ASTL 5725

Understanding & Implementing Best Practices

3 Credit Hours
 

Course Information

Course Description:

Literacy III will engage candidates in professional studies related to understanding and using best practice for continued literacy growth in the middle grades.  This course reviews the characteristics of a comprehensive middle school reading program.

Course Objectives:

 

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

1-Discuss why integrating reading in the subject matter areas is warranted

2-Describe what teaching practices are associated with effective content area instruction

3-Explain the interaction between reader and text when understanding results

4-Distinguish the characteristics between short term memory and long term memory

5-Recognize the role of context and morphemic analysis in content area reading

6-Identify and develop questions at the explicit, implicit, and schema-based level

7-Determine the presence and/or absence of characteristics of textbooks that make them student friendly

8-Discuss characteristics of formal and informal assessment and how each fit in developing authentic assessments for middle and secondary students

9-Develop an informal test designed to determine student match with text difficulty

10-Recognize and discuss the components of a Teacher Directed Reading Lesson

11-Discuss an develop activities designed to teach vocabulary

12-Develop activities that focus on comprehension

13-Identify and utilize the six traits of analyzing student writing

14-Recognize and discuss principles of learning and study

15-Describe how individual differences can be addressed in a heterogeneous classroom

16-Recognize the characteristics of a differentiated reading plan

17-Discuss the characteristics of a comprehensive middle school reading program

 

Prerequisites and Corequisites:

An undergraduate course in reading and ASTL 5721.

Course Topics:

A.  Justification for and What Reading Instruction Means

            1.  Landscape of Upper Level Reading Performance

            2.  Trends in Middle/Secondary Reading/Language Arts

            3.  Characteristics of Exemplary Adolescent Programs

            4.  Recommended Teaching Practices for Secondary Teachers

B.  Reading to Understand

            1.  Schema Theory

            2.  Memory System

            3.  Linguistics Factors Affecting Understanding

            4.  Metacognition

            5.  Fluent Readers

C.  Fundamentals of Reading Necessary for Textbook Reading

            1.  Word Analysis and Upper Level Teaching

            2.  Comprehension

            3.  Writing Patterns

D.  Evaluating and Selecting Adopted Textbooks

            1.  Considerate vs Inconsiderate Textbooks

            2.  Readability

            3.  Student Factors Affecting Text Usage

E.  Assessment in the Content Classroom

            1.  Formal Assessment

            2.  Informal Assessment

            3.  Authentic Assessment and Portfolios

F.  Fundamental Planning for Content Area Instruction

            1.  Content Analysis

            2.  Teacher Directed Content Lessons

G.  Vocabulary and Its Role in Improving Understanding of Content

            1.  Principles of Vocabulary

            2.  Types of Vocabulary

            3.  Strategies for Increasing Students Meaning Vocabulary

H.  Comprehension and How to Promote It With Textbook Reading

            1.  Levels of Comprehension

            2.  Metacognitive Strategies

            3.  Study Guides and How to Use Them Effectively

I.  Studying and Test Taking:  What do we know and Why Students Don’t Do It

            1.  Principles of Learning and Studying

            2.  In-Class Applications of Studying

            3.  Out-of-Class Applications of Studying

            4.  Tests and How to Take Them

J.  Differentiating Instruction:  Assisting Students in Becoming Successful

            1.  Accommodating Individuals for Individual Differences

            2.  Instructional Modifications

            3.  Students With Disabilities

            4.  Evaluation

 

 

Specific Course Requirements:

Students must be able to create and submit word documents electronically.  Students must be computer literate to a degree that enables them to participate in a productive manner in an online course.  Students must be able to send and receive email.  Students must participate in online discussions through the digital drop box in the WebCT course.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:  http://rodp.bkstr.com

Supplementary Materials:

To be included in the section entitled course documents to include web sites and other recommended readings

 

Hardware Requirements:

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...

Software Requirements:

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...(A list of software the student is required to purchase or download for the course, Real Player, Media Player, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office, etc).

Instructor Information

Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.

Assessment and Grading

Testing Procedures:

This course does not have any examinations.

Grading Procedure:

Completion of the assignments on time according to the schedule.  Participation in discussions with other course participants and instructor. 

Eight (8) assignments at 10 points each  =      80

Discussion Board Interaction                   =      20

                                                             TOTAL            =        100

Grading Scale:

93-100---A             66-74---D
84-92----B              65 and below -- F
75-83----C

Assignments and Participation

Assignments and Projects:

Eight (8) assignments are required along with discussions with other participants and instructor.  The nine assignments correspond with the chapters in the textbook.  Some of the assignments cover three chapters and others are individual chapters, as follows:

Assignment 1:  Chapter 1

Assignment 2:  Chapter 2

Assignment 3:  Chapter 3

Assignment 4:  Chapters 4, 5 and 6

Assignment 5:  Chapter 7

Assignment 6:  Chapters 8, 9 and 10

Assignment 7:  Chapter 11 (No assignment for Ch. 12)

Assignment 8:  Chapter 13

 

Class Participation:

Students must communicate with other students in the chat room, students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource, students must check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements, students must actively participate in threaded discussion events, and students must use the digital drop box for submitting assignments.

Punctuality:

Students are to check the calendar for the opening and closing and submitting dates for assignments.  The assignments are to be submitted via the digital drop box within the submission time frames.

Course Ground Rules

Participation is required.  You are expected to communicate with other students and Instructor on Discussion Board.  You are also expected to learn how to navigate in WebCT, keep abreast of course announcements , use the assigned college or university e-mail address as opposed a personal e-mail address, address technical problems immediately by calling WebCT RODP Help Desk 1-866-550-7636, and observe course etiquette at all times. 

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.

  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.

  • Use standard fonts.

  • Do not send large attachments without permission.

  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.

  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussion Groups:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.

  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.

  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.

  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.

  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.

  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.

  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Chat:

  • Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.

  • Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.

  • Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.

  • Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.

  • Be constructive in your comments and suggestion

Web Resources:

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses.

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the left to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:

If you are having problems logging into your course,
timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the Eduprise Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to their website at:

http://help.rodp.org