Dr. Cynthia Sarver E-mail:
Office: 117D Old Main Phone: 607-753-2074 (o)
Office Hours: T/Th 10:30-1; and by appt. Emergencies only: 607-756-4272 (h)
State University College at Cortland
Department of English
AED 341: Introduction to English Language Arts
Fall 2010 // Tu/Th 1:15 – 2:30 // OM G-17
AED 341 F2010 Course Calendar: http://aed341f2010.pbworks.com
Course Description
This course provides a theoretical and methodological foundation for teaching the English Language Arts. Course goals include progress towards an integrated knowledge of constructivist learning theory, related planning and teaching practices, preparation for student teaching, and development of a culturally responsive and inclusive classroom environment. Prerequisite: 2.75 ENG grade point average. (3 cr. hr.)
Course Overview
This course will help you better understand the English Language Arts: what they are, why they’re important, and how to teach them to 21st-century adolescents. You’ll learn a variety of “best practice” strategies for motivating students to become lifelong literacy learners and individuals empowered through literacy to understand and shape their world. You’ll also have the opportunity to try these strategies out yourself, when we participate in online Book Clubs with students at Cortland High School, as we develop our own Multimodal Memoir projects. Other course projects will focus upon classroom management, short-range instructional planning that best accommodates, invites, and engages all learners. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll learn the value of self-reflection in learning and teaching – the first steps toward building a reflective teaching practice and becoming a lifelong literacy learner and teacher leader yourself.
Course Objectives
This course is keyed to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education/National Council of Teachers of English (NCATE/NCTE) learning standards. By the end of the course, teacher candidates will:
· Understand the scope of English as a school subject and how to bring the major strands (literature, language, and composition) together for an integrated learning process (2.6, 3.71, 4.1)
· Understand the benefits of a reflective practice: for students’ continued intellectual growth and their own continued professional development (2.3)
· Understand current status of and concerns relevant to adolescent and young adult literacy as discussed by contemporary educators, researchers and theorists and be prepared to diagnose and address similar problems in their own classrooms (3.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 4.1)
· Understand the constructivist theory of learning and related teaching methods and how this model differs from the behaviorist model (3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.8, 3.7.1, 4.1, 4.9, 4.10, 4.11)
· Have planned instruction that creates “literate classroom communities by presenting varied structures and techniques for group interactions” and “creat[ing] and sustain[ing] an inclusive and supportive learning environment in which all students can engage in learning” (2.1, 4.2)
· Have begun to develop a national professional network of ELA colleagues through membership in NCTE (2.0)
· Demonstrate an understanding of the practical aspects of lesson planning through the creation of several lessons. Through these assignments, develop planning skills that:
o Demonstrate an understanding of how and when to integrate direct teaching methods into a more constructivist, student-centered curriculum model (3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.8, 3.7.1, 4.1, 4.9, 4.10, 4.11)
o Integrate visual, oral, and written literacies (3.2.2, 3.6.2)
o Incorporate state and national learning standards (4.1)
o Consistently integrate authentic individual, group, and self assessment into instruction (4.10)
o Appeal to the range of student interests, backgrounds, and abilities through a similar range of instructional strategies, texts, and subject matter (3.2, 3.2.1, 4.8)
o Gear instruction so students can actively use critical thinking and relevant reading, viewing, writing, speaking and listening skills to construct conceptual knowledge of the three English strands (1.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2.2, 3.7.1)
o Make meaningful and creative connections between the classroom and culture and society (2.5, 2.6)
o Integrate the arts and humanities into the daily learning of their students (2.6)
Expectations
· That you have assignments ready to be submitted at the beginning of the class on the due date. Assignments turned in any later will have points deducted for lateness (see “Lateness and Absence Policy” below).
· That unless otherwise noted, all assignments are typed and formatted according to MLA guidelines.
· That you are present in all classes, unless you have a very good reason for not being here (I will be the arbiter of what qualifies as a “very good reason” – see below).
· That you are an active agent in your own learning and the learning experiences of others.
· That you complete the major assignments in the class.
· That you take seriously the AEN Professional Dispositions and work seriously toward becoming an excellent teacher candidate (see “Professional Dispositions Statement” below and “Assessment of Candidate’s Professional Dispositions” attached).
Lateness and Absence Policy
If you must miss a class, be late, or leave early, it is your responsibility to 1) make arrangements with me ahead of time (i.e., at least the day before); and 2) get any assignments due turned in beforehand or on time by sending me a temporary copy in the body of an e-mail, to be replaced by an identical hard copy the next time I see you – no hard copy, no grade. It is also your responsibility to contact classmates in advance for any missed notes, handouts, exercises, etc., and to be up-to-date by the time you return to class.
You are allowed to miss two classes without penalty. After that, each missed class will result in your final grade being lowered one-third of a grade step (e.g., from an A to an A-). Excessive tardiness will be counted as absences, and more than six absences will result in a failing grade for the course. On the other hand, good attendance and punctuality has its rewards (see below).
Required Materials, Texts, and Services
Required texts:
· Linda Christensen,Teaching for Joy and Justice: Re-Imagining The Language Arts Classroom (ISBN: 9780942961430)
· LouAnne Johnson, Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students By Their Brains (ISBN: 9780787974718)
· Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake (ISBN: 9780395927212)
· Thomas Newkirk, Holding On to Good ideas in a Time of Bad Ones: Six Literacy Principles Worth Fighting For (ISBN:0325021236)
· Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements: How to Teach What Really Matters about Character, Setting, Point of View, and Theme (ISBN: 9780545052566)
Other required materials and services:
· Mini-stapler that you bring to all class meetings.
· Subscription to various free online services, including TaskStream (see Tech Set-Up on Course Calendar).
· Occasional printing of documents (your own and your classmates’)
· Occasional photocopying of materials for distribution to group- and class-members
· Daily access to an e-mail account, course wiki (http://aed341f2010.pbworks.com) and other online media (all Cortland students have access to computer labs and a free e-mail account)
· Student Membership in the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Major Course Projects
· Online Book Discussions – You will participate in an online discussion of The Namesake with students at CJSHS in which you will be expected to post and respond a certain number of times each week.
· Multimodal Memoir – As a participant in The Namesake unit, you will develop and publish (share) a memoir that will be composed in multiple modes (formats), and drawn from a range of in-class and online writing that you will be doing throughout the semester. This project will also include “translating” a composition from one mode (e.g., a poem) into another (e.g., a video) and reflecting upon the difference between the work’s “message” in each mode.
· Collaborative Book Club Presentation with/Multimedia Component –You will choose a book to read and discuss with a small group. The project culminates toward the end of the semester when you and your collaborators will teach your colleagues – using multimedia -- about the book’s most important lessons.
· Classroom Management Essay – You will spend 10 hours observing classroom management in your fieldwork and write a short essay that presents your conclusions by synthesizing your observations and related readings.
· Statement on Classroom Management – In conjunction with your readings, observations, and writings on classroom management, you will develop a Statement on Classroom Management to be used in your Professional Portfolio (TaskStream).
· Lesson Plan Portfolio – You will develop five different lesson plans that are variously focused on a range of English Language Arts -- reading, writing, listening, speaking, and viewing -- using The Namesake as your “anchor” text. Through composing these lessons, you will demonstrate your understanding of student-centered adolescent literacy, instructional planning, pedagogical content knowledge, learning theory, differentiated instruction, assessment, and direct versus constructivist instruction -- all gleaned from lessons peppered throughout the course (TaskStream).
· Online Portfolio – At the end of the semester, you will publish an online portfolio (on a Web page or wiki) that includes the following elements. Opportunities for revision will occur throughout the semester, and revision and publication will be a major focus of this final project.
· Multimodal Memoir
· Classroom Management Essay
· Classroom Management Statement
· Research Project (2-3 page paper plus reflection)
· Lesson Plan Portfolio
· Final Reflective Essay (this is the only new assignment associated with the Online Portfolio)
Professional Dispositions Statement
One goal of this course is to provide opportunities for continuous positive growth toward strong teaching skills and dispositions as reflected in the Assessment of Candidate’s Professional Dispositions. Positive teaching dispositions are a basic requirement for all successful completion of the AEN program. In the event of problematic demonstration of teaching disposition, incidents will be documented and the departmental and Teacher Education Council Fair Practice Policy and Procedures for action will be followed.
Diversity
I am committed to “creat[ing] and sustain[ing] an inclusive and supportive learning environment in which all students can engage in learning” (NCATE/NCTE Standards). Therefore, respect for individual differences – be they of ethnicity, race, class, gender, religion, ability, or opinion -- will be crucial to your success in this class. The high level of critical engagement that comes from considering points of view different from your own benefits both the quality of your own thinking and the richness of our collective inquiry.
Technology
The self-motivated literacy habits of a great number of adolescent and young adults today can be linked directly to emerging new media such as the Web, texting and instant messaging, blogging, e-mail, social networking, and digital video and photography. Moreover, the NCTE has recently published a statement that expands literacy learning to account for new media (see Policy Statement on 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment Framework). Therefore, I will not only encourage you to find ways to link these voluntary “multimodal literacies” to more traditional ones -- such as pen and paper essays about literature -- in your lesson plans, but also in order to familiarize yourself with some of this technology through hands-on practice. A great deal of our communication in this course, therefore, will take place online (on wikis, blogs, and utilizing other social media). For various assignments, you can expect to be asked to surf the web, participate in online discussions with classmates, email classmates, and access online course materials. Participation with these media is expected as part of your participation in the course.
Office of Student Disability Services
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with the Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS). A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from OSDS. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. OSDS is located in Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-1 and is open 8:00 am-4:30 pm, M-F. Their phone number is (607) 753-2066.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty, involves incorporating the words or thoughts of another into one’s original writing without proper documentation. Common examples include submitting a paper by another student; failing to document paraphrased, summarized or directly quoted material; or subtly altering the diction and content of a source author without documentation. The minimal consequences for a plagiarized paper will be a “0” grade on the assignment and an “F” for the course. Students should consult the College Handbook for full details of SUNY Cortland’s policy on academic dishonesty; find more information at: http://www2.cortland.edu/departments/english/wrc/students/integrity.dot
ASSESSMENT
Individual assignments will be assessed differently, since evaluation criteria depend upon factors that vary with each assignment’s goals and objectives. You will keep track of your own progress throughout the course of the semester. Final grades, however, will be based upon numerous factors, including your performance upon individual course assignments. Here is a scale that will help you understand how final grades will be assigned in this course:
You will most likely get a grade in the A (excellent)-range if you:· meet all of the criteria for “B” work, and develop a reputation for consistently superior performance on course assignments;
· consistently strive to exhibit the dispositions of a professional teacher (see AEN Professional Dispositions, attached); and
· go “above and beyond” in terms of your contribution to our classroom community and/or the adolescent literacy community at SUNY Cortland (or beyond).*
*Must involve taking on additional outside responsibilities – can’t be linked to other course work or previous obligations. / You will most likely receive a final grade in the B (above average)-range, if you:
· do all the work for the course;
· do it well, exceeding expectations;
· participate in most class discussions with alacrity and intelligent familiarity with course readings;
· are almost always present and/or on- time to class and come prepared with the necessary course work and texts/materials; and
· at least once, volunteer to help a course colleague with a “significant revision” of a piece of prose-writing (essay or narrative) for the final Online Portfolio (submit copies of comments/drafts labeled with your name for credit). / You will most likely receive a final grade in the C (satisfactory)-range if you:
· do all the work for the course;
· follow all directions on assignments, but do the bare minimum to fulfill requirements;
· regularly make positive contributions to required class discussions; and/or
· are late with work and tardy or absent no more than the allowed number of times. / You will most likely receive a final grade in the D (below average)-range if you:
· do all of the work for the course;
· but generally show lack of enthusiasm in and engagement with course work (resulting in poor-quality products);
· occasionally contribute positively to class discussions; and/or
· are late with work and/or tardy more than the allowed number of times. / You will most likely receive a final grade of E (fail) if you:
· do less than all of the work for the course;
· generally show lack of enthusiasm in and engagement with course work that you do complete (resulting in poor-quality products);
· rarely contribute positively to class discussions; and/or
· are frequently late with work; and/or are frequently absent or tardy.
***As a courtesy to your colleagues, please turn cellphones to vibrate***