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EdCI 3230 (Online)
Content Area Literacy in the Middle School
University of Central Missouri
Spring 2009
Section/CRN: 22382 (Online, Asynchronous Delivery)
Instructor: Matthew M. Thomas, Ph.D.
Office: Lovinger 2136
Office Hours: Mondays, 8:45-9:45, 11:00-11:45, 1:45-4:00; Fridays 8:45-9:45
Phone: (660) 543-8729
E-mail:
Course web site: via the UCM Blackboard system (http://courses.ucmo.edu)
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare middle school teachers to address reading needs common to the different middle school content areas and to prepare reading teachers to carry out a general reading program in the middle school. It is designed to introduce teachers to the why and how of promoting basic and higher-order literacy within the various middle school content areas. More than focusing on “learning to read,” this course emphasizes “reading to learn.” It does so in the context of promoting reading and thinking as a collateral part of specific subject instruction.
Course Topics
This course addresses the following topics: foundations of reading research and instruction and related foundations of teaching and learning; reading assessment practices; methods for helping students improve their effectiveness during prereading, silent reading, and postreading; methods for improving vocabulary acquisition; elements of higher-order literacy; methods for promoting reading, writing, and thinking across the grade levels and across the curriculum, including the use of the internet; methods for helping students improve their study skills; discipline-specific applications of reading methods; content area reading instruction for students in diverse and exceptional populations; and school-wide literacy programming. Additionally, as an online course, computer technology will be utilized extensively, hopefully helping teachers become more comfortable using technology for instruction.
Objectives (please see Standards Addendum for connections linking these objectives with class assessments and to MoSTEP standards)
In this course students will be asked to demonstrate basic developmentally appropriate knowledge of the course topics described above. In addition, they will be asked to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and/or apply information relating to the course topics above.
Conceptual Framework Information
Belief Statement: The Central educator is a competent, caring, reflective practitioner committed to the premise that all can learn.
Mission: As a cornerstone of the institution for over 130 years, the University of Central Missouri's Teacher Education Program develops teachers and other school professionals who are well grounded in theory, display competence in content knowledge and instructional strategies, and possess the dispositions to ensure success for all learners. The Teacher Education Program prepares individuals as professional educators for an ever-changing, culturally diverse population. Faculty and candidates provide support and service to schools in meeting their present and future challenges by developing communities that learn through research and scholarly activities. Educator preparation is a campus-wide responsibility, a commitment that reflects the honor and worth of serving a vital profession.
Text
Manzo, A.V., Manzo, U.C., and Thomas, M.M. (2005) Content area literacy: Strategic teaching
for strategic learning, 4th edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Please note: This text can be purchased at the UCM bookstore, or it can be purchased through online text vendors. Please also see the comments in Learning Module 1, once the semester begins, regarding some more information about our text.
Course Delivery
The course will be delivered in an asynchronous web-based format (i.e. all instruction and activities will take place online and you can log-on when it is most convenient for you within a set window of time). There will be scheduled readings and tasks to be completed, all explained on our course website. More information on these readings and tasks will be explained ahead in this document. Of course, even though all the instruction and interaction takes place online, you are still more than welcome to swing by and say hi during the semester; it is always fun to get to meet in person too!
Technology Equipment Requirements
Ø Reliable Internet access with up-to-date plug-ins (i.e. able to use the UCM Blackboard software, Breeze, view streaming video, etc.) Please see: http://www.ucmo.edu/x3779.xml if you need more information on acquiring up-to-date plug-ins.
Ø Microsoft Word (or the ability to open Word documents and send Rich-Text-Files; please see the plug-ins link above for some resources to help with this).
Ø Microsoft PowerPoint (or the ability to open, view, and save PowerPoint files; please see the plug-ins link above for some resources to help with this).
Please note: All of these requirements are available in the many UCM student computer labs. Therefore, if you do not have adequate access to these requirements from home and do not wish to purchase them, please remember that you can complete your requirements utilizing the UCM computers that are available to you. In addition, the various plug-ins available at the link above may be able to help you access the needed material even if you do not have the primary software. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Office of Extended Campus (660-543-4984 or toll free at 877-729-8266, ext. 21 or at http://www.ucmo.edu/x26149.xml) or the Help Desk (660-543-HELP) so they can assist you.
Technology Skill Requirements
Since you have enrolled in an online class, it is assumed that you can navigate standard websites, use basic functions of standard software programs such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (downloading, saving, copy-and-paste functions, printing and print-options, having more than one program and/or window open at a time, etc.), use basic e-mail functions, and can learn the basic functions and tools provided in the standard UCM Blackboard software platform (basic website navigation and tool usage). If these skills are new to you, it may take you somewhat longer to complete certain course requirements and you may need to secure for yourself additional computer training. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Office of Extended Campus (660-543-8480 or toll free at 877-729-8266, ext. 21 or at http://www.ucmo.edu/x26149.xml) or the Help Desk (660-543-HELP) so they can assist you. Please also note that there is also a UCM website designed to assist students with learning to use the Blackboard platform/software: http://www.ucmo.edu/x3774.xml.
Course Requirements (please see Standards Addendum for additional information regarding these assignments)
1. Learning Modules
For Chapters 1-8 of our text, there will be one learning module (LM) assigned. Each learning module will consist of assigned readings and other learning activities and tasks. There will be approximately one learning module to complete each week through the first several weeks of the semester (please see course schedule ahead). Most modules will include renditions of the following: an agenda; a brief lecture/essay; a chapter to be read; a set of notes over the chapter; and application activities, including asynchronous online exchanges and collaborations via our course discussion boards and assignment submission via the Blackboard website. The general learning module scoring guide is available in the syllabus addendum and the specific details of each learning module will be available under the “Assignments” button on our course website as the semester progresses.
2. Exams
There will be a midterm exam over the first half of the course and there will be a final exam covering the second half of the course. These will be taken online, and will be open-book, open-note exams.
3. DR-TA Lesson Plan
You will be asked to create a carefully crafted content area reading lesson that meets specified “Show-Me” Standards. The text chosen for the lesson will need to be available as online text and the lesson plan may be posted online through our course web site. The lesson format to be used is a directed reading-thinking activity (DR-TA). More specific details (including the assignment description, a template to use, and the scoring guide) are available in the syllabus addendum and the “Assignments” button on our course website. Please see the course schedule ahead for the target window for completing this assignment.
4. Complementary Chapters Project
Chapters 9-14 of our text will be covered by the completion of the Complementary Chapters Project. This project will involve reading through and writing about these six chapters but in a more streamlined way than with the Learning Modules for Chapters 1-8. A general introduction and the scoring guide for this assignment is available in the syllabus addendum and the specific details of the assignment will be available under the “Assignments” button on our course website as the semester progresses. Please see the course schedule ahead for the target window for completing this assignment.
5. Reflective Essay
As the semester concludes, you will be asked to write a brief (2-page, double-spaced) essay in which you reflect upon or recap the material that you have learned during the semester and summarize your experiences in the course. More specific details (including the assignment description and scoring guide) are available in the syllabus addendum and under the “Assignments” button on our course website. Please see the course schedule ahead for the target window for completing this assignment.
Attendance/Participation
The situation with attendance is unusual in this class because it is an online course with no required face-to-face or synchronous meetings. However, regular and timely participation and involvement with the course requirements (i.e. attendance) is very important because it will be difficult to do well with the course requirements if you do not regularly visit our website and carefully read the documents and announcements there, complete the learning modules and the discussion board interactions and other assignments according to schedule, and read and answer your e-mail.
Grading
Grades for the course will be based on the following:
40% Learning Modules (covering Chapters 1-8)
12.5% Mid-term exam
12.5% Final exam
15% DR-TA Lesson Plan Assignment
15% Complementary Chapters Project (covering Chapters 9-14)
5% Reflective Essay
Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D Below 60 = F
The due dates assigned for this course are designed as “target due dates” so that I may allow flexibility in order to accommodate student scheduling needs. Please do try to stick very close to these target dates so that you do not fall behind. If needed, the following official policy may apply: late work turned in during the semester may be lowered one letter grade per week that it is late; late work at the end of the semester may receive the same treatment and/or may receive an incomplete grade for the assignment(s) at hand.
Application to Portfolios
E-Port 3 or 4 Students and/or portfolio transition students will be asked to refer to the E-Port 3 or 4 portfolio matrix and/or their portfolio review teams for more information about the application of this course to their portfolio requirements. Previously, the DR-TA Lesson Plan Assignment for this course has been designated for addressing the following Performance Indicators: 1.2.3.1; 1.2.3.2; and 1.2.5.1. However, writing reflections associated with these Performance Indicators is no longer required as part of this class assignment.
Field Experience
For our class this semester, we will have “virtual field experiences” through observation and analysis of streaming video which will be integrated into our Learning Module activities.
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is very important, perhaps especially so with online courses. In some ways, we operate on the honor system. Please protect your own honor and integrity by being sure to hold yourself to a high standard of academic honesty (just like you would hope for in your own students). Treatment of this issue will be in accordance with UCM policy. Please see the “On My Honor” addendum to the syllabus which includes an honor code that I would like to ask you to please complete and send to me at the start of the semester (this is part of Learning Module 1). Please also note that our department may utilize Turnitin.com and this resource may be applied to our course as well.
Accessibility
Any student needing special accommodation should contact Barbara Mayfield at Union 220 (Ext. 4421).
Early Alert
As part of the College of Education’s commitment to building a positive, student-centered learning community that supports the success of every student, this faculty member will participate in the UCM Early Alert Program if/when applicable.
Library Services
Get help @ your library! You may access your library account, the online catalog, and electronic databases from James C. Kirkpatrick Library’s website at http://library.ucmo.edu. For research assistance, you may contact the Reference Desk:
Phone: (660) 543-4154 Email:
AIM: JCKLReference RefChat: http://library.ucmo.edu/chat
Tips for Success in this Online Class
After teaching online classes for several years, I’ve been able to observe some of the things that seem to help with student success in this unique learning environment. Here is a quick list of suggestions:
1. Please read everything very carefully and follow each of the directions very carefully. Since we don’t meet in person in an online class like this, there is not the same sort of explanatory interaction with expectations, etc. that is commonly a part of a regular face-to-face course. However, just about every detail that you need to know is on the site in text form; it just requires more careful reading than may be typical for a regular class setting.
2. Please discipline yourself to finish the course activities according to the target due dates. Asynchronous courses like this provide a good deal of individual flexibility. However, increased self-discipline is required because of this. If you are a self-confessed procrastinator (there are a lot of us out there!), please develop for yourself the sort of habit-structure or regular routine that you will need to steadily progress through the course activities.
3. In completing the course tasks, please try not to let yourself feel overwhelmed. The course is really quite straightforward and not very complicated. It is built around some fundamentally important (but quite simple) learning principles, namely that a lot can be learned through careful reading, reflective writing, and person-to-person written interactions. Just carefully follow each and every step, carefully read the text as assigned (often on your honor; see the honor policy), and thoroughly complete your reflective writings (or the other steps as assigned, such as for the DR-TA Lesson Plan or Complementary Chapters Project).
4. Please be sure that your e-mail account through Blackboard is fully functioning, per the information provided by the Office of Extended Campus (http://www.ucmo.edu/onlinecourseinfo/ and/or http://www.ucmo.edu/onlinecourseinfo/brandnewstudents.cfm). It is vital that we are able to communicate via e-mail. Every semester there are a few of students who don’t complete the steps needed for using their student e-mail accounts and, as such, miss e-mail messages that I send out through Blackboard. If you follow the directions from Extended Campus regarding this item, it will help a lot with our class communication.