Readings

Donna E. Alvermann and Stephen F. Phelps, Content Reading and Literacy: Succeeding in Today’s Diverse Classrooms, 4th edition. Allyn & Bacon, 2002.

Michigan Curriculum Framework. Download from <http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753---,00.html> and print.

Digital Materials:

<http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~cyselfe/courses/HU4150Fall04/Literacy.html>

You will also have to purchase a digital video tape and or a minidisc to use for the digital literacy project.

FOCUS

Students who enroll in this course should be fully committed to teaching excellence in their chosen subject area and willing to use reading and writing as tools for teaching in this area, and willing to experiment with digital literacy.

Among the questions we will explore are the following

• Why is literacy important to my chosen field of teaching?

• How will understanding reading and writing help me teach?

• What are the most effective strategies for teaching reading and writing to young people?

• What happens to literacy practices in digital environments?

• What kinds of digital literacy practices and values should we be teaching students? Learning from students?

• Does literacy shape identity? If so, how?

 

GOALS

Students will become familiar with the readings assigned to the class which focus on the importance of literacy instruction in educational settings.

Students will explore the intersection of literacy and their chosen field of teaching by familiarizing themselves with the Michigan Curricular Framework.

Students will complete a semester's program (a minimum of 30 hours) as a literacy tutor in a local school.

Students will explore the changes that happen to literacy in digital contexts by composing a digital audio or a digital video project on literacy on their chosen field.

Students will keep professional teaching notebook and log in which they reflect on their tutoring sessions, make observations about what approaches worked and what fell short of their expectations, and plan for future sessions.

Students will gain practice working with others to plan and implement creative class explorations of literacy in connection with readings.

Students will gain practice refining their own formal writing skills through composing a Tutoring Report.

Students will gain experience in writing formal lesson plans by writing a literacy-rich teaching unit for their chosen field.

Students will explore the key questions informing the class—actively and intellectually.

 

PROFESSIONALISM

Professionalism will be gauged by attendance, participation, and engagement with the work of the class. All of these are crucial to making the class succeed. Missing more than three regular classes or missing scheduled tutoring sessions this term will result in a lower course grade. Active, voluntary, and regular participation in discussions is expected of students for a passing participation grade.

 

 

COMPUTER AND TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS

This course will require that you use several kinds of computer applications. If any of these are unfamiliar to you, please see me as soon as possible so that you can access the course materials:

listserv: HU4150-l (for course updates, assignment changes, questions of general interest to all students in the course).

e-mail: cyselfe@mtu.edu (please use this address for questions that should go directly to the teacher; you will also use e-mail for several of your class assignments).

word processing: (for making handouts).

audio editing software (like Audacity) for digital literacy project).

video editing software (like Ulead's VideoStudio).for digital literacy project

In the class, you will also be composing a sound essay or a video about some aspect of literacy in your chosen field of teaching. We will have a limited number of minidisc recorders and a movie camera to check out for students, but if you have—or can borrow— a digital audio recorder (like a minidisc recorder) or a digital movie camera, it will be helpful

You will want to purchase an inexpensive pair of headphones to use as you work on your sound project.

 

 

SPECIAL NOTES

If you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disability Act, or any other special needs, please see me during the first week of class—or as soon as possible—so that we can arrange a reasonable accommodation.

As the instructor, I reserve the right to modify the content and syllabus of this class throughout the term to meet the needs of students as I understand them.