Teaching and Learning in Secondary English Arts 1
Instruction and Learning 2230
Fall 2015
Section 1065
1 credit
Classroom: 5700 Posvar Hall
Instructor: Dr. Katrina Bartow Jacobs
Email:
Phone: 412-648-3117
Office location: 5106 Posvar Hall
Office hours: Wednesdays 10-12 & by appointment
Course Description
In this course, teacher candidates are introduced to current issues and effective teaching practices in secondary English language arts education. Teacher candidates will learn the characteristics of English language arts classrooms, curriculum and instruction that are inquiry-based, cognitively challenging, and engaging for adolescents. The course is a required teaching methods course in the English Education Masters of Arts and Teaching (MAT) and MOSAIC programs.
Learning Goals
At the end of the course you will be able to:
· Reconsider what English Language Arts are and can be (including New Literacies & 21st Century Literacies).
· Understand how issues of equity, diversity and social justice shape U.S. schooling and the practice of teaching.
· Develop a vision for inquiry-based, meaningful literacy learning for adolescents.
· Reflect on your engagement in “best practices” in ELA instruction (as students) and apply what you learn to your own teaching practice.
· Design and lead an inquiry-based discussion.
· Participate in a professional learning community (PLC) by giving and receiving constructive feedback with peers.
Required Texts and Supplies
· A device to digitally videorecord yourself.
· Fecho, B. (2004). “Is this English?” Race, language and culture in the classroom. New York: Teachers College Press.
· Lamar, K. (2015). To Pimp a Butterfly [CD]. Carson, CA: Top Dawg Entertainment.
· Morrison, T. (1970). The Bluest Eye. New York: Plume.
· Flake, S. (2007). The Skin I’m In. New York: Hyperion.
Grading and Assignments
Attendance, Preparation, Participation, Disposition (25%)
In this course, you will be asked to consider your personal educational history and participate as students of English language arts by engaging in many of the activities that secondary (6-12) students do in classrooms in order to gain deeper understandings of multiple literacies. Therefore, this course requires your active, thoughtful, daring, candid and respectful participation in all activities. Come prepared to be actively engaged in each class. Preparing for each session by completing all readings and assignments will enable you to enter fully into the discussions and contribute to the development of our class conversations. Professional dispositions include attending all classes, arriving at class on time, and providing constructive feedback to your peers. Please see the English Education Handbook for program policies on attendance, late work, and other related issues.
Artifacts of Learning (25%)
In this course, you are expected to actively engage in an inquiry into your own perceptions of teaching English as well as the work of other educators and education scholars. Part of that engagement includes documenting your learning throughout our (short) course through “artifacts” of learning. Your forms of documenting your learning experiences in this course can take a variety of forms including: 1) learning logs; 2) outlines; 3) poetry; 4) drawings; 5) photographs; 6) videos; 7) maps; 8) blogs. You are required to use a different form/modality for each artifact. You are expected to share your documentation in class sessions and submit at the end of the semester in a digital file. At the end of the session, you will use this documentation to complete your final project.
Discussion Leadership: Lesson Plan, Leading Discussion, Reflection (25%)
Using course readings and the University of Pittsburgh lesson plan template, you will plan and execute a videotaped, 20-minute inquiry-based discussion of a section of The Skin I’m In and To Pimp a Butterfly. Be sure to plan ahead for videotaping your lesson with your own device. After you lead discussion, you will receive constructive feedback from your peers. A hard copy of your lesson plan is due to the instructor on the day you lead discussion in class.
After you lead discussion and review your video and peer feedback, you will write a two-page reflection on your experience of leading an inquiry-based discussion. In your reflection, you must do the following:
1. Use evidence from the video to discuss the strengths of your discussion leadership.
2. Use evidence from the video to discuss areas for improvement in your discussion leadership.
3. Discuss how you used feedback from your peers and instructor to shift and/or extend your thinking about teaching ELA, about yourself as a teacher, and about leading inquiry-based discussions.
The reflection is due on Monday, September 7 at midnight.
Final Project: New & Non-textual Literacy Project (25%)
For your final project, you will create a representation of your learning about the construction of knowledge, inquiry, multiple literacies and new literacies to express your stance on teaching English language arts. Your project should be multimodal and employ examples that you have been exposed to in the course as well as existing forms that speak to who you are and who you are becoming as an English teacher. Some possibilities include a Fakebook profile, a graphic novel, a spoken word monologue or video performance. In addition to these non-traditional texts, you will write a 2-page reflective essay with references to course readings that articulates your stance and provides any necessary explanation of your non-textual representation.
Competence Policy
It is expected that all students receive at least a minimum level of competence on each assignment, defined by a grade of B in order to pass the course. Assignments that receive a grade below a B must be revised and resubmitted within two weeks.
Grading Scale:
A+ = 99-100 points A= 94-98 points A- 90-93 points B+ = 88-89 points B = 84-87 B = 80-83
C+ = 78-79 points C = 74-77 points C- = 70-73 points Fail = below 70 points
Other Information
• Please see the English Education Handbook for program policies including those regarding attendance and late work.
• All cell phones should be turned off during class.
• You are encouraged to bring laptops or other devices to class, as we will frequently be looking for resources or creating projects and plans during class. However, they are to be kept closed in class unless in use. Please do not use laptops, phones, or other devices for personal or off-topic work during class. Stay engaged.
• All assignments must be completed in order to pass the course. Assignments are due at or before the beginning of class or as specified for electronic submissions.
• All of the writing you do for this seminar should be wordprocessed in 12 point font (yielding approximately 250-300 words/page) with one inch margins. Proficiency with the conventions of Academic Written English must be demonstrated as part of the professional competence of all prospective teachers of English.
• At any point during the semester if you are not doing satisfactory work, I will let you know in writing immediately.
• Most assignments will be returned to you within a week with written feedback and evaluation.
• You can expect that I will respond to your emails within 24 hours Monday through Friday and 48 hours over the weekend.
• University Policy on Classroom Recording: To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record classroom lectures, discussion and/or activities without the advance written permission of the instructor, and any such recording properly approved in advance can be used solely for the student’s own private use.
• If you need to miss class for a religious observance, please notify me as early as possible in the term so that we can arrange make up work.
• If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Disability Resources and Services (DRS), 140 William Pitt Union (412) 648-7890, , (412) 228-5347 for P3 ALS users, as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.
• You are expected to maintain your responsibility towards academic integrity as stated in the University of Pittsburgh academic policies and as stated in the English Education handbook.
Students in this course will be expected to comply with the University of Pittsburgh's Policy on Academic Integrity. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the semester will be required to participate in the procedural process, initiated at the instructor level, as outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic Integrity. This may include, but is not limited to, the confiscation of the examination of any individual suspected of violating University Policy. Furthermore, no student may bring any unauthorized materials to an exam, including dictionaries and programmable calculators.
Course Schedule
Session 1 / Session 2 / Session 3 / Session 4 / Session 5Date / Monday,
August 31st / Tuesday,
September 1st / Wednesday, September 2nd / Thursday, September 3rd / Friday, September 4th
Time / 1 pm – 4 pm / 1 pm – 4 pm / 1 pm – 4 pm / 1 pm – 4 pm / 1 pm – 4 pm
Topics / - Fecho discussion – What is teaching English? How could it be different? (deconstruct/
reconstruct)
-Demonstration lesson and debrief.
- Discussion planning and Pitt lesson plan.
- Group lesson planning. / - First impressions of placement seen through lenses of the reading
-Establishing positive relationships with mentors.
- 2 students lead inquiry discussions on Skin and TPAB. Video and debrief. / - Reflections on students’ experiences in HS English
- Literacy as social practice: issues of race, gender, and identity
- 2 students lead inquiry discussions on Skin and TPAB. Video and debrief. / - Discussion of placements: how to take on/ask for added responsibilities.
- 2 students lead inquiry discussions on Skin and TPAB. Video and debrief. / - 3 students lead inquiry discussions on Skin and TPAB.
- Share final projects.
- Revisit course readings: how has your view of schooling, high school English, diversity and equity changed? What is your vision of yourself as a teacher?
Reading Due / - Is this English? / -Skin I’m In
- To Pimp a Butterfly (TPAB) / -Skin I’m In
- To Pimp a Butterfly (TPAB) / -Skin I’m In
- To Pimp a Butterfly (TPAB) / -Skin I’m In
- To Pimp a Butterfly (TPAB)
Homework Due / Artifact of learning: focus on your own experiences of inquiry, equity and engagement in HS English classes.
Lesson plan for Skin discussion (if leading discussion this day). / Artifact of learning: focus on your own experiences with diversity, and difference in HS and HS English.
Lesson plan for Skin discussion (if leading discussion this day). / Artifact of Learning: focus on themes of race, class, gender, equity and language in The Skin I’m In.
Lesson plan for Skin discussion (if leading discussion this day). / Final Project
Lesson plan for Skin discussion (if leading discussion this day).
DUE MONDAY, Sept. 7:
Reflection on discussion leadership.
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