to initiate collaborations with families and colleagues, request resources for their students and classrooms, and evaluate and advocate educational policies and practices. Language is at the heart of many contemporary controversies in American education, including: 1) defining “best practice” for working with students who struggle with reading and writing; 2) deciding how to include different languages in the classroom; 3) identifying appropriate learning goals and optimal learning experiences for students whose first language is not English; and 4) connecting home and school languages to promote academic success in linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms.
In EECE 101, students study and practice some of the ways in which language is used to describe and promote learning in contemporary American education. Students engage in writing activities employed frequently by educational professionals, use academic vocabulary commonly applied in the field of education, and practice some of the ways that writing is used in education for classroom practice and pedagogy, analysis, and advocacy. Through varied in-class and at-home writing experiences, students reflect on how language shapes their personal learning experiences, structures classroom learning processes, and frames some of the current controversies in American education.
EECE 101 fulfills the College Writing 2 requirement and builds on the work of English 110 (College Writing 1) to teach the conventions of writing in the discipline of Education. In each section of this variable topics course, students develop writing skills that are required by the multi-disciplinary and applied nature of Education, including: reflection, description, analysis, and synthesis. Students develop an e-portfolio that documents their growth as writers and serves as a resource for their future studies related to Education.
Learning Objectives
In this course, students will:
- Strengthen production of grammatically accurate and cohesive academic writing in a variety of genres frequently used in the field of Education: reflection (Assignment 1, Education Memory),description (Assignment 2, Classroom Observation report), analysis (Assignment 3, Evidence-Based Issue Analysis), and synthesis (Assignment 4, Position Statement)
- Practice applying key terms from academic discourse in the field of Education (Assignments 1-4)
- Use a variety of research and opinion publications to study elements of writing: motive, structure, reflecting, orienting, stance, style (Assignments 1-3)
- Increase competency in writing about the connections between personal experience, empirical evidence, and theory (Assignments 1-4)
ASSIGNMENTS
There are four major assignments, listed below, each of which will be reviewed and revised before final submission. In addition, students will complete in-class and at-home pre-draft writing assignments.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. All assignments should be submitted as typewritten double-spaced documents. Electronic versions are not acceptable. Please proofread all your assignments carefully before submitting them.
Assignment 1: Education Memory (Reflection) (500 words)
Describe a personal learning experience and its influence on the path(s) you have taken as a student. Think back to your earlier school years and identify an incident in which someone said something to you that has had an important impact on you as a learner. Describe (to the best of your memory) what the person said, and how it would fit in Johnston’s table of ideational and interpersonal dimensions of language (p. 6). Using Gordon Harvey’s definition of Reflecting (attached below) as a guide, reflect on how this experience affected you as a learner, reader, and/or writer.
Attachment: From Gordon Harvey
Reflecting:when you pause in your demonstration to reflect on it, to raise or answer a question about it – as when you (1) consider acounter-argument – a possible objection, alternative, or problem that a skeptical or resistant reader might raise; (2) define your terms or assumptions (what do I mean by this term/ or, what am I assuming here?); (3) handle a newly emergent concern (but if this is so, then how can X be?); (4) draw out an implication (so what? What might be the wider significance of the argument I have made? What might it lead to if I’m right? Or, what does my argument about a single aspect of tis suggest about the whole thing? Or about the way people live and think?); (6) offer a qualification or limitation to the case you have made (what you’re not saying). The first of these reflections can come anywhere in an essay; the second usually comes early; the last four often come late (they’re common moves of conclusion).
Assignment 2: Classroom Observation Report (Description) (750 words)
Select two verbal exchanges or conversations from the classroom video (TBD) viewed in class.Describe each exchange, noting the ideational and/or interpersonal content as discussed by Johnston. After describing the two exchanges, discuss how each illustrates Swinney & Velasco’s description of supportive classroom conversations, and which types of questions identified by Wolf are used.
Assignment 3: Evidence-Based Analysis (Analysis) (1250 words)
For this assignment, select the assigned reading by Cummins, Delbanco, or Fisher & Frey. Write a comparative analysis of two contrasting educational approaches or positions described in the article, using the comparative essay on the musical band Radiohead (attached) as a model. For each approach, include supporting evidence drawn from two separate peer-reviewed articles from recent professional publications (a total of four articles).
Advice:
Summarize key points of agreement and disagreement between the two approaches, and consider how differences in their views of learning are reflected in their descriptions of students, teachers, and classrooms. The Class Research Sources List (TBD) includes references that can be used as the four sources required for this assignment (two supporting each view).
Assignment 4: Position Statement (Synthesis) (1250 words)
Describe a language issue in contemporary American education, selected from our class list of “hot topics” (TBD). Summarize two contrasting positions that are asserted about the issue, citing recent reliable and valid evidence from two different peer-reviewed professional sources that support each perspective (a total of four sources). Synthesize key findings from the sources to make an evidence-based argument for a specific educational policy or practice.
Advice:
You may find it helpful to select the topic used in Assignment 3 and draw upon the work that you have already done about it. The Class Research Sources List (TBD) includes references that can be used as the four sources required for this assignment (two supporting each view).
READINGS/REQUIRED TEXTS
All required readings for this course will be posted on Blackboard or distributed in class. In addition to the readings listed on the course schedule below, readings from current periodicals will be assigned to connect course content with the ongoing discourse about educational issues. Students are not responsible for purchasing any texts.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
(14 3-hour meetings)
Week 1:Introduction and overview of course
How is writing used in learning and teaching? How can we use writing to reflect on personal experiences?
Week 2:Family contexts of language and learning
Assignment for week 2 – Family Literacy Timeline (250 words)
Readings for week 2 –
Johnston, P.H. (2004). Choice Words (pp.1-10). Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Palacio, R.J. (2012). Wonder (pp. 45-48). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Week 3: Contexts and perspectives in writing about learning
Workshop: Proofreading
Assignment for week 3 – Education Memory, 1st draft (500 words)
Reading for week 3 –
Johnston, P.H. (2004). Choice Words (pp.11-21. Portland, ME:Stenhouse.
Week 4:Creating a supportive classroom language environment
Workshop: Peer Review (guidelines for preparing a peer review)
Assignment for week 4 – Revision of Education Memory 1st draft (based on Proofreading Workshop)
Readings for week 4 –
Swinney, R., & Velasco, P. (2011). Connecting Content and Academic
Language for English Learners and Struggling Students, Grades 2-6 (pp. 37-44). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Wolf, D.P. (1987). The art of questioning. Academic Connections,1-7.
Week 5:Classroom language processes to support content area learning
Workshop: Evidence
Assignment for week 5 – Peer review of Personal Memory (250 words)
Readings for week 5 –
Whitin, P. (2007). The ties that bind: Emergent literacy and
scientific inquiry. Language Arts,85(1), 20-30.
Trebay, G. (April 6, 2014). The found art of thank-you notes. The New
York Times Style Section.
Week 6:Writing activities and the development of communicative competence
Assignment for week 6 – Following their Lead (250 words)
Readings for week 6 –
Dyson, A.H. (1994). I’m gonna express myself. A.H. Dyson & C.
Genishi (Eds.), The Need for Story (pp. 155-171). Champaign, ILL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Konnikova, M. (March 23, 2014). The lost art of the unsent angry letter.
The New York Time Sunday Review.
Week 7: Language and home-school connections
Workshop: Analysis
Assignment for week 7 – Classroom Observation Report (750 words)
Readings for week 7 –
Teale, W.H. (2009). Students learning English and their literacy instruction
in urban schools. The Reading Teacher, 62(8), 669-703.
Choi, Y. (2003) The Name Jar. New York: Dragonfly Books. ISBN-13:
978-0440417996.
Henke, K. (2008). Chrysanthemum.New York: HarperCollins. ISBN-13:
9780688147327.
Week 8:Language instruction in diverse classrooms
Workshop: Preparing an article annotation
Assignment for week 8 – Annotations for two articles for Assignment 3
(350 words)
Reading for week 8 –
Cummins, J. (2007). Rethinking monolingual instructional strategies
in multilingual classrooms.Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics,10(2), 221-240.
Bolling, A. (2008). Stories of our world. Teaching Tolerance, 29, 8-9.
Week 9:Talking about schools
Workshop: Introducing and contextualizing sources
Assignment for week 9 – Annotations for two additional articles for Assignment 3 (350 words)
Readings for week 9 –
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2007). A tale of two middle schools: the differences
in structure and instruction. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 51(3), 204-211.
Boylan, J. A Common Core for all of us. (March 23, 2014). The New York
Times Sunday Review.
Week 10:The language of school reform
Assignment for week 10 – Assignment 3, Evidence-Based Issue Analysis (1250 words)
Reading for week 10 –
Delbanco, A. (October 10,2013). The two faces of American
education. The New York Review of Books.
Week 11: Formulating an evidence-based argument
Assignment for week 11 – Making the Case (250 words)
Readings for week 11 – articles selected by students
Week 12: Working individually and in small groups, students will work on final
revisions of Assignments 1-3 and uploading materials into ePortfolio.
Assignment for week 12 - Position Statement (1250 words)
Week 13:Working individually and in small groups, students will work on final
revisions of Assignments 1-4 and uploading materials into ePortfolio.
Week 14:In lieu of a final exam, students are responsible for completing their
revisions and uploading into ePortfolio of Assignments 1-4, and entering a Course Reflection into ePortfolio.
GRADING
Assignments will be weighted as follows:
Assignment 1, Family Story Reflection 10
Assignment 2, Storytelling Observation 15
Assignment 3, Evidence-Based Story Talk25
Assignment 4, Personal Narrative25
Participation25
100
Grading is conducted on a point system. Any late assignment will result in a 5-point reduction every week that it is late. To determine your final letter grade, add up the points for each assignment and use the following scale:
A+ = 100-97 B+ = 89-87C+ =79-77 F = 69-below
A =96-94 B = 86-84C =76-74
A- =90-93 B- = 83-80C- = 73-70
A grade of incomplete for the course will only be given in very unusual circumstances, based on a written request from the student and written approval from the instructor and the student’s advisor, with a written agreement indicating the deadlines for completing all course requirements. Failure to fulfill any of these arrangements for grades of “incomplete” may result in a failing grade for the course.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
If you have a disability and require special accommodations, please let me know at the beginning of the semester so that I can make any arrangements that will be helpful to your success in the course, as required by campus policy and federal law. Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Special Services Office, Kiely 171, and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class. For more information about services available to Queens College students, contact the Special Services Office by telephone (718 997-5870), or stop by in person during office hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR
Please pay careful attention to the following policies:
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:
Academic dishonesty is prohibited in the City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including filing grades, suspension, and expulsions. For the complete policy, see
academicintegrityfinal6-8-11.pdf
Plagiarism involves using someone else’s writing in without adequately acknowledging the source. Sometimes this occurs because students are unfamiliar with the requirements for acknowledging sources.It is important to follow carefully the guidelines for citing sources as outlined in the American Psychological Association Style Manual, Sixth Edition. An excellent summary of APA style requirements, with examples, is available at owl.english.purdue.edu. If you have any questions about the guidelines, please check with me.
Attendance and Punctuality:
Regular attendance at class meetings is necessary for doing well in this course. There are many activities during class time that cannot be made up if you are not present. If you are going to miss a class (or need to arrive late or leave early), please let me know ahead of time. Students who arrive late or leave early disrupt the class and miss important information.
Cell Phones:
Please turn off all cell phones before entering the class. If you are in an emergency situation or are expecting a truly urgent communication, please turn off any sounds or audible signals your device may emit during use, turn your ringer down low, or use a vibrating signal if your device has one, and be sure to sit near a door and exit quietly to take a call or respond to a message.
Please avoid texting in class. It is disruptive to fellow students and it is distracting to me. Students who are chronic texters will be asked to leave class.
USE OF STUDENT WORK
All teacher education programs in New York State undergo periodic reviews by accreditation agencies and the NYS Department of Education. For these purposes, samples of students’ work are made available to those professionals conducting the review. Student anonymity is assured under these circumstances. If you do not wish to have your work made available for these purposes, please let the instructor know by the end of the second class.
RELATED READINGS
Students may find the articles and books listed below helpful as resources for course assignments; excerpts from some of these books will be used for in-class activities.
Brown, D. W. (2009). In Other Words. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Cho, E., Chen, D. & Shin, S. (2010). Supporting transnational families. Young
Children, 65, 30-37.
Coles, R. (1989). The Call of Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Cowhey, M. (2006). Black Ants and Buddhists. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Gillespie, J. (2005). “It would be fun to do again”: Multigenre responses to
literature. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 48(8), 678-684.
Heard, G. (1995). Writing Toward Home. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Johnston, P.H. (2004). Choice Words. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Lane, H.B., & Allen, S.A. (2010). The vocabulary-rich classroom: Modeling
sophisticated word use to promote word consciousness and vocabulary growth. The Reading Teacher, 63(5), 362-370.
Palacio, R.J. (2012). Wonder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Ravitch, D. (2010). The Death and life of the Great American School System.
Philadelphia: Perseus.
Strunk, W., & White, E.B. (2000). The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition. New York:
Longman.
Swinney, R., & Velasco, P. (2011). Connecting Content and Academic Language
for English Learners and Struggling Students, Grades 2-6. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Wheeler, R. S., & Swords, R. (2004). Code-switching: Tools of language and culture
transform the dialectically diverse classroom. Language Arts, 81 (6), 470-480.
Wheeler, R. S., & Swords, R. (2006). Code-Switching: Teaching Standard English
in Urban Classrooms, Theory & Research into Practice. Urbana, ILL: National
Council of Teachers of English.
Wolk, S. (2009). Reading for a better world: Teaching for social responsibility with
young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 52 (8), 664-673.
Zinsser, W. (2006). On Writing Well. New York: Harper Collins.