MORAVIAN COLLEGE
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Education 360: Curriculum and Instruction in English
Fall 1998 Syllabus
Joseph M. Shosh Zinzendorf 100
Office Telephone: (610) 867-5843 Ext. 3015 Th 6:30-9:30 PM
Home Telephone: (212) 629-0488
E-mail address: jshosh@aol.com (alternate jshosh@beth.k12.pa.us)
Objectives
1. To develop teaching approaches and teacher behaviors for the language arts which promote
meaningful student learning.
2. To expand the personal philosophy of education to include a rationale for secondary
English/language arts instruction.
3. To place contemporary English education research theory into practice through classroom
observation, peer teaching, secondary classroom teaching, and ongoing reflective thought.
Texts
Langer, Judith A. Envisioning Literature: Literary Understanding and Literature Instruction. New
York: Teacher's College Press, 1995.
Lindemann, Erika. A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers. Third edition. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1995.
Sebranek, Patrick, et al. Writers Inc: A Student Handbook for Writing and Learning. Wilmington,
Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.
Weinstein, Carol Simon. Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and
Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.
Assignments and Grading
1. Writing Process Mini-Lesson 10%
„Scheduled 9/17 - 12/3
„E-mail lesson plan at least 24 hours prior to teaching
2. English/Language Arts Leader Profile and Sample Lesson 20%
„Scheduled 9/17 - 12/3
„E-mail lesson plan at least 24 hours prior to teaching
3. Field Placement Daily Lesson Plans 20%
„Placement scheduled 9/28 - 12/4 (10 hrs. per week from 10/26-11/6)
„E-mail lesson plan at least 24 hours prior to our weekly class meeting
4. Writing Journal with Self Assessment Portfolio 20%
„Complete nine of twelve assigned entries
„E-mail individual entries at least 24 hours prior to our weekly class meeting
„E-mail portfolio and cover letter no later than 24 hours prior to our 12/3 meeting
5. Secondary Language Arts Syllabus/Course Guidelines 10%
„E-mail syllabus at least 24 hours prior to our 11/19 meeting
6. Individual Contribution to Ed 360 Web Site (Final Exam) 20%
„Due 12/10
Attendance
Due to the nature and structure of the course, attendance at each week's meeting is crucial. If youmust miss a session, please call me to explain. More than two absences may result in a failing grade for the course. Please also note that all work must be submitted by the indicated due date.
Academic Honesty
This course is designed to expose you to the theories and practices of professional English educators and researchers. While you are strongly encouraged to adapt their practices to suit your own needs, please be certain to cite their contributions to your work. Your course assignments are expected to reflect your own emerging philosophy of English education. Note that academic dishonesty will result in a zero for the assignment and notification of the Academic Dean, in accordance with Moravian College policy.
Course Schedule
September 3: What do you want from Moravian, and what does the Profession demand of you?
In-Class: Hipple, Ted. "Ms. Superteach." English Journal Feb. 1995: 57-58.
NCTE Committee on Teacher Preparation and Certification. "An Introduction to
the Guidelines for the Preparation of Teachers of English Language Arts."
Urbana: NCTE, 1986.
Brewbaker, James. M. "On Tuesday Morning: The Case for Standards for the English
Language Arts." English Journal Jan. 1997: 76-82.
September 10: What is English?
Mini Lesson: Using Writers Inc. Facilitator: Joseph Shosh
Due: Mayher, John S. "Integrating the Four Modes of Language Use&emdash;Listening/
Speaking/Reading/Writing." Uncommon Sense: Theoretical Practice in
Language Education. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1990.
Baines, Lawrence A. "From Tripod to Cosmos: A New Metaphor for the Language
Arts." English Journal Feb. 1998: 24-35.
Weinstein, Chapter 1: "The Secondary Classroom Environment"
Weinstein, Chapter 2: "Meeting the Teachers"
Write a letter to an English teacher who had some impact, either positive
or negative, on your own development as a reader/writer/listener/
speaker, and explain how that experience has influenced your own emerging
philosophy of English education.
OR
Select one of the modes of creative writing described in Writers Inc. and respond
to the question "What is English?" as your starting point.
September 17: Literature&emdash;Why teach it in the secondary school?
Mini Lesson: Writing About Literature Facilitator: Charles Martin
Due: Langer, Chapter 1: "Literary Thought and the Literate Mind"
Langer, Chapter 2: "Building Envisionments"
Langer, Chapter 3: "The Nature of Literary Experience"
Langer, Chapter 4: "The Classroom as a Social Setting for Envisionment Building"
Weinstein, Chapter 9: "Managing Groupwork"
The Board of Education in your school district is planning to eliminate literature
instruction from the secondary curriculum, replacing it with a series of courses
designed to teach business English for the American workplace. The Board
allows 3-minute prepared statements at its monthly meetings. Prepare a
position statement to be delivered on behalf of your department.
OR
Respond to any or all of the activities on p. 193 of Weinstein.
September 24: Literature&emdash;A Pedagogy for Literature Instruction
Mini Lesson: Sentence Combining with Relative Pronouns Facilitator: Lola J'Ville
Due: Langer, Chapter 5: "A Practical Pedagogy"
Langer, Chapter 6: "Strategies for Teaching"
Langer, Chapter 7: Literature for Students the System Has Failed"
Langer, Chapter 8: "Learning Literary Concepts and Vocabulary"
Weinstein, Chapter 10: "Managing Recitations and Discussions"
Select a favorite poem, short story, or play. Then write a fictional dialogue of
class discussion of that piece of literature as you imagine it would occur in
a reader response classroom, where envisionment building is the operative
pedagogy.
OR
Select a favorite poem, short story, or play. Then write a fictional dialogue of
class discussion of that piece of literature as you imagine it would occur in
a traditional English classroom, where New Criticism is the operative
pedagogy.
English Educator: Louise Rosenblatt Teacher: Ariel Summers
October 1: Language&emdash;Linguistics and Applied Grammar/Usage
Mini Lesson: Proofreading Facilitator: Ms. Samantha B.
Due: Lindemann, Chapter 5: "What Do Teachers Need to Know about Linguistics?"
Lindemann, Chapter 10: "Teaching about Sentences"
Lindemann, Chapter 11: "Teaching about Words"
Weinstein, Chapter 8: "Managing Seatwork"
An angry parent has demanded a meeting with you and your principal because
she feels that her daughter is not doing enough grammar exercises, including
sentence diagramming, in your classroom. Prepare the notes that you will
use to explain how grammatical concepts are presented in your classroom
as well as a rationale for that practice.
OR
Respond to any or all of the activities on p. 164-65 of Weinstein.
In-Class: Warner, Ann. L. "If the Shoe No Longer Fits, Wear It Anyway?" English Journal
Sept. 1993: 76-80.
Vavra, Ed. "Welcome to the Shoe Store?" English Journal Sept. 1993: 81-84.
October 8: Composition&emdash;The Composing Process
Mini Lesson: Writing to Learn Strategies Facilitator: D. Reaman
Due: Lindemann, Chapter 1: "Why Teach Writing?"
Lindemann, Chapter 2: "What is Writing?"
Lindemann, Chapter 3: "What Does the Process Involve?"
Lindemann, Chapter 7: "Prewriting Techniques"
Weinstein, Chapter 3: "Designing the Physical Environment"
To what extent is the writing process as you understand it integrated into
the classroom you are observing? How does working with actual students
further your commitment to the process approach? What strategies might
be implemented to improve writing performance in your classroom?
OR
Respond to activity 1 or 2 on p. 46 of Weinstein.
English Educator: Janet Emig Teacher: R. Cory Kinley
October 15: Composition&emdash;Developing Effective Assignments
Mini Lesson: Reading Strategies Facilitator: Kristen Romano
Due: Lindemann, Chapter 8: "Shaping Discourse"
Lindemann, Chapter 9: "Teaching Paragraphing"
Lindemann, Chapter 12: "Teaching Rewriting"
Lindemann, Chapter 13: "Developing Writing Assignments"
Weinstein, Chapter 4: "Developing and Teaching Rules and Routines"
Develop a writing assignment using your reading in Lindemann and the
Writers Inc. Teacher's Guide, p. 48-49. How do you plan to facilitate
learning at each stage of the process?
OR
Examine your cooperating teacher's rules and routines. Then respond to
activities 1, 2, and 3 on p. 66-67 of Weinstein.
English Educator: Nancie Atwell Teacher: Charles Martin
October 22: Composition&emdash;Assessing English
Mini Lesson: Fiction Writing Facilitator: Aurora McNally
Due: Lindemann, Chapter 14: "Responding to Student Writing"
Anderson, Rebecca S. and Bruce W. Speck. "Suggestions for Responding to the
Dilemma of Grading Students' Writing." English Journal Jan. 1997: 21-27.
Wilcox, Bonita. "Writing Portfolios: Active vs. Passive." English Journal Oct.
1997: 34-37.
Weinstein, Chapter 5: "Gaining Students' Cooperation"
Photocopy an actual sample of student writing. Respond! Then free write
about your feelings evaluating that piece of student writing.
OR
Interview your cooperating teacher, another teacher in your school, or a student
in your class about portfolio assessment. How does his or her use of a portfolio
correspond to your understanding of portfolio assessment? How does it differ?
English Educator: Peter Elbow Teacher: D. Reaman
October 29: Speech and Drama&emdash;Implementing D.I.E. & T.I.E.
Mini Lesson: Cooperative Learning Strategies Facilitator: Matty
Due: Pirie, Bruce. "The Unfolding Drama." Reshaping High School English. Urbana:
NCTE, 1997.
Rogers, O'Neill, and Jasinski. "Transforming Texts: Intelligences In Action,"
English Journal Dec. 1995: 41-45.
Weinstein, Chapter 7: "Making the Most of Classroom Time"
Select a piece of non-dramatic literature. Explain how you might use drama
as a strategy to heighten student understanding of a key moment or theme
in the work.
OR
Explain under what circumstances using drama-in-education philosophy
could go awry and result in ineffective use of class time.
In-Class: from Neelands, Jonothan. Structuring Drama Work. Cambridge, 1990.
English Educator: Jonothan Neelands Teacher: Ms. Samantha B.
November 5: Speech and Drama&emdash;Special Strategies for Shakespeare
Mini Lesson: Agreement of Sentence Parts Facilitator: R. Cory Kinley
Due: LoMonico, Michael. "Using Computers to Teach Shakespeare," English Journal
Oct. 1995: 58-61.
Jaccarino, Victor. "What's in a Name? Collaborative Learning and Shakespeare,"
English Journal March 1993: 64-66.
Weinstein, Chapter 6: "When Prevention Is Not Enough: Protecting and Restoring
Order"
Select your favorite Shakespearean play or sonnet. If you were to teach this
piece in the classroom, what would your objectives be? How would you go
about reaching those objectives? How would you modify your strategies to
account for learners at varying ability levels?
OR
You're teaching Romeo and Juliet to a homogeneous group of ninth grade
"applied" or "low-level" students during the second week of your student
teaching experience. Your plan is to have students review what's happened so
far, act out the balcony scene, watch that same scene in the Leonardo DiCaprio
film, and then to write a comparison/contrast of the script and the film. Before
you can finish a plot summary, Steve has put his head down; Jose shouts out,
"Yo, man, this is dope!"; Dave replies, "I wanna be Juliet" much to his
classmates' amusement, as Dr. Mayer simultaneously knocks on the door.
What do you do?
November 12: Critical Thinking & Multiple Intelligences
Due: Lindemann, Chapter 6: "What Do Teachers Need To Know about Cognition?"
Smagorinsky, Peter. "Multiple Intelligences in the English Class: An Overview,"
English Journal Dec. 1995: 19-26.
Weinstein, Chapter 11: "Working with Families"
Weinstein, Chapter 12: "Helping Students with Serious Problems"
You have been assigned by the administration to be the English Department's
teacher for the David Project, a BASD initiative to teach high school survival
skills to the lowest-scoring quarter of the incoming freshman class. What
strategies might you try in order to be successful where other educators have
failed?
OR
Respond to any of the activities in Weinstein on p. 244 or 272-73.
English Educator: Howard Gardner Teacher: Matty
November 19: Technology
Due: Betts, Frank. "Only the Best: Hot Links to Good Resources," Educational Leader-
ship May 1996: 38-39.
Davis, Chris. "The I-Search Paper Goes Global: Using the Internet as a Research
Tool," English Journal Oct. 1995: 27-33.
Davis, Jeff. "Concerning Fire, Books, and Computers," English Journal Oct.
1995: 15-17.
Compile an annotated list of "hot links" for the English Language Arts
classroom.
OR
Evaluate a software package currently in use in your classroom or school. How
does it foster student learning? What are its drawbacks and limitations?
Secondary Language Arts Syllabus/ Course Guidelines
December 3: Media Literacy
Mini Lesson: Role Playing: A Creative Writing Activity Facilitator: Steve Sanders
How is media education handled by the Language Arts department in your
school? What could make its media instruction more effective?
OR
Reflect upon your field experience. How have you grown as a result of it?
What apprehensions do you have as you prepare to enter the professional
semester?
Journal Self-Assessment Portfolio and Cover Letter
In-Class: Summary of one article from January 1998 issue of English Journal
English Educator: William Costanzo Teacher: Kristen Romano
December 10: Interdisciplinary Studies
Due: Tchudi and Lafer. "Interdisciplinary English and the Contributions of English to an
Interdisciplinary Curriculum," English Journal Nov. 1997: 21-29.
Tarpey and Bucholc. "Making More Sense of America and the World through Inter-
disciplinary English," English Journal Nov. 1997: 69-74.
Individual Contribution to Ed. 360 website
English Educator: Philip Panoritis Teachers: Steve Sanders & Lola J'Vlle
Philosophy: "Careful planning is essential for beginning teachers because it helps simplify the complex
task of teaching"
- Eggen & Kauchak. Educational Psychology. Second Edition. New York: Merrill, 1994, 548.
"Teachers should be independent, resourceful, creative, and thoughtful, but not plan in a
vacuum. They should consult texts, manuals, curriculum guides, and professional
journals for assistance in making decisions....Secondly, teachers should think more about
what students can do to learn and less about what they can do to fill up the time during a
class period."
-Hook & Evans. The Teaching of High School English. Fifth Edition. New York: Macmillan, 1982.
Reference: Posner, George J. Field Experience: A Guide to Reflective Teaching. Fourth Edition.
White Plains, New York: Longman, 1996.
1. Pre-Planning Questions (from Posner 72-74)
A. What do I want the learners to learn?
B. What should I have the learners do?
1. Lecture/demo
2. Discussions
3. Worksheets
4. Cooperative Learning
5. Individual Projects
6. Group Projects
7. Role playing
8. Simulations/games
9. Debates
10. Field Trips
11. Laboratories
12. Films/Tapes/Slides
13. Other
C. How much time do I need to plan for?
D. What materials will I need?
E. What content should I cover?
F. What will they do and what will I do?
G. What procedures, responses, reactions, and results do I want to be the consequences of the lesson?
H. What do the learners already know and what kinds of experiences have they already had?
2. Planning via the Linear Rational (Tyler) Model (modified from Kauchak & Eggen. Learning and Teaching: Research Based Methods. Second Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1993: 67, 87.)
A. Instructional Objectives
1. What are the goals of instruction? (objectives)
2. Why should students achieve these goals? (rationale)
B. Content and Procedure
1. What are the major ideas?
2. What will the teacher do?
3. What will students do?
C. Instructional Materials & Resources
D. Evaluation
3. Revising/Editing the Lesson Plan
A. Does the lesson have clearly-identifiable, worthwhile goals?
B. Will the lesson motivate students to learn?
C. Does the lesson reflect an understanding of cognitive and affective taxonomies?
D. Does the lesson make the student take ownership of his/her own learning?
E. Does the lesson engage the student in meaningful activity?
F. Is time budgeted appropriately for the material being taught?
G. Is sufficient opportunity given to practice new skills?
1. Create a writing assignment according to the plan on p. 49 of the Writers Inc. Teacher's Guide.
Note that chapter 13 in Lindemann may also prove useful.
2. Design a lesson to guide students through one aspect of the writing process. Consider how your
lesson will help students pre-write, draft, revise, edit, or publish. Consult "Minilessons," p. 94-
117 in Writers Inc. Teacher's Guide.
3. Remember that your mini-lesson should fit comfortably into a 30 minute time frame.
4. Review the Teacher Education Committee's Criteria for Evaluation.
English/Language Arts Leader Profile and Sample Lesson
1. Read Lawrence A. Baines' "From Tripod to Cosmos: A New Metaphor for the Language Arts"
from the February 1998 issue of English Journal.
2. Select three English educators about whom you would like to learn more.
3. E-mail your top 3 list along with a brief rationale to jshosh@aol.com no later than 9/9.
4. Once you have been assigned an English educator, research his/her contributions to the field.
5. Compile a profile fact sheet which explains his/her beliefs and methodology. Include an annotated
bibliography of salient works.
6. Use word processing/desktop publishing software to lay out fact sheet. Print or photocopy enough
fact sheets for our class.
7. Design a language arts lesson (up to one hour) which incorporates the philosophy/methodology of
your English educator.
8. E-mail your lesson plan to jshosh@aol.com at least 24 hours prior to teaching your lesson.
9. Plan to discuss your fact sheet and its relationship to your lesson with the class after the lesson is
complete.
10. Complete a self evaluation of your lesson and plan to discuss it at a teaching conference at the end
of class the week after you teach.
Field Placement Daily Lesson Plans
1. Complete a lesson plan for each lesson you teach during the field placement.
2. Develop lessons which are compatible with your philosophy of English education.
3. Prepare all lessons in consultation with your cooperating teacher.
4. If you must miss a field placement session for any reason, be certain to provide a copy of your
lesson plan to the cooperating teacher. (Note that both your cooperating teacher and I must be
notified in advance of an absence.)
Writing Journal and Self Assessment Portfolio
Philosophy: "Because journal writing links content with student feelings, it plays a significant role in
making learning happen. Journal writing allows students to immerse themselves
intellectually and emotionally in their learning. It allows students to make personal
connections with their course work, and it allows them to do so free from the gravitational
pull of right answers and performance scores. It provides a way for students to work things
out for themselves, to take an active role in their own learning."
- Sebranek, Patrick, et al. Writers Inc: Teacher's Guide to A Student Handbook for
Writing and Learning. Wilmington, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 1996:47.
"As suggested by the equation [Experience + Reflection = Growth] reflection with no experience is sterile and generally leads to unworkable conclusions. Experience with no reflection is shallow and at best leads to superficial knowledge. If you merely 'do' your field experience without thinking deeply about it, if you merely allow your experiences to wash over you without savoring and examining them for significance, then your growth will be greatly limited. The logs you write, the questions you try to answer, and other activities in which you engage are all merely tools to facilitate reflective thinking about your field experience."
- Posner, George J. Field Experience: A Guide to Reflective Teaching. Fourth Edition.
White Plains, New York: Longman, 1996:26.
1. Respond to any nine of the twelve journal writing prompts contained in the syllabus. Feel free to
exchange any or all of my prompts with your own.
2. Focus on development of ideas and not on usage, mechanics, or form. Provide evidence of reflective
thought which attempts to unify theory and practice.
3. E-mail each entry to jshosh@aol.com 24 hours prior to the class period in which it will be discussed.
4. Select the three entries which reflect the most growth according to Posner's equation. Develop those
entries with further reflection and reference to issues raised through our class readings, discussions,
and lessons.
5. Prepare those three entries for dissemination to a wider audience on our Ed. 360 website. Use MLA
parenthetical documentation and works cited, as appropriate. Be certain to maintain confidentiality
when commenting upon students, teachers, schools, etc.
6. Draft a letter which assigns a letter grade to your journal. Defend that grade by citing specific examples
from your entries, especially the three which you are placing on the web site. Your letter (minus the
statement of grade) should serve as a preface to the three entries which will appear on the web site.
7. The letter along with the three sample entries should be e-mailed to jshosh@aol.com no later than our
11/19 class meeting.
Secondary Language Arts Syllabus/Course Guidelines
Philosophy: "In planning a course, it is important to set long-term, middle-term, and short-term
objectives before starting to teach. Before the students arrive for the first day of class,
a teacher needs to have a general plan of what will be covered all year, a more specific
plan for what will be in the first unit, and a very specific plan for the content of the first
lesson"
-Slavin, Robert. Educational Psychology. Fourth Edition, 490.
1. Pre-Writing
A. Select a hypothetical middle school language arts or high school English department course
that you would like to teach.
B. Clarify how often the course meets. (for example 45 minutes a day/school year or 90 minutes a
day/semester, etc.)
C. Consult curricular resources such as teachers' editions, resource books, and curriculum planning
guides.
D. Determine your overriding goal(s) for the entire course.
E. Select a method for organizing content. (See Hook & Evans, chapter 5)
F. Consider how to integrate the study of reading, writing, listening, and speaking into a cohesive
course.
G. Brainstorm possible course projects.
H. Develop teaching rules and routines which will make it possible for you to achieve your
curricular objectives. (Weinstein, chapter 4)
2. Drafting
A. State name of course and instructor. Note course meeting times.
B. Identify course-wide learning objective(s).
C. Provide bibliographic entries for course textbooks and trade books.
D. Share a set of rules for your classroom.
E. Explain your grading policy.
F. Clarify your attendance/homework policies.
G. Outline major units of study.
3. Revising/Editing
A. Is procedural material clearly stated in an organized, logical manner?
B. Are classroom rules consistent with your philosophy of English education?
C. Do grading, attendance, and homework policies support student learning?
D. Is the curriculum subdivided into logical, manageable units of study?
E. Does the course take into account students' prior learning?
F. Has MLA format been utilized?
G. Has the syllabus been thoroughly proofread for usage and mechanical errors?
4. E-mail completed syllabus at least 24 hours prior to our 11/19 class meeting.
Contribution to Ed. 360 Website
1. Back-up all course assignments, including journal entries on a 3 1/2" floppy disk.
2. Following the Web Site Workshop, create html versions of the following documents:
„3 Sample Lesson Plans
-Writing Mini Lesson
-English/Language Arts Leader-Inspired Lesson
-One Field Placement Lesson
„English/ Language Arts Leader Fact Sheet
„Journal Cover Letter and 3 Entries (edited for a web audience)
„Secondary Language Arts Syllabus/ Course Guidelines
3. Together we will determine criteria for evaluation of web site contribution.
4. Note that all files must be posted to the website prior to our last class meeting.