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Educ 452 Syllabus s12

Each week will have a theme, a make-and-take activity, showand-tell, a digital literacy component. You will reflect on your research, share ideas with others taking the course. Absence from activities and discussions will result in a grade penalty.

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724 views

Educ 452 Syllabus s12

Each week will have a theme, a make-and-take activity, showand-tell, a digital literacy component. You will reflect on your research, share ideas with others taking the course. Absence from activities and discussions will result in a grade penalty.

Uploaded by

api-96380021
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Education C452 Finding the Words: Writing Models That Work

This course is designed to allow you to explore various proven writing models that are known to work in the classroom setting. Each week will have a theme, a make-and-take activity, showand-tell, a digital literacy component, and demonstrations of methods for specific themes. You will learn outside the textbook so you have time to adapt and try methods in your own classroom. Each week, you will complete an online activity, reflect on your research, share ideas with others taking the course, and maintain a blog about your ideas and discoveries. Finally, you will submit a digital portfolio that documents how you used writing models from this course in your own classroom so that others taking the course can make comments and glean ideas for their own classrooms.
Course policies: 1. Attendance and participation are expected. In-class and online attendance on a weekly basis is mandatory. Absence from activities and discussions will result in a grade penalty. 2. Late work will not be tolerated unless the instructors decide the reason/circumstance is extenuating. 3. Plagiarism and other dishonest acts will not be tolerated. Acknowledgement of your source for ideas that are not your own is required. 4. The Writing Center is located in Zehmer Hall on the first floor. You can receive tutoring and feedback for writing assignments at no charge. Course Objectives: y y y To learn about different writing models that work in the classroom setting. To use/adapt activities from class meetings so that they work in the teachers unique classroom environment. to develop lesson plans and portfolio evidence of how activities and methods in this course have impacted student writing.

Lizbeth J. Phillips (Liz) Instructor-Facilitator Office: Online Contact Hours: Open-ended (Email) Phone: 276-791-1682 (Text messages, pleaseor email me) Email: [email protected] Keela H. Smith (Keela) Instructor-Facilitator Office: Online Contact Hours: Open-ended (Email) Phone: 276-759-5311 (Text messages, pleaseor email me) Email: [email protected] This course is designed to: o provide an overview of the writing process and pedagogy; o introduce methods that are not in a textbook o provide opportunities for individual and collaborative experiences to implement new writing methods in the classroom.

Course Grade: 20% 15% 15% 50% in-class attendance and participation online class attendance and participation Blog of the Week Feature (one per participant during semester) Portfolio (includes philosophy statement, evidence of 8 methods used)

EDUC C452 Syllabus Page 2

1. Class Participation: During the semester, you will create samples for the various writing workshop strategies, understand the research behind each activitys effectiveness, explore methods for authentic assessment, and share your thoughts and questions about teaching writing. 5. 2. Collaborative Opportunities: During the semester, you will have an opportunity to collaborate on activities such as redesigning assignments for specific grade levels and sharing tips and tricks that make lesson implementation easier. 3. Blogging: Each week you will post to your blog (weblog); you can write about your classrooms writing process experiences, your discoveries about writing, some of your own creative writing, pictures, clips, and other uploads and links for others taking the course to read. You may also post everyday journal writing so that you enjoy the process of digital writing. In other words, you need to experience what your students do (on both professional and personal levels). Your blog will be considered a reflective journal and creativity platform. 4. Philosophy on Teaching Writing in the Classroom: By the end of this course, you will write a twopage paper on your philosophy of teaching writing and cite at least one expert who would advocate your viewpoint. All sources must be cited and may include your text(s) as well as peer-reviewed professional journals available at the college library. Professional journals such as Middle School Journal or Elementary School Journal that your school receives as part of its membership are also permissible. You must establish your theoretical framework, how you plan on implementing new methods in the writing process, and how you plan on assessing student work in individual and collaborative settings. Assessment strategies should be appropriate for your philosophy, and chosen acceptable, and a bibliography is mandatory (separate page from philosophy paper). No coversheet. 5. Lesson Plans: By the end of this course, you will demonstrate how eight methods shown in class were adapted and used in your classroom writing workshop. A template will be provided for your convenience. If you prefer to modify a template you already use, send a copy of the modified template for approval. These lesson plans must be sent by the specified deadline. You will be required to post one of your lesson plans on the class web page. 6. Portfolio: Your philosophy paper and eight lesson plans will be considered your portfolio. The value of the portfolio for the course is 50%. Submit your portfolio on or before the due date to avoid grade penalty. The deadline for portfolio submissions is Friday, May 4, 2012. 7. Last Class Meeting: You will bring a part of your portfolio and a favorite finger food to share with the class. (See item 6 for the digital portfolio deadline.) Needs and Accommodations: If you need course adaptations or academic adjustments because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case we ever meet on campus and the building we are in must be evacuated, please notify us via email message as soon as possible.

EDUC C421 Syllabus Page 3

Topics for the Course


The Writing Process: What is the writing process? How do we teach it in the classroom? How does it differ from the writing our students do outside the classroom? Digital Writing: How do digital and traditional writing differ? How are they the same? How do we accomplish goals with limited time and resources? (The answer is different for every classroom.) Blogs: What is a weblog (blog)? How can students blog and create writing that is valued? How do blogs make writing more exciting and experiential so that readers relate to the writer in ways that plain text does not? Using Picture Books: By using picture books and wordless picture books, how can we motivate all student writers to either collaborate in small groups or write a story as a means of self-expression and demonstration of mastery of essential knowledge and skills? Grammar and Parts of Speech: What methods can be used so students experience how grammar and parts of speech are used in casual and formal settings? Kiss your grammar book goodbye! Manipulatives: How can students benefit from using manipulatives in your class? After all, if they are proven effective in mathematics classes, why dont we use them more in other disciplines? Motivating Reluctant Students: How do you motivate students who have had negative writing experiences? How do you help them overcome their reluctance to take risks when writing? How to you encourage them to improve their skills? Graphic Organizers: There are so many of them out there! Which ones are best for which writing experience? How can graphic organizers be used to improve student writing? Assessment: In the age of standardized testing, how do you assess student writing samples? How do you avoid teaching formulaic writing and still be prepared for those dreaded writing tests? What are some effective ways to assess writing without attacking student self-esteem and not get over-worked? Fluency: How do you assist your students, who are all unique in their writing journeys, reach the level of fluency that demonstrates mastery and shows progress on the skills and fluency continuum? Copyright and Fair Use: What are the real rules about copyright and fair use in the education setting? What is allowed? How can we tell if we are crossing the line? Can we use common sense? Teacher Collaboration: How can sharing our successes and shortcomings in lesson design and presentation help us to become better teachers? Why dont teachers share their expertise with each other? How can you have more meaningful collaborative experiences? LAST CLASS MEETING FOR SHARING SUCCESSES: Thursday, May 3, 2012 DEADLINE FOR DIGITAL PORTFOLIO: Friday, May 4, 2012 at 11:59pm.

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