Syllabus THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE College of Education

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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE
College of Education
Syllabus
Conceptual Framework & Knowledge Base
The conceptual framework contains four core
concepts that are themes through which we
organize and deliver our programs; hence they are
central to our vision of professional educators and
scholars. These include:




Interculturalism
Interrelatedness
Inquiry
Pedagogical Leadership
College of Education (COE) Mission
Statement
 To prepare highly skilled professionals to assume roles and positions in
teaching, research, educational leadership, and human development.
 To provide undergraduate and graduate programs based on proven best
practice, knowledge acquisition, reflective inquiry, critical thinking, and
respect for the cultural and linguistically diverse learner.
 To continuously develop a dynamic local, state, national, and international,
dimension that promotes innovations and contributes to scientific
educational, economic, and social change.
College of Education (COE) Vision Statement
The vision of the College of Education is to be consistently recognized as fullyaccredited and as a nationally and internationally respected college in the areas
of science, mathematics, educational technology and intercultural dimension
(language, literacy, culture and interdisciplinary studies in regard to preparing
teachers, counselors, administrators, educational researchers, and professional
at all levels, not only for the school system but for other economical and service
areas which require training, human resources, development and life-long
learning.
Teacher preparation programs of the College of Education will be central to the
mission of the University and will have national prominence. It will be at the
forefront in programs for English Language Learners and, through teacher
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preparation, P-16 and life-long education initiatives will be a model for helping
to close the student achievement gap.
All of these will require the COE to be noted for the quality of its graduates, the
scholarship of its faculty, and the leadership and service they provide to the
local, regional, and national educational communities in the previously
mentioned areas.
Note: Be advised that the College of Education conducts ongoing research
regarding the effectiveness of the programs. You will receive one survey in
the final semester prior to graduation regarding your program during your
time here. A second survey will occur within one year following graduation
from or completion of a program, and will be sent to your employer. This
survey will focus on the preparation received at UTB. Please remember that
your response to these surveys is critical to UTB excellence.
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College of Education
Department of Language, Literacy, and Intercultural Studies
EDCI 8324
Literacy across the Disciplines
Spring 2012
Instructor:
Dr. Kerry G. McArthur
Office: EDBC 1.128
Phone: (956)882-5717
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: M: 4:00-5:00pm; T: 2:00-4:00pm; W: 4:00-6:00pm.
Location of Class: EDBC 2.222
Course Catalog Description: This course will focus on reading and writing across
the curriculum. Emphasis will be placed on research and current classroom
implementation of current research.
Required Texts:
McConachie, S. M. & Petrosky, A. R. Content matters: A Disciplinary literacy approach
to improving student learning. Jossey-Bass Education.
ISBN: 978-0-470-43411-6
Woolman, M. (2000). Ways of knowing: An introduction to theory of knowledge.
Melton, Australia: IBID Press.
ISBN: 1 876659 06 8
Additional Articles and Course Readings to Be Assigned in Class.
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NOTE: A Tk20 account may be required for this course. Your instructor will
inform you of its necessity. Tk20 is an electronic toolkit used by candidates
and other school professionals to provide evidence that they have mastered
state and professional standards for the profession, as a necessary
component of the College of Education’s assessment program. Additional
information regarding Tk20 is available at:
https://tk20.utb.edu/
Course Description Expanded and Purpose of the Course: This course will past
explore past and present conversations about literacy across the curriculum and the
changing view of literacy from a situated language perspective.
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Course Objectives/SLOs:
(Evaluation Method in Parenthesis)
1.To become familiar with the ways of knowing in the disciplines. (Reading
Response Journal)
2. To come to know the unique discourses and grammars of content area texts.
(Reading Response Journal)
3.To demonstrate an understanding of how adolescent readers and writers develop
disciplinary literacy. (Reading Response Journal)
4.To demonstrate an understanding of how to motivate and engage adolescents in
literacy in and out of school. (Reading Response Journal)
5.To read and respond in written and oral forms to articles, books, and reports to
gain a deeper understanding of literacy across the curriculum. (Mini-Inquiry and
Final Project)
6.To formulate research questions and methodologies in regards to literacy across
the curriculum. (Mini-Inquiry and Final Project)
Course Calendar
Date
Week 1
Jan. 18
Topic
Introductions
and Course
Overview
Ways of
Knowing: The
Disciplines of
Knowledge
Week 2
Jan. 25
Ways of
Knowing: The
Disciplines of
Knowledge
RRJ #1 DUE
Week 3
Feb. 1
Student
Information
Sheet DUE
Social
Constructions of
Literacy
RRJ #2 DUE
Assignment
SLO
Read and
Prepare to
Discuss C. 1 and
2 in Woolman
and Moje
Article
Reading
Response
Journal (RRJ) #1
Read and
1, 2, 3, and 4
Prepare to
Discuss the Lave
& Wenger
Article and C. 1
and 2 in
Content
Matters text
RRJ #2
Read and
1, 2, 3, and 4
Prepare to
Discuss Articles
(Greenleaf &
Schoenberg and
Lave & Wenger)
Evaluation
RRJ
RRJ
5
Write Inquiry
Proposal
Week 4
Feb. 8
Apprenticeships
Re-Framing
Disciplinary
Literacy in
Schooling
Inquiry Proposal
DUE
Week 5
Feb. 15
RRJ #3 DUE
Ways of
Knowing:
Natural Science
RRJ #4 DUE
RRJ #3
Read and
Prepare to
Discuss C. 7 in
Woolman and
C. 5 in Content
Matters text
1, 2, 3, and 4
RRJ
1, 2, 3,,4, 5
and 6
RRJ
Mini-Inquiry
1, 2, 3, and 4
RRJ
Mini-Inquiry
1, 2, 3, and 4
RRJ
RRJ #4
Read and
Prepare to
Discuss C. 8 in
Woolman and
C. 4 in Content
Matters text
RRJ #5
Week 6
Feb. 22
Ways of
Knowing:
Mathematics
RRJ #5 DUE
Inquiry #1 DUE
Week 7
Mar. 1
Ways of
Knowing:
Social
Sciences/History
RRJ #6 DUE
Complete
Inquiry #1
Read and
Prepare to
Discuss C. 9 and
10 in Woolman
and C. 3 in
Content
Matters text
RRJ #6
Read and
Prepare to
Discuss C. 11
and 12 in
Woolman and
C. 6 in Content
Matters text
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Week 8
Mar. 7
Week 9
Mar. 14
Week 10
Mar. 21
Ways of
Knowing: The
Arts and
Humanities
Mid-Term
RRJ #7 DUE
SPRING BREAK
NO CLASS
New Directions:
Literacy across
the Curriculum
Inquiry #2 DUE
Final Project
Proposal DUE
Week 11
Mar. 28
Week 12
April 4
Week 13
April 11
RRJ #7
Complete
Inquiry #2
Read and
Prepare to
Discuss C. 7 in
Content
Matters text
and Article
RRJ #8
New Directions
Read and
in Literacy across Prepare to
the Curriculum
Discuss Articles
(Shanahan and
Shanahan and
Draper)
RRJ #8 DUE
RRJ #9
Exploring
Read and
Professional
Prepare to
Development
Discuss
and Classroom
Assigned
Frames: Science Articles
and
Mathematics
RRJ #10
RRJ #9 DUE
Exploring
Professional
Development
and Classroom
Frames:
Social Sciences
and The
Humanities
Read and
Prepare to
Discuss
Assigned
Articles
Final Project
Work
1, 2, 3,,4, 5
and 6
RRJ
Mini-Inquiry
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6
RRJ
Mini-Inquiry
1, 2, 3, and 4
RRJ
1, 2, 3, and 4
RRJ
1, 2, 3, and 4
RRJ
Final Project
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Week 14
April 18
Week 15
April 25
Week 16
May 2
Week 17
May 9
RRJ #10 DUE
Synthesis of
Course
PROJECT
WORKSHOP
Reading
Response
Journal DUE
PROJECT
WORKSHOP
LAST CLASS
RRJ (Optional)
Final Project
Work
Final Project
Complete RRJ
Final Project
Final Project
Work
Final Project
Work
FINAL PROJECT
Presentations
Tuesday, May 8
7:00-9:00pm
1, 2, 3, and 4
RRJ
1, 2, 3,,4, 5
and 6
Final Project
Grading
25% Reading Reflection Journal
25% Mini-Inquiry #1
25% Mini-Inquiry #2
25% Final Project
1. Reading Reflection Journal (RRJ) 25%- You will keep a reading response
journal (three ring binder required) for the course readings assigned to
record your thinking about the ideas in the texts. An overview of what to
include and how to format your reading response journal will be discussed in
the first class.
2. Mini-Inquiry #1 and 2 (25% each)- You will complete two mini-inquiries
based on your interests and negotiated with your instructor around the
readings and topics we discuss in class. The mini-inquiries are further
investigations you complete based on your needs and interests in literacy
across the curriculum.
3. Final Project (25%)- You will choose and negotiate with your instructor a
final project to expand and synthesize the investigations from your miniinquiries. The project should relate to your present or future work in literacy
across the curriculum. More guidelines to follow in class.
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Evaluation Rubrics for Major Course Assignments
Reading Response Journal (RRJ)
MET
The candidate
clearly
demonstrates
knowledge about
the ways of
knowing in the
disciplines in most
of the journal
entries.
The candidate
includes detailed
information about
the discourses and
grammars of the
content areas in
appropriate
journal entries.
Met with
Weakness
The candidate
somewhat
demonstrates
knowledge about
the ways of
knowing in the
disciplines in
most of the
journal entries.
The candidate
includes some
information about
the discourses
and grammars of
the content areas
in appropriate
journal entries.
3.To demonstrate
an understanding
of how adolescent
readers and
writers develop
disciplinary
literacy.
The candidate
includes detailed
information about
how adolescent
readers and
writers develop
disciplinary
literacy in
appropriate
journal entries.
The candidate
includes some
information about
how adolescent
readers and
writers develop
disciplinary
literacy in
appropriate
journal entries.
4.To demonstrate
an understanding
of how to motivate
and engage
adolescents in
literacy in and out
of school.
The candidate
includes detailed
information about
how to motivate
and engage
adolescents in
literacy in and out
of school in
appropriate
journal entries.
The candidate
includes some
information about
how to motivate
and engage
adolescents in
literacy in and out
of school in
appropriate
journal entries.
SLO
1.To become
familiar with the
ways of knowing
in the disciplines.
2. To come to
know the unique
discourses and
grammars of
content area texts.
Not Met
The candidate
minimally
demonstrates
knowledge about
the ways of
knowing in the
disciplines in
most of the
journal entries.
The candidate
includes little
information
about the
discourses and
grammars of the
content areas in
appropriate
journal entries.
The candidate
includes little
information
about how
adolescent
readers and
writers develop
disciplinary
literacy in
appropriate
journal entries.
The candidate
includes little
information
about how to
motivate and
engage
adolescents in
literacy in and
out of school in
appropriate
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journal entries.
Mini-Inquiry and Final Project
SLO
5.To read and
respond in written
and oral forms to
articles, books,
and reports to
gain a deeper
understanding of
literacy across the
curriculum.
6.To formulate
research
questions and
methodologies in
regards to literacy
across the
curriculum
MET
The candidate
chooses an
appropriate topic
and response for
the mini-inquiry
and final project.
The candidate
focuses a question
and research
appropriate
methods for the
mini-inquiry and
final project.
Met with
Weakness
The candidate
chooses a
somewhat
appropriate topic
and response for
the mini-inquiry
and final project.
Not Met
The candidate
chooses an
unclear topic and
response for the
mini-inquiry and
final project.
The candidate
somewhat focuses
a question and
research
appropriate
methods for the
mini-inquiry and
final project.
The candidate has
an unclear focus
question and
research
appropriate
methods for the
mini-inquiry and
final project.
GRADING SYSTEM
Partial evaluations will be made with numbers (exams, tests, papers,
presentations and so on). Letter grades of “A” through “F” (course final grade)
will be awarded based on the following scale:
A+ 98-100
A 93-97
A- 90-92
B+ 88-89
B 83-87
B- 80-82
C+ 78-79
C 73-77
C- 70-72
D+ 68-69
D 63-67
D – 60-62
F 0-59
Incomplete Grades: A grade of Incomplete (I) may be given at the discretion of
the instructor to a student who has been unable to complete the course
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requirements due to a serious interruption not caused by the student’s own
negligence.
Course Policies
1. Attendance is mandatory. Late arrivals, early exits and absences will affect
your course grade. Three late arrivals and/or early exits constitute an
absence. Absence from two classes will constitute a loss of a letter grade.
Students who miss four classes will be administratively dropped from the
course.
2. The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus and
course calendar as deemed necessary. Students will be notified of any and
all changes.
3. Cell phones, pagers, ipods and other such devices should be turned off and
put away before entering class. Computers should only be used in class for
class-related work; otherwise they should be stored away.
4. No late work will be accepted. If you are going to be absent the day an
assignment is due you can send the work with a family member, friend or
colleague. You may also turn the assignment in early. I cannot accept
emailed or faxed assignments, but you may post your work in the
Discussion Board of Blackboard if you are absent and unable to deliver the
work during class time.
5. Please type all assignments in a 12 point font, double-spaced, unless
otherwise specified.
INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
UTB/TSC monitors academic progress every fall and spring semesters to
identify those students who are experiencing difficulty with their courses.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (Sap) is based upon two components: GPA of
2.0 or higher and successful course completion of at least 70% of couse work
attempted. Students remain in good standing with the university and
Financial Aid when both criteria are met. Students who do not maintain
these required minimum standards will be placed on probation or
suspension as appropriate. The complete Satisfactory Academic Progress
policy and the Undergraduate Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial
Aid policy can be found in the current Undergraduate catalog. For more
information, please visit http://blue.utb.edu/vpaa/sap
SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY
Students who engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and expulsion from
the University. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating,
plagiarism, collusion, submission for credit of any work or materials that are
attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for
another person, any act designed to be unfair advantage to a student, or the
attempt to commit such acts. Since scholastic dishonesty harms the
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individual, all students and the integrity of the University, Policies on
scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforce. (Board of Regents Rules and
Regulations)
STUDENTS ACADEMIC RESPONSIBLILITIES
Students are expected to be diligent in their studies and attend class
regularly and on time. Students are responsible for all class work and
assignments. On recommendation of the instructor concerned and with the
approval of the Dean, students may, at anytime, be dropped from course.
This may result in a “w” or “F” on the student’s permanent record.
EMERGENCY POLICY STATEMENT
In compliance with the Emergency UTB/TSC Academic continuity Program,
academic course, partially or entirely, will be made available on the
MyUTBTSC Blackboard course management system. This allows faculty
members and students to continue their teaching and learning via
MyUTBTSC Blackboard http://myutbtscblacboard.com, in case the university
shuts down as a result of a hurricane or any other natural disaster.
The university will use MyUTBTSC Blackboard to post announcements
notifying faculty members and students of their responsibilities as a
hurricane approaches our region. If the university is forced to shut down,
faculty will notify their course(s). To receive credit for a course, it is the
student’s responsibility to complete all requirements for that course. Failure
to access course materials once reasonably possible can result in a reduction
of your overall grade in the class.
To facilitate the completion of class, most or all of the communication
between students and the institution, the instructor, and fellow classmates
will take place using the features in your MyUTBTSC Blackboard and UTB
email system. Therefore, all students must use Scorpion Online to provide a
current email address. Students may update their email address by following
the like titled “Validate your e-Mail Account” in MyUTBTSC Blackboard
Portal. In the event of a disaster, that disrupts normal operations, all
students and faculty must make every effort to access an internet-enabled
computer as often as possible to continue the learning process.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
Students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, who wish to request
accommodations in this class should notify the Disability Services Office early
in the semester so that the appropriate arrangements may be made. In
accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodations must
provide documentation of his/her disability to the Disability Services
counselor. For more information, visit Disability Services in the Lightner
Center, call 956-882-7374, or e-mail [email protected].
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