Under Construction. Please do not print out!
Reading
Instruction in Middle/Secondary Schools
LTCY 421/444
Fall 2006
Instructor: Tadayuki Suzuki (Ph.D.)
Office:
Tate Page Hall 355
Office phone: (270) 745-2418
Read This Syllabus Carefully Before You
Take This Course.
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday (9:30 am to 11:30 am, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm), Tuesday and Thursday (9:30 am to 11:30 am) or by appointment
Email: tadayuki.suzuki@wku.edu
Required Textbook and
1) Brozo, W.G., & Simpson, M.L. (2003). Readers, teachers,
learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas ( 4th
Ed.) .
2) ONE book from the list
of adolescent/young adult literature below is required for
your literature projects. Read the description of this assignment
below before selecting the literature.
Course Description: Principles, psychology, and
methodologies for teaching both the general and specialized
reading skills in the secondary grades. This course is required
for secondary English.
Rationale: LTCY 421 and 444 will provide middle and
secondary education majors with an overview of the instructional
strategies for teaching and integrating reading into the content
areas at the middle and secondary levels. Students will develop a
conceptual understanding of reading processes and appropriate
instructional strategies, which emphasize reading skills
necessary for the learning content area information in secondary
schools.
Course Objectives, Instructional Methods,
and Assessment
The goal of this course is to present information on various
aspects connected with middle and secondary reading instruction
and develops both conceptual and practical perspectives
appropriate for teaching in middle and secondary schools. The
course objectives are stated corresponding to Kentucky New
Teacher Standards for Preparation and Certification.
The course objectives and suggested
instructional methods and activities to meet these objectives are
listed with suggested assessment strategies. However, additional
methods/activities and assessment strategies that meet these
course objectives could be employed.
The teacher designs/plans instruction and learning climates that
develop student abilities to use communication skills, apply core
concepts, become self-sufficient individuals, become responsible
team members, think and solve problems, and integrate knowledge.
Objective: The student will plan reading experiences that
challenge, motivate, and actively involve the reader.
Methods and Activities: Virtual chats, E-mail/discussion
board, lesson planning, electronic research and electronic
presentations.
Assessment: Projects, Rubrics
Kentucky’s New Teacher Standard II
The teacher creates a learning climate that supports the
development of student abilities to use communication skills,
apply core concepts, become self-sufficient individuals, become
responsible team members, think and solve problems, and integrate
knowledge.
Objective: Exhibit enthusiasm for the learning and
teaching of reading.
Methods and Activities: Reflective journals, on-line
discussion boards
Assessment: Scoring guides
The teacher introduces/implements/manages instruction that
develops student abilities to use communication skills, apply
core concepts, become self-sufficient individuals, become
responsible team members, think and solve problems, and integrate
knowledge.
Objectives:
1. The student will develop a concept of "at-risk"
students and appropriate strategies to teach various literacy
needs at secondary levels.
2. The student will develop multiple teaching strategies to
facilitate content area literacy.
Methods and Activities:
1. Reflective journals, class discussion
Assessment:
1. Scoring guides, cognitive tests
2. Scoring guides, cognitive tests
Kentucky’s New Teacher Standard IV
The teacher assesses learning and communicates results to
students and others with respect to student abilities to use
communication skills, apply core concepts, become self-sufficient
individuals, become responsible team members, think and solve
problems, and integrate knowledge.
Objective: The student will develop a concept of
assessment appropriate for various teaching and learning
situations.
Methods and Activities: Class discussion, reflective
journals
Assessment: Cognitive tests, scoring guides
The teacher reflects on and evaluates specific teaching/learning
situations and/or programs.
Objective: The student will reflect on the various
instructional strategies in secondary schools and the relevance
in their own content areas.
Methods and Activities: Reflective journals, class
discussion
Assessment: Scoring guides, cognitive tests
Kentucky’s New Teacher Standard VI
The teacher collaborates with colleagues, parents, and other
agencies to design, implement, and support learning programs that
develop student abilities to use communication skills, apply core
concepts, become self-sufficient individuals, become responsible
team members, think and solve problems, and integrate
knowledge.
Objective: The student will develop a concept of reading
as a common denominator of learning and develop strategies for
reading across the content areas to enhance content area
learning.
Methods and Activities: Reflective journals, class
discussion
Assessment: Scoring guides, cognitive tests
The teacher demonstrates a current and sufficient academic
knowledge of certified content areas to develop student knowledge
and performance in those areas.
Objectives:
The student will:
1. develop a concept of reading comprehension and strategies for
instruction
2. develop a concept of vocabulary and strategies for
instruction
3. develop a concept of reading/study skills and strategies for
instruction
Assessment:
Projects, unit plans, rubrics
KERA Elements Addressed:
Learning goals and academic expectations
Performance tasks
Performance assessment
Integrated curriculum
Expanded use of technology
Primary program (where applicable)
Topics Relevant to the Course:
Language acquisition and reading processes
Cultural diversity and the teaching of reading
Literacy assessments: formal and informal measures of
assessment
Reading comprehension: curriculum, instruction, strategic
reading, student learning
Vocabulary development and instruction in the content areas
Study skills and reading strategies for content area
reading
Integrating literature into content area reading
Writing and reading processes: facilitating literacy in the
content areas
Technology and literacy
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR BEGINNING THIS CLASS
I will contact you on Monday, August 28,
2006, via e-mail. If you do not get an email from me, that
means the email address the University has for you is your WKU
email account that you may or may not ever check. You
either need to start checking your WKU email account OR have your
email forwarded to the email address that you do check EVERY DAY.
The majority of our course will be conducted
using Blackboard (http://bb1.wku.edu or a link is provided on my
homepage). All assignments (unless otherwise noted) will
be submitted and returned via the Assignments in Blackboard (Not
the Dropbox!!). Discussion boards, student homepages,
course documents, grade book, and the virtual classroom will all
be utilized in this course.
First Assignment (by
midnight 9/01/2006)
One of the benefits of Blackboard is that it
gives us the ability to meet each other through Student Homepages
found under the Communication button. To design your
homepage, click Student Tools, then click on Edit Student
Homepage. If you have a photo that you would like to
include-- I would like to put your face with your name-- you can
upload a digital file. If you don't have a digital picture
of yourself, you can scan a photo and create one. Please
include your information in paragraph form. You can make it
read as if you were just orally telling us about yourself.
Tell us the name you would like for us to use when talking to you
(i.e., David=Dave), the town where you live or come from, your
major area of interest, some information about yourself that
makes you unique or interesting, and any family information you
want to share with us. (20/50 professionalism points, by the due
date. Check the course calendar!)
Course Requirements and Evaluation
Course Assignments Requirements include:
1. Professionalism (50 pts.)
2. 12 Discussion Responses (Undergraduate students
90 pts. & Graduate students 60 pts.)
Follow-up points (Undergraduate
students 30 pts. & Graduate students 60 pts.)
3. Field Experience (Undergraduate students
50 pts. & Graduate students 25 pts.)
4. Literacy Autobiographical Reflection (30
pts.)
5. Electronic Research Project (100
pts. Critical Performance 1)
On-line feedback of
electronic research paper (30 pts.)
6. Literature-based reading instruction
(150 pts. Critical Performance 2)
7. Literature Review (25 pts. Graduate
students only.)
There are TWO (2) CRITICAL PERFORMANCES for this course:
Electronic Research and Literature-Based
NOTE: To receive a final grade in
LTCY 421/444 you must complete all components
of the field experience and related assignments required for the
course AND you must upload all critical performances to the
Electronic Portfolio.
The previously-stated policy on late work
applies even in circumstances when the student is given an
incomplete ("X") for failure to upload an assignment to
the Electronic Portfolio System. Students requesting an
incomplete for another reason must contact the instructor to ask
for an incomplete, which may or may not be granted, depending on
the instructor's judgment regarding the circumstances of the
student's request. According to the catalog on Undergraduate
Catalog p.28/Graduate Catalog, p.13, "A grade of
‘X’ (incomplete) is given only when a relatively small
amount of work is not completed because of illness or other
reason satisfactory to the instructor. "An ‘X’
received by a student will automatically become an "F"
unless removed within twelve (12) weeks of the next full term
(summer excluded).The grade of ‘X’ will continue to
appear as the initial grade on the student’s transcript,
along with the revised grade.
Plagiarism
Policy:
To represent ideas or interpretations taken from another source
as one's own is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense. The
academic work of students must be their own. Students must give
the author(s) credit for any source material used. To lift
content directly from a source without giving credit is a
flagrant act. To present a borrowed passage after having changed
a few words, even if the source is cited, is also plagiarism.
As you begin your first assignments, be sure that you are not
crossing the line into plagiarism. It is a serious issue and will
not be taken lightly. Please
read about avoiding plagiarism.
Important:
It is expected that ALL assignments will be submitted on
their due dates. Late assignments will be penalized 20% of
their possible point value if submitted within two consecutive
days of their due date. Further penalties will be assessed for
assignments turned in beyond that point. Not negotiable! During
the semester a date will be announced in class stating the last
day in which late work can be submitted for a grade in the
course. This policy is instituted primarily to prevent students
from becoming overloaded at the end of the semester. However,
please do not work ahead of the instructor.
It is expected that you will read and reflect on required course
readings prior to each specific class e-discussion session.
Selected course readings will help you develop the knowledge and
theoretical base needed for teaching diverse learners strategies
for reading in the content areas.
Keep an electronic copy of all assignments. If an assignment
is lost, the burden of proof that you completed the assignment
rests with you.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN MICROSOFT WORD, RICH
TEXT FORMAT, OR POWERPOINT (WHEN APPROPRIATE! Please get
a permission from the course instructor!).
Evaluation and Grade Assignment
Assessment will include electronic communication, projects,
performance events, and evaluation of student plans for reading
instruction. The student must achieve minimum competency,
otherwise the course must be repeated.
Final grades for LTCY 421 and 444 will be
based on a 530 point scale.
Grade Points for LTCY 421/444
Total = 530 points
A = 493-530 (93%-100%)
B = 451-492 (85%-92.9%)
C = 398-450 (75%-84.9%)
D = 371-397 (70%-74.9%)
F = 370 or fewer (69.9 % or below)
Description
of Assignments
1.
Participation and Professionalism (50 points) (12/11-15)
Professionalism is an important requirement for all
teachers. It is usually demonstrated by a set of behaviors
which indicate your commitment to your profession. Active
participation through email and discussion board is
mandatory! Professionalism is expected with regard to your
electronic communications to one another and to the professor.
Your communications should be polite and
professional. It is vital that you share your ideas
both clearly and respectfully to all who will be reading your
responses. When you are sending e-mails to the professor,
please begin with a salutation (
Check
the rubric about
professionalism. You are required to regularly check your
e-mail, check Blackboard for announcements, explanation
of assignments, recommended resources, etc., and respond and
discuss the discussion board prompts. You are also
expected to communicate regularly with the instructor via
e-mail.
Plagiarism will never be tolerated and will
result in his/her unconditionally receiving zero (0)
point for professionalism. It is expected all students
will engage in professional behaviors when conversing with
classmates and faculty and the instructor of the course. For
example, if you have concerns or questions related to the course,
you will contact me directly. Professionalism points will be
awarded based on the continuous engagement of the class,
professional demeanor in all areas and graciously assisting
others.
2. Discussion Boards (90 points: 7.5
points for each discussion response for Undergraduate Students
and 60 points: 5 points for each discussion response for Graduate
Students) and (30 follow-up points for Undergraduate Students and
60 points for Graduate Students.)
To facilitate students’ ability to
become reflective educators, decision makers, and to construct
meaning for an understanding of the interrelationships and
application of educational theory into classroom practices,
students will respond to discussion board prompts. You must
respond to all of the prompts. These prompts will be based on the
chapters of our text. All discussion board prompts are
accessed through Blackboard. Due dates are posted on the
course calendar. Complete directions for responding to the
Discussion Board are found below.
Click HERE for RUBRIC for scoring this
assignment.
Posting: I will post a discussion prompt every Monday.
Responding: In order to get credit
for participating in a discussion board, you must reply to the
prompt by midnight on Thursday of each week. I will assign
the points for your response on Friday of each week.
Following up: In order to make
the on-line discussions more vivid and active, all of the
students are required to respond to the responses from their
classmates. Undergraduate students are required to reply to
one peer for each discussion. Graduate students are
required to reply to two peers for each discussion.
Scoring: Credit will also be
given as "class participation.” Scoring of these
assignments will be based on the following criteria:
thoughtful insights, all responses posted by due dates, and
specific references to information from our text.
3. Field Experience (10 hours) - (50
points for Undergraduate Students and 25 points for Graduate
Students)
You are required to work with a middle school or high school
student on a literature-based reading experience. You have to
make this arrangement by yourself! A minimum of ten (10)
hours of practical field-based experience with this student
is required for the course. You must find a suitable student
and work with this student outside of the school setting.
You could work with the student in an extended school services
program, in a public library, or in the student's home. Family
members are not acceptable subjects for this teaching experience.
For a variety of reasons teaching a sibling, your own child,
or a niece/nephew generally does not provide an authentic
teaching experience. For any other arrangement, you will need
instructor approval.
You, the parent(s)/guardian(s), and the
student must complete the reading
tutor consent form. Once this form is completed, please
make a copy for your records and mail the original to Tadayuki
Suzuki (Ph.D.), Department of Special Instructional Programs (TPH
355)
You will be working with the student as
part of the literature-based reading instruction component of
this course which is described in detail below.
During the experience you will work with the individual student
who may be experiencing difficulty with some aspect of reading.
You will also plan and implement a (literature based) reading
lesson for this student. This reading experience should provide
you with skills to teach comprehension strategies (chapter 3),
provide vocabulary development (chapter 6), model writing as
responding (chapter 7), develop an appreciation of literature and
reading to learn (chapter 8). You will determine the piece of
literature together with the student.
4. Literacy Autobiographical Reflection
(30 points) (Due Date by midnight 9/5/06)
Part of the challenge of teaching people is
understanding what the process of becoming literate is
like. By reflecting on your own literacy experiences and
beliefs, you may be able to relate better to your students as you
guide them through understanding your content area.
1. Make notes about episodes (both good and
bad) and people who influenced that you remember from your own
middle and high school literacy experiences.
2. Make notes about your own reading and
writing processes from middle and high school and today.
3. Reflect and make notes (as you go through
this course) about how literacy learning will be part of your
future classroom and content area teaching.
4. Write a personal narrative. (three
pages). Your paper should be double-spaced, 12 pt font, Times New
Roman, Arial, or San Serif fonts ONLY, and typed!
Follow one of two outstanding ideas from the
Brozo and Simpson text for this narrative:
1) Learner Autobiographies, pp.
144-146. OR
2) Math Autobiographies, p. 106. This can be
adapted for other content areas as well.
Click HERE for RUBRIC for scoring
this assignment.
5. Electronic Research (100 points and 30 points for on-line
feedback) (Due Date by midnight 9/25/06) (Feedback Due Date by
midnight 9/29)
Critical Performance #1 to be
uploaded into your Electronic Portfolio
Students will use on-line searches to locate
professional readings and resources (a minimum of five sites)
related to topics of study in this course. Topics for this
research can be found by clicking on the Electronic Research Page
below. You must provide the URLs for the information you have
located, an annotation of each site, and a presentation of the
information you have gathered. This presentation may take the
form of a Power Point presentation, a web site, a
"visual" adaptation of a Microsoft Word document, or
possibly other methods of delivery. The purpose is for each
student to become an "expert" on a particular topic and
to be able to share information with others. The on-line
resources should be supplemented by print materials (via an APA
(5th edition)-style bibliography). Students must sign
up for a topic of interest. NO MORE THAN THREE STUDENTS CAN SIGN
UP FOR ONE TOPIC. Email me with your topic choices by the
deadline on the course calendar. This assignment must be sent to
the digital drop box in Blackboard, put on a web page, or sent to
the instructor as an attachment by the due date. The instructor
will post these assignments so that all students may view the
presentations and provide feedback for others. You can see an
example of what this project should look like by clicking here:
Example: Middle
and Secondary Students and Literacy . Follow this link to
some other examples
of student electronic research projects.
On-line feedback of electronic research
paper (30 pts.)
Click HERE
for RUBRIC for scoring this assignment.
Click Here for a Good Example (Powerpoint) from a student in Summer 2006
Click Here for a Good Example (WebPage) from a student in Summer 2006
* NOTE: All resources/readings should be geared toward middle and
secondary learners.
Electronic Research Projects for
Fall of 2006
Electronic Research and Professional
Readings will be used for:
1. Demonstrating your "expert" knowledge on the
selected topic
2. Discussion board reactions and discussions based on your
findings. This will allow you to react to the reading as well as
what you have learned. (Reactions and responses are to be based
on evidence rather than on feelings.)
3. "Grand conversations" via the Discussion Board based
on your well developed explanation or description of how you will
use what you have learned.
GO TO ELECTRONIC
RESEARCH PAGE TO FIND OUT WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND SIGN
UP! No more than three people may sign up for a topic, so
please email me your first and second choices.
Check out these URLs for help with APA style (including
electronic sources):
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
http://www.wooster.edu/psychology/apa-crib.html
6. Literature-Based Reading Strategies (150 points) (Due
Date by midnight 11/27/06)
Critical Performance #2 to be uploaded into your Electronic
Portfolio
You will develop a five-day unit plan based on the piece of
adolescent literature:
Here are some literature
suggestions and a sign up page. If you would like to use a
book that is not on the list, please email the instructor with
the title, author, and brief description of the book you would
like to explore.
The development of the literature-based unit
should provide you with skills to teach comprehension strategies
(Chapter 3), provide vocabulary development (Chapter 6), model
writing as responding (Chapter 7), develop an appreciation of
literature and reading to learn (Chapter 8). This field
experience should also help you learn how to use a piece of
quality literature to reinforce concepts in your
curriculum. You should begin this field experience and
critical performance as soon as you have located a student and
have had your literature selection approved by the
instructor. Suggested dates are included on the course
calendar.
You and your student should select a piece
of quality adolescent or young adult literature (one copy of the
book for you and one for your student). The instructor must
approve the selection of literature. It may be to your
advantage to select a piece of literature that you have read
before, but you will need to re-read the book in order to discuss
it in detail with your student. If you have previously read
the book, it will help you make initial decisions regarding
content. In the "real world" you would never
include a book in your instruction that you had not previously
read and found to be of high quality and appropriate for your
students. The book you select should support your area of
emphasis (i.e., if you are majoring in science, the book should
have enough practical references to scientific concepts so as to
compliment your curriculum and lead to real learning.
You and your student should decide how many
pages you will read between each meeting. Your meetings
should total ten hours. Each of you must keep a
double-entry journal (Brozo & Simpson, pp. 271-272) in which
you respond to the reading. Each session should begin with
you and the student discussing your journals. You should be
ready to capitalize on elements of the book that relate to your
content area. Ask questions, make comments, prompt for
higher order thinking as you help your student comprehend the
book and the concepts you have identified. Keep a log of
curricular topics you find throughout the book that tie to your
curricular area. Use
this form to plan instruction with your student.
Supplement your sessions with your student
by bringing in textbooks and other expository literature to help
your student understand concepts in the book. Use
strategies from Chapters 3, 5, 6, and 7 in the Brozo and Simpson
text.
At the end of your field experience and for
your critical performance, you will upload the following
components in the Assignments and the electronic portfolio:
1) A two to three page summary of
your personal comments, response, and critique of the
novel. Additionally, this summary should include one
paragraph each about the following literary elements as they
pertain to your literature selection: plot, setting,
character, theme, style, tone, and point of view.
2) A five-lesson plan sequence based on elements of the
book, focusing on comprehension, vocabulary development, and
concept development. You will use the
format outlined by your instructor to complete lesson plans
for this assignment.
** The materials you used to help
your student understand the vocabulary used in the book
(must be based on strategies in Chapter 6). If you designed
forms or handouts based on these strategies include these with
your lesson plans.
** The materials you used to insure comprehension
of the book (must be based on strategies in Chapter 3). If
you designed forms or handouts based on these strategies include
these with your lesson plans.
** The materials you used to connect
your content area to the concepts in the book (must be
based on strategies in Chapter 8). If you designed forms or
handouts based on these strategies include them with your lesson
plans.
3) Your double-entry journal.
In addition to your entries, your journal should include dates,
starting and stopping times, and the meeting place. Include
a bibliography (use APA citation form) of all literature
(narrative and expository) and other resources used in this
assignment.
4) A one to two page reflection from
your field experience which includes: (1)dates and times
(starting and stopping times) you met with your student; (2)
information describing the student you tutored including gender,
age, grade, and a general description of areas of strengths and
weaknesses in literacy; (3) positive aspects of using this
particular book as a springboard for teaching (comprehension
strategies and content material); (4) any instructional changes
you would make the next time you use this book with students; and
(5) how you assessed the extent to which you met the needs of the
student with this unit.
5) A one page letter to me from your
student in his or her own handwriting. This letter
should include: (1) his or her impressions of the book; (2) the
learning experience; and (3) any comments the student would like
to make regarding your performance in this project. You
should provide the student with a stamped envelope addressed to
me. It is your responsibility to make sure this is mailed
to me. I must receive this letter by 3:00 pm on 12/07/06.
If you are unable to mail the letter by
then, please fax it to me by the due date. Here is the department
fax #: 270-745-6435.
If you are unable to fax it to me by then,
please bring it to me directly. If I am not in my office, please
leave the letter in my box in the department.
Click Here for Examples
http://edtech.tph.wku.edu/~czippay/421444lessonplanmodels.htm
http://edtech.tph.wku.edu/~czippay/421444novelcrit.htm
Click
Here for Exemplary Work Spring 2006
Click HERE for
RUBRIC for scoring this assignment.
7. Literature Review (Graduate Students
only 25 points) (Due Date by midnight 10/23/06)
Each middle/secondary school content area
has particular issues and needs related to the support of
students' literacy development within that content area.
Choose a topic and select at least 5 related articles dated no
earlier than 1997 (1997-2006). Write a brief literature
review.
1) Your literature review must be at least 4
pages, but no more than 5 pages. (Not including a cover
page and a reference list!) Your paper should be double-spaced, 12
pt font, Times New Roman, Arial, or San Serif fonts ONLY, and
typed!
2) Shorter or longer submission will be automatically penalized. (20 % deduction from the possible point value)
3) Late submission will lower your
assignment grade. (20 % deduction from the possible point
value).
4)APA format is required for bibliographic information. Refer to the APA Publication Manual (5th Edition).
5) The bibliography must include a minimum of 5 articles published within last eight years (1997-2006).
6)
MAKE SURE YOUR PAPER IS A COHESIVE PAPER --NOT JUST A SERIES OF
SUMMARIES-TIE YOUR
Click Here for RUBRIC
Supplementary
Resources:
Allington, R.L., &
Atwell, N. (1987). In the middle: Writing, reading, and learning
with adolescents .
Delpit, L. (1994). Other people’s children: Cultural
conflict in the classroom . NY: New Press.
Dewey, J. (1916 or 1966). Democracy and education: An
introduction to the philosophy of education. NY: Macmillan.
Gay, G. (1994). At the essence of learning: Multicultural
education . NY: Macmillan.
Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching. NY:
Teacher’s College Press.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers
of African American children . CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Oakes, J. (1985). Keeping track: How schools structure inequality
. NY:
Powell, R. (1999). Literacy as a moral imperative: Facing the
challenges of a pluralistic society .
Roe, B.D., Stoodt, B.D., & Burns, P.C. (1998). Secondary
school literacy instruction: The content areas.
Santa, C.M., & Alvermann, D.E. (1991). Science learning:
Processes and applications .
Vacca, R.T., & Vacca, J.A.L. (1998). Content area reading:
Literacy and learning across the curriculum .
*Article(s) of interest:
Au, K. (1993). Literacy
instruction in multicultural settings.
McCarthey, S.J. (2000). Home-School connections: A review of the
Literature. Journal of Education Research, 93(3), 145-152.
Moje, E.B., Dillon, D.R., & O’Brien, D. (2000).
Reexamining roles of learner, text, and context in secondary
literacy. Journal of Education Research, 93 (3), 165-180.
Tierney, R.J.,
Wood, K.D., & Robinson, N. (1983). Vocabulary, language and
prediction: A pre-reading strategy. The