English 323

Approaches to Teaching English

Fall 2009, CUE 316

office hours 2:30-3:00 MW outside our classroom & by appointment in Avery 225

course website www.wsu.edu/~bjmonroe/323 * madmethods@lists.wsu.edu

Course Description

How should we teach literature, writing, and language arts in the secondary classroom? Although we will focus primarily on teaching literature, we will also be figuring out how to truly integrate writing, various technologies, popular culture, the visual arts, vocabulary instruction, and the kitchen sink—all within the context of teaching literature.

The first part of the course we will focus on unit design, with an eye toward transforming literary analysis into critical literacy—a shift that happens when we move from a New Critical lens to a cultural studies/post-structuralist one. At the same time, we must recognize that resources are limited in real classrooms; thus, we will be (re)building our units based on the two most-used textbook series in the state, The Language of Literature and The Elements of Literature—keeping in mind that simply teaching the text and "teaching to the test" will never give students what they need to be truly literate, critically engaged citizens, consumers, and appreciators of the wor(l)d.

Next, we will learn how to align objectives, assignments, and assessment while creating instructional sequences for our units. Then we will design in specific detail one lesson sequence, teaching a chapter or section of a text. Groups of two will also teach several activities specific to teaching reading comprehension. We will close out the course learning about other trends in English education, such as literature circles, Sustained Silent Reading programs, and discussion models.

Objectives

By the end of this course, we will be able to

· find pedagogically sound ways to teach critical literacy, given institutional constraints, such as state-mandated testing, district curriculum requirements, textbooks, etc.

· determine which literary approaches are most consistent with the goals of critical pedagogy, and learn how to use them competently and confidently, applying them to any text, not just literary ones

· create critical inquiry-based units, with focus questions and text-sets encompassing multiple genres, including informational texts and popular culture

· scaffold an assignment sequence and assess student progress throughout the sequence

· write pedagogically sound lesson plans that align with assignments and unit goals

· target a unit, assignment, and lesson for the appropriate grade and ability level

· accommodate different learning styles

· use practical activities for teaching students to "read" in all senses of that word—i.e., decode, comprehend, and "interpret" texts

· integrate writing and technology with literature in meaningful and cohesive ways

· draw from different trends in English education, such as literature circles, independent reading programs, and discussion models to round out our pedagogies

· draw from different strategies to handle the paper load

Required Texts

· Wilhem, Jeffrey et al. Strategic Reading: Guiding Students to Lifelong Literacy 6-12

· Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can't Read, What Teachers Can Do About It

· Richison, Jeannine et al. Theme-Sets for Secondary Students: How to Scaffold Core Literature

Textbooks on Reserve at Holland—Media Center in the basement floor

· A teacher's edition of The Language of Literature or The Elements of Literature, at the grade level of your choice, 6-12. Go to Media Reserves in basement of Terrell/Holland. Check out period is one month.

Evaluation

20% Unit Overview (text sets, critical focus questions, and rationale)

20% Assignment Sequence

20% Lesson Sequence

20% Microteaching (assigned lesson from Beers' When Kids Can't Read, with a partner)

20% Daily Average (includes in-class activities, quick writes, minor homework assignments, peer workshops, etc.)

Point/Grade Scale

100-94 = A

93-90 = A-

89-87 = B+

86-84 = B

83-80 = B-

79-77 = C+

76-74 = C

73-70 = C-

70> = D/F

Attendance

You can miss two class periods without penalty. It doesn't matter if your absences are excused or not: you are not here, and therefore not contributing to our efforts to build knowledge together. After two, I will take three points off your semester total for each class period missed. If you have more than five absences—for any reason—you cannot pass the class.

Tardiness

Two tardies count as one absence. You're tardy if I have already taken roll by the time you've walked in.

Late Work

No late work accepted—except at Barbara's discretion and then only in extreme cases. And under no circumstances can daily activities be made up.

WSU Disability Statement

Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. Please visit the Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first two weeks of every semester to seek information or to qualify for accommodations. All accommodations must be approved through the DRC (Admin Annex Bldg, Rooms 205). Call 509 335 3417 to make an appointment with a disability counselor.

Academic Honesty All students are expected to act in accordance with the WSU policies on Academic Honesty found in the Student Handbook. These policies include falsification of information, fabrication of information, plagiarism, multiple submission, and various others. Information about these policies can be found in the Handbook. For additional information on the plagiarism, see this great site: http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/plagiarism/