+Professional Practicum

in Literacy & Language

Welcome to LCRT 6910 & 6911

Fall 2014

Professor: Sherry Taylor, Ph.D.

+ Seminar 1: August 18, 2014

Introductions/Announcements

Syllabus & Course Overview

Textbooks, Readings & Responses

Classroom contexts

Literacy Challenges & Goals

Choice Textbook (Your choice!)

In-class observations & coachings

Looking ahead……

Your Lingering Questions

+ Professor Information & Introduction Sherry Taylor. Ph.D.

Associate Professor in Literacy, Language & Culturally Responsive Teaching Program

AREAS of STUDY: Bilingual/Bicultural Elementary Education Applied Linguistics/TESOL Second Language Acquisition/Spanish Linguistics

AREAS of TEACHING PK-12 Teaching in the areas of Literacy, Language, ESL. In the following

locations: Illinois, Colorado & Guanajuato & Michoacan, Mexico Adult ESL/EFL: Colorado, Ohio & Guanajuato, Mexico Spanish as a foreign language: Ohio Teacher Education: Ohio State University-Columbus, University of

Wisconsin-Madison, CU Denver

AREAS of RESEARCH Teachers’ cognition and Culturally responsive teaching

NEW AREA of INTEREST: Transitions & literacy challenges of US- born Mexican children returning to Mexican schools

+Participant Introductions

Let’s do a quick whip around to find out what grade you teach, where you work & a current challenge your face in the classroom regarding literacy and/or language.

Now form groups of two or three.

Introduce yourselves and share a little more about your professional context and how you teach literacy.

What changes or challenges regarding literacy do you face this year? Designate a note keeper to record these (literacy instruction, literacy curriculum & literacy assessment).

+Syllabus & Course Information

Let’s take a look at the syllabus together.

+ Professor

Sherry Taylor. Ph.D. Associate Professor Literacy, Language & Culturally Responsive Teaching Program

CONTACT INFORMATIONEmail: Sherry.taylor@ucdenver.edu

Tel: 303-315-4998

Office hours/meetings: By appointment on Mondays and Wednesdays or when is convenient for you.

+ LCRT 6910 & 6911 Seminar dates & online

sessions

On-campus Face-to-Face Seminars (18 hrs):

Aug.18,

Sept. 8 & 29,

Oct. 27,

Nov. 10,

Dec. 1 or 8 (TBD) Pls reserve both dates until I can confirm one.

ONLINE SESSIONS (5-

6hrs):

September: Aug 25 to Sept 1

October: Oct. 6 to 13

November: Nov. 3 to 10

+LCRT 6910 & LCRT 6911

Course description excerpt:

Enhance your knowledge about effective literacy & apply principles of effective literacy and language instruction in your classroom, in particular, with struggling readers and writers.

Practicum & Seminar Focus is three-fold:

(1) the application of literacy learning and teaching strategies;

(2) learning and practicing use of literacy strategies to improve the learning and achievement of struggling readers and writers; and

(3) gaining the knowledge and coaching skills needed by a Reading Specialist and/or Literacy Coach.

+ LCRT 6910 and LCRT 6911: Professional Practicum in

Literacy & Language

Course focus/accreditation

Reading Teacher (PLACE test: K-12): Working with students, supporting their needs in reading, writing, and language;

Literacy Coach (PLACE Test: K-12): Working with teachers to support their work as reading specialist with students;

Classroom teacher/literacy teacher: Remain in the classroom applying your enhanced knowledge & skills to support students’ literacy & language.

+ TEXTBOOKS and READINGS

Book #1: Knight, Jim. (2007). Instructional coaching: a partnership approach to improving instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Book #2: Fisher & Frey: Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom Instruction & Intervention. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

Book #3: You select it!  

And, additional readings from various book chapters & articles (provided in pdf on Canvas)

+Canvas Course Shell https://ucdenver.instructure.com/

Do you know how to log-in to your Canvas account?

Go to www.cuonline.edu

Select COURSE LOGIN from the top menu bar.

Select the Canvas icon.

Enter your USER ID and your PASSWORD from your University of Colorado email.

Select COURSES from the top menu bar.

Click on our course.

+ Practicum hours in the classroom (22 of 45 hrs)

Classroom-based observation/coaching sessions

22 contact hours

Plus transportation to & from site

+PRACTICUM ACTIVITIES: The classroom-based

observation/coaching sessions begin after Seminar 3 and

include:

1 observation that you will complete in a seminar peer’s classroom,

1 observation that a seminar peer will complete in your classroom,

1 observation that the Professor or assisting faculty coach will complete in your classroom, and

1 “digital” observation you will record in your classroom and share in a 6910-6911 seminar session.

Ideally, f2f observation/coachings should be finalized by Seminar 5.

+ Preliminary assignments

Classroom context: Video clip & Written Narrative

Literacy Teaching Goals: Instruction, curriculum & assessment

We’ll discuss both assignments in depth tonight after break

+ Remaining Assignments

Choice Book: Discuss choice book, apply strategies in your context, plan and facilitate a Professional Learning Discussion about your book in seminar 6 (Develop a one-page handout & use student work samples to supplement the PL discussion)

Classroom observations/Coaching Template & Reflections (Submit before & after the observation; Schedule observations after Seminar 2 & conclude by Seminar 5; Details provided in Seminar 2)

Lesson Report & Analysis (PBA for this course; Details provided in Seminar 2)

+ Contributions to semester grade

1. 20 points Active participation & written responses (online and face-to-face sessions)

2. 20 points Classroom context: Video tour & Narrative

3. 30 points Literacy Teaching Goals

4. 30 points Book group discussion and overview

5. 50 points Lesson Report & Analysis

6. 50 points Observations & Coaching Sessions

Total: 200 points

+Syllabus & Course Information Peruse remainder of syllabus.

Highlight any questions that you may have.

+ Important ‘take-away’ Information

Keep in mind how best to plan for your successful & meaningful learning experience in this graduate course of study. See “Planning for Success” and “Guidelines for Quality of Work.”

Participation and attendance are very important for this class and the understanding of its content in both the face to face and online class sessions.

Contact me ASAP if you are having trouble with attendance or course work.

It is required that all communication occurs using university email. Please check your student email regularly for course and university information (minimum of 4X week).

Please put cell phones on vibrate and step outside if you need to take a call.

Laptops will be used in class. Please use your laptop for the intended purpose of the class content while we are together.

Our time together face to face is limited. We will use it strategically so you will be prepared to work independently on assignments during our online/work sessions.

+

BREAKPeruse the choice books!

+ Getting started on the preliminary

assignments Classroom context: Video clip & Written

Narrative

Literacy Teaching Goals: Instruction, curriculum & assessment

+ Getting started on Classroom VIDEO TOUR

Plan and develop a 1 to 2 minute audio-visual recording of your classroom context.

Narrate & explain the ways you have planned effective use of the physical classroom space to support literacy and language instruction.

Select a time when students are not present to record a “visual tour” of your room.

+Get a mental image of your classroom…

How have you arranged your classroom or work context?

Where is literacy taught &/or supported in the room?

What steps have you taken to create an educational and social climate to support literacy? That is, to create the learning environment you want for learners & learning?

In what ways does your classroom serve as an “extra teacher” to support literacy learning?

+ Classroom context: WRITTEN

NARRATIVE

Consider:

What is unique about your school? About your classroom? Your students?

What is the sociocultural context of your school? Demographics?

What are the literacy and language strengths of the students in your classroom? What are their interests? What are their needs?

What is the current literacy model of instruction used at your school? Or in your content area?

How well have students performed on mandated district/state assessments? Other literacy-related topics relevant to your class?

Turn & Talk about it!

+Classroom context: Written Narrative

Be sure to include….What is the current literacy model used in your school/classroom?

What are the current literacy assessment[s] used in your school/classroom? Formal AND informal.

What are the current challenges in literacy and language?

What kinds of pressures are you facing this year with respect to literacy in the school context?

SEPT. 8th Submit narrative (double-spaced, 3-5 pages) by uploading it to CANVAS. Bring 2 paper copies to Seminar 2.

+

Mentor Texts: Classroom Context Narratives

+Literacy Teaching

Goals: Instruction, curriculum & assessment

+

Let’s begin with the BIG picture…..

+What are current literacy initiatives

in the context where

you teach? What are current initiatives at the school level,

especially initiatives in the area of literacy?

In what ways do these initiatives influence your decisions about how to support learners’ literacy instruction, curriculum and assessment?

What challenges do you face this year as you prepare to support the literacy learning of the students in your classroom?

+What goals do you have for

yourself?

What do you want to improve or advance this fall regarding:

Your literacy instruction?

The literacy curriculum YOU implement?

The literacy assessments YOU administer?

+What knowledge & resources will support YOU to advance these

goals?

Is there a choice textbook that will support your goals?

+

Mentor Texts: Literacy Goals

+Choice books

When selecting the choice book, consider:

Your current context

Literacy challenges

Your literacy goals

Students’ literacy needs

+Considering your Choice Book

Peruse the choice books, then submit your top 3 preferences with a 1-2

sentence rationale for each title before you leave tonight.

+

Looking ahead:

Submit the Teacher Info form (update it & email it to Dr. Taylor if your info changes in the next week or two)

Order the 2 required textbooks.

Submit top 3 preferences for Choice book before you leave tonight.

Pick up the “Looking ahead” handout before you leave!

Go to CANVAS on August 25th for guidelines on how to begin ONLINE SESSION