Language Arts in the Middle Grades

COURSE SYLLABUS

RE – 3150-350

LANGUAGE ARTS IN THE MIDDLE GRADES

Appalachian State University – Spring Semester, 2003

Three Semester Hours

Tuesday evenings, 6:00 – 8:40 p.m.

Meeting Site: 276, Paap Building, CVCC Campus

Instructor:Dr. Tracy W. SmithOffice:202E Duncan Hall

Home Telephone: (828) 268-0222FAX:(828) 262-2686

Office Telephone:(828) 262-2274

Hours:Before and after class and by appointment

E-Mail:

Mailing Address:Department of Curriculum and Instruction

PO Box 32047

Boone, NC 28608

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A study of communication skills: literacy, speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary; a comparison of current teaching methods and materials; emphasis on the language arts as the core of the middle grades curriculum.

MAJOR COURSE TOPICS

The following topics will be emphasized in this course:

·Time, Ownership, and Response in the English Language Arts Classroom

·Teaching Reading in the English Language Arts Classroom

Seminars (Teacher and Student Led)

Literature Circles

Reading Workshop

Reading Response

Reading Aloud (teachers and students)

Types of Readers

Strategies to Improve Reading Skills

·Teaching Writing in the English Language Arts Classroom

Components of an effective program

Writing Workshop

Conventions

Responding to Student Writing

Performance Standards

·Teaching Speaking and Listening in the English Language Arts Classroom

·Assessment and Evaluation in the English Language Arts Classroom

Formal and Informal Assessments

Formative and Summative Evaluation

·Students with Special Needs

·Issues of Diversity

·Creating an Environment for Literacy Learning in the Middle Grades Classroom

·The Role of the Teacher in the Middle Grades Language Arts Classroom/Team

COURSE GOALS (Taken from ASU Middle Grades Program Standards)

The goals for this course are based on the following beliefs about middle school teachers.

Prospective middle grades teachers:

Understand and use the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of content in their chosen teaching fields and create meaningful learning experiences that develop young adolescents’ competence in subject matter and skills (Content Knowledge, Standard 4).

Understand and use the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to effective instruction and employ a variety of instructional strategies which are developmentally appropriate for the varying abilities and learning styles of young adolescents (Middle Grades Instruction, Standard 5).

Understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous learning of young adolescents within the context of young adolescent development (Assessment, Standard 8).

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Course objectives are derived from the knowledge, dispositions, and performance indicators for Standards 4, 5, and 8, and are as follows:

Students will value, develop, and use a deep understanding of the major topics and issues in the language arts content area.
Students will learn to use content knowledge in their teaching to make interdisciplinary connections among subject areas and will commit to making these connections for students.
Students will learn, value, and use a variety of effective (research-based) instructional strategies that are effective and appropriate for teaching and evaluating language arts.
Students will aim for basic understanding as well as higher levels of learning among their students.
Students will learn and use effective, developmentally responsive classroom management strategies (integrated with engaging classroom instruction).
Students will use developmentally responsive strategies, materials, and resources to facilitate and motivate student learning.
Students will value the need for creating and maintaining environments that maximize student learning, often collaborating with teammates and other colleagues.
Students will value and use a variety of formal and informal assessment techniques to modify teaching and learning strategies.
Students will plan effective instruction, individually and with colleagues.
Students will understand the role that state accountability systems plan in the language arts classroom.

Writing Designation

This course requires a significant amount of writing and therefore is a writing (“W”) designated course. This means that you will be doing a substantial amount of writing and receiving feedback about ways to improve your written communication skills.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: New understandings about writing, reading, and learning (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Reif, L. (1992). Seeking diversity: Language arts with adolescents. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

DAILY ASSIGNMENTS: Students will be responsible for all class readings (including the Reading Response Log) and assignments. Since this class is highly dependent on participant interaction, being present and prepared for class is a critical condition for success in the class. The course syllabus will often detail topics for class discussion and specific related assignments.

COURSE TOPIC REFLECTIONS: As an integral part of preparing to teach language arts to young adolescents, students will participate in reflective analysis in reading response logs, journal writings, and course topic reflections that will allow them to synthesize discussions, readings, visitations, personal experiences, and their own literacy as learner, reader, and writer.

Assigned Reflection Topics

·Assessment/Evaluation in the English Language Arts Classroom

·Essential Components of an English Language Arts Program

RESOURCE PORTFOLIO:This ongoing project will require students to prepare a vertical portfolio that includes methods, strategies, bibliographies, young adolescent book lists, and materials necessary for an integrated language arts program for young adolescents. Students in the course will determine criteria for an exemplary portfolio. Additional information for this assignment will be provided in class.

LESSON PLANS:Students will develop at least three mini-lessons to be used in the middle grades language arts classroom. Using the lesson types in Chapter 6 of Atwell’s text, students should create a variety of lesson types, including procedural, craft, and convention/strategy (skill). Beginning on September 25, we will begin sharing these lessons at the beginning of class as mini-lessons would be shared in a Reading/Writing Workshop. After these lessons have been evaluated, they should be included in your resource portfolio. We will try to provide copies for the class, but due to restricted copying, we may need to post them, so that class members may have them for their resource portfolios.

EXHIBITION-QUALITY STANDARDS-BASED PORTFOLIO ARTIFACTS: In lieu of a final written exam, students will be asked to submit three artifacts that demonstrate their competence and mastery of the three major standards for this course (Standards 4, 5, and 8). In class, we will discuss a range of possibilities for demonstrating knowledge, performances, and dispositions related to each standard. In this course, if students plan well, earlier assignments and internship activities will easily provide standards-based portfolio artifacts. Each artifact will be worth 10 points of the final course grade.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND WEIGHT

Daily Assignments/Participation/Attendance15 points

Course Topic Reflections/Journal20 points

Resource Portfolio20 points

Lesson Plans15 points

Exhibition-Quality Standards-Based Portfolio Artifacts30 Points

TOTAL 100 points

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS NEEDED

·Reading Response/Dialogue Journal

·Vertical File for Resource Portfolio

EVALUATION AND GRADING

A = 93-100%

B = 86-92%

C = 79-85%

F = Below 79%

TENTATIVE CONTENT OUTLINE

Date / Topic / Assignment Due
1/14 / Course Overview
Introductions of Class Members
North Carolina Middle School Conference (March 10-12) For information:
Complete Writing/Reading Surveys /

Purchase Textbooks

1/21 /

“Learning How to Teach Writing”

“Learning How to Teach Reading”

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts

/ Atwell, Chs. 1-2
1/28 / “Making the Best of Adolescence”
“From the Middle to the Edge” / Atwell, Ch. 3
Rief, Ch. 1
2/4 / Writing and Reading Workshop / Atwell, Chs. 4-5
2/11 /

Writing and Reading Workshop (Mini-lessons)

“Preparing for the Lesson: Organizing the Room, Materials, and Expectations”
Draft Mini-lessons (Procedural, Craft, and Skill) / Atwell, Chs. 6
Rief, Ch. 2
2/18 / Seminar Strategy (Teacher-Led)

“Immersion: Writing and Reading”

/ Read Seminar Piece: “Of Studies” by Francis Bacon
Sign up for Mini-lesson presentations
Rief, Ch. 3
2/25 /

Responding to Readers and Writers

/ Atwell, Chs. 7-8
3/4 / Begin Mini-lesson Presentations
“Generations: Writing and Reading for Life”

“Yes! Sometimes We All Read the Same Book”

“Bringing It All Together: Reader’s-Writer’s Project” / Mini-lesson presentations begin
Rief, Chs. 4-6
3/11 / SPRING BREAK
North Carolina Middle School Conference (March 10-12) For information:
3/18 / Literature Circles Video
Exploring other Topics of Interest, including exhibition-quality, standards-based artifacts for exam; language arts resource portfolio / Article: “Expository Text in Literature Circles”
Other Readings as Assigned
3/25 / EVALUATION IN THE LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOM
·Self-Evaluation/Reflections
·Student Portfolios
·Student Led Conferences
·Methods of Evaluation: Holistic grading, testing, analytic scales, rubrics, etc. / Atwell, Ch. 9
Rief, Chs. 7-8
4/1 / Assessment and Testing in North Carolina
End-of-Grade Testing in Reading, Writing, and Computer Skills
Guest speaker: Judy Bobo, Teacher from Table Rock Middle School
4/8 / “Beyond Words: The Art of Literature/The Language of the Arts”
The Role of the Teacher in the Middle of the Language Arts Classroom / Course Topic Reflection Due: “Assessment/Evaluation in the English/Language Arts Classroom”
Rief, Ch. 9, 10
Atwell, Ch. 10
4/15 /

MODES OF WRITING

“Call Home the Child: Memoir”

“Hanging with Big Sis: Fiction”

“Finding Poetry Everywhere / Atwell, Chs. 11-13
4/22 /

EASTER HOLIDAY

4/29 /

“Taking Care of Business”

/ Atwell, Ch. 14
Course Topic Reflection Due: “Essential Components of an English Language Arts Program”
5/6 / Presentation of Artifacts/Final Exam
Individual appointments to be scheduled

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

The instructor will integrate strategies such as lecture, small group discussions, team teaching, literature circles, seminars, double-entry journaling, and guest lecturers. Throughout this course, students will be expected to work as collaborative groups to investigate current research about characteristics of young adolescents and appropriate strategies for teaching them and report this research to the rest of the group.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students are required to attend all class meetings. One absence during the semester will be excused. Beyond the first absence, two points will be deducted from the course grade for each additional absence. Students should not schedule personal appointments or plan to work during class time. Two tardies to class equal an absence, unless the student misses more than half the class. If a student misses more than half of a class session, the student will be counted absent for that class session.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments are due on the dates specified in the syllabus, unless the instructor makes changes for the entire class. Five points are deducted from the assignment grade for each day that an assignment is late.

STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

It is the responsibility of every student to abide by the Code of Academic

Integrity. It is also the formal responsibility of the instructional

faculty to maintain academic honesty and integrity. Commitment to academic

integrity is inherent in the policies of the institution.