Hunter College School of Education
SEDC 710:00 Sec. 002 Building the Foundations of Literacy in Adolescence Education Summer 2009 7/6-29 Mon. –Thurs. 4:30p.m. -7p.m. Professor: M. Escalante Phone: 201-923-8966 Office Hours: Tues. Wed. by appointment only. Email:
[email protected] Course Description This course is designed to help teachers of adolescents acquire a knowledge base of literacy theory and practices that they can use to create motivating, thoughtful and effective reading activities for adolescent readers. Objectives Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate the following; • Knowledge of current research on content area literacy • Knowledge of a variety of literacy strategies that competent readers possess • Awareness of technology tools that can be used to promote literacy building • An increased ability to find and select age appropriate reading materials Conceptual Framework “Surrounded by the urban context of New York City, our work revolves around five spheres of endeavor that overlap and influence each other.”1 Below are the five spheres and how this particular course will address them. 1. Learning and Leading in an Urban Context: This course assumes that candidates will be teaching in an urban setting, ideally in the New York City Public School system. Thus, the focus will be on teaching to diverse learners from various backgrounds. Various methods will be presented, discussed and problematized. 2. Developing Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions: Candidates will understand the pedagogical theories of teaching literacy to secondary students and how to apply them in their classrooms. Furthermore, HC School of Education requires that candidates exhibit four major dispositions as future teachers: a. Respect for others: Candidates will demonstrate this disposition through interactions with classmates, faculty and staff. They will also do so by arriving to class on time, prepared to engage in the discussion. Students will need to feel comfortable working in groups and completing cooperative learning exercises. b. Dedication to teaching: Candidates will demonstrate this though their questions and participation in classroom activities, and the quality and care of their work. c. Commitment to professionalism: Candidates will demonstrate this through their consistency of carrying out their dispositions and the other spheres in the HC School of Ed conceptual framework.
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The New Faculty and Adjunct Handbook for the School of Education at Hunter College
d. Impact on Student Learning: Candidates will demonstrate this through thoughtful planning activities and making connections to classroom application. 3. Engendering Professionalism: Candidates will demonstrate this through their approach to teaching. Candidates are encouraged to approach teaching as a profession, and to show a willingness to inquire, grow and learn in order to better support their students’ learning. 4. Building a caring learning community and culture: Candidates will exemplify this sphere through working in small group activities, respecting each other and sharing their ideas. 5. Advocating for Social Justice: Candidates will demonstrate this sphere though class discussions, lesson planning and showing a consciousness of issues of fairness and equality. Technology Candidates will be asked to use basic word processing and internet skills. Academic Honesty “Any deliberate borrowing of ideas, terms, statements, or knowledge of others without clear and specific acknowledgment of the source is intellectual theft and is called plagiarism.”2 Required Texts • Deeper Reading ( Comprehending Challanging texts, 4-12) by Kelly Gallagher Steinhouse Publishers • When Kids Can’t Read , What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers . Heinemann Publishers Recommended text (not required): Thinking Through Genre by Heather Lattimer. Stenhouse Publishers Grading • Four Reaction papers and six class blog comments 100 points • Book Group lessons and Presentations 100 points • Best Literacy Practices Presentations 100 points • Final Exam ( Best Practices in Reading Paper) 100 points Course Expectations: Attendance- students are expected to attend all class sessions. Chronic unexcused absence/lateness will have a negative impact on your grade. 2
Course Expectations cont. Hand in assignments on due date as much as possible. Turn off cell phones at the beginning of all class sessions. Engage in constructive, respectful behavior in small and large group discussions. Facilitation of one small class discussion with one or two colleagues. Description of Major Assignments 1. Facilitation of an assigned reading- each of you with one or two colleagues will sign up to facilitate a class discussion for an assigned chapter or an assigned journal article. Use the reading to develop “discussion starter “questions and or activities for us to engage in to further our thinking on what we read. 2 a. Four Reaction Papers- each week you will be required to read a journal article that illuminates what practices help teenagers acquire proficient reading skills and what practices get in the way. Write a two page response( hard copy) where you identify 1-2 ideas gleaned from the text and include your reaction to the text ideas and any questions or thoughts you have about it. Due dates will be assigned on the first class session. 2b. After reading assigned chapters in the text go to the class blog and submit a comment under my post. Be sure to sign your name. Your comments can be a reaction to the prompt or a sharing of 1-2 text ideas that you feel compelled to share. You are responsible for submitting a total of 8 blog comments. 3. Book Groups/ lessons and presentations – during the second week of class you will break up into book groups by selecting a young adult novel that all members of your group want to read. Each book group will : • Discuss the content and concepts of the text • Explain why it’s a good, literary fit for the adolescent reader • Create lesson plans( reading and writing) to be used with the book . One lesson per participant. 4. Best Practices Presentation This assignment involves examining the concept of best practice with regard to literacy. During the first 3 weeks you will be gathering information about best practices in building literacy. The textbooks, journal articles, and web sites( readwritethink.org , Word Generation Program, New York Times MultiMedia etc. ) will fill you head with ideas of what best practices looks like. Although we call this assignment a presentation, the format is much more open. You can give or present a lesson that incorporates best practice or use a protocol with the class to examine a lesson or activity that is an example of best practice.
Use the questions following to guide you in selecting a best practice and to use when you share it with the class. What makes the topic of the presentation best practice? How do you know it shows best practice ? In other words what theory supports the practice? Use 1-2 sources to support you claim. 5. Final Exam (Best Practice Essay) You will write an essay incorporating reading research, theory and practice as they pertain to adolescent literacy. Pick 5 ideas that most impressed you or resonated with you. When writing the essay consider how the theory or practice helps teenage readers become more competent readers of fiction and or nonfiction text. This essay must be typed and 5 pages in length. It is due on Tues. July 28th. to http://www.aucegypt.edu/academic/writers/ Sequence 7/6
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Introduction to Course (goals, requirements etc) • Read Aloud activity and Turn and Talk • Reflections on students literacy journey (What significant moments have you had as a reader? ) • Assignment: read Donald Gallo journal article
Topic: the value of young adult literature • Introduction to Freak the Mighty . Pre-reading activity • Assignment: read Freak the Mighty pgs. 1-40 • Assigned Text: Deeper Reading chapter 1
7/8 • • • •
Topic: How To Start Academic Conversations Coding protocol and silent reading activity with journal article 1 Small group discussion of Freak The Mighty Assignment: continue reading Freak the Mighty pgs. 40-79. Assigned Text: Deeper Reading chapter 2
7/9 Topic: Deepening Comprehension Through Second Draft Reading • Group reading activity of expository text. Source- New York Times Multimedia • Small group discussion of Freak the Mighty • Assignment: write post 1 on class blog . Due Sun. 7/12 • Assignment: write reaction paper to journal article 1. Due Mon. 7/13 • Assignment: finish reading Freak the Mighty 7/13 Topic: Framing Activities (Scaffolding Strategies) • Group silent reading activity (modeling of framing activities) • Discussion: Role of Young Adult literature in building literacy capacity • Assignment: read Deeper Reading chapters 3&4 • Assignment: write post 2 on class blog.
7/14 Topic: Effective First Draft Reading • Group discussion on above topic • Journal article 2 • Best practice presentation by teacher • Assignment : read assigned text chapter 5 • Assignment: write post 3 on blog 7/15 Topic: Deepening Comprehension through Second Draft Reading • Group discussion of chapter 5 • Facilitated discussion of journal article 2 • Small group work on best practice presentation • Assignment: read Journal article 3 7/16 Topic: The Importance of Collaboration • Facilitated discussion of journal article 3 • Small group work • Assignment: read chapters 6&7 • Post comment on blog by Sun 7/19 • Assignment: write reaction papers 2 and 3. Due on Mon. 7/20 7/20 Topic: Using Metaphor To Deepen Conversation • Group discussion of chapter 6 & 7 • Small group work on best practice presentations • Assignment: Read journal article 4 7/21 • • • • 7/22 • • • •
Breaking Through To Reluctant Readers Discussion of Journal 4 Best Practice presentations begin Assignment: read assigned text chapter 8 Write a post on the blog Topic: Leading Students To Meaningful Reflection Facilitated discussion of chapter 8 Best practice presentations cont. Assignment: read assigned text chapter 9 Write a post for class blog
7/23 Topic: Reading The World • Facilitated discussion of chapter 9 • Best practices presentations final day • Assignment: Read chapter 10 in assigned text
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Assignment : Work on take final exam Assignment: Post last blog on chapter 10
7/27 – 7/29 • • •
Topic: The Art of Teaching Deep Reading
Facilitated discussion of chapter 10 Book group presentations Final exam