ELED 524 Language Arts Curriculum
Thursday 4:30-7:10 p.m. Mesquite Metroplex Center
A consideration of techniques for teaching total communication skills; and the role of linguistics in the language arts program.
NEW!: 524 Syllabus .pdf / 524 Syllabus .rtf / Tentative Course Schedule .rtf
Texts:
Gunning, Thomas G. (2010) Creating Literacy Instruction for All Students (7th ed). Boston: Pearson. (Note: 5th or 6th editions are acceptable). CourseSmart electronic edition: http://www.coursesmart.com/9780137017294
Fillmore & Snow. (2000). What teachers need to know about language. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. Available online on July 9, 2009 at http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/jthompson/Resources/FillmoreSnow2000.pdf.
National Association for the Education of Young Children and International Reading Association. (1998). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC & IRA. Available online on July 9, 2009 at http://208.118.177.216/about/positions/pdf/PSREAD98.PDF.
International Reading Association. (1999). Adolescent literacy: A position statement. Washington, DC: IRA. Available online on July 9, 2009 at http://www.reading.org/downloads/positions/ps1036_adolescent.pdf.
Additional Resources:
Annenberg Media http://learner.org/
Searchlight http://searchlight.utexas.org/
Texas Teacher Reading Academies http://texasreading.org/utcrla/
Thompson resource links: http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/jthompson/resources.htm
Pearson: Gunning 7th http://www.myEducationLab.com
TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/teks/
English Language Proficiency Standards ELPS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074a.html#74.4
Poems, Songs, Nursery Rhymes The Spirit of Adult Play .ppt
into November
Cognitive Comprehension Strategies (courtesy of Reading First) Cognitive Strategies .ppt
Strickland (2002) What Makes a Good Book .ppt
http://www.texasreadsource.org/ Online repository of quality reading instruction materials.
http://wordgeneration.org/ Middle School Literacy Development Using Academic Language
end of October
We examined different sources for Comprehension Strategies, such as:
Middle School http://www.meadowscenter.org/vgc/downloads/middle_school_instruction/RTS_Ch6.pdf
And the new Vertical Alignment for English Language Arts / Reading TEKS (and Figure 19). https://www.englishspanishteks.net and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) with Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS)
Accountable Talk
http://www.instituteforlearning.org
For Oct 15
We are working on plans for an online mid-term exam for next
week (no class meeting on 10/15).
Let's create a meaningful documentation of our learning thus far. What would
best help us seal and congeal the learning thus far, and focus and refine our
learning for the next few weeks?
Here are notes from our in-class brainstorming session 10/08:
Short.
Not ambiguous, but clear.
What chapters? Gunning, 1-5, Fillmore & Snow, NAEYC & IRA
No essays?!?!?!?!?!?
Multiple choice? These 5 questions are from chap 1, etc.
Look at each of 5 chapters, post 1 key point, "aha!" moment, come back and
reflect on other classmates' comments.
Essay - chose 4 out of 10.
We need to become experts on this content, so that we are prepared when it comes
time to take our Comprehensive Exams! (Eka, every blessing as you take your
Comps this Saturday!!)
Continue the brainstorm, as needed in eCollege: Exam 1: Discussion, or by email,
or however.
Okay, here's my plan:
I will listen to your comments.
Target - I will construct appropriate options for us, and post in eCollege: Exam
1, and I will email it to you. The exam opens on Sat, 10/10 and it's due by Mon,
10/19. Be ready to discuss the exam in class on Thur, 10/22.
For Oct 1
We will get around to chap 2, & chap 3
Bring assessment tools (TPRI, DIBELS, palm-pilots, DRA, QPS, Woodcock-Johnson-Munoz) to share and discuss
Read chap 4 & NAEYC (1998) Learning to Read & Write (here attached, and a link, below).
Bring a typed draft of your Learning Contract
Lit Circles will meet after 6pm. Again, the discussion board is open for us to utilize in selecting a really good read. eCollege: 4 Reading Aloud: Discussion.
For Sept 24
Pickup where we left off w/ Language .ppt
Gunning chapter 2: Diversity, RTI, ELL
chapter 3: Assessment
Class # 3 Sept 17
In many ways, this was a tough class: Six Word Memoirs
First, we created a display of possibilities for our Lit Circles. Go to eCollege: Unit 4: Reading Aloud for more info.
Defining Literature Circles .ppt
We discussed our Learning Contracts:
Learning Contracts Overview .ppt
Let's plan on having a plan (learning contract) posted by 10/01. Check out the discussion board in eCollege: Unit 3: Learning Contracts.
Then we talked about Case Studies:
ELED 524 Tutoring Project .ppt
A discussion board is open in eCollege: Unit 2: Observation & Case Study
Two assists
We have recruited two assists for this course on Language Arts.
The first is Scott Lancaster, a librarian in Commerce. See his note in eCollege: Course Home: Research Assistance from Librarian.
Next, Shannon Carter, English Professor, wants to help us write, and share, and publish our writing. See her info in eCollege: Course Home: Writers All!
Class # 2 Sept 10
Defining Literature Circles .ppt
Lit Circles Booklist Ideas .doc
Notes after our first class, Thursday 09/03
I enjoyed our meet & greet. I learned much about us as a whole, and look forward to getting to know parts and pieces of us individually, and then to reconstruct a sense of 'whole' as we grow together in teaching Language Arts.
Here are some pieces I want to share with you:
Some of you expressed interest in Mid-Level Math or Science. Please note this new scholarship opportunity: http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/EDCI/NEdetails.asp?itemnum=79&pagename=nedetails.
Some of you said you just came out of TAMU-C undergrad. Do you know about the Senior Scholarship? http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/EDCI/NEdetails.asp?itemnum=61&pagename=nedetails.
Here are comments you posted about our class:
| '+' I am excited about … | ||
| I am responsible for my own learning. | ||
| "Kinder is where it is" | ||
| I tend to be more observant before engaging w/ others. I appreciate the respect and grace that you showed for that. | ||
| Creating some literacy projects that I can utilize in my classroom. | ||
| New & useful strategies | ||
| Learning new things that can be applied in the classroom | ||
| Discovering new things & new strategies | ||
| Coursework that will improve my literacy skills | ||
| Learning creative Lang Arts activities | ||
| Learning how to teach Lang Arts | ||
| Learning the techniques of Lang Arts | ||
| '?' I need more information about … | ||
| Phonics | ||
| How to make writing more fun | ||
| How to become creative and still teach Reading / Lang Arts | ||
| '-' This is not working for me … | ||
| Singing / acting in lower grades | ||
| Very young kids. It will take some time | ||
| Not being able to use what I've learned | ||
Thanks for this feedback. Keep me posted on whatever concerns you may have throughout this course.
Thank-you for your handwritten essay "How I Learned to Read & Write." I will review and return them to you next week. You are invited - not required nor graded - to type your essay and post in eCollege: DocShare.
Your first 'graded' essay is due Thursday, 09/10. Print and bring to class. Also post in eCollege: Dropbox. After reading Gunning (2010) chap 9: Reading & Writing in the Content Areas, write a short essay evaluating your effectiveness as a reader of complex, technical texts.
Also read chap 10: Reading Literature. We are preparing to divide into Literature Circles.
Our first video assignment is from www.Learner.org. Find this video: http://learner.org/vod/login.html?pid=2204 (28:11 minutes long).
A video workshop for grades 3–5 teachers; 8 half-hour workshop video programs, 8 half-hour classroom video programs, workshop guide, and Web site; graduate credit available.
Program 1. Building a Community of Writers
How can teachers in grades 3–5 create classrooms that nurture and support all
students’ confidence in their ability to write and help them forge their own
writing identities? This program explores strategies and practices to help
establish successful writing communities within classrooms.
Finally, we need to be about the business of dividing our large class into sub-groups, based on interests, experience (need for Mentors w/in our class), and distance. I have identified Kim, Wendy, and Thor from Commerce/Greenville; Ashley, Kari, & Marquita from Anna/Whitewright/Plano; and Tracey, Shauna, & Sherry from Terrell.
Soon we will discuss Learning Contracts - based on our learning needs, and the larger needs of our class as a learning community. We will consider factors such as distance, commute, punctuality, etc. Important factors such as team-building and community needs lead this process.
Getting started
Our course is web-enhanced through eCollege. There are different routes into eCollege; most people go through their myLeo home page. Here is my favorite shortcut straight into eCollege: http://online.tamuc.org/. Please take time to set up your computer system by running this browser test: http://online.tamuc.org/index.learn?action=technical. In general, I prefer using the Mozilla Firefox browser, current version 3.5.2. For most eCollege applications though, it seems to prefer Internet Explorer 7.
Specifically for our Language Arts course, I require you to enroll in http://www.learner.org for excellent videos of classrooms. Specific assignments will come along later. You must become an expert at navigating these three Texas Education Agency TEA websites: Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/prek_guide/01intro01.htm; Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills TEKS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/teks/index.html; English Language Proficiency Standards ELPS http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074a.html#74.4
Contact
Phone: 903-468-8627
Fax: 903-468-5997
Email: Josh_Thompson@TAMU-Commerce.edu
Office: Ed South 221
Department of Curriculum &
Instruction
Texas A&M University-Commerce
P.O. Box 3011
Commerce, Texas 75429-3011
