Te 407 Syllabus

Teaching English to Diverse Learners TE 407 Section 2, Fall 2008 Seminar: Erickson 128, M/W, 8:00 – 9:50 am Lab: W, 4:10 - 6:00 pm

Seminar Instructor Lab Instructors Carlin Borsheim Annis Brown - [email protected] Erickson 109 Office hours by appointment Delores Schnarr - [email protected] Wells C202 517.862.1368 [email protected] Course wikispace: http://msu-englished-cohort08.wikispaces.com/ Course Description This course aims to guide you in taking your first steps into English teaching, to begin preparing you for the world of the early twenty-first century English classroom with a repertoire of instructional practices. We will also look beyond the present to the future of English in a rapidly changing world. During the semester, you will think about why you might take certain steps in your English classroom as well as what you can do and how. This means that the methods you use, or how you go about teaching, depend upon knowing who your students are, who you are, where you teach (i.e. various contexts such as curricula, school, community, state, etc.), what you teach, and why you are teaching. This course assumes that there is not a “one size fits all” method or single best way to teach English language arts. Thus, it is crucial to develop a core set of principles to guide practice: planning and enacting lessons and assessing instruction and learning. Underlying each specific choice about what to teach and how are fundamental questions: How will this further the learning of our students? Why this content or skill? Why this now? Why this way? Being able to answer these questions requires understanding our students as learners, as well as the social conditions of our classroom. Interrogating our beliefs and reflecting frequently on our practice will help us meet our students’ needs. Often, being attentive to timing, to relationships among learners, and to the dynamics of classroom talk is every bit as important as the coherent, relevant, and timely presentation of appropriate content. We will take these steps into English teaching together as a group of learners. As your instructor, I will be learning about you and the ways I can assist you. As students, you will be learning with and from each other, as well as from course materials. Consider this cohort your induction into a network of professional colleagues: our work together this semester feeds directly into the work we will do in the spring in TE408. 3 Components of TE 407/408: Field Experience/Lab/Seminar This course has three major components: the field experience, the teaching lab, and the seminar class. As an instructional team, we are working collaboratively to make this an integrated course experience; you should also look for ways to build connections across the different parts of the course. 1) Field Experience Starting in October and throughout the rest of the year, you will be participating in a secondary English classroom for at least four hours (spread out over at least two days) per week. For most of you, this participation will happen with a partner. To help structure your entry into the field experience, we have designed assignments to help you integrate your experiences with our course units. Additionally, you will share reflections on these tasks in a peer discussion group on our course wikispace with small groups in class after your placement begins.

2) Teaching Lab As part of TE 407, you will participate in a weekly teaching lab, in which you collaboratively

practice lesson planning, design, and performance. More details about lab will be provided during your first lab class on September 3. Your work in lab is designed to feed, and be fed by, your work in the seminar class. 3) Seminar Class As noted above, teaching well entails making many decisions before you enter the classroom and making on-the-spot decisions once you are there. This seminar course focuses in particular on the planning aspects of English teaching. We will discuss the complexities involved in making planning choices, and you will rehearse a number of decisions as you design, enact, revise, and reflect on lessons. You will also explore the wealth of resources available for English teachers and discover ways of approaching and organizing your teaching and your curriculum. This course will also help you begin to build a library of professional resources and a network of professional relationships. Core Concepts Almost everything we do throughout the year in TE 407 and TE 408 will address the work of planning for English instruction. We have structured the course around four core concepts. These four concepts, and the questions that define them, will not only give coherence to our work together in class, but we hope they will also become touchstone questions as you make teaching decisions in your own classroom. 1. Teacher beliefs and knowledge: How do my beliefs and knowledge shape my practices? How do I believe learning occurs? What do I believe is important for students to learn? Why do I teach English Language Arts (ELA)? What makes a good ELA teacher and student? What do I know, believe, and value about ELA content? 2. Students and context: What do I believe about students? What do I need to know to teach students effectively? How does what I know and what I believe about my students shape my practice? 3. Purpose: How does my understandings of the purpose of a lesson or unit shape my practices? How can I build coherence in my planning? How is what I do with students today significant for them beyond today? 4. Classroom talk: How do different forms, types, and practices of classroom talk create the learning environment in an English/Language Arts classroom? How can I move classroom talk in a more dialogic direction? Course Goals These concepts feed directly into the primary course goals: To develop and articulate your beliefs and knowledge as English teachers, including your evolving understanding of yourselves as teachers and your purposes in the ELA classroom. To integrate your growing knowledge about the history and characteristics of English as a school subject into this understanding. To practice gathering information about your students and the cultural backgrounds, discourses, and learning styles they bring to the classroom. To practice planning curricular lessons – embedded within units – using clear purposes, which are grounded in course goals, guiding beliefs, and content expertise. To build a repertoire of instructional practices, including dialogic discourse practices, for teaching ELA content to diverse learners. Texts We chose our course texts with two purposes in mind. First, these texts will facilitate our exploration of course goals. Perhaps even more importantly, however, we chose texts that will be useful components of your growing professional library. It is our hope and expectation that you

will be able to use these class texts as touchstones and resources when you enter your own classrooms in two years. In other words, DON'T SELL THESE BOOKS. Some of these texts are available for a reduced price at online bookstores, such as Amazon.com. All are available at the MSU student bookstore. Required texts: • Burke, J. (2008). The English Teacher’s Companion. (3rd ed.) Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. • O’Brien, P (ed.) (2006). Shakespeare Set Free. (2nd ed.) Washington, D.C.: Folger Library. • Shakespeare, W. (1998). Romeo & Juliet (Cambridge School Shakespeare). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. • Additional readings, videos, and resources: available on course wikispace and/or ANGEL Units of Study 1. Envisioning English In this short introductory unit, we will consider the history of English teaching as well as our own current beliefs about English teaching. English as a school subject is rapidly changing. While some call for a return to a tradition of teaching the basics and reading classic literature, others question whether there is anything left of relevance in that tradition and instead propose using a combination of young adult, media, and popular culture texts to explore students’ worlds. You will explore the myriad of ways English teaching has been defined, your beliefs about English teaching, and your participation in these ongoing discussions. 2. Leading Classroom Talk: Engaging Poetry In this unit, we will develop our teaching repertoire by considering some of the available options for leading classroom talk in the English classroom. With an ELA content focus on poetry, we will work with videos and will practice developing strategies for structuring “minds-on” discussions in our classrooms. 3. Backward Design: Engaging Dramatic Literature As we focus on teaching dramatic literature, we will look more specifically at how one set of teacher beliefs informs practice. Using Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and an accompanying set of lesson plans, we will participate in and reflect on a variety of teaching strategies for bringing a challenging dramatic text to life. We will specifically examine the way the purpose, assessment, and activities of a lesson align in light of an underlying set of beliefs. We will also participate in a workshop with actors visiting from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, who will build on many of the ideas and beliefs we discuss in class. This unit will culminate with a lesson plan project, in which you will practice aligning teaching strategies with a given purpose, assessment, and dramatic content. 4. Multi-genre Inquiry Projects: Engaging Adolescent Learners Over the course of the semester, through shared texts and videos, as well as through your field placements, we will explore and practice strategies for getting to know and engaging students, both as individuals and as members of a class. This will involve unpacking common teaching practices and interrogating common assumptions, as well as exploring resources (both inside and outside school) for helping us reach our diverse students. We will also explore individual teachers’ and students’ experiences of ELA curriculum and instruction. This ongoing component of the course will culminate in this fourth unit, in which, small groups will gather, construct, and publish a professional resource that reflects findings on a particular shared area of inquiry. It is our hope that your experiences with this project will serve as an experimental application of your learning over the course of the semester, prepare you for the individual work you will undertake for the final exam, and provide you with resources for work with your own students. These multi-genre projects will reflect your work throughout the semester. Groups will present and share their projects during the last few weeks of the semester. Major Assignments All projects will be graded on a 4.0 point scale. Unit 1 – Curriculum Map and Reflection – 10% Unit 2 – “Lead a Discussion” Lesson Plan – 15%

Unit 3 – Design an Assessment – 15% Unit 4 – Multi-genre Inquiry Project (Final Exam) – 25% Teaching Notebook - 10% Seminar & Lab Participation – 25% Late Work Policy An assignment will be deducted by .5 for each day it is late. Assignments will not be accepted if it is more than a week late. If extenuating circumstances hinder your ability to meet a deadline, it is helpful to alert me before the due date, rather than after. Expectations 1. Learning by being here Because this class will involve interactive and collaborative activities, being present and prepared for class are essential conditions for its effectiveness. If you miss class or come late, you will negatively impact the class, your classmates’ ability to accomplish their work, your own learning, and your grade. More than two absences – excused or unexcused – will lower your grade by one half letter. If you are more than ten minutes late, that counts as one absence. We do, however, understand that “life happens” and that you may need to miss class. In that event, you should let us know in advance, either by phone or email. You should assume the same practice in your field placement. This is a basic and critical practice of professional communication. 2. Learning through timely application and reflection Learning builds over time and is supported by thinking, writing, and talking about what you are reading and doing. With this in mind, we have designed all reading and writing assignments to be time and situation relevant. This means that they are of most value for you, for the class, and for us when completed at the time they are assigned. 3. Learning from and with experienced professionals Your cooperating teacher and others at the school site of your field experience will become significant professional colleagues. They can offer you a wide variety of experiences, perspectives, and information. Also, experienced English teachers and current interns will join us to talk about and illustrate important elements and issues in teaching English. Finally, we will be consulting a range of videos that will allow you to learn from experienced teachers talking about and modeling their practices. 4. Learning from resources Collecting Resources in a Teaching Notebook Another way to learn from colleagues is to build your professional library to include books, supplementary materials, lesson plans, ideas, hand outs, websites, blogs, articles, photographs, quotes, rubrics, standards documents, etc, etc. Where will you keep it all? You should START NOW to develop a system (possibly electronic) to keep track of these resources. You will also be expected to experiment with keeping track of your observations, resources, and ideas in a journal. The “Teaching Notebook” will be required for this class, and it can likely serve as a precursor to the teaching portfolio each intern is required to keep during the internship year. We will brainstorm and discuss possible modes for this notebook as well as helpful means of organization. We expect that each student’s notebook will take on a personality of its own, evolve and change over time, and serve each of you in very practical ways. Participating in On-line Communities You should also get in the habit of checking our wikispace regularly and actively participating in wiki discussions. We will use discussion tabs on the wiki to discuss readings, critique lessons, and facilitate reflection or group work. I have also built a page on the wiki where we can SHARE electronic resources we collect over the course of the semester – and beyond. If we all contribute, the wikispace could be a valuable tool for you this year, next year, and well into your teaching careers. Participating in Professional Communities As professionals, teachers continue educating themselves to improve their craft and stay up with developments in subject matter and teaching resources. One important source is

our professional organization - the National Council of Teacher of English. I strongly encourage you to join NCTE this year and to begin taking advantage of the range of resources it provides English teachers. [Note: Student membership is $20 and includes one professional journal of your choice. I recommend you choose English Journal.] Attending the Michigan Council of the Teachers of English Annual Conference at the Lansing Sheraton Hotel is another great way to get involved in the local professional community of English teachers. This year, the conference will be held on October 3 and the cost is between $25 - $50, depending on your membership status. Taking Advantage of MSU Resources Finally, the MSU Writing Center (300 Bessey Hall, and in the library) is an excellent resource for writing assistance for writers of any ability level at any stage of the writing process. As you know, even good writers can benefit from peer review, and you might be interested simply in seeing how they do it. We encourage you to make appointments at the Writing Center early. The schedule often becomes very busy during the semester--making appointments early will assure that you get assistance and will give you deadlines for drafts. 5. Learning through observing and integrating Good teachers are good observers of their students and of what goes on in their classrooms. This semester, you will begin to sharpen your classroom observational strategies through your field experience, lab, Teaching Notebook, Artifact Activities, and the Multigenre Inquiry Project, to name a few. As you are learning in the TE 407 seminar about aspects of English curriculum and teaching methods, intentionally integrate them with what you are learning in the TE 407 lab, ENG 408, and other relevant English and education courses to observe your practicum classroom. Try to integrate these observations into our class discussions and assignments as well. My Instructional Commitments to You: I will make every effort to… * keep the tension between theory and practice in mind. * make assignments and tasks relevant to you as teachers. * bring in a variety of voices, including local teachers, high school students, and other professionals. * emphasize the many ways to approach teaching English, as well as the importance of reflecting critically on curricular and pedagogical choices. * build in opportunities to use technology for collaboration and creation of multimodal projects. * encourage you to think of yourselves as professionals and engage in professional communication in a variety of settings. * build a strong professional community of educators for you and your colleagues. * make my own teaching moves explicit as examples of backward design, etc. University Policies Grading TE Program policy dictates that in order to pass TE 407 and 408, all parts of the course (seminar, field experience, all labs) must be passed with a 2.0 or above. This means that a satisfactory report must be received from your lab instructor and from the teachers in the field experiences during TE 407. If you receive less than a 2.0 in the course, the entire course needs to be repeated in order to continue in the Teacher Preparation Program. In order to enroll in TE 408, students must have successfully passed all parts of TE 407 with a 2.0 or better. Academic Honesty Article 2.3.3 of the Academic Freedom Report states, “the student shares with the faculty the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of scholarship, grades, and professional standards.” In addition, the College of Education adheres to the policies on academic honesty as specified in General Student Regulations, 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades, and in the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades, which are included in Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide. Students who commit and act of academic dishonesty may receive a 0.0 on the assignment or in the course. For additional information, see MSUs ombudsman’s website: http://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/plagiarism.html

In lesson planning, it is common to "beg, borrow, and steal" ideas from other ideas from other teachers, internet sites, conference presentations, etc. Sharing is an important part of the culture of teaching. We will accommodate these practices by including the phrase, "modified from..." "adapted from..." or "taken from..." in a bibliography section of the lesson plan. Professional criteria for progression to the internship In order to proceed to the internship, you must meet the professional criteria below in the judgment of your course instructors and your mentor teacher. If you are not meeting these criteria, you will be notified and given a chance to correct your deficiencies. (1) Reliability and Responsibility Teacher candidates must generally have been present and on time for professional commitments, including classes and field experiences. Teacher candidates must have regularly communicated about necessary absences or lateness according to the guidelines in the Professional Conduct Policy. Teacher candidates must have a record of meeting deadlines for course assignments and program requirements. A pattern of repeated absences, lateness, and failure to meet deadlines in courses or fieldwork is not acceptable. Any form of dishonesty (lying, plagiarism, forged signatures, etc.) about these and other requirements is not acceptable. (2) Communication Skills and Social Relationships Teacher candidates must have demonstrated the ability to express their viewpoints and negotiate difficulties appropriately, without behaving unprofessionally with instructors, peers, or students. Teacher candidates must have shown that they are ready to accept and respond to constructive feedback in a professional manner. Teacher candidates must have demonstrated an awareness of appropriate social boundaries between students and teachers and have shown that they are ready and able to observe those boundaries. Extreme forms of behavior (such as outbursts in class, sexual or other harassment, threats of suicide or of harm to others) are not acceptable. (3) Comfort with and Concern for the Learning of all Children Teacher candidates must be able to engage in informal conversations with children and keep their attention in such conversations. Teacher candidates must interact courteously, fairly, and professionally with people from diverse racial, cultural, and social backgrounds and of different genders or sexual preferences. Racial and other slurs are not acceptable, nor is conduct that violates the University's Anti-Discrimination Policy or that would violate the Anti-Discrimination Policy if it were directed at a member of the University community. Accommodations for Disabilities We would like to accommodate students with disabilities; please see us with any concerns. Students with disabilities should also contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities to establish reasonable accommodations. For an appointment with a counselor, call 353-9642 or 3551293 (TTY). Drops and Adds The last day to add this course is the end of the first week of classes. Observing a Major Religious Holiday You may make up course work missed to observe a major religious holiday only if you make arrangements in advance with the instructor.

UNIT 1: Envisioning English Week 1 8/25 Why Teach English? 8/27 Yagelski – Literature and Literacy Burke - Intro: Teaching English in the 21st Century Week 2 9/1

NO CLASS 9/3 (Lab begins today) Burke - Chapter 2: Thinking about Teaching and Learning Applebee - Curriculum as Conversation Week 3 9/8 Burke - Chapter 12: Digital Literacy: Technology in English Class UNIT 2: Leading Classroom Talk: Engaging Poetry 9/10 DUE: Curriculum Map & Reflection Week 4 9/15 McCann - Talking in Class EJ Poetry Article 9/17 Langer – Envisioning Literature Week 5 9/22 Beach & Marshall – Teaching Literature in the Secondary School Discussion Leaders: 1. __________________________ 2. __________________________ 9/24 Johnson & Johnson – Critical Thinking through Structured Controversy Discussion Leaders: 3. __________________________ 4. __________________________ Week 6 9/29 10/1 Burke - Chapter 9: Teaching Thinking in English Class Discussion Leaders: 5. __________________________ 6. __________________________ Week 7 10/6 Juzwik: Our Ithacas Discussion Leaders: 7. __________________________ 8. __________________________ Unit 3 – Backward Design: Engaging Dramatic Literature 10/8 R&J Prologue and Act I and Shakespeare Set Free Week 8 10/13 (Mid-term) Burke – Chapter 10: Composing a Curriculum Discussion Leaders: 9. __________________________ 10. __________________________ Wiggins and McTique - Backward Design 10/15 Shakespeare Set Free

Week 9 10/20 Gardner - Multiple Intelligences Discussion Leaders: 11. __________________________ 12. __________________________ 10/22 R&J Act II Week 10 10/27 Burke - Chapter 11: Measuring Student Progress Discussion Leaders: 13. _____________________ 14. __________________________ 10/29 R&J Act III and Shakespeare Set Free Week 11 11/3 DUE: Assessments/Objectives/Reflections Unit 4 – Engaging Adolescent Learners and Multi-genre Projects 11/5 Gere - Reading Kids Discussion Leaders: 15. __________________________ 16. __________________________ Week 12 11/10 Burke - Chapter 14: Integrating English Projects and Exhibitions Discussion Leaders: 17. __________________________ 18. __________________________ 11/12 STRATFORD Week 13 11/17 Gonzales et al - Funds of Knowledge Discussion Leaders: 19. __________________________ 20. __________________________

11/19 Burke - Chapter 16: Discussion Leaders: Burke - Chapter 18: Discussion Leaders:

Success for All: Teaching Students with Special Needs 21. __________________________ 22. __________________________ Thoughts on Culture, Race, and Language 23. __________________________ 24. __________________________

Week 14 11/24 Stairs - Culturally Responsive Teaching Discussion Leaders: 25. __________________________ 26. __________________________ 11/26 Newkirk - Popular Culture Discussion Leaders: 27. __________________________ 28. __________________________ Week 15 12/1 DUE: Small group inquiry presentations

12/3 DUE: Small group inquiry presentations Final Exam DUE: Small group inquiry presentations