School of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

PurdueUniversity

School of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

EDCI 500: Foundations of Literacy

Fall 2004

Professor: / Dr. Carol J. Hopkins
BRNG 4124
4943934
/ Secretary: / Bonnie Nowakowski
BRNG 4121B
4942364

Office Hours:By appointment.

Meeting Time:Mondays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Meeting Place:Room 1222 of Steven C. Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education (BRNG).

General Description

Foundations of Literacy, a graduate level course focusing on literacy teaching and learning, isintended to serve as the introductory course for students pursuing an advanced degree ineducation with an emphasis in literacy and language. Students in degree or nondegree programs in other disciplines (e.g., audiology and speech, psychology, English, childdevelopment, acontent area) or anyone interested in a survey course in literacy education mayalso find EDCI 500 useful and appropriate. Neither prior coursework in education norteaching experience is required to enroll in EDCI 500.

Course Objectives

The objectives of EDCI 500 are:

1.To explore definitions of literacy and what it means to be literate.

2.To establish a forum for discussing past and current literacy research and practice.

3.To explore the development of spoken and written language across diverse contexts.

4.To investigate instructional frameworks and how these inform instructional decisions about literacy education

5.To identify literacy issues raised in the popular press as well as the professional literature.

Course Requirements

1.Responses to Assigned Readings (5 points each).

Written Responses. At the beginning of each class, you are required to turn in a written (typed) response to one of the readings your instructor has assigned for that date. Your instructor will identify which readings require written responses. Responses are not intended simply to summarize the reading assignment; rather, their purpose is for you to evaluate andrespond to the information contained in the readings. Your response might focus on identifying and explaining ties to your own life and professional experiences, relating information to content you have learned in other courses or your professional experiences, oryou may choose to make evaluative or judgmental statements supported by your own reasoning, experience, or reading.

2.Responses to FreeChoice Readings or Current Events Discussions (5 points each). Inaddition to the weekly assigned readings, you are required to select, read, and respond to anarticle you select from a professional journal. The purpose of these freechoice readings isto allow you to pursue literacy topics of particular interest to you and to familiarize you with various professional publications in literacy education. The response format for these readings is the same as the assigned readings described above. However, unlike the assigned readings, the freechoice readings should also include a brief (several sentences) summary ofthe article. Be prepared to share the results of your reading orally each week in class inalarge or smallgroup format. Periodicals from which you might select articles include thefollowing, although you are not restricted to this list.

Practitioner Journals:

The Reading Teacher(International Reading Association preschool/elementary journal)

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (International Reading Association secondary/adult journal)

Language Arts(National Council of Teachers of English elementary journal)

English Education(National Council of Teachers of English secondary journal)

Reading and Writing Quarterly

Reading Today(International Reading Association bimonthly newspaper—select only feature articles from this source)

Research Journals:

Reading Research Quarterly (International Reading Association)

Journal of Literacy Research (National ReadingConference)

Reading Research and Instruction (College ReadingAssociation)

Literacy Teaching and Learning: An International Journal of Early Reading and Writing (Reading Recovery Council of North America)

American Educational Research Journal (American Educational Research Association)

Journal of Educational Psychology (American Psychological Association)

Review of Educational Research (American Educational Research Association)

General Education Periodicals Containing Articles on Literacy:

Elementary School Journal

Educational Leadership

Kappan

Education Week

Journal of Teacher Education

Current Events Discussions (Alternativeto Response to FreeChoice Readings). You have the option of leading a class discussion about a current event related to literacy instead of preparing a written freechoice response card. You may select any literacyrelated event/news item that has occurred within a week of the class session in which you lead the discussion. You are responsible for identifying the event and your source of information, providing background to enable class members to fully understand the event, and leading a discussion ofthe event in a way that will encourage participation by members of the class. Remember, this is more than show and tell!

3.Term Paper/Project (100 points). The major assignment for the semester will be a term paper or term project. The purpose of this assignment is to have you delve into a topic in literacy education in considerable depth. This might be a more formal, traditional term paper in which you review the applied, theoretical, or research literature on a topic and synthesize it in a paper. Alternately, it might involve a more applied project. For example, you may choose toresearch and then implement a new teaching strategy in your classroom. It will be yourresponsibility to select and refine a topic that is relevant, interesting, and useful to you. Youwill be required to hand in a proposal for your paper/project for your instructor’s approval before you proceed. You will also be required to make an oral presentation of yourpaper/project.

It is recommended that you select a topic that will benefit you in either your graduate studies or in a current or future teaching position. Whatever topic you choose, your paper/project should be theoretically or empirically driven; that is, what you write about or implement must be related to the growing knowledge base in literacy education. This research/theoretical foundation must be explicitly noted in the paper you write or in the written description that accompanies the project you implement. The following list of possible topics is provided togive you an idea of the types of papers/projects that are possible; it is by no means a comprehensive list of topics:

Review the literature on a current topic in literacy education. You should address boththe research and theoretical base for the issue as well as the practical applications orimplications of the current trend or issue.

Explore the practical applications of a current trend/practice in a classroom or instructional context which you teach.

Conduct an action study in the classroom or instructional context in which you teach. For example, you might gather data to answer questions you have about the effectiveness of an instructional strategy.

4.Oral Presentation of Term Paper/Project(25 points). You will be required to present a summary of the findings of your term paper or project to the class. You will not have time topresent everything you have learned, so concentrate on presenting your work in a way that will highlight what you did, what you found most interesting and why, and what you believe will be informative for class members at large.

5.Attendance and Participation (25 points). Since many of the topics covered in the course willbe explored through class demonstrations, class activities, and class discussions, attendance and participation are crucial for a full understanding of course content. Therefore, it is imperative that you attend and participate in all scheduled classes. Indepth preparation, active participation, and reflection are expected. If it is necessary for you to miss a class because of conflicting professional obligations, please discuss this matter with your instructor. Unexcused absences will result in the loss of 5 points per class session.

Preparation of Assignments

Substance is the primary criterion for evaluating all written work in EDCI 500;that is, what yousay (its clarity, depth, insight, etc.) is the most important factor. However, how you say it and theform of the written work are also criteria that will be used to grade your assignments. Inother words, correct grammar, proper punctuation, correct spelling, neatness, and adherence toassignment guidelines will also affect your grade. This is a graduate level course in literacy teaching and learning; therefore, you are expected to demonstrate high levels of literacy abilities in your own written work. Make a copy of all assignments or save them on a disk before handing them in to guard against their possible loss.

Grades

Your course grade will be determined by the number of points earned through the completion of the following assignments:

Assignments / Points
1.Responses to Assigned Readings
(12 responses at 5 points each)......
Evaluation criteria: completeness, thoughtfulness, depth /
60
2.Responses to FreeChoice Readings or Current Events Discussions
(12 responses or discussions at 5 points each)......
Evaluation criteria: completeness, thoughtfulness, depth /
60
3.Term Paper/Project......
Evaluation criteria: theoretical/research base, comprehensiveness,
completeness, depth and quality of work, writing style and form / 100
4.Oral Presentation of Term Paper/Project......
Evaluation criteria: ability to summarize work, interesting
presentation format, general audience appeal, adherence to time
allocated for presentation / 25
5.Attendance and Participation......
Evaluation criteria: consistent attendance, indepth preparation for
and active participation in class discussions and activities / 25
Total possible points / 270

Your final point total will be converted to a course grade as follows:

A / = / 243270
B / = / 216242
C / = / 189215
D / = / 162188
F / = / 0161

University/Course Policies

Academic Honesty. The instructor of this course expects and will enforce a strict policy of academic honesty. Students who engage in cheating, plagiarism, representing another person’s work as one’s own, knowingly furnishing false information to the instructor or university, orother forms of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade in this course.

Students with Disabilities. Students with disabilities must be registered with Adaptive Programs in the Office of the Dean of Students before classroom accommodations can be provided. Ifyouhave a disability that requires academic adjustments, please make an appointment with theinstructor to discuss your needs no later than the second week of the semester.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS, READINGS, AND ASSIGNMENTS

Week 1, August 23

Topics:Introductions.

Course Overview and Requirements.

Definitions of Literacy.

Readings:None.

Assignments:None.

Week 2, August 30

Topic:Literacy: What, for Whom, and Why?

Readings:Looking beyond ‘skills’ and ‘processes’: Literacy as social and cultural practices in classrooms (Comber & Cormack).

Literacy(ies), culture(s), and development(s): The ethnographic challenge (Wagner).

Literacy crisis or Cambrian Period? Theory, practice, and public policy implications (Manzo).

Critical literacy revisited (Green).

Toward a theoretical framework of new literacies on the Internet: Centralprinciples (Leu & Kinzer).

Becoming literate in the technological age: New responsibilities and tools forteachers (Smolin & Lawless).

Assignments:Assigned reading response #1.

Current events discussion or freechoice reading response #1.

Week 3, September 6

Labor Day Holiday (no class).

Week 4, September 13

Topic:The Potential Impact of Differences in Social and Cultural Contexts onLiteracy.

Readings:Family cultures and literacy learning (Gadsden).

All “degreed” up and nowhere to go: Black males and literacy education (Tatum).

Acknowledging agency while accommodating romance: Girls negotiating meaning in literacy transactions (DeBlase).

Toward a critical pedagogy of popular culture: Literacy development among urban youth (Morrell).

“I don’t crave to read”: School reading and adulthood (Belzer).

Literacy and Latino students in the United States: Some considerations, questions, and new directions (Jiménez).

The train has left: The No Child Left Behind Act leaves Black and Latino learners waiting at the station (Paul).

Assignments:Assigned reading response #2.

Current events discussion or freechoice reading response #2.

Week 5, September20

Topic:Political Dimensions of Literacy.

Readings:Troubling times: A short historical perspective (Allington).

Reading policies: Ideologies and strategies for political engagement (Edmondson).

Political acts: Literacy learning and teaching (Willis & Harris).

Assignments:Assigned reading response #3.

Current events discussion or freechoice reading response #3.

Week 6, September 27

Topic:Language and Society.

Readings:The children of Trackton’s children: Spoken and written language in socialchange (Heath).

Introduction (Gee).

Society (Gee).

Assignments:Assigned reading response #4.

Current events discussion or freechoice reading response #4.

Week 7, October4

Topic:Historical Perspectives on Literacy Teaching and Learning.

Readings:To be announced.

Assignments:Assigned reading response #5.

Current events discussion or freechoice reading response #5.

Week 8, October 11

October Break(no class).

Week 9, October18

Topic:Emergent Literacy.

Readings:Emergent literacy(Leu & Kinzer).

Growing successful readers: Homes, communities, and schools (PurcellGates).

Assignments:Assigned reading response #6.

Current events discussion or freechoice reading response #6.

Week 10, October25

Topic:Literacy Frameworks and Instructional Decisions in Elementary and Secondary Schools.

Readings:Toward a definition of a balanced approach to reading instruction (Cowen).

What is evidencebased reading instruction? A position statement of the International Reading Association.

Using multiple methods of beginning reading instruction: A position statement of the International Reading Association.

Making a difference in adolescents’ school lives: Visible and invisible aspects of content area reading (Vacca).

Indiana Language Arts Standards K12 <