Instructor: Dr. Marilyn Carpenter

Office: 316B, Williamson Hall

Office Hours:1-2:30; M &W, after class or by appointment.

Phone: (509) 359-6198

E-mail address: /

Course Description

This course allows students to analyze their Practicum experiences, management strategies for a reading program and develop a personal philosophical foundation for reading instruction. Ten hours per week of field experience in a public school classroom are required in the Education 495 accompanying course. Two hours each day should be spent in the classroom during the reading instruction period. The purpose of that requirement is for you to see the continuity in the day to day instruction of reading. It is the goal of the 495 course that you will assume full responsibility for reading instruction for two weeks.

COURSE FORMAT

This class will be conducted as a seminar in which class members will:

1)critically analyze, reflect on and discuss their practicum experiences in the teaching of reading;

2)engage in a variety of reflective experiences to evaluate their reading lessons in the practicum experience, including the reading of assigned articles;

3)generate meaningful questions about the teaching of reading;

4)develop a personal philosophy of how to teach reading;

5)develop a long range plan to teach reading for a six week period;

6)visit Willard Elementary for observations of multi-age classrooms on April 23, therefore there is no class on April 20.

7)participate in a small group exit interview with Marilyn at the end of the quarter.

This course will also include small-group, and whole-class discussions, and a sharing of lessons and projects.

Suggested Web Sites

(marilyn’s web site),

(marilyn’s blog)

- password EWU

Our class experiences are based on the following beliefs about learning:

  1. Learning is an inquiry process in which we search for and investigate questions that are significant in our lives.
  2. Learning is an active process.
  3. Learning is a social process of collaborating with others.
  4. Learning occurs when we make connections to our own experiences.
  5. Choice allows learners to connect to their experiences and feel ownership in their learning process.
  6. Learning is reflective as well as active.
  7. Learning occurs in a multicultural world with many ways of knowing.
  8. Each learner is responsible for his or her own learning.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Participation

This course is designed and organized to be highly experiential. Therefore, your attendance and participation are essential to your learning. It is not possible to be enriched by discussions and collaborations if you are not prepared for class or are not present. Activities during class will be graded. Ten points are earned for each complete class you attend. There will be no class on 4/24.

2. Timeliness

Assignments are due on the dates noted. Late assignments will lower your grade.

3. Mechanics of literacy

Assignments and projects should demonstrate your mastery of the mechanics of literacy. Assignments not demonstrating mastery lower your grade. APA Style is required for all written assignments. Please honor titles of books by placing them in italics.

4. Description of Your Classroom Assignment

Include the following:

  • The name of your school and district;
  • The name of your supervising teacher and contact information for him or her i.e. telephone # & e-mail address;
  • The grade level of your assignment;
  • The hours you are in the classroom five days of the week (totaling at least ten hours);
  • The hours reading is taught in your assigned classroom;
  • A detailed description of the reading program utilized in the classroom;
  • The plan you and your supervising teacher have worked out to take over the reading program for two weeks;

This assignment is due April 6. Please make two copies.

5. Your Goals for the Quarter

On April 6, submit your goals in the teaching of reading for Educ. 494/495. Throughout the quarter, reflect on the progress you make as you move toward the completion of your goals. In other words, write about what you want to know about reading instruction and perhaps what you’d still like to set as goals during student teaching. You will keep this record in yourPracticum Seminar Notebook. Submit a final reflection and evaluation on how your goals were met, changed, or were revised during the quarter. Due June 1.

Consult to be clear on the competencies you are expected to demonstrate to receive your Endorsement in reading.

6. Long Range Plans

The lessons you teach should be situated in the long range plans for teaching reading in your classroom. In the first few weeks of your Practicum Seminar assignment, work with your teacher to document where the reading program is in your classroom, before you take over the reading instruction and where it will be after you complete your two weeks of reading instruction. This document is due April 13. You will receive a template in class to use for your long range plan. You do not need to submit lesson plans as part of this assignment. (See as an example of how the Spokane district has described the year-long plan for each grade.)

7. Lesson Plans

You will have an opportunity to share your lesson plans in class with a grade-alike group. In addition, you may conference with Marilyn about your lesson plans in class. If you would like use the task stream, EWU #3 format for your lesson plans. No grades will be assigned to your lessons.

8. Practicum Seminar Notebook

In this class, you will keep a Practicum Seminar Notebook. The first purpose of this assignment is to have a place to develop your ideas as a teacher of reading. The second purpose is to document the requirements for our class. Your Notebook needs to be housed in a loose leaf binder with tabs for each section, so you can take out and return individual items. You will turn in your Notebook at the end of the class. Bring your Notebook to every Seminar meeting. Your Notebook will be turned in at our final class, June1. The Notebook needs to be structured in the following manner:

  1. A description of your classroom assignment.
  2. Goals for the quarter. What do you want to accomplish?
  3. Long range plans for the teaching of reading.
  4. Copy of the lesson observed by your supervisor with the remarks of the supervisor.
  5. Select three lessons for an in depth reflection. Then consider the teaching of your lessons – how did they go, how would you teach them differently another time, what would you keep and what would you discard if you taught the lesson again, what did you learn, how would you teach the lesson differently if you had your own class? Be sure to include the lessons with your reflections.
  6. A weekly log of your time spent in the classroom.
  7. Copies of Midterm & Final Evaluation from Cooperating Teacher as well as your Supervisor’s evaluation.
  8. Philosophy of teaching reading assignments.

9. Philosophy of How to Teach Reading.

The purpose of this assignment is to focus your thinking about how reading should be taught. This assignment should be a culmination of your learning in all your reading courses. You need to research the elements for your paper. You are to use textbooks from previous reading courses, papers you have written in previous courses and professional journal articles. The information you have discovered in your reading courses needs to be synthesized in your own words. Be careful to cite sources using APA style. Consult the Undergraduate Style Manual for requirements on how to structure and write your paper using APA style. Use no more than two sources from the Internet for each section. Be aware that downloads from the web are often inaccurate. A rubric will be given out in class.

This assignment should be the philosophy that you have synthesized over the course of your reading classes. You are NOT trying to match my philosophy, instead this is an opportunity to think deeply about issues associated with reading and then to write about those issues. The thinking you do for this paper will help you in job interviews and in passing the test for the Reading Endorsement.

The following schedule show due dates and requirements for each section of your paper:

first draft, April 13, final draft April 20: Note: since there is no class on April 20, please turn in to Marilyn’s office or mail box.

  • Describe what reading is to you based on the definitions you have studied from reading researchers and your experiences in classes and school observations. How does your definition of reading inform how you will teach reading? Describe how your life as a reader will inform your reading instruction. Look back at your Burke Reading Interview to help guide you in your thinking.Cite sources to support your thinking.
  • Describe how you will integrate Cambourne’s Model of Literacy Learning in your reading program and how you will utilize Pearson’s Gradual Release of Responsibility Model in your lessons. Cite examples from your teaching so far as well as possibilities for future reading lessons.

Arpil 27:

  • Explain how children first acquire language. Explain how the process of language acquisition prepares children to be readers and writers. Cite sources to support your thinking.
  • Explain how second language acquisition works for children who are not English speakers. How will you meet the needs of such students in your classroom? Cite sources to support your thinking.

May 4:

  • Describe how you would set up a Reading workshop for your students. What would be the essential components? Describe how the physical setting will support your instructional setting. How will you be able to support small groups and maintain independent reading? What mini-lessons will you teach? How will you differentiate instruction across levels and interests? What measures will you take to be sure that students are reading at their instructional levels? Cite sources to support your thinking.
  • Explain how you would use a basal program, what will you leave out, what will you include? How will you incorporate additional texts to support the basal program? How will you differentiate instruction across levels and interests? How will you set objectives to match state standards and match the needs of your students?
  • Explain how you will develop literature circles, author studies, book talks and book chats. Cite sources to support your thinking.

May 11:

  • Explain how you will develop the components of any reading program: word recognition skills, vocabulary strategies, fluency, reading comprehension strategies. Explain how you will teach these skills and strategies in the content areas. Give examples of how you will support struggling readers in acquiring these skills. Cite sources to support your thinking.
  • Describe how you will incorporate a balanced reading program into your instructional program. Describe how you will structure your read aloud time, particularly how you will read aloud for strategy lessons as well as for pleasure. Explain how you will select books to read aloud and what criteria you will use. Explain how you will provide time and structure for independent reading. Describe the set-up for your classroom library, i.e. selection, organization.Explain how you will incorporate guided and shared reading into your curriculum. Cite sources to support your thinking.

May 18:

  • Pretend you have just been hired to teach your ideal grade level. What will you do to prepare and then plan your reading instruction? Be explicit in describing how you will set up the reading program, what elements you will include on a daily basis, what assessments you will use, the environment that you will create to foster pleasure in reading, how you will develop parent relationships and communicate to them about reading instruction, how you utilize technology, how you will integrate the state standards into your reading program. What else do you need to include in order to create an effective reading program?

A passing score on this paper is necessary for a candidate to pass Educ. 420 in order to confirm the student’s preparedness in knowledge and skill regarding reading instruction.

Evaluation

Your grade is based on a total of 480 points on the following scale:

AssignmentPoints

In class assignments and activities100

Goals for the Practicum Seminar & final evaluation30

Practicum Seminar Notebook20

Philosophy of Teaching Reading300

(each bulleted section is worth 30 points)

LongRange Plan20

Description of Classroom Assignment10

If the Midterm and Final Performance Verification Assessments and the Supervisor Evaluation are NOT satisfactory the assigned grade in Educ. 494, will be 1.9.

EDUC 494 Philosophy Paper Rubric for each section

Ideas & Content 21 points

Section clearly articulates and synthesizes the information requested in an in-depth analysis of topic.

Points Earned______

Notes:

Delivery, Organization, Supporting Materials 9 points/ 3 for each of the following*:

1. The section has thoughtful introduction & conclusion with clearly developed ideas for each item in the order requested:

Points Earned______

Notes:

2. Paper follows accepted conventions for spelling, composition & grammar. APA style used;

Points Earned______

Notes:

3. Section shows evidence of research in textbooks, articles, papers from previous courses. References and sources cited and listed in a bibliography.

Points Earned______

Notes:

If any item is missing in #1-3, all points will be lost.

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