DLE 524 Syllabus – Chizhik – Page 1
DLE 524
Psychological Foundations for Biliteracy Teachers
Fall 2014 Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Alexander Chizhik
Time and Class Location: Thursdays 7-9:40pm NE173
Office Hours: by appointment
E-Mail: AChizhik@Mail.SDSU.edu
Purpose of Course / Rationale / Link to Conceptual Framework
What makes an effective teacher? Preparation, preparation, and preparation. Effective teachers prepare by understand their students’ thinking and making connections between this thinking and instruction. Effective teachers prepare lessons that anticipate students’ thinking, conceptions, and misconceptions, and use effective scaffolds that facilitate students’ understanding of the material.
This course, therefore, focuses on teachers’ use of students’ thinking when preparing lessons.
As you learn to prepare effective lessons, you will use theories of learning, motivation, and language development to substantiate, justify, and identify a course of effective instructional practice. Effective teachers do not simply implement strategies, they have theoretical understandings that guide what they do and do not do; they can explain that theoretical understanding to parents and colleagues. Therefore, this course promotes your ability to explain teaching and learning strategies from a theoretical perspective.
Readings and Resources
To learn concepts well requires multiple experiences with the material. With this in mind, the course is set up where information that you gather before class will be reinforced in class. While some readings and other resources can be found on Blackboard, you will be required to find other resources on your own. This will help you to develop important inquiry skills.
Learning Objectives
Relate psychological theories to students’ learning and motivation in and out of school.
Use key psychological theories and associated terms to explain how students learn and become engaged in a formal educational environment.
Use psychological theories and associated terms to evaluate a lesson plan.
Describe and evaluate a learning event using psychological theories and associated terms.

DLE 524 Syllabus – Chizhik – Page 2
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance & Participation
Attendance. Most classes will consist of two parts:
1.
Workshops. You will work in your collaborative group to put together projects. If you are not present, you will need to work with your team to contribute your portion.
2.
Professional Development. The instructor will engage the class in learning activities.
If you are not present, you will need to acquire this information from classmates.
Participation. You must be prepared to participate in workshops and professional developments by reading and watching the necessary resources prior to class.
A & P Badges. You can earn the following Badges through Attendance & Participation
Nominations by Others
1.
Teammate Support: nominated by team member for awesome and constructive support
One paragraph nomination must specify the date and details of the incident.
(2 pts, maximum of 4 pts)
2.
Cross-team Support: nominated by another team for awesome and constructive support
One-paragraph nomination must specify the date and details of the incident.
(2 pts, maximum of 4 pts)
3.
Innovation: nominated by a class member for an idea that is dynamic, surprising, and useful; can nominate a whole group if the source of the idea is distributed. One-paragraph nomination must specify the innovative concept and how you perceive it to be innovative.
(2 pts for individual, 1 pt for each member of a group, maximum of 4 pts)
Self Choice
4.
True Grit: a one-page narrative about how you showed grit and perseverance
See Angela Duckworth’s definition about grit in her TED talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit
Your story must reference the TED talk as you define and exemplify grit.
(2 pts, maximum of 4 pts)
5.
We Shall Overcome: a one-page narrative describing a serious (non-trivial) and embarrassing mistake that you made in the program (i.e., a class or student teaching) and how you are better for having made it. The story must exemplify a mistake related to learning or teaching.
(2 pts, maximum of 6 pts)
6.
Inquiry: a one-page narrative that asks a non-trivial question about course content (lesson planning, learning theory, motivational theory, language development theory) and uses research to answer the question.
(2 pts, maximum of 8 pts)
7.
Perfect Attendance: attend at least 90% of every class for the whole course.
(8 pts)
8.
Almost Perfect Attendance: same as “perfect attendance,” but with a single absence.
(4 pts)
Teamwork
9.
Above and Beyond: a group adds an unexpected component to their work that requires effort.
(4 pts)
10.
Product Development Feedback: During workshops, each team has a chance to seek one of three types of verbal feedback from the class. (maximum of 9 points) a.
Positive Feedback: Seeks only what is working with the project. (0 pt) b.
Light Feedback: Seeks gentle constructive feedback (1 pts) c.
Hard Feedback: Seeks candid, professional and constructive feedback. (3 pts)

DLE 524 Syllabus – Chizhik – Page 3
Assignments (20 points each, 12 points minimum on each to pass the class)
Assignment #1: Language Development Prezi and Comparison
You will work in a group to research one of the following theories of language development and create a Prezi that clearly presents important ideas and take-aways from the theory:
Ellen Bialystok
 analysis/automaticity model
 contextually embedded language
 explicit and implicit knowledge of language
Noam Chomsky
 nativist/mentalist model
 universal grammar
James Cummins
 linguistic interdependence hypothesis
 social vs academic language
 visuals support language

Common Underlying Proficience (CUP) (native language transfers to target)
Nick Ellis
 collaborative discourse hypothesis
 learning language through production
 learning language through adjustments during interaction
Stephen Krashen
 acquisition vs learning hypothesis
 the natural order hypothesis or natural approach
 monitor hypothesis
 the input hypothesis
 affective filter hypothesis
Barry McLaughlin
 attention processing model
 controlled processing
 automatic processing
 children: communication for meaning
 adults: language rules vs. communication
 multilingual education: theory East and West
Larry Selinker
 interlanguage theory
 construction of self-contained multilingual system
 proposed stages of interlanguage development
After all the presentations have been uploaded to BlackBoard and presented in class, you will write a 3-5 page paper, comparing your theory with at least two others.
Assignment #2: Motivation Documentary and Study Guide
You will work in a group to develop a short (under 5 minutes) documentary that exemplifies important motivational ideas connected to people’s attributions for success and failure.
Connections should be made to mindset (Dweck & Boaler) and self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan). Each group will also create a study-guide that explains how the documentary exemplifies theories of motivation.

DLE 524 Syllabus – Chizhik – Page 4
Assignment #3: Learning Theory Professional Development Guide
You will work in a group to create a professional development guide for how socio-cultural learning theory can be used to understand students’ thinking and, subsequently, for planning effective lessons.
Assignment #4: Lesson Plan Analysis
Using a lesson plan that you have developed for another class, analyze and reflect on the decisions you made in the construction of your lesson. Your analysis should be supported with relevant educational psychology theories (learning, motivation, and language development). Be sure that your selected lesson plan highlights the teaching of a new concept, strategy, or skill.
You will submit your analysis with a copy of the lesson plan.
Passing the 4 Assignments
If you earn less than 12 points on any of the 4 assignments, you must revise and resubmit in order to pass the course. When doing so, you can earn a maximum of 16 points per assignment.
Submitting assignments electronically
When an assignment must be submitted online or through email, please take care to properly format your file and email so that your assignment is received appropriately. You must be sure to place your name on the upper right hand corner of your document as if you were turning in a hard copy. When saving/naming the file, you must save the file in doc, docx, or pdf format, and name the file with your name and the name of the assignment (e.g.,
AChizhikLessonPlanAnalysis.doc
). When sending the email with an attachment, please place your name and the name of the assignment in the subject header.
Grading Policy
A: 90-100 points
B: 80-89 points
C: 70-79 points
D: 60-69 points
(A- : 90-92 points)
(B- : 80-82 points)
(C- : 70-72 points)
(F: under 60 points)
(B+ : 88-89 points)
(C+ : 78-79 points)
Student Dispositions
1. Because this class reflects a project-based learning environment, it is imperative that you display an independent, goal-oriented disposition. This means, you must be willing to be disciplined with your work. To do this, set manageable goals. Measure your success not on grades, but on the attainment of your own goals. Accept struggle, discomfort, failure, missteps, and ambiguity as natural and necessary parts of learning. Believe that success is the result of hard work, effort, helpseeking, revision, and relearning. If you display these dispositions, you will enjoy this class and, as a result, be successful.
2. All assignments must be submitted and are due as scheduled. If I choose to accept late work in extreme cases, expect your grade to be negatively affected.
3. If you have any concerns about class, please talk to me before or after class or make an appointment. I cannot help you unless you communicate with me. I am available to meet with you on a flexible schedule and I am a kind, gentle, and likable person.

DLE 524 Syllabus – Chizhik – Page 5
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is formal work publicly misrepresented as original; it is any activity wherein one person knowingly, directly, and for lucre, status, recognition, or any public gain resorts to the published or unpublished work of another in order to represent it as one’s own. Work shall be deemed plagiarism: (1) when prior work of another has been demonstrated as the accessible source; (2) when substantial or material parts of the source have been literally or evasively appropriated (substance denoting quantity; matter denoting qualitative format or style); and (3) when the work lacks sufficient or unequivocal citation so as to indicate or imply that the work was neither a copy nor an imitation. This definition comprises oral, written, and crafted pieces.
In short, if one purports to present an original piece but copies ideas word for word or by paraphrase, those ideas should be duly noted.
(Lindey, Alexander. Plagiarism and Originality , 1952)
Students with Disabilities:
Americans with Disabilities Act (DA) Accommodation: The University is committed to providing reasonable academic accommodation to students with disabilities. The Student
Disability Services Office provides university academic support services and specialized assistance to students with disabilities. Individuals with physical, perceptual, or learning disabilities as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact Student Disability
Services for information regarding accommodations. Please notify your instructor so that reasonable efforts can be made to accommodate you. If you expect accommodation through the
Act, contact the Student Disability Services Office at Calpulli Center, Suite 3101
(http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/dss/dss_home.html) or (619) 594-6473.
Religious Observances:
University Policy on Absence for Religious Observances includes the following statements: “By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of affected courses of planned absences for religious observances. Instructors shall reasonably accommodate students who notify them in advance of planned absences for religious observances.” Please notify the instructor in a timely manner and a reasonable accommodation will be reached.
Syllabus is Subject to Change:
This syllabus, assignments, and calendar are subject to change in response to circumstances and students’ learning needs. I will always inform you of these changes ahead of time. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent. The latest version of the syllabus, assignments, and calendar will always be on
BlackBoard. Please rely on BlackBoard rather than potentially outdated print copies.

DLE 524 Syllabus – Chizhik – Page 6
D ATE
1
8/28
2
9/4
3
9/11
4
9/18
5
9/25
C OURSE C ALENDAR A T A G LANCE
E SSENTIAL Q UESTIONS
(
SEE
BB
FOR READINGS
)
Introductions
Review the Syllabus
Psychology of language development
Workshop:
What is the big take-away from your
Language
Development Prezi ?
Professional Development:
Connecting language development to lesson planning
NO FORMAL CLASS MEETING
A SSIGNMENTS D UE
Overview of your language development theory
Notes on resources explaining your language development theory.
Organized synthesis of your language development theory
Workshop:
Organizing the resources toward the big take-away
Designing the
Language Development Prezi
Professional Development:
Connecting language development to lesson planning
Workshop:
Making the
Language Development Prezi
Professional Development:
Seeking feedback on Language Development Prezi
Language Development Prezi Presentations
Additional resources that may inform language development
Language Development Prezi 6
10/2
7
10/9
8
10/16
9
10/23
Workshop:
Developing Motivation Documentary ideas
What is the big take-away?
Ideas about Study Guide
Professional Development:
Connecting motivation theory to lesson planning
Workshop:
Plan for recording and editing the documentary
Outline for Study Guide
Professional Development:
Connecting motivation theory to lesson planning
Workshop:
Editing the Motivation Documentary
Developing the Study Guide
Professional Development:
Seeking feedback on Motivation Documentary and
Study Guide
Comparison of your
Language Development
Theory with at least two others
Overview of motivation theories
Notes on resources explaining theories of motivation
Organized synthesis of your language development theory
Documentary footage

DLE 524 Syllabus – Chizhik – Page 7
10
10/30
11
11/6
12
11/13
13
11/20
Motivation Documentary and Study Guide
Presentations
Workshop:
Developing
Learning Theory Professional
Development Guide
ideas
What is the big take-away?
Professional Development:
Connecting learning theory to lesson planning
Workshop:
Organizing the resources toward the big take-away
Designing the
Learning Theory Professional
Development Guide
Professional Development:
Connecting learning theory to lesson planning
Workshop:
Making the Learning Theory Professional
Development Guide
Professional Development:
Seeking feedback on Learning Theory Professional
Development Guide
Thanksgiving Week
Motivation Documentary and Study Guide
Overview of learning theories
Notes on resources explaining theories of learning
Organized synthesis of your language development theory
Draft of the PD Guide
14
11/27
15
12/4
16
12/11
12/18
Learning Theory Professional Development Guide
Presentations
Learning Theory
Professional Development
Guide
Workshop:
Analyzing a lesson plan
Professional Development:
Connecting the course to lesson planning
Lesson Plan Analysis Due on BlackBoard