San Diego State University
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
Dual Language and English Learner Education
DLE 532
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Name
DLE 532: Biliteracy Teaching Language Arts
Course ID
25618
Semester/Year
Fall 2015
Location
NE-073
Day/Time
Tuesdays, 4:00-6:40 PM
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor
Sera J. Hernandez, Ph.D.
Instructor
Jorge Cuevas Antillón, M.A., M.Ed.
Office
EBA-213A/Skype/Phone
Office
Skype/Phone
Office
Hours
After class and by appointment Office
Hours
After class and by appointment
E-mail
sera.hernandez@mail.sdsu.edu E-mail
jorgecuevasantillon@gmail.com
Phone
(310) 567-0855 (cell)
(305) 984-5218 (cell)
Phone
Course Description:
This course begins the series in developing literacy and biliteracy. Course is designed to provide SDSU
DLE students with knowledge and hands-on experience in Spanish language arts theory and practice in
bilingual academic classrooms. The focus of this course is on theory, methods, and assessment strategies
in language arts for biliteracy development in the classroom. Teacher candidates will study effective
strategies for assessing, planning, and organizing reading and writing instruction for children and youth
learning to read in Spanish. Teacher candidates will analyze the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
en Español for the purpose of gaining an understanding of the content that must be taught to all students
and how the standards build upon one another. The Common Core in English and the ELD standards
will also be unpacked for the purpose of understanding cross-linguistic transference. Teacher candidates
will learn course content through a variety of experiential, participatory and process-oriented strategies
that are used in successful biliteracy classrooms and that build reflective practices.
Course Objectives:
Teacher Candidates will be able to:
1. Analyze and discuss issues related to biliteracy, language development and effective literacy
practices for language learners in a thoughtful, informed, and reflective manner (DLE – r1, r6, r7, r8,
r13, r3, r10);
2. Examine their own knowledge about experiences and attitudes toward literacy (DLE – r1, r6, r12);
3. Identify and apply the principles and procedures of different language arts methods in lesson plans
and learning activities (DLE – r1, r2, r5, r3, r12, r15, r14);
4. Identify, describe and use instruments and rating scales for assessing literacy skills and diagnosing
language skills of learners in order to effectively plan instruction based on Common Core State
Standards (CCSS), Common Core en Español and ELD Standards (DLE – r1, r5, r11); and,
5. Develop a set of tools to access research/resources and to relate these to practice within the
classroom (DLE – r9, r4 ).
Required Texts:
1. Freeman, Y. S., & Freeman, D. E. (2007). La enseñanza de la lectura y la escritura en español e
inglés en salones de clases bilingües y de doble inmersión (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
2. Beeman, K. & Urow, C. (2013) Teaching for Biliteracy: Strengthening Bridges between Languages.
Chicago: Caslon Inc.
Required Materials:
● California Common Core State Standards
o Spanish & English Language Arts
● Spanish and English Language Development
● Computer (talk to the instructors if this will be an issue)
● Standard sticky notes (3 X 3)
● Highlighter
Required Websites:
● Common Core en Español https://commoncore-espanol.sdcoe.net/
● Mora Modules http://moramodules.com/ (Directions will be provided in class on access)
● Blackboard
Blackboard Policies:
You will need to access Blackboard every week. We will provide course supplemental readings,
resources, and other important course information on Blackboard. Also, please use the Class Lounge
under the Discussions folder to communicate with classmates on topics related to the course. Post
questions, share tips, anything! Check back daily for new posts.
Resources (Games, Activities, Online materials) for Spanish/English Instruction – Websites:
● http://www.colorincolorado.org
● http://www.uni.edu/becker/Spanish3.html#grammar
● http://www.surfnetkids.com/reader/rr_spanish.php
● http://www.surfnetkids.com/spanish.htm
●
●
●
●
http://readingandwritingproject.org/resources
http://www.wordreference.com/
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
www.donorschoose.org
Recommended Literacy Readings:
● Costigan, S., et al. (1989). El sabelotodo the bilingual teacher’s best friend. Des Moines, IA:
Hampton Brown Books.
● Pinnell, G. S. and Fountas, I. C. (1996). Guided reading: Good first teaching for all children.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
● Horn, M. and Giacobbe, M.E. (2007). Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for Our Youngest Writers.
Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
● Boushey, G. and Moser, J. (2014). The Daily 5. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
● Calkins, L. (2010). Launch a Primary Writing Workshop: Getting Started with Units of Study for
Primary Writing, Grades K-2. (Pap/Com Edition). FirstHand Publishing.
● Sandel, V. (2008). Creating Young Writers: Using the Six Traits to Enrich Writing Process in
Primary Classrooms. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Recommended Readings & Websites for RICA Preparation:
● RICA website: http://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/about_RICA.asp
● Mora Modules http://moramodules.com/
● Rossi, J. C. & Schipper, B. E. (2011). Case studies in preparation for the California Reading
Competency Test (4th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
● Zarrillo, J. (2010). Ready for Revised RICA: A test preparation guide for California's Reading
Instruction Competence Assessment (3rd Ed.). New Jersey: Merrill-Prentice Hall.
● Dye, M. (2009). Study guide for the revised RICA. Education Resource Publishing.
Grading and Evaluation:
All written assignments should be typed, double-spaced and edited for usage and mechanical errors.
Appropriate references to readings and other resources should be included (with proper APA
formatting). Course assignments are based on rubrics and a point system. Rubrics will clearly indicate
the expectations based on university grading policy. Rubrics are provided on Blackboard. Questions for
clarification are encouraged. The table below indicates the total points possible for each assignment:
Assignments
Participation in Blackboard Blog
Biliteracy Autobiography Essay
Biliteracy Multimodal Presentation
Biliteracy Hunt/Reading the Classroom Walls
Expert Group Presentations
Writing Lesson Plan & Activity
Reading-Lesson Plan & Reflection
Case Study
Class Participation
Total Points
Point Value
50
50
50
25
50
75
75
100
25
500
Final course grades will be determined by the following point system:
A = 475 - 500
A- = 450 - 474
B+ = 435 - 449
B = 400 - 434
B- = 380 - 399
C+ = 350 - 379
C = 325 - 349
C- = 300 - 324
D = 250 - 299
Description of Course Assignments:
Extended assignment descriptions and rubrics are provided on Blackboard. Below is a brief description
of each course assignment and due dates.
Class Participation
May be informed by individual quick writes, pair/share conversations, group work, or whole class
discussion. Non-graded. If you are in attendance, participate, & complete class assignments, you get
points.
Blackboard Blog
Bilingual teacher candidates will have five opportunities to respond to a blog prompt to illustrate their
ability to connect ideas and experiences to course readings and themes related to biliteracy instruction,
learning, and assessment. At least 2 sources (from within or outside of the course) must be cited with
proper APA formatting. Responses must be roughly 250 words in length. Teacher candidates are also
expected to respond to two or more of their peers for each blog. Due dates provided in class.
Expert Group Workshop Presentation
Expert group presentations will focus on chapters from Freeman & Freeman text. In teams of 3-4,
teacher candidates will work as a professional learning team to prepare, present and demonstrate
examples of key concepts/activities in their assigned chapters along with leading class participants in
activities that will demonstrate understanding of key concepts in the assigned chapter(s). A major
concept for DLE 532 students is to connect their learning to the reality within the classrooms. Due
ongoing (sign-up first day of class).
Reading and Writing Lesson Plans
The purpose of the Lesson Plan Assignments is to provide the bilingual teacher candidate with practice
planning Spanish reading instruction for a classroom curriculum. In addition, the assignments provides
a “micro-experience” in collaborative planning with colleagues, to discover how we, as teachers, can
utilize each other’s experience and expertise as resources for planning instruction. The structure of the
assignment also gives the teacher candidate the benefit of peer and instructor input at different stages of
lesson development. The content of the lesson plans will be written in Spanish. Reading Lesson Plan
Due 9/29. Writing Lesson Plan Due 10/13.
Biliteracy Autobiography Essay & Multimodal Presentation/Performance
Teacher candidates will trace their own biliteracy development as it relates to reading the world and “the
word.” In addition, this assignment is a component of a larger assignment that will carry into DLE 931
and serve as a basis for teacher candidates’ End of the Year Portfolios. This assignment includes two
formats: a narrative form (word document) written in Spanish as well as a multimodal presentation or
performance in Spanish/English to share with the class. Essay Due 11/3; Performance/Presentation
Due 12/8
Case Study (Embedded Signature Assignment-ESA)
Candidates will prepare a case study in which they complete a full cycle of identifying and addressing
the literacy needs of one student. Teacher candidates will begin by selecting a student for their case
study. After obtaining parent permission, they will carry out and conduct an analysis on a series of
assessments that will help determine the literacy strengths, weaknesses and needs of the case study
student. Teacher candidates will then develop 2 lesson plans and teach these to address their case study
student’s individual needs. The case study will be written in English and is great preparation for RICA!
Due 11/17
Assignment Rules:
Students must take responsibility for putting a heading on every assignment. Type your complete name,
the class, and the assignment on the first page of the assignment on the top left. The document file must
be saved with your full name, an abbreviation of the assignment, and date (month/date/year) (e.g., Sera
Hernandez_LP_090615 or Sera Hernandez_CS_101315). No late assignments will be accepted without
prior approval of the professor. Assignments may be redone and resubmitted for a higher score (only
one resubmit per assignment).
Attendance and Participation Policy:
There will be a weekly sign in. Effectively working as a teacher requires arriving to work, on time and
fully prepared. Students deserve teachers who are committed, responsible and accountable for their
learning. This course is required for a State of California Teacher Credential. Completion of the course
certifies to the State Board of Education that the teacher candidate has mastered the required
competencies for this area. Attendance at all class sessions is required. Missing a class creates
knowledge gaps that will potentially negatively affect students in your future classroom. A student with
more than 2 absences or excessive tardiness cannot earn an A in the course. Students who are
excessively late for class or who leave class early will receive a final grade that is at least one grade
lower than the computed grade.
Participation in class is weighed heavily because the processes learned through interaction with peers are
essential components of the course. Because our time together is short and precious, it is important that
you come to class having read the assignments and prepared to engage in discussions and activities
centered on the readings.
Students with Disabilities:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt
of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note
that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be
provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Course Communication:
Announcements and course-related information will be provided by means of e-mail via Blackboard.
You are responsible for checking your SDSU e-mail regularly and ensuring that your e-mail address is
current.
Email Etiquette:
All subject lines for emails sent to the instructors should start with “DLE 532” and then the topic of the
email, e.g., DLE 532 – Biliteracy Autobiography. This will help us respond to your inquiry as soon as
possible. Correct subject lines are important. If replying to an email, make sure the subject line follows
the standard. If an immediate response is needed, type those words in the subject line, for example,
“DLE 532—Urgent Question.” All emails should include the student name typed in the body of the
email – at the bottom of the message. Think of it as “signing” the email. The student name should not
appear in the subject area.
Homework Policy:
Effective teachers communicate with peers and their school; similarly teacher candidates demonstrate
responsibility for their presence and tasks. All assignments must be completed by the due dates. We
only accept late assignments if you make arrangements ahead of time in discussion with us as your
instructors. If you are sick or have a personal emergency, email or call us BEFORE or immediately
after class. We will then discuss options for catching up on missed instruction. You will not be
penalized for submitting a late assignment ONLY if you have communicated with the instructors.
SDSU University Policy on Academic Honesty: Institutions of higher education are founded to
impart knowledge, seek truth, and encourage one's development for the good of society.
University students shall thus be intellectually and morally obliged to pursue their course of
studies with honesty and integrity. Therefore, in preparing and submitting materials for
academic courses and in taking examinations, a student shall not yield to cheating or
plagiarism, which not only violate academic standards but also make the offender liable to
penalties explicit in Section 41301 of Title 5,California Code of Regulations.
Role of the Instructors:
In order to facilitate learning and a climate for sharing ideas and experiences, the instructors will make
presentations and facilitate interaction among participants through presentations, guest lectures and
panels, discussions, small group activities, and other hands-on experiences.
Statement on Translanguaging:
Drawing on the work of Ofelia Garcia, we explicitly utilize bilingualism as a resource in our classroom
space and adopt the theory and practice of translanguaging. Garcia defines translanguaging as
bilinguals’ flexible use of their linguistic resources to make meaning of their lives and their complex
worlds. As Garcia (2012, p. 354-355) notes, el translenguar es: el conjunto de prácticas discursivas
complejas de todos los bilingües y las estrategias pedagógicas que utilizan esas prácticas discursivas
para liberar las maneras de hablar, ser y conocer de comunidades bilingües subalternas...El
translenguar no es por ende simplemente la adaptación pasiva a una o dos lenguas autónomas o
estándares, sino el surgir de prácticas lingüísticas nuevas y complejas, producto de la mayor
representación de los hablantes en un mundo globalizado, post-colonial y muy diverso. We will read
more about translanguaging as a theory and pedagogical tool in class.
Class Norms/Agreements:
Please turn off or place all cell phones and pagers on “silent” mode to avoid distractions during the class
Please only leave the class to make or answer phone calls when it is an emergency. Ensure you come to
class with a computer and access to email. Be prepared by reading and writing as assigned, and be
engaged by listening, sharing, participating and learning with an open mind.
Help is Available
We are available through email, Skype, and office hours if you need consultation. Do not hesitate to ask
for an appointment. If we can be of any assistance to you in any way, please call upon us.
Syllabus Refinement
This course is designed to be sensitive to the contributions of class members and tailored to the
experience and goals of class members. Therefore we reserve the right to make ongoing changes to the
syllabus as needed and with timely notification.