CIGENRL 710 Current Topics in Curriculum and Instruction

#1150 Section 04 [units: 3] NOTE: Hybrid course with face to face and synchronous web based dates arranged by instructor. Asynchronous web based instruction in addition to dates listed below to be arranged. Joining face to face dates remotely can be arranged with instructor.

DateDayTimesLocation

6/18-7/28Arranged Arranged WEB BASED

6/18 M 5-7pm WEB BASED

6/19 T 5-7pm(on campus room)

6/21 TH 5-7pm(on campus room)

6/26 T5-7pm(on campus room)

6/28 TH5-7pm(on campus room)

7/2M5-7pmWEB BASED

7/5TH5-7pmWEB BASED

7/16T5-7pm(on campus room)

7/19TH5-7pm(on campus room)

7/24T5-7pm(on campus room)

7/26TH5-7pm(on campus room)

Objectives/Goals:

Teaching heritage learners is not the same as teaching learners of a foreign language. Heritage languages are languages other than English that are spoken in homes, communities, and extended families. Although many of our students come from vibrant multilingual contexts, unless bilingual options are available, youth seldom have access to expanding their home/community languages (and literacy in them) in schools, which are predominantly English environments. When students are given the opportunity to use, learn, and expand on their heritage languages, they are able to tap into an abundance of resources and knowledge.

We will examine social justice topics, community-based learning for growing heritage language (literacy), and authentic assessments for heritage language development. Participants will collaborate; connect experiences of heritage teachers and learners to research on multilingual development; and learn how to bring communities, classrooms, and digital storytelling together to create powerful heritage language learning environments.

We will get an overview of and begin to explore the following topics:

  • Defining heritage languages, heritage learners, and goals for heritage language education
  • Curriculum Development: The role of identity
  • Curriculum Development: Arts-integration
  • Curriculum Development: Communities & Content
  • Assessment for learning, Assessment for advocacy

After this introductory course, you will be able to:

  • Recognize who our heritage language learners are, and identify ways to maintain and strengthen heritage languages;
  • Understand various youth-driven pedagogical models to support heritage learners and facilitate school-community engagement and partnerships;
  • Utilize multimodal tools and techniques to create heritage language specific texts and materials;
  • Apply identity texts as an approach to showcase and support language growth; and
  • Generate ways to support heritage learners in your classroom.

We will be guided by the following questions:

“Who are heritage language speakers/learner?”
  • Heritage vs. foreign language learners
  • Principles of heritage language instruction
  • Macro & micro approaches

“What is the role of identity in heritage language education?”
  • Positive linguistic and cultural identity formation
  • Identity texts
  • Multimodal identity texts

“How do the arts play into effective heritage language instruction?
  • Visual arts and visual literacy
  • Embodying language and content through theater arts
  • Digital storytelling
  • PhotoVoice

“What do we teach about? How do we make this class matter to youth?”
  • Content-based instruction
  • Project-based learning
  • Community-based learning
  • Critical community service learning projects
  • Youth-led participatory action research

“How do we assess, evaluate, grade, and show what youth are capable of?”
  • Formative assessment
  • Authentic and performance assessment
  • What about grading?
  • Assessing for language and content in content-based heritage language instruction
  • State seals of bilingualism/biliteracy

Schedule & Weekly Topics:

Week 1 (6/18-22)

M: 2-hr online meeting to familiarize with web tools and get to know one another

T: 2-hr F2F (intro to HLL learners and languages)

TH: 2-hr F2F (history of HLE and types of HL programs)

Week 2 (6/25-29)

T: 2-hr F2F (Theories of language: Translanguaging, puro espanol, and Spanglish)

TH: 2-hr F2F (Principles of HL instruction)

 & 2 hours online content, group work (Teaching mixed classes)

Week 3 (7/2-6)

M: 2-hr web based (Identity work)

TH: 2-hr web based (Identity texts)

 & 2 hours online content, group work (Creating and sharing identity texts)

Week 4 (7/9-13) Fully Online

 All content online (6 hours)
(Authentic texts and mixed modalities, digital storytelling)

Week 5 (7/16-20)

T: 2-hr F2F(Community-based learning)

TH: 2-hr F2F (Youth research)

 & 2 hours online content, group work (PDR, PBL, YPAR, CSL)

Week 6 (7/23-27)

T: 2 –hr F2F (Authentic Assessment & IPAs)

TH: 2-hr F2F(Advocacy, Seals)

 & 2 hours online content, group work (Action research design shares)

Focal module outline:

Week 3 (7/2-6)

M: 2-hr web based (Identity work)

TH: 2-hr web based (Identity texts)

 & 2 hours online content, group work (Creating and sharing identity texts)

  • Introducing identity work
  • Introducing identity texts
  • Models of identity texts (Portrait poems, song projects)
  • Model of identity text unit (Song project, video with annotated teacher plan)
  • Creating & Sharing identity texts guidelines

Important Assignment Due Dates:

  • Weekly WebEx small group discussions (ongoing)
  • 3x/week 1-2 page written reflection (kept as a blog: (ongoing, within 24 hours of session)
  • Selected meaning-making: Identity work (7/6/17); Adobe Spark Page/Video (7/13/17); Content & Pedagogies inventory (7/21/17)
  • Action research design (final project 7/27/17)