EDTE A610-401- Integrated Reading and Writing Instruction Course Syllabus Fall 2017

Professor: Deborah H. McMurtrie, Ph.D. Office Location: 214 Business & Education (B&E) Building, USC Aiken Office Phone: 803-641-2834 Office Fax: 803-641-3698 Email: [email protected] Virtual Office Hours: By appointment via phone or e-mail, Eastern Standard Time

Online Course Delivery: Hybrid (More than 50% Web Asynchronous Instructional Method via the Blackboard Learning Management System)

Department: School of Education Mission Statement: The USC Aiken School of Education, in partnership with the university community, regional schools, area professionals and businesses, prepares dynamic educators who are knowledgeable in their fields, skilled in the art and science of teaching, and dedicated to providing the quality education that every student deserves.

Course Number and Title: EDTE A610 Integrated Reading and Writing Instruction Credit Hours: 3 hours graduate credit Prerequisites: None

Course Description: Theoretical bases and techniques for teaching reading and writing using multiple subject areas. This course is designed to fulfill the requirements and competencies of the South Carolina Read to Succeed (R2S) initiative. Specifically, this course has been approved as a R2S Content Area Reading and Writing for Early Childhood and Elementary Teachers course (R2S # 16-4054) with 3 credit hours of coursework needed to earn the R2S Teacher endorsement. In- service teachers will be provided with a certificate of completion after a successful conclusion to the course.

Additionally, this course is intended for professional educators (PK-Grade 5) who are interested in designing Traveling Interdisciplinary Literacy Trunks (TILTs) under the auspices of the Center of Excellence in Middle-level, Interdisciplinary Strategies for Teaching (CE-MIST) and the Aiken Writing Project (AWP). A key element of this course will be to prepare a thematic TILT with lesson plans and pacing/implementation guides. Emphasis will be placed on selecting a wide variety of texts and developing innovative, cross-curricular reading and writing activities for diverse learners. The activities of the course are designed to strengthen the integration of effective reading and writing across all disciplines. It is my hope that teachers will model their TILTs at at least one state literacy conference.

Course Goals and Objectives Participants in the course will: 1. Analyze and adapt best practices for reading and writing instruction aligned with the USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 1 of 11 2 National Writing Project (NWP), the International Literacy Association (ILA), and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE); 2. Engage in a variety of writing activities with ample opportunities for responding, revising, and reflecting; 3. Collaboratively design and develop a Traveling Interdisciplinary Literacy Trunk (TILT) that integrates content area standards and infuses literacy across the curriculum; 4. Develop lessons that are culturally and developmentally responsive, that actively engage students, and that support and challenge readers of all levels; 5. Actively participate in online discussions; develop the knowledge, expertise, and leadership skills to become NWP teacher/consultants and serve as a resource for other teachers; 6. Identify, discuss, and develop ways to influence policies related to the teaching and assessment of reading and writing and the skills related to reading and writing.

Read to Succeed This course is aligned with South Carolina Read to Succeed (R2S) Content Area Reading and Writing for Early Childhood and Elementary Teachers. Specifically, this course addresses the following SC Literacy Competencies for PreK-Grade 5:

Standard 2 (Curriculum and Instruction) 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.18 Standard 4 (Diversity) 4.1, 4.4, 4.6 Standard 5 (Literate Environment) 5.2, 5.4 Standard 6 (Professional Learning and Leadership) 6.3

The relevant R2S standards, elements, and competencies are detailed below.

Standard 2 (Curriculum and Instruction) Teachers use instructional approaches, materials, and an integrated, comprehensive, balanced curriculum to support student learning in reading and writing. Element 2.1. Use foundational knowledge to design or implement an integrative, comprehensive, and balanced curriculum. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Plan with other teachers and support personnel in designing, adjusting, and modifying the curriculum to meet students’ needs in traditional print, digital, and online contexts. Create daily and long-range curriculum plans.  Plan learning environments that address all domains: social, emotional, language, cognitive, and physical.

Element 2.2. Use appropriate and varied instructional approaches, including those that develop word recognition, language comprehension, strategic knowledge, and reading-writing connections. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Differentiate instructional approaches to meet students’ reading and writing needs.  Provide a variety of opportunities for students to be engaged in and create a variety of text.  Create opportunities to utilize books and written language in a variety of ways (centers, small groups, independent reading/writing) so children hear and use language (oral and USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 2 of 11 written) for a variety of purposes.

Element 2.3. Understand the complexity of content texts is dependent upon students’ background knowledge. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Develop text sets based on content to support readers of all levels.

Element 2.4. Connecting inquiry through the integration of Social Studies, Science, and Math, with literacy instruction leads students to build knowledge, and emphasizing collaborative learning fosters independence and self-initiation in reading and learning. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Teach children to pursue knowledge, gather information, and share what they learn.  Support readers in identifying texts they can read independently.

Element 2.18. Understand that texts are used for reading instruction and independent reading represent a range of possible literature and genres, and they exist in multimodal formats. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Use a variety of multi-modal instructional practices, approaches, and methods within reading instruction for learners at different stages of development and from differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds.  Evaluate literature for stereotypes, racism, sexism, disabilities, family, and sociological and psychological issues.

Standard 4 (Diversity) Teachers create and engage their students in literacy practices that develop awareness, understanding, respect, and a valuing of differences in our society. Element 4.1. Recognize, understand, and value the forms of diversity that exist in society and their importance in learning to read and write. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which the various forms of diversity interact with reading and writing development.  Provide choice of reading materials so students will engage as readers including extensive classroom libraries incorporating diverse literature (genre, culture, gender, ethnicity) to promote motivation and self-efficacy.

Element 4.4. Know that within a classroom, students have a range of abilities, which include those who receive services from special education. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Make accommodations for instruction such as group size, time to complete tasks, level of support, instructional input methods, degree of participation, tiered assignments, and modified goals.

Element 4.6. Know that culturally relevant content is selected to validate personal experiences, cultural and historical contributions for all students. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Select curriculum materials that are developmentally appropriate, which includes

USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 3 of 11 4 information about the histories, cultures, contributions, experiences, perspectives, and issues of cultural groups.

Standard 5 (Literate Environment) Teachers create a literate environment that fosters reading and writing by integrating foundational knowledge, instructional practices, approaches and methods, curriculum materials, and the appropriate use of assessments. Element 5.2. Design a social environment that is low risk and includes choice, motivation, and scaffolded support to optimize students’ opportunities for learning to read and write. High engagement during reading requires access to texts, time to read, reading success to promote agency, and a supportive literacy-rich environment. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Model a love of reading and writing.  Create a literacy-rich environment for children to engage independently in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Element 5.4. Use a variety of classroom configurations (ie. whole class, small group, and individual) to differentiate instruction. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Use various practices to differentiate instruction (eg. cooperative learning, literature circles, partner work, and research/investigation groups).

Standard 6 (Professional Learning and Leadership) Teachers recognize the importance of, demonstrate, and facilitate professional learning and leadership as a career-long effort and responsibility. Element 6.3. Participate in, design, facilitate, lead, and evaluate effective and differentiated professional development programs. Competencies. The teacher will be able to:  Participate individually and with colleagues in professional development programs at the school and district levels.

National Writing Project This course aligns with the mission, vision, and core principles of the National Writing Project (NWP). The National Writing Project believes that access to high-quality educational experiences is a basic right of all learners and a cornerstone of equity. We work in partnership with institutions, organizations, and communities to develop and sustain leadership for educational improvement. Throughout our work, we value and seek diversity—our own as well as that of our students and their communities—and recognize that practice is strengthened when we incorporate multiple ways of knowing that are informed by culture and experience. The core principles at the foundation of NWP’s national program model are:  Teachers at every level—from kindergarten through college—are the agents of reform; universities and schools are ideal partners for investing in that reform through professional development.  Writing can and should be taught, not just assigned, at every grade level. Professional development programs should provide opportunities for teachers to work together to

USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 4 of 11 understand the full spectrum of writing development across grades and across subject areas.  Knowledge about the teaching of writing comes from many sources: theory and research, the analysis of practice, and the experience of writing. Effective professional development programs provide frequent and ongoing opportunities for teachers to write and to examine theory, research, and practice together systematically.  There is no single right approach to teaching writing; however, some practices prove to be more effective than others. A reflective and informed community of practice is in the best position to design and develop comprehensive writing programs.  Teachers who are well informed and effective in their practice can be successful teachers of other teachers as well as partners in educational research, development, and implementation. Collectively, teacher-leaders are our greatest resource for educational reform. Course Readings and Texts 1. Textbooks (both are required):  Miller, D. (2009). The book whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. ISBN-13: 858-0001044385  Spandel, V. (2005). The 9 rights of every writer: A guide for teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. ISBN-13: 978-0325007366

2. Supplemental Readings:  How to Create a TILT: http://rpsec.usca.edu/CE-MIST/Trunks/CE-MIST_TILT.html  SC Literacy Competencies for PreK-Grade 5 Teachers: http://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/File/instruction/read-to-succeed/Educator %20Endorsements/Literacy_Competencies_for_PreK-5th_Grade_Teachers.pdf  National Writing Project: http://www.nwp.org/  International Literacy Association (ILA): http://www.literacyworldwide.org/

3. Required Technology: To be able to participate fully in this course, you must have reliable and speedy Internet access. Participation in an online course requires some basic knowledge of computer technology. You must be comfortable using e-mail and discussion boards; uploading and downloading documents; and accessing resources such as search engines and websites.To access the Blackboard Learning Management System, log in with your Blackboard username and password credentials.

Obtaining Your Blackboard Login Credentials: If you are new to Blackboard and/or are not aware of your Blackboard login credentials, follow the steps below. 1. Complete instructions can be found on Self-Service Carolina Help at Self-Service Carolina Help. 2. Follow the instructions below for getting your network username (for Blackboard) and to set your password in my.sc.edu: a. Go to SC Authentication Service. b. Login with your VIP ID and password. c. Your USC Network Username will be displayed.

USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 5 of 11 6 d. Below that, you will see a place to enter a new password. You must type in the password twice to verify your choice. e. Password restrictions must be at least eight characters, cannot contain your user id, and must meet at least three of the following: e.i. One or more lowercase alphabetic characters (a-z) e.ii. One or more uppercase alphabetic characters (A-Z) e.iii. One or more numeric characters (0-9) e.iv. One or more special characters (!@#$%^&*-+= etc.) f. Click on the SET PASSWORD button to set your new password. Remember, your password may not work right away. It can take as long as 30 minutes before it is valid on Blackboard. 3. To obtain assistance with technical issues, please visit the USC Aiken Computer Services Help Desk, email [email protected], or call 803-641-3391.

Course Requirements Assignments: Each week for eight weeks, you will complete one module on Blackboard. Each module contains assigned readings, discussion board posts, journal assignments, and assessments. After you complete the eight modules, you will work on a team project. Major assignments should be completed using a word processor, making use of spell check and grammatical proofing. Fonts used must be of block type and 12 pt. size. All assignments are expected by 11:59 p.m. on due dates. Late work will not be accepted without prior communication with and approval of the instructor. Ten (10) points will be deducted per day for late assignments. At times you may revise and resubmit an assignment; these must be resubmitted within one week.

1. Readings. Each week you will read one or two chapters in your assigned textbooks.

2. Discussion Board Posts. Please respond to a weekly writing prompt on Blackboard, under the Discussions tab, by the deadline. I expect these posts to be substantive and meaningful (minimum 100-150 words per question). Substantive posts should demonstrate your ability to identify important ideas in the readings, articulate the complexity of issues, recognize different points of view, and apply content in meaningful ways. You will also be asked to respond to some of your classmates’ posts.

3. Journal Assignments. Each participant will create a personal writing journal using Microsoft Word. You will complete written journal assignments but you will not turn them in. Keep adding your weekly assignments to your personal writing journal. I expect each week’s assignment to be a minimum of 1-2 typed pages, double spaced, in 12-point font, with one inch margins. At the end of the course, you will select several of your best pieces from this journal, edit them, and compile them to create your final writing portfolio.

4. Assessments. You will complete a total of eight written essay assessments (see course schedule) and upload them to Blackboard. I expect each assessment to be a minimum of 1- 2 typed pages, double spaced, in 12-point font, with one inch margins.

USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 6 of 11 5. Team Project. Each participant in the class will contribute to development of a “Traveling Interdisciplinary Literacy Trunk” (TILT). TILTs are teacher-designed, interdisciplinary units of study that are aligned with academic standards from multiple content areas with an emphasis on writing across the curriculum. I will provide examples. Each completed TILT will include a unit plan, daily lesson plans, and an implementation/pacing guide. I hope that we will collaboratively present several TILTs at state and regional conferences such as SCIRA in the future. Each trunk will be evaluated using criteria from four categories:

Academic Excellence 1. The unit must align with academic standards in three or more content areas as well as one or more exploratory areas such as art, music, technology, or physical education. 2. The unit plan demonstrates explicit, thoughtful, and coherent connections between content areas. 3. Instructional strategies include a wide variety of challenging and engaging activities that are clearly related to the standards, concepts, and skills being taught. The activities address three modalities of learning. 4. The unit is framed by thoughtful essential questions that students will investigate through daily assignments and projects. 5. The unit emphasizes writing across the curriculum. Pre-writing strategies are connected to learning goals. Students write, edit, and polish at least three different kinds of writing, formally and informally.

Developmental Responsiveness 1. The unit is developmentally appropriate for the age group. It is inviting, challenging, and exploratory. The unit integrates real-world issues and reflects the interests, needs, concerns, and experiences of the students. 2. The unit provides opportunities for students to be actively engaged in affective learning. Many collaborative activities are planned to promote social development.

Social Equity 1. The unit includes relevant, multi-level activities and materials that challenge and support students of varying backgrounds and abilities. Activities meet the diverse needs of all students, so that every student can participate and achieve success.

Logistics 1. The unit plan is very organized with well-defined goals, detailed activities, and specific assessments that could easily be implemented by other teachers 2. The unit plan is clearly the work of a highly collaborative, successful interdisciplinary team. 3. The unit plan is submitted electronically by the deadline.

Honor Code: Plagiarism is prohibited. Please review the sections of the USCA Academic Code of Conduct on plagiarism. The following statement is to be included on the first page of every assignment:

USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 7 of 11 8 On my honor as a University of South Carolina Aiken student, I have completed my work according to the principle of Academic Integrity. I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on the assignment/examination. Signature ______Date ______

Students with Disabilities: If you have a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability that might affect your performance in this class, please contact the Office of Disability Services, B&E 134, (803) 643-6816, as soon as possible. The Office of Disability Services will determine appropriate accommodations based on medical documentation.

Evaluation and Grading Scale

This course requires extensive interaction with your classmates and with your professor via the Internet. We will use various tools to communicate with each other, including e-mail and a class discussion board on Blackboard. You will share some completed assignments on Blackboard for the review and feedback of classmates.

Be aware that successful completion of an online course requires much self discipline in terms of planning and participation. Likewise, this course represents a slightly different pedagogical model than you may be accustomed to: it is a student-centered course in which the role of the instructor is as facilitator of learning and the role of the student is as active participant who generates one's own learning. You will see how this works as the course progresses.

The content of this course is organized into eight (8) modules. Each module includes objectives, readings, discussion board posts, assignments, and assessments. Submit written assignments on Blackboard by 11:59 pm on the due dates.

Assignment Due Date Points Discussion Board Posts on Blackboard Weekly 100 Journal Assignments Weekly see portfolio Assessments on Blackboard Weekly 100 Final Writing Portfolio October 13 100 Traveling Interdisciplinary Literacy Trunk Unit Plan December 8 100 TILT Daily Lesson Plans (one per person on team) December 8 100 TILT Implementation Guide December 8 100

TOTAL = 600 points

The final grade will be calculated using possible points and the following percentages for translating the scoring of assignments into letter grades:

Point Values Percentages Letter Grade 540 – 600 points 90% - 100% A 520 – 539 points 87% - 89% B+

USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 8 of 11 Point Values Percentages Letter Grade 480 – 519 points 80% - 86% B 460 – 479 points 77% - 79% C+ 420 – 459 points 70% - 76% C 400 – 419 points 67% - 69% D+ 360 – 399 points 60% - 66% D 0 – 359 points < 60% F

EDTE A610 Course Schedule- Fall 2017 The instructor reserves the right to change and/or delete activities or assignments.

Week of Readings Assignments due by 11:59 pm Sunday

1 September The Book Whisperer Module 1 Discussion Board Post Module 1 Chapters 1 & 2 Journal Assignment 1 Assessment 1 8 September The Book Whisperer Module 2 Discussion Board Post Module 2 Chapters 3 & 4 Journal Assignment 2 Assessment 2 15 September The Book Whisperer Module 3 Discussion Board Post Module 3 Chapter 5 Journal Assignment 3 Assessment 3 22 September The Book Whisperer Module 4 Discussion Board Post Module 4 Chapters 6 & 7 Journal Assignment 4 Assessment 4 29 September The 9 Rights of Every Writer Module 5 Discussion Board Post Module 5 Chapters 1 & 2 Journal Assignment 5 Assessment 5 6 October The 9 Rights of Every Writer Module 6 Discussion Board Post Module 6 Chapters 3 & 4 Journal Assignment 6 Assessment 6 13 October The 9 Rights of Every Writer Module 7 Discussion Board Post Module 7 Chapters 5 & 6 Journal Assignment 7 Assessment 7 20 October The 9 Rights of Every Writer Module 8 Discussion Board Post Module 8 Chapters 7, 8, & 9 Journal Assignment 8 Assessment 8

TILT Team Planning:

27 October 1. Look at your standards from several content areas. How might Module 9 you connect them? USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 9 of 11 10 2. Finalize your Traveling Interdisciplinary Literacy Trunk (TILT) topic. 3. Look at the unit plan, lesson plan, and implementation guides on the TILT website: http://rpsec.usca.edu/CE-MIST/Trunks/CE- MIST_TILT.html. Look at examples from several grade levels. 4. As a group, complete your own team’s brainstorming graphic organizer. 3 November 1. Create 2 or 3 Essential Questions for your TILT unit topic. Module 10 2. Begin developing a text set for the unit. Go on a virtual shopping trip to see what is available on your topic. Try to spend about $800 for your unit’s non-consumable materials (do not include tax and shipping). Be sure to select a wide range of texts based on content that supports readers of all levels. 3. Expand on the brainstormed list of activities for your unit. Discuss how to use various practices to differentiate instruction such as cooperative learning, literature circles, and partner work. How will you provide opportunities for students to be actively engaged? 4. Review the TILT unit plan template. Go over the criteria that will be used to assess your TILT unit plan. You will be competing with other teams for funding! 10 November 1. Begin working on the unit plan. I suggest planning for a 2-3 week Module 11 unit. 2. Review the criteria that will be used to evaluate your unit. How will your unit address social, emotional, language, and physical domains? Are collaborative activities planned to promote social development? How will your unit create a literacy-rich environment for children to engage independently in reading, writing, speaking, and listening? 3. Continue working on the unit plan and begin thinking about how it will be implemented. Develop a 1-2 page implementation guide that specifies the sequence of activities in the unit. 4. Begin drafting your daily lesson plans (at least one lesson plan per person on the team). 17 November 1. Finalize the unit plan and the implementation guide. Are the Module 12 connections across content areas logical and cohesive? Are writing and pre-writing strategies connected to learning goals? 2. Finalize your daily lesson plans. Have you planned accommodations for instruction such as group size, time to complete tasks, level of support, instructional input methods, degree of participation, tiered assignments, and modified goals? 3. Begin preparations for TILT presentations. 1 December 1. Finalize preparations for TILT presentations. Module 13 2. Present TILT unit plans to class and Rotary Club visitors. 8 December Your TILT unit plan, daily lesson plans, and implementation guide must Module 14 be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 pm on the last day of

USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 10 of 11 class. One team member should submit these documents under the "Submit TILTs Here" link on Blackboard by the deadline.

USC Aiken, EDTE 610 Fall 2017 Page 11 of 11