EED 330

K-8 Language Arts/Children’s Literature Methods

1.0 Credits

 

Fall, 2003

M &W 11:00 AM – 1:10 PM

SV1

 

Instructor: Mary Jacobson

Office: SVE 15, Education Department, Sverdrup Hall

Office Hours: Scheduled appointments welcomed

Campus PO: 312

Phone: #612-330-1533

e-mail: jacobsom@augsburg.edu

 

Course Description:

This is an active curriculum and methods course, which features listening, reading, writing, and viewing as integral communication skills. This course will consist of both theory and practice in which writing strategies are modeled, demonstrated and practiced in a workshop environment. In addition, the course will acquaint students with children’s literature at various levels. Strategies for using children’s literature as an integral part of literacy instruction will be modeled and practiced. Students in this course will participate in a variety of activities that will enhance their understanding of literacy teaching and learning with elementary students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applicable Minnesota Standards for Effective Practice (MSEP):

• Standard 1 - Subject Matter: A teacher must understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines taught and be able to create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

• Standard 2 - Student Learning: A teacher must understand how students learn and develop and must provide learning opportunities that support a student’s intellectual, social, and personal development.

• Standard 3 - Diverse Learning: A teacher must understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to students with diverse backgrounds and exceptionalities.

• Standard 4 - Instructional Strategies: A teacher must understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

• Standard 5 – Learning Environment: A teacher must be able to use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

• Standard 6 – Communication: A teacher must be able to use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

• Standard 7 - Planning in Instruction: A teacher must be able to plan and manage instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community and curriculum goals.

• Standard 8 – Assessment: A teacher must understand and be able to use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the students.

• Standard 9 - Reflection and Professional Development: A teacher must be a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of choices and actions on others, including students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community, and who actively seeks out opportunities for professional growth.

 

Course Objectives

The students will:

• explore and reflect upon their own histories of learning to write and how it impacts one’s

              teaching,

• demonstrate knowledge and implementation of a comprehensive writing curriculum

including writing aloud, independent writing, guided writing, shared writing, interactive

writing,

• demonstrate knowledge, understanding and use of the writing process,

• demonstrate knowledge of a variety of writing theories and develop a personal philosophy of

writing,

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the various components of a language arts

curriculum (grammar, spelling, handwriting etc.),

• demonstrate use of a variety of writing instructional strategies and assessments that address

the needs of learners from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds and

students with exceptional needs,

• familiarize themselves with a variety of language arts resources including professional

development materials,

• develop themselves as critical, reflective readers, writers and practitioners,

• become familiar with a wide variety of children’s and young adolescent quality literature,

• develop strategies for using children’s literature to teach within an integrated curriculum,

• and explore ways to use literature to enhance a multicultural curriculum.

 

Technology Requirement:

                  Create a database using Filmaker Pro or Access or other accessible database tools. This requirements will be met using the List of 10 assignment.

                  Gather a substantial list of age-appropriate web sites for use in content areas. Evaluate the sites for age appropriateness and educative value, using state and/or national standards. This requirement will be met using the Web Critique assignment.

 

Field Experience Requirements

                  Although service learning hours are not directly attached to this course for the purpose of the elementary licensure program, students will be given release time (20 hours) from EED 330 to observe and participate in language arts instruction within a K-8 classroom. These hours will be required to meet the criteria for EED 330.

 

Required Texts:

Routman, R. (2000). Conversations. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

                 

Required Materials:

                  Composition notebook for reading responses and independent writing.

 

Recommended Texts:

                  See the bibliography located in the Blue Pages of the Routman text for a complete listing of related and recommended texts.

Assignments:

                  Students must read the assigned chapters in the texts before coming to class. Students are responsible for materials covered in class presentations, class discussions, videotapes, overheads, and additional readings. Handouts specifying the requirements for assignments will be provided.

 

 

Assignment   Due                                Pt. Value                                 MSEP

Class participation	Weekly	30	4C, 7A, 8A, 8C
Responses to assigned readings	Weekly	35	4C, 7A, 8A, 8C, 9D
List of 10	Individual sign-up (9/15-10/8)	10	1B, 3A, 3B, 6E
Author profile	Individual sign-up (10/13 – 10/22)	10	1G, 3O, 3P, 6E,
Literature circle participation / presentation	10/1	15	1G, 3P, 5E, 5G, 5L, 5M, 6E, 6G, 6I, 8A, 8G, 8H, 8I, 8J
Web site critique / presentation	10/8	15	1A, 6K, 9D
Personal narrative	10/29	10	3P, 4A, 4L, 5G, 5L, 5M, 6E, 6G, 6I, 8A, 8G, 8I, 8J, 8K, 8L
Field experience assignments	12/8	50	1G, 2D, 3K, 3O, 3P, 4A, 4J, 5E, 5G, 5L, 5M, 6E, 6G, 6I, 8A, 8G, 8H, 8I, 8J, 8K, 8L
Take-home final exam	12/17	25
		Total 200 pts

 

4.0 = 190-200        3.5 = 180-189        3.0 = 170-179        2.5 = 160-169       

2.0 = 150-159        1.5 = 140-149        1.0 = 130-139        0 = 129 or lower 

 

Policies

 

• Attendance: Attendance is required. Only emergency absences will be excused. The state of Minnesota licensing rules regarding teacher certification requires students to develop professional level knowledge, skills, and attitudes. For this reason, and the fact that most classes cannot be made-up, it is strongly recommended you attend all class meetings. Class attendance also qualifies you for class participation points, so it has a direct bearing on your grade for this course. Students should call and leave a message on my voice mail in the event of an emergency with a number where they can be reached in such cases. If you must miss a class period, you must develop an alternative that covers the subject matter of that particular class and submit it no more than two weeks after the day you missed.

 

• Late Work: For each day an assignment is late, points will be reduced by 10%. Work that is over one week late will not be accepted.

 

• Honesty Policy: The Augsburg College policy on academic honesty applies to this course.

 

• Student Rights and Responsibilities: Students with diagnosed learning disabilities or physical handicaps have legal right to course modifications. Please identify yourself so that I may assist you with your learning. All students are encouraged to use the College Counseling and Student Development staff services as needed as well as the Writing Lab.

 

Technology Expectations

 

• Read and answer e-mail regularly and in a timely fashion, using your Augsburg College email address.

• When required, attach documents to email.

• Make active use of online course resource (e.g. Blackboard).

• Access and use online file space (e.g. AugNet/Netware space).

• Use word processing for assignments. We require that they be done in Microsoft Word and that they are run through Spell

Check

• Have the ability to access and navigate the Internet.

 

Students who do not possess these skills should contact personnel in the student computing lab in Lindell Library for help in developing these skills. Students will receive training in Augsburg specific software such as Blackboard and AugNet in college orientation programs andor in beginning coursework. Augsburg

 

 

 

 

 

Course Schedule

 

Meeting Dates and Tentative Discussion Topics:

                  In each session, the major components of a comprehensive literacy curriculum will be modeled including: writing aloud, shared writing, independent writing, guided writing and interactive writing.

Because we will be using a workshop model of teaching and learning in this course, it is appropriate and encouraged that the curriculum be negotiated based on the needs of all participants—teacher and learners alike. Therefore, the following outline is simply a framework for our teaching and learning time together.

 

Week 1 (September 3)

                  Focus Topics:      Introduction to course, peers, materials, preassessments etc.

Assignment:        Read and respond (use sentence starters), Chapter 5, Routman (pgs. 171-204)

Partner Poems

 

Week 2 (September 8 & 10)

                  Focus Topics:      Literature Conversations / Quality Literature

Due:                          Reading response, Chapter 5, Routman, (pgs. 171 – 204)

Partner Poems

Assignment:         Read and respond (use sentence starters), Chapter 3, Routman (pgs. 33, 37 – 43), and Handout on Comprehensive Writing Programs

                 

Week 3 (September 15 & 17)

                  Focus Topic:         Comprehensive Writing

Due:                         Reading response, Chapter 3, Routman (pgs. 33, 37-43), and handout on Comprehensive Writing Programs

Assignment:         Read and respond (use sentence starters), Chapter 8, Routman (pgs. 271-278 & 283 – 328)

 

Week 4 (September 22 & 24)

                  Focus Topic:        Writing Process / Writing Environment

                  Due:                          Reading response, Chapter 8, Routman (pgs. 271-278 & 283-328)                                     

Assignment:         Read and respond (use sentence starters), Chapter 9, Routman (pgs. 330-394)

                                    Literature Circle Presentations

 

Week 5 (September 29 & October 1)

                  Focus Topic:        Forms of Writing / Genre Study

Due:                          Reading response, Chapter 9, Routman (pgs. 330-394)

Literature Circle Presentations (October 2)

Assignment:        Reading and respond (use sentence starters), Chapter 10, Routman (pgs. 402-439)

                                    Web-site critique / Presentations

                                   

Week 6 (October 6 & 8)

                  Focus Topic:        Spelling, Word Study, Grammar

Due:                         Reading response, chapter 10, Routman (pgs. 402-439)

Web-site critique / Presentations

Assignment:       Read and respond (use sentence starters), Chapter 3, Routman (pgs. 63-90)

Week 7 (October 13 & 15)

                  Focus Topic:        Reading Response / Literature Program

Due:                          Reading response, Chapter 3, Routman (pgs. 63-90)

                  Assignment:         Personal narrative draft

 

Week 8 (October 20 & 22)

                  Focus Topic:         Developmental Writing

                  Due:                          Personal narrative draft (October 22)

                  Assignment:         Read and respond (use sentence starters), Chapter 6, Routman (pgs. 205-232)

Personal narrative final

 

Week 9 (October 27 & 29)

                 

                  Focus Topic:         Assessment and Evaluation (Write and Speak)

Due:                          Reading response, Chapter 6, Routman (pgs. 205-232)

Personal Narrative (October 29)

Assignment:         Practicum Assignments

Week 10 (November 3 & 5)

                  Time for field experience

                                   

Week 11 (November 10 & 12)

Time for field experience

                 

Week 12 (November 17 & 19)

                  Time for field experience

                 

Week 13 (November 24 & 26)

                  Time for fieldexperience

 

Week 14 (December 1 & 3)

                  Time for field experience

 

Week 15 (December 8 & 10)

Focus Topic:        Return for course closure

Due:                          Field Experience Assignments (December 8)

Assignment:

 

Week 16 (December 15-19)

                  Due:                          Take-home final (December 17)