Language, Literacy and Assessment EG 5073, College of Education Graduate Education Program Lipscomb University Fall 2012 Professor:

Mrs. Melanie Maxwell Phone: 966-5040 Cell: 545-0260 Office: Bennett Student Center (3rd Floor/Presidents Quarters) Office Hours: Tuesday 2:00-5:00 Others by Appointment

Email: mmaxwell@lipscomb.edu Meeting Place: McFarland 213 Text: Routman, Regie. (2005). Writing Essentials. Heinemann Education Our students need to know how to read so they can learn about the world. But they need to know how to write so the can change the world. Course Description: This course provides an overview of language assessments and assessment
implications and practices and their impact on how a child learns to read and write. It provides a wide variety of researched literacy practices for teachers of 1-8th grade students. Course objectives include teaching writing along with reading through a wide variety of texts, understanding literacy assessment tools, using assessment results, and using a variety of instructional groupings. Course objectives and topics are aligned with the writing strand of the Common Core Standards, the Tennessee teacher candidate standards for reading, and research from the National Reading Panel (2000) and the International Reading Association. This class is required for K-6 and 4-8 licensure candidates in the IP program.

Course Purpose and Rationale: The more teachers understand about how children learn to talk, the more they can help children become avid, joyful readers and writers. The purpose of this course is to develop students knowledge of how language and reading are acquired by young children and the relationship between them. An understanding of language development concepts and theories will be enhanced through the examination of language achievements by age and include emergent literacy and models for reading development. Individual differences in learning will be examined against instructional approaches in order to maximize language and reading outcomes. Students will demonstrate their in-depth understanding and analyses of concepts and constructs applied to important issues that have implications for the home, school, and community.

The conceptual framework for the Education Department at Lipscomb University is C.A.R.E. Craft of Teaching, Attitudes and Values, Relationships and Essential Knowledge. A summary of the conceptual framework is attached and will be discussed throughout the course. Course Objectives (correlated to Tennessees teacher candidate reading standards): Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Identify and understand the current theory, research and practices about how children become literate (Standard #1) 2. Assess and use various literacy approaches and strategies (Standards #1, 2, 4, 5, 6) 3. Employ pedagogical practices instructional techniques in the classroom that develop better readers and writers (Standards #2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 4. Evaluate individual students strengths and weaknesses in the areas of reading and writing (Standard # 5) Course Objectives (correlated to Lipscombs Mission Statement): Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: Learning Objectives Identify and understand the current theory, research and practices about how children become literate (Standard #1) Assess and use various literacy approaches and strategies (Standards #1, 2, 4, 5, 6) Employ pedagogical practices instructional techniques in the How Delivered Lecture, Powerpoint, reflective discussion, participatory engagement Lecture, power point, reflective discussion, participatory engagement Lecture, Powerpoint, reflective discussion, How Assessed Class participation C.A.R.E. Connection 1a, 1k, 4a

Critique/Reflective Writing

1b, 1c, 1f, 1k

Portfolio, Class discussion

1f, 1g, 1h, 1j, 1k, 4d

classroom that develop better readers and writers (Standards #2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Evaluate individual students strengths and weaknesses in the areas of reading and writing (Standard # 5) Suggested Readings:

participatory engagement

Lecture, Powerpoint, reflective discussion, participatory engagement

Reading Intervention Plan

4d, 4e

Cunningham, Patricia M. (2004). Phonics they use: Words for reading and writing (4th ed.). New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Berk, L. E. (2006). Chapter 9 - Language Development. In Child Development (8th ed., pp. 356395). Pearson. (Original work published 1989) Naomi S. Baron, Growing up with Language: How Children Learn to Talk (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1992), p. 41-43, ISBN 0-201-55080-6 Chomsky Noam (1959). A Review of B. F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior Language, 35: 2658. Crystal, D. (2006). How babies babble, words change meaning, and languages live or die. New York: The Overlook Press. Power, B.M., & Hubbard, R.S. (2002). Language development: A reader for teachers (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Johnston, P.H. (2004) Choice Words: How our language affects childrens learning. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Fisher, B. (1998). Joyful learning in kindergarten. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Course Assignments & Grading: COURSE REQUIREMENTS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND PROJECTS: Class participation: Class discussion and reflective discourse will play an important role in this course. Since active engagement is an essential element of the integrated curriculum, this will constitute 20% of the final grade. Please see rubric for more information about class participation. Assessment Portfolio: Students will conduct a Case Study and Instructional Action Plan on a student during this class. This focus of this assessment will be on reading and writing. Once assessments are administered, you will write an instructional plan of action for the child. (The directions and requirements will be given out in class) Lesson Plan with Mentor Text: Select a childrens book, novel, or content textbook that meets the criteria for rich text based on the criteria given in class. What is a mentor text? A mentor text is a published piece of writing a teacher uses during a writing lesson to teach a writing skill or to motivate the students to want to write. After receiving approval from the professor, create a lesson plan that utilizes this text. Make sure your lesson plan includes an instructional focus from Common Core. A template and rubric will be shared and discussed in class. Research for Practice Critique: Students will find an article in an educational journal or from an online source that they believe will help them improve in their own practice (related to writing). Students will summarize the article and answer the following: 1. What issues are you currently facing in your classroom? (What are your biggest opportunities for improvement?) 2. Why did you choose this particular article? 3. Select three key points from the article and discuss how you think these will help you improve as a reading teacher. Rubric will be shared and discussed in class. A list of suggested experts in the field of writing instruction will also be provided. Response Journal: Students will complete 6 journal prompts throughout the course based on discussions and assigned texts. Students will be required to read and respond to at least two responses each week from other students in the class. The primary focus of the journal is content, so be sure to discuss key concepts and takeaways from class. The journal prompts will be posted on Blackboard.

Grading: Grades will be based on the following scale: A = 94-100 B = 86-93 C = 77-85 F = 76 and below ATTENDANCE AND TARDINESS: Students will be expected to be present in class and on time in order to gain a full understanding of the course topic. Attendance is an integral part of the course experience; thus, participation in class will be an integral part of the students final grade. Missed classes and/or late assignments will result in a lower final grade. Students will be expected to read the assigned texts according to the timeframe on the attached calendar and will reflect this through participation in class discussions, simulations, small group work and reflective writing assignments. Please inform me if you require special accommodations. Consideration will be given to special needs and circumstances if advance notice is given. Your grade for the course will be based on the successful completion of all assignments and class attendance, required readings, and participation. Assignments are due on the date stated on the syllabus calendar unless changes by the instructor after consultation with the class. Late assignments and incompletes are not encouraged and can be detrimental to your final course grade. Ten points are deducted for every day an assignment is late. Moreover, an assignment is considered a day late when it is given to the instructor after the class session in which it is due. Attendance Policy: Since this class meets only eight times, attendance is critical. Please contact the instructor with as much advanced notice as possible if you will not be attending a class. It is important to note that many of the required assignments will be completed in class. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY: Because Lipscomb's primary mission is to integrate Christian faith and practice with academic excellence, integrity is important in this course. As your instructor, I will deal with each student fairly and honestly. As students, you are expected to do your own work on all tests, labs, and assignments unless I indicate that collaboration is allowed on a specific assignment. Penalties for integrity violations will range from failure on the assignment involved to failure in the course. The instructor also reserves the right to report violations to members of the administration. For clarification, refer to the follow university policies: (1) Code of Conduct:

http://campuslife.lipscomb.edu/content.asp?SID=41&CID=306 (2) Academic Integrity Policy: http://academics.lipscomb.edu/content.asp? CID=5329&SID=12 STUDENTS REQUIRING ACCOMMODATIONS: If you require classroom accommodations for a documented disability, please discuss your circumstances with me immediately. If you are entitled to accommodations but have not yet registered with the Counseling Center, contact that office immediately. DROPPING THE COURSE: A decision to stop attending class does NOT constitute dropping the course. A drop/add form (available in the Registrar's Office) must be signed by the teacher and processed in the Registrar's Office before the drop is official. If your name appears on the roster at grading time and you have not officially dropped the course, a grade will be assigned based upon the policies outlined in this syllabus. See the university calendar for designated deadlines for dropping a course. CLASS SCHEDULE DISRUPTION POLICY: Except in the rarest of instances, Lipscomb University does not cancel classes or close offices. However, should an event occur that requires disruption to the entire Lipscomb University class schedule, students will be notified via multiple venues including Lipscomb homepage (www.lipscom.edu), a text message sent through LU ALERT (http://lualert.lipcomb.edu), and the Lipscomb Weather Information Line (966-1836). For information on possible snow-related closures or late starts, students should consult local television stations. Field Experiences: Each masters level course in the College of Education requires a field experience that is expected to take five (5) to ten (10) hours (a minimum of 50 hours by graduation). These field experiences must be completed to be successful in the course and are designed to support the expected program outcomes. Because the College of Education is committed to equipping our students for diverse experiences, we ask that you complete your field experiences with schools or districts in varied classifications (low SES, urban, suburban, rural and cross-cultural), and with different student populations (ELL, Special Education, Advanced). This diversity of experience should be evident on your field experience data form in LiveText by the time you graduate. A Field Experience Documentation and Data Form is required of each student for each course. Spiritual Growth: The College of Education seeks to provide opportunities for personal, professional and spiritual growth through student experiences here. One avenue for spiritual growth through the program here is by establishing a thoughtful dialogue among students and faculty centered on a common text. The college uses Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (preferred text: ISBN 0060652926) as this common ground for exploration of spiritual contexts and applications for learning.

LiveText Portfolio Requirements: All graduate students who entered the program in Fall 2009 and after are required to have a LiveText portfolio account. Instructions for purchasing LiveText are found at http://education.lipscomb.edu/Uploads/34941.pdf. As all students must use this portfolio system, you are encouraged to become familiar with it at the beginning of this course. Detailed instructions and tutorials for using LiveText are found at: http://education.lipscomb.edu/page.asp?SID=28&Page=9159

The Conceptual Framework of C.A.R.E: Lipscombs conceptual framework for the initial and advanced programs is built upon four categories: Craft of Teaching Attitudes and Values Relationships Essential Knowledge The first letter of each category provides the theme of Lipscomb's initial and advanced programs: C.A.R.E. The College of Education believes that this conceptual framework provides the structure within which all educational programs can sustain a high level of excellence so that its candidates will be of the highest quality. It is shared widely within the university and beyond. Each student will receive a copy of the C.A.R.E Framework. Your LiveText portfolio will reflect ways in which your program of study fit within this framework. APA Format: Formal papers submitted for graduate coursework should follow American Psychological Association (APA) for general guidelines, in-text citations of materials, avoiding plagiarism, and reference pages from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition. Each instructor will be provided a desk copy of APA: The Easy Way!, Second Edition, a simplified guide that has been updated for the sixth edition (ISBN 0923568964). Students are asked to purchase a copy of this publication. Other helpful resources for APA guidelines and formatting include the following websites: http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/index.aspx http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.aspx?doc_id=796 College of Education Writing Rubric: The College of Education has a writing rubric for general use with written assignments. This rubric is consistent for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Students who have difficulty with graduate level writing will be asked to do some remediation with the

university Writing Lab.

ASSIGNMENT

Type of Assignment

DUE DATE: Percentage of Grade or Point Value

Sept. 18

Writing Lesson plan using a Mentor text Research Article Critique Instructional Action Plan based on Assessment Portfolio Field Experience

Key assignment Assignment Assignment

20% 10% 25%

Oct. 9 Sept. 25

Documentation of Field Experience Hours -3 (LiveText) with Summary and Reflection

Oct. 9

25%

Attendance/Participation/Journal See rubric Responses/Class Activities

20%

C.A.R.E (Initial) Lipscombs Teacher education program is committed to preparing educators who 1. Practice their CRAFT in an exemplary manner by adapting instruction based on assessment data communicating rationale for choices thinking reflectively and critically and fostering the same traits in students

successfully integrating current technology to present and enhance instruction implementing problem solving skills encouraging and motivating student learning organizing and managing the learning environment analyzing situations and making sound decisions developing and refining a personal philosophy of teaching and learning adapting instruction to meet needs of diverse learner using various strategies to effectively convey concepts

2. Possess the following ATTITUDES AND VALUES: all children can learn learning is a lifelong process wellness and a healthy lifestyle is valuable teachers must teach confidently and enthusiastically a strong work ethic and commitment to education is important attention is given to punctual completion of assignments, tasks and duties initiates on-going professional development and self-improvement exhibits joy of teaching coping skills such as flexibility and a sense of humor 3. RELATE to all members of communities within the educational experience to improve student learning and well-being by demonstrating a respect for and appreciation of cultural diversity and individual differences comfortably and effectively relating to and communicating with all students, parents, and colleagues providing opportunities for increased cultural awareness collaborating and partnering with others to achieve a common goal demonstrating professional behavior at all times utilizing community personnel and resources listening to and appropriately responding to feedback being a caring teacher 4. Demonstrate ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE concerning the discipline being taught general knowledge of other disciplines location and use of resources developmental stages and learning theories and their impact on teaching and learning evaluation and assessment tools understanding and application of current research planning for short term and long term instruction

appropriate written and verbal communication