MLE5270 Content Area Literacy Dr. Gail Lockart Fall, 2006 Buzzard 1445 Tuesday: 4:30-7 p.m. Course Description: Implementation of an in-depth understanding of content level reading issues, reading strategies, approaches to reading instruction, and informal assessment of middle school age readers in the content area. In addition, teachers need to have individual metacognitive awareness of the reading process and be able to teach students metacognitive skills. Objectives of the Course: • Develop a desire of lifelong learning in students and personally display one’s own desire for lifelong learning, including self-evaluation skills. • Demonstrate good communication skills. • Demonstrate and exhibit compassion to students of all cultures. • Design instruction to develop and utilize the cognitive process by which students learn. • Demonstrate knowledge of children’s language acquisition. • Describe the factors that influence the development of language. • Demonstrate knowledge of facts and an understanding of fundamental principles, ideas, and relationships among various knowledge domains. • Demonstrate knowledge of past and present developments, issues, research, and social influences in the field of education. • Describe cultural influences that are reflected in the history of the English language. • Demonstrate knowledge of current issues in the language arts domain. Textbook(s): Brozo, W. & Simpson, M. (2003). Readers, teachers, learners: Expanding literacy across the content area. Merrill Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Model of Teaching: Inductive Model—This model developed by Hilda Taba, was designed to help students improve their ability to categorize and to use categories. Three cognitive tasks are included in this strategy: 1. Concept formation, which includes identifying and enumerating data, grouping data, and developing categories and labels for groups. 2. Interpreting, inferring, and generalizing data. 3. Applying principles to explain new phenomena, or predicting consequences. This model was specifically developed to improve and increase thinking capacity. Course Goals: • Develop an enduring capacity to care, in particular, about the literacy needs of all students by utilizing the content area classroom as a vehicle for teaching and extending the reading skills to the students you serve. • Recognize that the vast range of individual differences at the middle and secondary levels requires dedication to acquiring, developing, and pursuing instructional strategies and resources as you become a lifelong learner. Course Requirements: 1. Attendance/Participation: Attendance and class participation are essential. (5 points will be taken off for each absence.) Students will participate in guided discussions during class, take comprehensive notes, and read the assigned text.22. Group Work: Small groups will meet through the class periods to engage students in thoughtful discussion on a variety of group assignments. 3. Reading Strategy Portfolio: In class, students will present content reading strategies and accumulate and assemble at least one strategy for before, during, and after reading and using graphic organizers. Make a copy of your strategies for each class member and the instructor. 4. Conduct a book search and list at least twenty books for your academic content area. Incorporate both fiction and non-fiction literature and picture books. Be sure to address all ability levels of reading when you compile your list of content area books. Prepare a book talk from this list of books. Include in your book talk: a visual, the title, author’s name, summary of the book, genre, and how this book could be used in your content area. Assemble this information into a student useable document. (notebook by author/title, card file, student web page, etc.) 5. Research the importance of teaching reading in the content area. Discuss why the teacher today has a critical responsibility to incorporate a variety of reading strategies to assist all readers in becoming active, proficient readers. Write a 2-3-page analysis of this topic using supportive research. Include a bibliography with 5 sources. (APA 5th edition) 6. Locate and compile a minimum of 10 research articles that focus on content area reading skills. Develop an extensive notebook containing meaningful articles about reading in the content area and a bibliography that encompasses appropriate methodology to accommodate students in your classroom: a. Struggling reader/proficient reader b. High motivation/low level reading books c. Technology use to enhance content area reading d. Developing skills in test taking in the content area e. Books in prize winning categories (Newbery, Michael Printz, Coretta Scott King, Rebecca Caudill, etc.) f. Fluency g. Strategies to enhance comprehension h. Vocabulary development and concept development i. Motivating students to read j. Accelerated Reader, Bookadventure.org, Reading Counts and other computer oriented reading programs k. Assessing readers and their texts l. Collaborating for literacy and learning: Grouping strategies m. Motivation in the reading content area n. Students as responsive learners o. Uniqueness of the individual reader p. Use of context clues in reading q. Structural analysis—word attack r. Interventions to improve content area reading 7. Examinations: Two major tests that assess students’ comprehensive understanding of course content, assigned reading, classroom presentations and discussions. COURSE SCHEDULE: August 22 Discuss syllabus Fill out name cards and student information sheet Discussion of expectations Topic 1: Readers, Teachers, Learners: Introduction August 28 Topic 2: Active Learners Across the Content Areas3September 4—No Class Labor Day September 11 Topic 3: Comprehension Strategies September 18 Topic 4: Classroom Assessment of Literacy Growth and Content Learning September 25 Topic 5: Initiating Students to New Learning October 2 Topic 6: Developing General and Content-Area Vocabulary Knowledge October 9 Test #1 (I will try to arrange to use a lab or use of a laptop so that you can type your test) You may use your notes and handouts. Test will be over topics 1-6, Analysis paper due October 16 Pre-reading strategy presentations Topic 7: