1. English Education --ENED 4414 -- Teaching of English/Language Arts. 7-6-9.

Kennesaw State University, English Department

Fall, 2004

  1. Instructor: Dr. Carol Harrell

Office HU: 135

Office Hours: M/T/Th 1:00-3:00 and by appointment

Office telephone: 770.423.6492

E-mail:

Kennesaw State University's framework for the preparation of teachers is called the "Collaborative Development of Expertise in Teaching and Learning." This framework succinctly captures the essence of the University's deep commitment to university-wide and university-community collaboration in the preparation of teachers as well as to the particular kind of teachers that KSU programs aim to prepare--professionals who can serve as learning facilitators.

ENED 4414 is designed to support the collaborative development model and prepares teachers who understand and apply the principles of collaboration inside the classroom at KSU and inside the classrooms in the field. Students work in groups to plan and present models of effective practice to their student colleagues, and they work closely with supervising teacher/mentors at the school and university levels during their field experience. They also apply techniques of good instruction when working together with students in the field experience in preparation for teaching all students when they advance into the professional ranks.

  1. Class Meetings: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 9:00-12:00 (August 23-October 21; December 6-9)

Field Experience: Monday-Friday 8-12 (October 25-December 3)

  1. Texts:

Burke, Jim. The English Teacher’s Companion: A Complete Guide to Classroom, Curriculum, and the Profession. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003.

Burke, Jim. Tools for Thought: Graphic Organizers for Your Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002.

Collins, Paul. Community Writing: Researching Social Issues Through Composition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001

Delpit, Lisa. Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. New York: New Press, 1995.

Moore, John Noelle. Interpreting Young Adult Literature: Literary Theory in the Secondary Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1997.

Noden, Harry. Image Grammar: Using Grammatical Structures to Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1999.

Smith, Michael W. and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002.

*Supplemental readings from various English/Language Arts journals and books.

  1. Catalog Course Description: Prerequisite: ENGL 3260, ENGL 3309, EDUC 3308.

An examination and application of curriculum issues, learning theories, teaching strategies, instructional materials and assessment procedures for teaching secondary school English Language Arts (ELA). Includes a secondary school field experience in English teaching and concurrent seminars. Proof of professional liability insurance is required prior to school placement.

VI. Purpose/Rationale:

Conceptual Framework Summary:

COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPERTISE IN

TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Professional Teacher Education Unit (PTEU) at Kennesaw State University is committed to developing expertise among candidates (in initial and advanced programs) as teachers and leaders who possess the capability, intent, and expertise to facilitate high levels of learning in all students through effective, research-based practices in classroom instruction, and who enhance the structures that support all learning. To that end, the PTEU fosters the development of candidates as they progress through stages of growth from novice to proficient to expert and leader. Within the PTEU conceptual framework, expertise is viewed as a process of continued development, not an end-state. To be effective, teachers and educational leaders must embrace the notion that teaching and learning are entwined and that only through the implementation of validated practices can all students construct meaning and reach high levels of learning. In that way, candidates are facilitators of the teaching and learning process. Finally, the PTEU recognizes, values and demonstrates collaborative practices across the college and university and extends collaboration to the community-at-large. Through this collaboration with professionals in the university, the public and private schools, parents and other professional partners, the PTEU meets the ultimate goal of assisting Georgia schools in bringing all students to high levels of learning.

Knowledge Base: Teacher development is generally recognized as a continuum that includes four phases: preservice, induction, in-service, renewal (Odell, Huling, and Sweeny, 2000). Just as Sternberg (1996) believes that the concept of expertise is central to analyzing the teaching-learning process, the teacher education faculty at KSU believes that the concept of expertise is central to preparing effective classroom teachers and teacher leaders. Researchers describe how during the continuum phases teachers progress from being Novices learning to survive in classrooms toward becoming Experts who have achieved elegance in their teaching. We, like Sternberg (1998), believe that expertise is not an end-state but a process of continued development.

To help prepare teacher education students to become professional teachers, the ENED 4414 class will explore the goals, objectives, and content of secondary English/Language Arts courses as they are being constructed in both theory and practice among leading professionals today. In our own classroom and in others, we will observe and practice strategies for the selection of teaching materials, the design and implementation of instructional plans, and the ongoing assessment of learning. We will review key elements in the content of ELA 7-12 courses in Georgia as reflected in the QCC objectives and in the national standards for ELA content as defined by NCTE and IRA. To create a theoretical foundation for our teaching, we will examine current definitions of "English" as a school subject, and we will consider the sometimes-conflicting models for language, literature, and composition learning that result from different conceptions of our field.

Our inquiry will be critical in that we will seek to uncover underlying assumptions about language and learning, as well as strengths and weaknesses in current approaches to secondary English instruction; collaborative in that we will teach and learn together; and practical in that we will constantly ask ourselves "what works in the 'real' world classroom" as well as why and how it works.

Use of Technology: Students in ENED 4414 are expected to develop an advanced knowledge of technology. This will include use of simple machines like the overhead, the VCR, audio tape player, video camera, and some demonstration of the ability to effectively use the chalkboard. In addition, students are expected to be adept at computer use (e.g., e-mail, word processing, Power Point, grade book programs, and html editors). In all cases, the use of any technology should be in support of learning.

Multicultural Education Emphasis: Multicultural issues are woven into the course during the discussions of how best to teach the language arts to a diverse student population. In addition, issues of gender and class in 7-12 language pedagogy will be explored through shared readings, observations, and reflection. Students will gain knowledge, skills, and understanding to provide effective instruction in multicultural classrooms.

A variety of materials and instructional strategies will be employed to meet the needs of the different learning styles of diverse learners in class. Candidates will gain knowledge as well as an understanding of differentiated strategies and curricula for providing effective instruction and assessment within multicultural classrooms. One element of course work is raising candidate awareness of critical multicultural issues. A second element is to cause candidates to explore how multiple attributes of multicultural populations influence decisions in employing specific methods and materials for every student. Among these attributes are ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, giftedness, disability, language, religion, family structure, sexual orientation, and geographic region. An emphasis on cognitive style differences provides a background for the consideration of cultural context.

Kennesaw State University provides program accessibility and accommodations for persons defined as disabled under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. A number of services are available to support students with disabilities within their academic program. In order to make arrangements for special services, students must visit the Office of Disabled Student Support Services (770-423- 6443) and develop an individual assistance plan. In some cases, certification of disability is required. Please be aware that there are other support/mentor groups on the campus of Kennesaw State University that address each of the multicultural variables outlined above. For more information contact the Student Life Center at 770-423-6280.

Field Experience Expectation: While participating in all field experiences, you are encouraged to be involved in a variety of school-based activities directed at the improvement of teaching and learning. Activities may include, but are not limited to, tutoring students, assisting teachers or other school personnel, attending school board meetings, and participating in education-related community events. As you continue your field experiences, you are encouraged to explore every opportunity to learn by doing.

Please note that there are three grades you can receive in the field experience:

  • Pass with no reservations,
  • Pass with reservations that must be addressed during student teaching, and
  • Fail.
VII. Program Goals:

The KSU teacher preparation faculty is strongly committed to the concept of teacher preparation as a developmental and collaborative process. Research for the past 25 years has described this process in increasingly complex terms. Universities and schools must work together to successfully prepare teachers who are capable of developing successful learners in today’s schools and who choose to continue their professional development. (in process – from Conceptual Framework, Draft 17)

This course supports those broad program goals.

VIII. Course Goals/Objectives:

All of the learning activities (readings, class discussions, lectures, projects, homework, field experiences) are designed to help candidates achieve interrelated objectives and goals drawn from the Kennesaw Secondary Education Program Committee's objectives modeled from NCTE's Standards for the Preparations of Teachers of ELA. These objectives and goals also reflect the function of the course as a bridge between discipline-centered and professional education courses that introduce concepts and practices early in the program and the student teaching experience at its close.

In the English methods course, which is based on the complete KSU teacher education program, the central premise is that candidates are prepared as subject-matter experts ready to enter the teaching profession as professionals on the precipice of melding theoried practice and content knowledge in a teaching/learning environment that places the teacher in the position of subject-matter expert able to facilitate learning in all students.

Upon these principles rest the Specific Objectives for the classroom portion of the methods course:

  1. Study and demonstrate through application and articulations theory/research-based instructional practices in the ELA classroom (CPI: Expertise in teaching and learning).
  2. Study and apply theory/research-based curriculum design and implementation for the ELA classroom including issues such as program definition and progression; setting and evaluating classroom goals and objectives based on national, state, local, and contextual expectations; planning, implementation, and assessment of teaching and learning; annotating explanation of learning evidence in regards to teaching all students; and exploring opportunities for improvement in teaching and learning processes. Each is accomplished through printed and visual text, technology, and media (CPI: Expertise in teaching and learning, Assessment of student learning, Research-based content and pedagogy).
  3. Develop an entry-level expertise regarding discipline-centered theories about instruction in language use and development, composition instruction for written and oral presentation, reading for pleasure and for knowledge of written and visual texts, which implies reading in the traditional sense and as a visual and aural experience (CPI: Expertise in teaching and learning, Research-based content and pedagogy).
  4. Develop knowledge of and application to practice regarding the influences culture, society, and individual differences have on each teaching and learning experience (CPI: Assure all students learn).
  5. Develop a professional stance toward teaching and learning that demonstrates dispositions such as a commitment to lifelong learning, continued growth as an ELA educator, involvement in the life of the profession and in the culture of arts and humanities (CPI: Development of expert professionals).
  6. Demonstrate dispositions of the collaborative professional through simulated on-campus experiences and real-world experiences supervised in school placement (CPI: Develop collaborative professionals).

In-class assignments allow practice in the role as a collaborative professional, but the field experience

provides an initial supervised opportunity to demonstrate, reflect upon, and advance candidates in the role of

collaborative professional. Hence, specific Field Experience Objectives include the following:

  1. Demonstrate professional behavior (e.g., be on time, dress professionally, demonstrate positive attitude, behave collegially (CPI: Collaboration, Expertise in teaching and learning, collaborative professional).
  2. Organize classroom for optimum learning experience for all students (e.g., small groups, lecture, discussion, assessment (CPI: Collaboration, Expertise in teaching and learning, Assesses student learning, Working knowledge of technology in support of student learning, Research based content and pedagogy).
  3. Develop classroom management techniques (CPI: Collaboration, Expertise in teaching and learning, Assesses student learning, Working knowledge of technology in support of student learning, Research based content and pedagogy).
  4. Demonstrate content knowledge (CPI: Collaboration, Expertise in teaching and learning, Assesses student learning, Working knowledge of technology in support of student learning, Research based content and pedagogy).

Connection to KSU’s Conceptual Framework for teacher education is defined following the “CF.”

Course Objectives

/

CPI Outcome(s)

/

Course Requirement

1. Study and demonstrate through application and articulations theory/research-based instructional practices in the ELA classroom / 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4
3.1 /
  1. Reading Responses
  2. Test Preparation
  3. Group Readings/Jigsaw
  4. Practice Teach
  5. Unit Plan

2. Study and apply theory/research-based curriculum design and implementation for the ELA classroom including issues such as program definition and progression; setting and evaluating classroom goals and objectives based on national, state, local, and contextual expectations; planning, implementation, and assessment of teaching and learning; annotating explanation of learning evidence in regards to teaching all students; and exploring opportunities for improvement in teaching and learning processes. Each is accomplished through printed and visual text, technology, and media / 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4
3.1, 3.2, 3.3 /
  1. Reading Responses
  2. Test Preparation
  3. Group Readings/Jigsaw
  4. Practice Teach
  5. Impact on Student Learning
  6. Unit Plan

3. Develop an entry-level expertise regarding discipline-centered theories about instruction in language use and development, composition instruction for written and oral presentation, reading for pleasure and for knowledge of written and visual texts, which implies reading in the traditional sense and as a visual and aural experience / 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 /
  1. Reading Responses
  2. Hypertext Poetry
  3. Group Readings/Jigsaw
  4. Practice Teach
  5. Impact on Student Learning
  6. Unit Plan

4. Develop knowledge of and application to practice regarding the influences culture, society, and individual differences have on each teaching and learning experience / 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 /
  1. Reading Responses
  2. Test Preparation
  3. Group Readings/Jigsaw
  4. Practice Teach
  5. Impact on Student Learning
  6. Unit Plan

5. Develop a professional stance toward teaching and learning that demonstrates dispositions such as a commitment to lifelong learning, continued growth as an ELA educator, involvement in the life of the profession and in the culture of arts and humanities / 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 /
  1. Reading Responses
  2. Case Study
  3. Field Experience
  4. CPI Self-appraisal
  5. Development of Portfolio

6. Demonstrate dispositions of the collaborative professional through simulated on-campus experiences and real-world experiences supervised in school placement / 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 /
  1. Reading Responses
  2. Test Preparation
  3. Group Readings/Jigsaw
  4. Practice Teach
  5. Impact on Student Learning
  6. Unit Plan
  7. CPI Self-appraisal
  8. Development of Portfolio

Field Placement Objectives / CPI Outcomes / Course Requirement
1. Demonstrate professional behavior (e.g., be on time, dress professionally, demonstrate positive attitude, behave collegially / 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 /
  1. CPI (self, collaborating teacher, university supervisor)
  2. Portfolio development

2. Organize classroom for optimum learning experience for all students (e.g., small groups, lecture, discussion, assessment / 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 /
  1. CPI (self, collaborating teacher, university supervisor)
  2. Portfolio development

3. Develop classroom management techniques / 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 /
  1. CPI (self, collaborating teacher, university supervisor)
  2. Portfolio development

4. Demonstrate content knowledge / 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 /
  1. CPI (self, collaborating teacher, university supervisor)
  2. Portfolio development

  1. Course Requirements:
  • Criminal History Information: (See Appendix VI) To take part in the field component of this course, you must complete, have notarized, and turn in a criminal history report.
  1. Discussion Circles: (See Appendix I) For reading assignments from our texts, you will be responsible to your group as the Discussion Leader, the Passage Finder, or the Connector.
  1. Group Readings/Jigsaw: In groups, read and present information from shared texts. In the Moore text, include basic information about the chapter and apply the information to the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This presentation will be graded on:

Content 25%

Application to TKAM 25%

Presentation 25%

Effort 25%

*Effort will be determined by group members.

This application can take any form that represents the teaching strategies covered in our class.

In the Collins book, each group will give an information presentation on an assigned chapter. This presentation will be graded on: