DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
Spring 2012 Online
Title: Content Literacy for Middle and Secondary Teachers
Course Numbers: READ 720-99
Time Schedule: January 17 - May 11
Credit Hours: 3
Instructor: Carolyn R. Fehrenbach, Ph.D.
e-mail: cfehrenb@pittstate.edu
Office Phone: 620-235-4483
Office: 112C Hughes Hall
Home Phone: 620-232-7720
Online Office Hours: All week Sunday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Office Hours in Hughes Hall: By appointment
I.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to enhance the methodology skills of teachers in the
elementary, middle and secondary level in order to meet the content reading needs
of their students in various subject areas. Content will focus on strategies for
increasing student comprehension of content texts and other literacy sources.
Participants will develop classroom-ready strategies for teaching comprehension
and vocabulary.
II.
PREREQUISITES
Graduate status
Ability to navigate and use ANGEL Management System
III.
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
The purpose of the cource is to introduce and emphasize effective teaching
practices that reduce comprehension barriers and promote success for all students
in reading-to-learn situations and comprehension activities.
IV.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to
A. Reflect uon their own classroom situation
B. Reflect upon their present or potential students
C. Plan effective teaching strategies for teaching comprehension
D. Plan effective teaching strategies for teaching vocabulary
V.
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Required Text: Teaching Reading in the Content Areas:If Not Me, Then Who?,
Teacher’s Manual, 2nd ed., Billmeyer & Barton, 1998.
Other: Literacy materials your students read appropriate for the subject you
teach in your classroom. Examples: Expository (nonfiction) texts, narrative texts,
and/or material on virtual literacies (e-books, Internet research, Kindle, iPods,
iPads, etc.)
Angel720ConLitSpg12.doc, p1
VI. OTHER
A. Professionalism
All assignments should be submitted on time with high-quality content and
student-ready format. Neatness, grammatical correctness and clarity are all
important. Word process all papers. All parts of an assignment need to be
completed.
B. Academic Honesty Policy
Students are expected to follow the PSU Academic Honesty Policy, which speaks
to unethical acts associated with coursework or grades. The full text of the policy
is on the web. The policy includes the following:
1. giving or receiving aid on examinations, preparations of notebooks, papers,
and other assignments;
2. handing in the same work for more than one course without instructor
permission;
3. plagiarism.
The full text of the policy can be found at
http://www.pittstate.edu/audiences/current-students/policies/rights-andresponsibilities/academic-misconduct.dot
C. Application of Course Grades to Graduate Degrees
Only grades of A, B, and C are acceptable on a degree program. A cumulative
grade point average of 3.00 is required for grades earned in all graduate
coursework at the 700, 800, or 900 levels. A maximum of six hours of C or pass
work may be applied to a student's degree program. If the student receives any
grade of C, status in the Graduate School will be reviewed by the advisor and the
Dean.
D. Technicial Help: If you have technology problems, please contact Gorilla
Geeks for assistance at Geeks@pittstate.edu or 620-235-4600.
VII.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS (See page 3 of syllabus for list )
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Content Literacy 720
Assignment Due Dates
Please note on some dates two assignments are due.
All assignments are due by 12:00 midnight. Late assignments may be given a
reduced grade.
________________________________________________________________________
Tuesday, Jan. 17
PSU Classes Start
Sun, Jan. 22
#1 Assignment: User Profile Update due
20 points
Sun, Jan 29
#1 Reflection due
20 points
Sun, Feb. 5
#1 Content Strategy due
#2 Reflection due
40 points
20 points
Sun, Feb. 12
#2 Content Strategy due
40 points
Sun, Feb. 19
#3 Reflection due
20 points
Sun, Feb. 26
#4 Reflection due
20 points
Sun, March 4
#3 Content Strategy due
40 points
Sun, March 11
#5 Reflection due
20 points
March 17–25
Spring Break
Sun, April 1
Sun, April 8
#6 Reflection due
20 points
Sun, April 15
#4 Content Strategy due
40 points
Sun, April 22
#5 Content Strategy due
#7 Reflection due
40 points
20 points
Sun, April 29
#14 Assignment: Rationale/Ideas
for Teaching Literacy
in the Content Area
50 points
Friday, May 11
End of Semester
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p3
USER PROFILE UPDATE
#1 Assignment: User Profile Update (Due Sun, Jan. 22, 12:00 midnight) 20
points
To help us become acquainted with each other, please follow these
instructions to update your User Profile:
Click on “Preferences” from the left sidebar > “Personal information”>
Type in the following information in the appropriate boxes and then submit:
About Me: Share any personal/professional information that will help us get to
know you. If you currently teach, tell us the grade level, school and town or city. To
view others’ home pages, click on the “Communicate” tab and click on “Course
Roster.”_________________________________________________________________
REFLECTIONS FROM READINGS
Reflections From Assigned Readings in the Billmeyer & Barton Text
7@ 20 pts each 140 points
(Due Dates: Sunday, Jan. 29, Feb. 5, Feb. 19, Feb. 26, March 11, April 8, April 22)
Guidelines: After reading the assigned text sections and topics, students are to reflect
on their reading and create a written reflection for the professor to read. Each reflection
should be thoughtful, indepth, and reflect evidence that the text has been read. All parts
of the assignment must be addressed. Reflections should be grammatically correct with
no spelling, syntax, word choice, or punctuation errors. Each student must complete
seven assigned reflections. DO NOT SEND ALL OF YOUR REFLECTIONS IN ON
JANUARY 29. THEY HAVE SEPARATE DUE DATES, AS LISTED.
#1 Reflection Topic
20 points
(Due Sunday, Jan. 29, by 12:00 midnight)
Read Section 1, Three Interactive Elements of Reading, pages 1 to 5. Discuss in
your own words how you interacted with the information from this section on
each of the three key elements listed on page 5: A. Your prior knowledge as a
reader. B. The climate or your environment while learning. C. The text features or
characteristics of how this text is written. Note: Be sure to address each item
above with the Letter A, B, C before each part.
#2 Reflection Topic
(Due: Sunday, Feb. 5, by 12:00 midnight)
20 points
Read The Role of the Reader, pages 6-9. A. Discuss the different backgrounds of
students in your classroom and how they affect their prior knowledge. B. Tell
how you might activate your students’ prior knowledge for the subject or topics
you are teaching. Address parts A and B.
#1 Content Strategy is also due Feb 5
#2 Content Strategy is due Feb 12
Angel720ConLitSpg12, p4
#3 Reflection Topic
(Due: Sunday, Feb. 19, by 12:00 midnight)
20 points
Read Mental Disposition, pages 10-11. A. What are the attitudes of the students
you work with related to school and learning? B. How can you integrate their
interests into their learning? Address parts A and B
#4 Reflection Topic
20 points
(Due: Sunday, Feb. 26, by 12:00 midnight)
Read The Role of Climate, pages 12-15.
A. Discuss what your classroom climate is like.
#3 Content Strategy is due March 4
#5 Reflection Topic
20 points
(Due: Sunday, March 11, by 12:00 midnight)
Read The Role of Text Features, pages 16-24. Look at the text features of material
you use in class including reader aids, vocabulary, and text structure. A. Give the
name of your text or material you use. B. What types of reader aids does your
text have? C. Is the vocabulary appropriate for the grade level you teach? D.
Google OKAPI! Readability. Click on OKAPI! Readability Statistics & CBA
Reading Probe Generator and follow the directions to complete a readability
analysis on a minimum of a 100-word passage from a text or any type of reading
material students use in your classroom. Be sure to scroll to Dale-Chall
readability formula for reading material at grades 4 and up. Use Spache if you are
analyzing primary age reading material grades 1-3. E. Print your analysis sheet
and submit it to me. Be careful of mistakes in typing, as this will invalidate your
readability analysis.
#6 Reflection Topic
20 points
(Due: Sunday, April 8, by 12:00 midnight}
Read Text Features: Text Structure, pages 25-39. A. Give the name of the text,
author and date of publication of a text you primarily use or could use in your
classroom. B. If it is a narrative text, what types of narrative does your text
contain (Science fiction, etc. p. 29)? C. How can you assist your students in
understanding narrative text? D. If the major text or material used in your
classroom is informational or expository, what organizational pattern or patterns
does it use (pages 33 -34)?
#4 Content Strategy is due April 15
#7 Reflection Topic
20 points
(Due: Sunday, April 22, by 12:00 midnight)
Read Section 4: Six Assumptions about Learning. These six assumptions are
based on significant research. A. Discuss how any aspect of this chapter made you
think about your own learning.
#5 Content Strategy is also due April 22
_________________________________________________________________
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CONTENT AREA LITERACY STRATEGIES
Content Area Literacy Strategies
5@ 40 pts each 200 points
(Due Dates: Sunday, Feb. 5, Feb. 15, March 4, April 15, April 22)
DO NOT SEND THESE ALL IN ON FEB. 5. THEY HAVE DIFFERENT DUE
DATES THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER AS SHOWN ABOVE.
You will be developing five Content Area LiteracyStrategies based on
readings from the Billmeyer & Barton text. Strategies must be selected from
those listed on page 69 of the Billmeyer and Barton text. Word process
information in your own words. Do not plagiarize or copy strategies from other
sources. Strategies need to be ones you have not used before. See an example
of a Content Literacy Strategy under Lessons on ANGEL. Submit a minimum
of a two-page word processed paper for each strategy which includes the
following for each of the five strategies.
A. Your Name
B. Lesson Date
C. Grade Level
D. Name of Activity
E. Page Number(s) from Billmeyer and Barton text
F. Detailed Steps for Implementing the Strategy the classroom
G. Reflection on why you think this would be a worthwhile activity
H. How you could use or adapt this strategy to your present or future classroom
Content Literacy Strategies wil be graded on the quality of the lesson,
completeness, and grammatical correctness including correct spelling, syntax,
word choice and punctuation.
__________________________________________________________________________
RATIONALE ASSIGNMENT
#14 Assignment: Rationale for Teaching Literacy in the Content Area
50
points (Due: Sunday, April 29, by 12:00 midnight)
Watch the PowerPoint Literacy Across Subject Areas. Then read pages iii and iv
in your Billmeyer & Barton text. At this point, develop your own ideas for
integrating various types of literacies (digital, electronic, media, visual, text,
movies, magazines, newspapers, etc.) in teaching your subject area. Tell what
types of literacies you would include in teaching your subject area. Your word
processed paper must be a minimum of 100 words and will be graded both on
content and grammatical correctness.
_______________________________________________________________________
Overall Grading Scale
90-100% A
80-89%
B
70-79%
C
60-69%
D
Below 60% F
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