Language and Literacy (EDTE 309B) Fall, 2003
Instructor: Dr. Joan P. Gipe
Office: Howe Avenue Elementary School
Office Hours: 9:00-10:00 AM, 12:00-1:00 PM Wed. and 3:30-4:00, 5:45-6:15 PM Tues. (Wed.: Howe Avenue Elementary; Tues.: Alternating Greer and Howe); or by appointment (Howe Avenue or Eureka Hall 218)
Contact: email:
Course Prerequisites: Admission to Multiple Subject Credential Program and successful completion of EDTE 309A.
Course Description: This course continues work begun in EDTE 309A towards developing those understandings, attitudes and competencies that will enable participants to become effective facilitators of language, literacy and reading growth for all learners. Emphasis is on assessment and content area literacy.
Required Texts for EDTE 309B:
DO NOT PURCHASE ANY TEXTBOOKS PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS.
Bader, L. A. (2002). Bader reading and language inventory, 4th ed.. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. ISBN # 0-13-065639-9 (TPE 1A: 9) and a variety of other informal reading inventories (provided by Dr. Gipe)
Clay, M. (2000). Running records for classroom teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. ISBN # 0-325-00299-1 (TPE 1A: 9) and a variety of other assessment tools (provided by Dr. Gipe)
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION: PROFESSIONAL ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO PREPARATION: Literacy Section. Each student is expected to collect, over the course of their program, artifacts that provide evidence of their knowledge about teaching, K-6 content standards, and the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). (TPE 1A: 2; TPE 7A: 1)
This course assists in developing knowledge related to language arts assessment and instruction. At this point in the program, each student is capable of:
(1) providing items as evidence for each of the six (6) California Standards for the Teaching Profession (see Student Teaching Handbook, or CFASST book) to include in a professional portfolio (electronic), and
(2) selecting and reflecting on what each item (artifact) shows about professional knowledge or growth (e.g., knowledge of grade level content standards for Reading/Language Arts) and why this artifact was chosen for inclusion in a professional portfolio. Artifacts can include self-assessments of progress toward both personal and professional goals, and evidence of an ability to interact professionally with classmates, teachers, and students, as well as lesson plans and student work samples. Portfolio artifacts relevant to THIS course might include the following:
(1) a brief statement of your teaching philosophy;
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(2) a statement of specific beliefs for literacy instruction which address what/if/how you value the development of the following:
q literacy interests
q literacy attitudes
q literacy assessment
q phonemic awareness
q phonics or word attack (direct, systematic, explicit)
q word recognition skills
q comprehension
q meaning vocabulary
q writing
q content area/expository reading and writing
q technology
q arts
q multiple intelligences
q classroom environment (where students learn to read and write, comprehend and compose, appreciate and analyze, and perform and enjoy the language arts)
q other;
(3) a compilation of literacy terms, defined in your own words, with an illustrative example;
(4) examples of lesson plans with observer feedback/evaluation and reflective analysis.
You might find the following websites about portfolios helpful:
http://www.unf.edu/~tbratina/cdrom.htm
http://www.kzoo.edu/pfolio/index.html
http://www.edu.uleth.ca/fe/ppd/contents.html
If you have problems with these sites or find others of value, let me know.
Instructor's Goals for Teaching/Learning:
I organize my courses to facilitate the following:
1. an openness to a variety of ideas about literacy assessment and instruction.
2. an active commitment to honesty.
3. an ability to work productively with others.
4. a commitment to personal achievement.
5. a sense of responsibility for one's own behavior.
6. self-esteem and self-confidence.
7. a commitment to one's own values.
8. respect for others and their viewpoints.
9. a lifelong love of learning.
10. the capacity to think for oneself and to make wise decisions.
Throughout the semester students will be asked to provide feedback regarding the effectiveness of the course structures and course activities toward achieving these goals.
Instructor's Expectations for Students and Course Content:
Upon completion of this course, each student will have:
1. grown in understanding principles of language and literacy assessment and instruction, and developed an ability to plan and implement a comprehensive program of systematic instruction based upon research.
2. investigated, and critically discussed, theories, methods, materials, principles, practices and strategies for language and literacy instruction, to include systematic, explicit and meaningfully-applied instruction.
- interpreted the professional literature and observed ways the information available in the literature transfers to teaching contexts (through classroom connections, field notes, and lesson planning).
- learned to plan instruction that is aligned with state-adopted content standards and the Reading Language Arts Framework.
- been exposed to instructional programs adopted by the State Board of Education.
6. gained knowledge of important terminology related to literacy instruction.
7. examined and interpreted student reading behaviors and writing samples, and analyzed spelling for spelling patterns or stages of development (orthography), and the phonological structure of the English language.
8. participated in the writing process, and with a variety of writing genre.
9. accrued knowledge of self as a literate person.
Course Requirements:
There are many possibilities for activities that will assist students in achieving course goals. Those activities required by each student are listed below. Built into these activities are choices for students to make, such as selecting a particular topic of interest to explore through Book Club (Literature Circle) groups, and selecting literacy artifacts and content area strategies for class sharing. Attendance is mandatory and there are no excused absences without appropriate documentation (e.g., doctor’s note). Fieldwork is part of this course and professional behavior is expected at all times (see Professionalism document for the San Juan PDS Center).
Required Course Activities for EDTE 309B:
1. Case Studies. Using a variety of assessment tools, gather enough evidence for at least two students (one EL and one struggling or special needs reader), to present each child’s Learning Profile, Interests, and Readiness for grade level literacy tasks. The evidence will be presented to classmates, followed by a discussion for purposes of making instructional recommendations. Evidence sharing will occur October 8, with the final case study being submitted on October 15, with copies going to the children’s teacher(s). Guidelines will be provided in class. (TPE 1A: 9)
2. Text and Multimedia Sets. Working within a small group (n = 3-4), each student will contribute at least ten items to text/multimedia sets for the content areas of math, science, and social studies. These sets will be developed for a particular grade level and curricular topic. Each material included will provide the title, author, publisher or source, an estimated reading level, content standard being addressed, and an annotation that briefly describes the purpose/value of the material. Each set must: (1) contain materials with a 5-6 year range of difficulty level appropriate to the grade level (e.g., for 4th grade a range of 1.5-6.5 or 1-7 is appropriate); (2) include visual and/or auditory material; (3) include multimedia resources; (4) contain picture books, fiction and poetry, and nonfiction materials; and (5) provide a “locator guide” for where/how these materials can be found (e.g., school library, URLs). These sets will be shared via the Center web page. Each student will identify to the instructor his or her particular contributions to the set with a minimum of ten items expected from each student. Additional information will be provided in class.
3. Content Area Strategy Presentation. Each student will choose one content area strategy to research and prepare a teaching demonstration. These demonstration lessons should be relatively brief (15 minutes maximum). The presenter will also prepare a handout to accompany his or her presentation that provides the name of the strategy, its purpose, procedures, a primary source for reading more about the strategy, and any other relevant information. A scoring rubric will be provided in class.
4. Book Club. Each student will choose one book from many professional books on literacy to read and discuss with classmates over the course of the semester. A reflective summary of book club participation and a brief review of the book read will be submitted.
5. RICA Test Questions. Each student should write one multiple-choice question each week for each chapter of the Gipe text. See course agenda for the order of the readings. These questions will be collected and compiled into a practice RICA test. Throughout the semester there will be opportunities to practice RICA test-taking skills. (TPE 7A: h)
Evaluation and Grading for EDTE 309B:
Case Studies 30 points
Text Sets for Content Areas 30 points
Strategy Presentation 15 points
Book Club 10 points
RICA test questions 10 points
Professionalism 5 points
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 100 points
Grading (most likely): A = 93-100; A- = 90-92; B+ = 87-89; B = 83-86; B- = 80-82; C+ = 77-79; C = 73-76; C- = 70-72; D = 60-69; F = Below 60
COURSE AGENDA
The reading assignments listed in the agenda should be completed prior to the date to which they are assigned in order to facilitate class discussion. Due dates for assignments are firm. No assignments will be accepted after the due date without PRIOR permission from the instructor. (Refer to the agenda for respective due dates.) Attendance is crucial to successful completion of this course. Communicate with the instructor regarding any absence, prior to the class meeting, if possible. ALWAYS CALL THE SCHOOL AND YOUR CT REGARDING ANY ABSENCE OR TARDINESS. BE PROFESSIONAL AT ALL TIMES.
Week 1 (September 3)
Overview and routines. Review beliefs about reading/teaching. Choose professional book for book club reading. Distribute copies of The Reading Teacher for course use. Sign up for content area strategy presentation. Questions and concerns. ASSIGNMENT: IDENTIFY STUDENTS FOR CASE STUDIES by September 10.
Week 2 (September 10)
Assessment and the Analytic Process.
Readings: Review Gipe, Chs. 1, 2 (especially pp. 23-27 and 32-36). IDENTIFY, WITH THE HELP OF YOUR CT, THE CONTENT AREA TOPICS FOR THE TEXT SET ASSIGNMENT by September 17. Read Giorgis & Johnson article in RT, pp. 200-207.
Week 3 (September 17)
Literacy assessment. Ongoing diagnostic strategies that guide teaching and assessment: emphasis on ongoing assessment. Fluency, Running Records & Informal Reading Inventories (IRIs).[R: I 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, II 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.3, 6.1, III 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 9.1, IV 11.1, 12.1, 13.1/S: 7Ai/T: 1A9]
Readings: Review Gipe, Chs. 5, 6; Applegate, et al. in RT, pp. 174-179; Paris article in RT, pp. 168-170; Gill article in RT, pp. 119-121.
Week 4 (September 24)
Gathering information for Case Studies using Differentiated Instruction elements: Learner Profile, Interests, Readiness
Readings: Review Gipe, Chs. 3, 4
Week 5 (October 1)
Book Clubs begin. Writing strategies and applications. Conventions of writing. Modes of discourse—comprehending and producing narrative, expository, persuasive and descriptive texts. Guest speaker: Writers Workshop (tentative). [R: III 9.2, IV 11.3/S: 7Aa, d/T: 1A2]
Readings: Book Club assignment. Review Gipe, Ch. 7
Week 6 (October 8)
Sharing of case study information and ideas for instructional recommendations. Bring Gipe text and other instructional resources.
Readings: Review Gipe Chs. 8, 9, 10, 11
Week 7 (October 15)
Book Clubs—Session 2. Case Studies DUE.
Readings: Book Club assignment.
Week 8 (October 22)
Reading class visitations at Howe Avenue, Greer, and Kingswood. Schedule TBA.
Week 9 (October 29)
Content area reading and expository writing. Guest speaker: Writers Workshop (tentative). [R: III 9.2, 9.3 IV 12.2, 12.3/S: 7A ci, cii/T: 1A8]
Readings: Review Gipe, Chs. 12, 13, 14
Week 10 (November 5)
Book Clubs—Session 3. BOOK CLUB SUMMARY AND PARTICIPATION MATERIALS WILL BE DUE NOVEMBER 12. You will be asked to self-evaluate your Book Club efforts. Include your score (8 points maximum) and a justification with your summary and participation materials turned in on November 12.
Content Area Strategy Presentations begin.
Week 11 (November 12)
Content Area Strategy Presentations. Book club summary and self-evaluation due.
Week 12 (November 19)
Content Area Strategy Presentations
Week 13 (November 26)
THANKSGIVING WEEK--HOLIDAY
Week 14 (December 3)
Content Area Text and Multimedia Sets due.
Week 15 (December 10)
Last day of class. Final sharing/discussion of sample RICA exam.
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
Ongoing: Each week there is a reading assignment from the Gipe text, one multiple choice question per chapter is due.
September 10 Identify two Case Study students
September 17 Identify Content Area Topics for Text Set assignment
October 1 First Book Club reading
October 8 Case Studies data due
October 15 Second Book Club reading and CASE STUDIES due
November 5 Final Book Club reading
November 5 Content area strategy presentations
November 12 Book Club summary and participation materials due
November 12 Content area strategy presentations
November 19 Content area strategy presentations
December 3 Content Area Text and Multimedia Sets due
December 10 Sample RICA exam
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