Syllabus
The conceptual framework of the Lamar University Educator Preparation Program illuminates the vision of the faculty as they are engaged in teaching, research and service. The undergraduate and graduate programs utilize a variety of delivery systems to prepare educators and leaders for a changing world by requiring them to demonstrate core knowledge, content proficiency, pedagogical techniques and strategies, communication and leadership skills, technological and analytical abilities, and professional dispositions. Lamar University educator preparation candidates develop habits of mind needed for “lifelong learning” and respond to the ever changing diverse needs of EC-12 students and the schools that serve them.
Department: Counseling and Special Populations Course Instructor: Sedef Smith, Ph.D.
Course Number: ENSL 5302
Course Title: Literacy for English Language Learners
Virtual Office Hours: The Instructor will be available for questions and answers during virtual office hours and a weekly webinar (see details in Blackboard).
Course Description
This course focuses on the teaching of what have traditionally been called language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Rather than separating language instruction into discrete skills, this course emphasizes the integration of all language skills in teaching literacy. Strategies and techniques for effective literacy instruction for English language learners (ELLs) are presented and applied, and the relationship among schooling, literacy, and social and cultural life are explored. Additionally, strategies for increasing family and community involvement to support English language learners’ literacy learning are addressed.
Course Format
This is a distance education course. In order to complete this course successfully, you will need access to a computer and the Internet on a daily basis. Important!!! Some functions in Blackboard 9.1 might not work properly in Internet Explorer. Use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. Also install Adobe Flash Player to view the videos.
All course activities will be completed asynchronously. In other words, no real time interactions are required. Each week, there will be a webinar in which you will have the opportunity to meet with your peers and professor in real time, ask and answer questions. The day and time for the webinar will be posted in the course announcements along with login information. Attendance at the webinars is not
required or counted in the final grade, but recommended. Webinars will be recorded so that students who are unable to participate can access and review them.
The course material is divided into five (5) theme-based Units presented in weekly modules, with each module including assigned readings, mini-lectures (video/PowerPoint slides), discussions, assignments, and assessments. Content will be delivered in an intensive five-week format and it is important to review the syllabus, all course materials, and due dates at the onset of the course.
The course offers an interactive, participatory learning environment. The Discussions area in Blackboard works as a virtual classroom and it is the area where we will discuss, post messages, dialogue and exchange views and ideas about the readings and other issues that emerge throughout the course. Your open-minded, honest, and respectful participation is critical to creating a classroom in which we all feel comfortable sharing our views, our experience, and our knowledge such that we can all learn from each other.
Instructional Associates
This course is led by a professor and an instructional associate (IA). You will find the IA’s contact
information on the course website on Blackboard. Please contact your IA with any questions related to the course process. Questions related to course content should be directed to your professor. Often students have the same question. When this is the case, we collect the questions and post a general response in the announcements or on the course discussion board. However, if your issue is not resolved, please feel free to contact the course instructor directly.
Prerequisites
Admission to the Lamar Partnership Program. Required Texts
Díaz-Rico, L. T. (2014). The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook: A complete K-12 Reference Guide (5th ed.). Boston, Mass: Allyn & Bacon.
Peregoy, S. F., & Boyle, O. F. (2013). Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for K-12 Teachers (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
In this course, we will only read certain chapters from these books, but you will use them in other courses in the program.
Note: You can purchase the 5th edition (2008) of the Peregoy & Boyle book and the 4th edition (2010) of the Diaz-Rico book.
TK20
Week 5 assignment (Analysis of a Text) constitutes the key assessment in this course and it will be collected as data for program accreditation purposes. In addition to uploading this assignment to
Blackboard for grading and evaluation, you are required to also upload it to TK20. Your final grade will not be available if you do not upload this assignment to TK20.
TK20 is the official electronic portfolio software of Lamar University College of Education and Human Development. Program required key assessments, projects, work samples, applications for field
experience, professional testing and certification recommendations will be collected, processed, or archived through the TK20 secure portal.
It is the responsibility of each student pursuing any degree or certification as an educator to purchase an account to access and use TK20. The account activation fee ($125) is considered a professional expense incurred as part of an educator preparation program. The user account may be utilized for seven years from the activation date. For more information, visit: http://lamar.tk20.com
Course Objectives
Course objectives are aligned with TESOL/CAEP Professional Teaching Standards as well as Texas educator standards created by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). These standards represent what teachers should know and be able to do in order to effectively teach ESL/EFL learners. The course objectives also reflect the competencies covered in the TExES 154 – The ESL Supplement examination required for certification. (See matrix below).
At the completion of the course, students will be able to: Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
TESOL/NCATE Standards
SBEC Standards TEXES Competencies Related Assignments 1 Demonstrate knowledge of the contemporary approaches to literacy and multicultural education and use that knowledge to help create empowering circumstances and environments for ELLs
Domain 1. Standard 1.b. Domain 2. Standard 2. Standard II Sub-standard 2.4k. 2.5s Standard VII Sub-standard 7.2s Competency 005 G Competency 009 A, C, D, E Online Discussions (Week 1) Quiz # 1 Application Assignment # 1
2 Apply major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to the nature and role of culture and cultural groups to construct supportive learning environments for ELLs.
Domain 2. Standard 2. Domain 3. Standard 3.a. Standard V Sub-standards 5.1k, 5.2k Competency 009 A, B, C, D, E Online Discussions (Week 1) Quiz # 1 3 Demonstrate understanding of the role of conversation and environment that supports language growth and plan instruction to assist ELLs’ social and
Domain 3. Standard 3.b. Standard III Sub-standard 3.4k. Standard IV Sub-standard 4.4k. Competency 004 B, C Online Discussions (Week 2) Quiz # 2 Application Assignment # 2
academic
speaking/listening skills 4 Select focused and
targeted instruction for ELLs to develop their reading skills Domain 3. Standard 3.b. Standard IV Sub-standard 4.6s Competency 005 D, E, F Online Discussions (Week 3) Quiz # 3 Application Assignment # 3 5 Demonstrate understanding of the various approaches to writing instruction and use this understanding to scaffold ELLs through the writing process Domain 3. Standard 3.c. Standard I Sub-standards 1.3k. Competency 001 C Competency 002 B Competency 003 A, B Competency 004 D, G Online Discussions (Week 4) Quiz # 4
6 Use effective strategies to bridge gaps that may exist between the home and school environment and develop activities to facilitate parent/guardian involvement in their ELLs’ education Domain 5 Standard 5.b. Standard VII Sub-standards 7.1k, 7.2k, 7.3k, 7.4s, 7.5s Competency 010 A, B, C, D Online Discussions (Week 5) Quiz # 5
7 Use effective strategies to activate ELLs’ background knowledge and facilitate their vocabulary development Domain 2 Standard 2 Standard V Sub-standards 5.1k, 5.2k Online Discussions (Week 5) Final paper: Analysis of a Text
8 Design instruction that is standards based and that integrate listening, speaking, reading and writing for purposes that are relevant and meaningful to students Domain 3 Standard 3.b. Standard IV Sub-standards 4.1s, 1.3s Competency 001 C Competency 003 A Competency 005 G Final paper: Analysis of a Text 7 Demonstrate professionalism characteristic of an ESL educator and serve as a
Domain 5. Professionalism Standard 5.a. Standard I Sub-standard 1.4s Online Discussions (Weeks 1,2,3,4, & 5)
good language model. Domain 1 Language Standard 1a.
All written assignments
Course Requirements and Assignments Your final grade will be based on:
1. Participation in online weekly discussions 2. Three (3) application assignments
3. Five (5) quizzes
4. Analysis of a text assignment
All assignments, including weekly discussions must adhere to the American Psychological Association (APA) style 6th edition guidelines (APA, 2010). Information about APA can be found at
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/
Do not submit work for a grade using only the information on this syllabus. The descriptions that follow are for general orientation only. Do not use them as instructions for an assignment. You will be given detailed instructions for each assignment in the Assignments section of the course home page on Blackboard.
Discussions
Interaction with each other is a critical part of this course. We will have weekly discussions where we will collaboratively explore the assigned readings. You MUST read the assigned chapters and articles from the course textbooks and other sources in preparation for online discussions.
It is essential that you log in to our course home page to read and engage in discussions on a regular basis. You are required to post twice a week (on separate days). I anticipate that you will be compelled to respond much more frequently than this. After posting your responses, return several more times to read more new messages and respond where appropriate.
Detailed instructions, along with the scoring guide to be used in assessing your discussion contributions are included in the Assignments section of the course.
Application Assignments
In application assignments (Weeks 1, 2, & 3), you will demonstrate your ability to apply the concepts discussed in the course readings and discussions to practice. Further guidelines are included in the Assignments section of the course.
Final project – Analysis of a Text
In Week 5, you will find or create a text that can be used for ELLs’ literacy learning. You will analyze the text and demonstrate how it can be used to develop literacy instruction that is linguistically and culturally accessible, standard-based, and that integrates four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as
well as stimulates critical thinking. Further guidelines are included in the Assignments section of the course.
Quizzes
In each week, you will be asked to take a quiz that will contain multiple-choice questions. The questions will be similar to those you will have to answer in the TExES 154 – The ESL Supplement examination (and in any other state examination) required for ESL certification. All quizzes will remain available until the end of the course. Failure to complete a quiz by the end of the course will result in zero points. You will have multiple attempts at each quiz and Blackboard will use the highest grade for calculating your final score. During your first attempt, try to complete the quizzes with a time limit (e.g., 30 seconds or less per question) and without using your books or notes so that they simulate “exam conditions” (time limit, no interruptions, no books). Remember: You can always come back to a quiz anytime you want to retake it if you are not happy with your performance.
The Glossary (non-graded)
In the Assignments area of the course website in Blackboard, there is a .doc file for you to fill in as we move through the course so that you can create your personal glossary of ESL terms and acronyms (Those of you who took another course with me already have this file. So keep filling it in in this course). Develop your glossary as you go, week by week. This assignment is not graded. It is a tool for your personal reference.
All course activities and assignments must be entered in the Blackboard course management system. Do not send your assignments to me or to the IA via email.
Important: Please proofread and edit your writing before submitting. Grading Policies
Assignments are due by 11:59 pm (Beaumont, TX time) on the seventh day of the week for which they are announced. Any late assignments will be subject to a penalty of 10% per day. One week after the due date you will no longer be able to upload an assignment to the assignment tool and you must contact me to make arrangements to make up the work. If work is not uploaded by one week after the due date (and you have not made arrangements with me) a 0 will be posted for that assignment. That said, I realize that sometimes special circumstances might impact your work and so I encourage you to contact me in
advance if any difficulty arises.
Important!!! These policies DO NOT apply to participation in weekly discussions. Discussion participation is assessed the week it is due and CANNOT be made up. If you have to miss a week’s discussion, you will receive a 0 for that week, regardless of the reason. If this happens, it is very important that you discuss your needs with me so that we can work out a solution.
Quick Reference to All Assignments
Weeks Assignment Point
Value
Due Date Week 1 Discussion Participation
Quiz 1 Application Assignment 1 60 25 125 11:59 pm, Day 7
Week 2 Discussion Participation Quiz 2 Application Assignment 2 60 25 125 11:59 pm, Day 7 Week 3 Discussion Participation
Quiz 3 Application Assignment 3 60 25 125 11:59 pm, Day 7 Week 4 Discussion Participation
Quiz 4
60
25 11:59 pm, Day 7 Week 5 Discussion Participation
Quiz 5
Analysis of a text
60 25 200
11:59 pm, last day of the course
Total Points Possible 1000
All assignments must be posted by midnight (11:59 PM), Beaumont, TX time on the due date. Verify what time this means for your time zone.
Grading Scale
At the completion of the course, your total points received from each assignment will be added up and you will receive a letter grade based on the following grading scale:
900-1000 points = A 800-899 points = B 700-799 points = C 600-699 points = D Below 600 points = F University/Department/Course Policies
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to abide by Lamar University’s policy on Academic Honesty: http://dept.lamar.edu/cofac/deptspeech/files/academic_honesty.pdf
I will operate on the assumption that every class member is thoroughly familiar with and agrees to abide by the rules governing academic honesty. Violations of academic integrity in this course include, but are not limited to, turning in an assignment written in whole or part by someone else, turning in work that has been previously submitted for a prior class assignment, allowing another student to copy work, and plagiarism. Academic integrity violations will be addressed as per the departmental/university policy on student professional behavior and conduct.
Disability Accommodation: It is the policy of Lamar University to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law, and the University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. Remember, this is a distance learning class and the format is different from traditional face-to-face instruction. It is the student’s responsibility to register with Lamar’s The Disability Resource Center (DRC) if needed (email: [email protected]; phone: 409-880-8347; campus address:
Communication Building Room 105). Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me directly during the first week of the course to discuss their specific needs.
Sexual Harassment: In accordance with administrative policy, sexual harassment is reprehensible and will not be tolerated by the University. Behavior in this course must conform to university policy.
Drop: This course adheres to the add/drop standards for each term as stated by Lamar University. It is your responsibility to make sure that you are officially enrolled in this course. If, at any point, you decide to not participate in this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop or withdraw from enrollment. Failure to do so may result in a failing grade. Drops after the course begins may carry financial penalty in that full reimbursement may not be possible.
Incomplete: It is important to note that incompletes are not an optional grade in this course. They are reserved ONLY for extreme emergencies, accidents, catastrophic illness, etc. They are not given because "things got too busy at the end of the semester." (Please see University policy regarding incompletes). Should an emergency arise, plans must be worked out with the instructor prior to the end of the semester. Course Evaluation: Instruction as well as student performance is subject to evaluation. Procedures for evaluation will be provided near the end of this course.
Online Etiquette: Please adhere to the same standards of behavior and professional respect online that you would follow in face-to-face communication with others, but most particularly when writing email and when taking part in the discussion board. To familiarize yourself with the do's and don'ts of online communication, please visit: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/index.html
Time commitment: This is a regular 3-credit graduate course that requires a considerable amount of work, time, and effort from your part. As a guide, for “A” level work, a standard time budget for one intensive graduate level course such as this one could average between 9 to 12 hours PER week, including posting comments on the discussion board, reading required texts, writing course projects/assignments, and reading others’ posts.
Feedback policy: You should freely send your instructor or IA an email and expect a response within 24-48 hours. Your assignments will be graded and returned to you within 7-10 days unless there are
unexpected events that interfere.
Technology : Students are not required to have advanced technology training or skills in order to be successful in the class. They should, however, feel confident about their ability to navigate through typical online websites and their ability to use common word processing software in order to submit written assignments. Failure to submit coursework according to the due dates because of technology difficulties will not be an appropriate excuse. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain appropriate equipment and connection at all times to fully participate in the class. The minimum technical skills and computer/technology requirements for this course:
Computer/Technology Requirements
1. You will need regular access to a computer with a broadband Internet connection. The minimum computer requirements are:
• Recent versions of Firefox or Safari. Please note that Blackboard may not support Internet Explorer or Chrome.
• 512 MB of RAM, 1 GB or more preferred
• Broadband connection (cable modem, DSL, or other high speed) required – courses are heavily video intensive
• Video display capable of high-color 16-bit display – 1024 x 768 or higher resolution • A sound card and speakers or headphones
• Current anti-virus software must be installed and kept up to date.
• You will need some additional free software for enhanced web browsing. Be certain to download the free versions of the software.
o Adobe Reader o Adobe Flash Player
• Most home computers purchased within the last 3-4 years meet or surpass these requirements. 2. At a minimum, you must have Microsoft Office, the standard word processing software 3. Your computer must be compatible with Blackboard. Please see the Blackboard Supported
Browsers and Operating System page to make sure your system will allow you to use all the tools and features available.
Technology Skills Requirements You need to be able to:
• Navigate websites, including downloading and reading files from them.
• Download and install software or plug-ins such as Adobe Reader, Window Media Player or Flash.
• Use e-mail, including attaching and downloading documents/files from e-mail. • Save files in commonly used word processing formats (.doc, .docx, .rtf). • Copy and paste text and other items in computer documents.
• Save and retrieve documents and files on your computer. • Locate information on the Internet using search engines. • Locate information in the library using the online catalog.
Please check your Lamar University email regularly. Password expires every 90 days and you will get notifications about this. If your password expires, you will be locked out of Blackboard. Syllabus Subject to Change
While information and assurances are provided in this course syllabus, it should be understood that content may change in keeping with new research and literature and that events beyond the control of the instructor could occur. Students will be informed of any substantive occurrences that will produce syllabus changes.
Course Schedule
(Page numbers you see below are from the newest editions of the course books. See the Readings area of Blackboard if you are using older editions of the same books)
Learning Outcomes
Readings and Lectures Activities
Week 1 – Literacy for ELLs Literacy and literacies Culturally responsive teaching Multicultural education
Read and/or view materials in “Start Here (Orientation)” section in Blackboard.
Familiarize yourself with the course and the components that we will be using in the course.
Lecture: View the lecture in Week 1. Required Readings:
• Diaz-Rico: Chapter 9 “Culturally responsive schooling.” • Beaumont, J. (2010). A sequence of critical thinking tasks.
Introductions: Getting to know each other & building a learning community Week 1 Discussion Application
Assignment 1 Submit by 11:59 pm on
Facilitating critical thinking
TESOL Journal, 1(4), 427-448. (provided) • Kubota et al. (2000) (provided)
Supplemental Reading (Optional):
McKay, S.L. (1996). Literacy and literacies. In S. McKay & H. Hornberger (Eds.), Sociolinguistics and language teaching, pp. 421-445. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (provided)
Sunday Quiz #1
Week 2 – Integrating language skills: Focus on listening and speaking Integration of language skills Strategies for developing ELLs’ listening and speaking skills
View and read Week 2 lecture Readings:
• Peregoy & Boyle: Chapter 4 (skip pages 154-163) • Diaz-Rico: Chapter 4, p. 70-81
• Brown, D. H. (2007). Teaching listening. In Teaching by Principles. White Plains, NY: Pearson. (Provided) Week 2 Discussion Application Assignment 2 Submit by 11:59 pm on Sunday Quiz 2 Week 3 - Focus on reading
The process of reading
Teaching reading
View and read Week 3 lecture Readings:
• Diaz-Rico: p. 82-92
• Peregoy & Boyle: p. 185-189; 203-212 • Diaz-Rico: p. 92-98
• Peregoy & Boyle: p. 387-397; 404-408
Week 3 Discussion Application Assignment 3 Submit by 11:59 pm on Sunday Quiz 3 Week 4 - Focus on writing
The process of writing
Teaching writing
View and read Week 4 lecture Readings:
• Peregoy & Boyle: pp. 257 - 295, 303 – 308 • Díaz-Rico & Weed: Chapter 4, p. 98 – 105.
• Wilcox, K. (2013). English language learners. In A. Applebee & J. Langer (Eds.), Writing instructions that works: proven methods for middle and high school classrooms (pp. 130-144). Teachers College Record. (provided)
Week 4 Discussion Quiz 4
Week 5 – Parent and community involvement & vocabulary instruction Parent and community involvement in ELLs’ education and school activities Building ELLs’ vocabulary knowledge
View and read Week 5 lecture Readings:
• Diaz-Rico: Chapter 10 “The role of family in schools” • Peregoy & Boyle: p. 191-196
• Levine, L. N., & McCloskey, M. L. (2013). Teaching vocabulary to English learners. In Teaching English language and content in mainstream classes (pp. 144-162). Pearson. (provided)
Week 5 Discussion Final Paper Submit by 11:59 pm on the last day of the course Quiz 5
Important!!!
Students interested in obtaining ESL certification are expected to become familiar with their state standards. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has adopted Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) as the state curriculum for all students. Content area teachers should use these standards to guide instruction. TEA has also adopted language-level descriptors and expectations for ELLs. These
expectations are known as Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) and school districts are required to implement these as an integral part of the curriculum across all content areas. TEKS and ELPS can be accessed here:
ELPS: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074a.html#74.4 TEKS: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter128/index.html
If you do not work in Texas (or do not plan to), it is your responsibility to find the appropriate standards adopted by your state and familiarize yourself with those.
In this course, we won’t be doing much with the content-area standards. We will start working with them in other courses. It is, however, time to start familiarizing yourself with the English language proficiency standards. At this point, pay specific attention to the language-level descriptors listed in them.
Recommended Online Resources
http://www.esl4kids.net/links.html: This is a resource site for teachers of young ELLs. Here you will find lesson plans, games, song lyrics, flashcards, and worksheets you can use in your classroom. The site also includes tips about overseas employment.
http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/teachers/: This site contains “How to” information, including how to find the right book level for your students, how to set up a classroom library, how to find free or low cost books, how to build strong parent-teacher relationships, etc.
http://www.nclrc.org/: After accessing this site, go to the “Teacher’s Corner” area. Here you will find a variety of information regarding teaching languages. There is also a forum you can participate in about language teaching.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/: This is an excellent site where you can find information and practical tips regarding ELL teaching.
http://www.interventioncentral.org/: “The Featured Tools” area of this site allows you to generate: High frequency word lists, behavior rating scales report cards, Math worksheets, reading fluency passages, etc. www.tesol.org: The two prestigious journals about ELL teaching (TESOL Quarterly & TESL Journal) can be accessed here through annual membership.
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/: Check out the “Resources” area for various teaching tips. Recommended Optional Texts
Umstatter, J. (2007). Got grammar? Ready-to-use lessons and activities that make grammar fun. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Folse, K. (2009). Keys to teaching grammar to English language learners. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
(This book suggests techniques for teaching grammar to ESL learners)
Swan, M., & Smith, B. (2001). Learner English. A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems. Cambridge University Press.
(This is an excellent reference that familiarizes you with a variety of problems experienced by ESL students from different linguistic backgrounds)
