LLSS 315*
Educating Linguistically Diverse Students
FALL 2008 | Section 450 | 3cr. hrs. | Rm#: UC-221
Thursdays
Instructor, Dr. Frances Vitali
505.566.3480 (unm) | 505.324.0894
(home) | 505.330.1536 (cell)
Office: #233
Office Hours: One hour before and
after class or by appointment
Email: fvitali@unm.edu
Course Blog at https://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315
Class Collection Webpages at http://fvitali.tripod.com/315f08.html
Mission Statement:
The vision of the
Our mission is the study & practice of
education through teaching, research, & service. We
* address critical education issues;
* test new ideas and approaches to
teaching and learning; and
* educate professionals who can
* facilitate
human growth and development in schools, homes, communities and workplaces;
* prepare
students for participation in a complex and challenging society.
In carrying out our mission, we value
* excellence in all that we do;
* diversity of people and
perspective;
* relationships of service,
accountability, collaboration, and advocacy;
* the discovery, discussion, and
dissemination of ideas; and
* innovation in teaching,
technology, and leadership.
___________________________________________________________________________________
“The stories we tell not only explain things to
others, they explain them to ourselves.”
(Donald Norman)
“A man’s reach must exceed his grasp or what’s
a metaphor?” (Robert
Browning in McLuhan, M. Understanding Media: the extensions of man, 1994, p.
85)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Course Description
This course familiarizes students with history,
theory, practice, culture, politics of second language pedagogy and orality and
literacy. Students will gain an
understanding of effective teaching methods and cultural sensitivity for
working with linguistically diverse students.
Rationale: Most classrooms are comprised of uniquely diverse
learners on all levels, including linguistically and culturally. As educators,
we must learn to be flexible in our thinking, teaching and learning to address,
respect, celebrate, and support the richness and complexity of the children we
teach.
Instructional
Strategies: Students and instructor will engage in the following ongoing
collegial learning interactions: reflective writing; guided reading, reciprocal
learning, reflection/communication blog, authentic learning, individual conferences,
and cooperative and collaborative activities/projects, Literature Circles,
Chautauqua.
Responsibilities (see entry-level Language Arts
competencies expanded below)
- Integrate the New Mexico
State Competencies for Entry-Level Language Arts Teachers into course
content.
- Be professional at all
times – in class and in the field. A. 1(a), 3; B. 2,4; C. 2(c), 4(g)
- Be receptive to feedback,
being reflective while participating in an academic learning community. E.
1(a)(c), 2(b)
- Engage
in collaborating and entering into professional learning opportunities
with educators, students, parents, administrators, support staff working
with linguistically diverse children. D. 3; F. 2(c)(iv)
- Conduct and present
assignments and projects with professional dispositions and ethical manner
sufficiently prepared. G. 1(a),
2(b)(c), 3(a)
- Take ownership of
learning, remembering that learning is fun. If you approach your own
learning motivated intrinsically by your natural curiosity and enthusiasm,
your own students will reflect this quality of learning experience also.
Textbook–Available at SJC
Bookstore
Zainuddin, et.al.
(2007). Fundamentals of
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in K-12 Mainstream Classrooms.
Other Materials:
Online COURSE BLOG at https://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315
Select and secure (via online or bookstore) one of the following books
for Literature Circle Dialogue:
- Mazer, Anne (ed.). Multicultural Streets by
- Carlson, Lori Marie (ed.). Moccasin Thunder: American Indian
Stories for Today, edited by (HarperCollins, 2005). An anthology collection
of short stories about contemporary Native American teenagers.
- Gallo, Donald (ed). Join In: Multiethnic Stories,
Additional
Materials/Resources
·
Additional
Articles may be provided by instructor and students.
Supplemental
Sources:
·
NCREL Educating Teachers for Diversity
(http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/presrvce/pe300.htm)
·
PRIME TIME (http://www.infoway.org/kids/primeTime/primeTime.asp)
·
·
Office of English Language Acquisition (http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/)
·
Storytelling Festival (http://www.storytellingfoundation.net/festival/about-fest.htm)
(Oct. 9-11)
·
IRA NCTE Read/Write/Think/Lessons (http://www.readwritethink.org/)
·
FREE
October 25-Chautauqua Series-J. Rankin-7pm SJC Rms.
#9006-9008 | Oct. 10, 11, 17, 18-7:30pm & Oct. 12-2:30pm Oscar Wilde’s comedy
The Importance of Being Earnest in
SJC Little Theater
·
NM Endowment for the Humanities (NMEH) (http://www.nmhum.org/)
·
NMEH Chautauqua Characters http://nmhum.org/home/
·
Veteran
History Project: The War by Ken
Burns (http://loc.gov/vets/vets-home.html)
·
Veteran
History Project Interview Kit (http://www.loc.gov/vets/kit.html)
·
Prospective
Guests: Laura McClenny, Vickie Bruno, Kristine
Course Learning Invitations and Expectations (Assignments,
projects, activities)
ŕRead course blog regularly as a communication
tool and post reflections when assigned at
https://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315
ŕRead your email regularly for course updates,
reminders and communication in between sessions.
ŕPost reflections on our class blog page at https://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315
as needed.
ŕEach session, we will take turns highlighting the events of the session and posting them to the course blog page under
WEEKLY
SESSION HIGHLIGHTS.
ŕCreate your own webpage including philosophy of
education and diversity on www.tripod.com free webhosting. Your webpage
will house most of your assignments and
reflections.
ŕWork with
class. Participate in a Family Oral History
Collaboration Project with students sharing
along side them in writing
conferences
- writing, editing, reading, and
storytelling culminating in an AUTHOR’S CHAIR presentation for family members,
including book making and anthology collection.
ŕRead, reflect and discuss course text chapter content
and issues with peers and guest visitors.
ŕParticipate in whole, group and individual classroom
activities/projects:
ŕŕ FACILITATE Book Talks
(Literature Circles) in discussing issues and text chapter content.
ŕWriting Group conferences will be regularly held to
share, edit, revise and refine family stories and writing pieces.
ŕParticipate in Midterm & Final conferences.
Midterm and Final Assessments will be posted on your webpages.
ŕMaintain Weekly Practicum Observations of work with
ŕMaintain your webpage regularly updating and posting
consistently in timely manner throughout semester.
Evaluation
Midterm
and final individual conferences will be held.
(INCOMPLETE
GRADES WILL BE CONSIDERED ONLY IN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.)
|
A |
Exemplary completion of all Learning Invitations with adherence to all timelines. Evidence of
significant
development across the five dimensions of learning and course strands. |
|
B |
Satisfactory
completion of all Learning
Invitations. Evidence of acceptable development across the
five dimensions of learning and course strands. |
Attendance Policy
Attendance is required for
each class session. Arrive on time to allow classes to begin (and end) at their
scheduled times. Attendance is a crucial
and considered your professional responsibility. Communication with instructor via email,
phone or in person is considered proper professional and respectful etiquette.
Lateness and leaving early are considered serious interferences with your
progress in this class. Thus, you should come to all classes well prepared to
assume an active and thoughtful role in the scheduled activities by having read
all required readings and completed all class assignments. Attending all
classes is for your benefit to fully experience and appreciate the world of
children's literature. And further more, we will miss you and your
contributions during our time together.
Please rearrange work and
appointment schedules so that you can attend each session.
If you are absent more than two times this
semester, you can be dropped from the course.
“The reporting of absences does not relieve the
student of responsibility for missed assignment, exams, etc. The student is required to take the
initiative in arranging to make up missed work, and it is expected that faculty
will cooperate with the student in reasonable arrangements in this regard” (UNM
Pathfinder).
It is responsible and respectful to contact
instructor or leave message with Dawn in the UNM office if you are going to be
late or absent from class. It is also your responsibility to check in with the
instructor and consult with a class peer after the missed class for all makes
up work.
Silence cell phones out of
respect for all learners.
We will observe
European etiquette of cell phone use (including texting). Cell phones should be
turned off during class to avoid disrupting the flow of communication & learning for
colleagues. Please take care of phone calls before or after class. If you are
expecting a necessary call during seminar, please inform instructor before
session.
Peter Post of the Emily Post Institute and author of The Etiquette Advantage in Business
highlights the tenets of good cell phone etiquette in public settings:
- If your cell may be bothersome
to those around you, do not use it
- Put your cell on
vibrate or turn it off as a courtesy to others
- If you are expecting a
critical phone call, inform instructor prior to seminar
- If your cell phone
does go off, quickly open and close it.
- Above all, in
encouraging an optimum learning environment we all contribute to being
considerate, respectful and honest of ourselves and others.
Source: Wollman, D. (2008).
Expert: cell phone etiquette 101.
Retrieved August 14, 2008. Available at
http://blog.laptopmag.com/expert-cell-phone-etiquette-101
___________________________________________________________________________________
Accommodation Statement
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a
federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights
protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning
environment that provides for a reasonable accommodation of their disabilities.
If you have a disability requiring accommodation, please contact the instructor
as soon as possible to make arrangements.
Plagiarism Statement
Plagiarism is the presentation as original work by a
writer of ideas, words, or thoughts belonging to someone else. You must provide
a reference not indicating the source of any specific words borrowed from
another source. Any project containing incidents of plagiarism will receive no
credit or grade. Plagiarism is a serious offense in any college course and can
lead to failure in that course or expulsion from UNM.
Accreditation Information
The
LLSS 315 FALL 2008
Tentative
Course Schedule
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
Introduction: Culture (Customs, Beliefs, Language), I Am From
Poem & Nacirema
BARNGA- Reflections post to blog at https://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315
Course TEXT: PART I Multicultural Issues
(chapters 1-8)
Vocabulary: negative cultural
diversity, stereotype,sociotyping, assimilation, acculturation, deep &
surface culture, ethnocentrism, high-involvement, high-considerateness,
low-context, high-context cultures, field-dependent, field-independent
learners, RECONCEPTUALIST
DOWNLOAD Course Syllabus from https://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315
(Sept. 4) SJC SMART LAB Computer Lab-Set up webpage sections & Email your
tripod webpage URL to me at fvitali@unm.edu
Create webpages
to maintain throughout semester as your intellectual property
Family Oral
History Collaboration Project Overview
VICKIE BRUNO-Sign Language & Speech Disorders (Sept.
11-October 2)
See Resource: Creating Family
Timelines (http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=870)
Webpage
entries: I AM FROM poem
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
Literature Circle
1. Moccasin
Thunder by Carlson
2. Join
In by Gallo
3. Multicultural
Streets by Mazer
Course TEXT: PART IV Instruction of ESL
Learners (chapters 14-18) -
Vocabulary: Process Writing, Observations,
Language Functions, Anecdotal Observations, SOLOM, Strategies & Skills, Six
Traits
Literature
Circles-Harvey Daniels
Webpage
entries: Practicum observations/reflections, family story
draft
PRACTICUM: Drafts writing group & writing Conferences
VICKIE BRUNO-Sign Language & Speech
Disorders (Sept. 11-October 2)
STORTYTELLING FESTIVAL, Oct. 9-11
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
Literature Circle
1. Moccasin
Thunder by Carlson
2. Join
In by Gallo
3. Multicultural
Streets by Mazer
October 9 Midterm Conferences (complete your written five dimensions and
four strands midterm summary and evaluation and post to your webpage)
TEXT: PART III: Principles & Practices (chapters 12-13) -
Vocabulary: Integrated Language Approaches: Experiential,
Content-Based, Sheltered English, LEA, MI, Five Generic Principles
Webpage
entries: Practicum observations/reflections, family story
draft & final draft
Family
Stories Writing Group Conferences & Six Traits
Evaluations
VICKIE BRUNO-Sign Language & Speech
Disorders (Sept. 11-October 2)
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
Literature Circle
1. Moccasin
Thunder by Carlson
2. Join
In by Gallo
3. Multicultural
Streets by Mazer
TEXT: PART II: Teaching for Communication (chapters 9-11) -
Vocabulary: Acquisition
theories-Behaviorist, Innatist, Interactionist; second language acquisition;
Krashen model; ESOL methods; communicative language teaching principles
Family Oral History Collaboration Project:
Dress Rehearsal AUTHOR’S CHAIR
PRINTING INDIVIDUAL BOOKS & ANTHOLOGY
AUTHOR’S CHAIR Performance for invited parents & family
Web
Page Presentations (Nov. 20)
Final Conferences (complete your written five dimensions and four
strands final summary and evaluation and post to your webpage)
Webpage
entries: Practicum observations/reflections, family story
draft & final draft
Family
Stories Writing Group Conferences & Six Traits
Evaluations
Final
Exam, optional, as needed (Dec. 11)
|
A.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT (1)Teachers
of English language arts shall: demonstrate knowledge that growth in language
maturity is a developmental process. 1(a)
Elementary language teachers shall understand developmental theories and
processes by which children acquire, understand and use language from infancy
through childhood. (3)
will demonstrate knowledge that speaking, reading, writing, listening and
thinking are interrelated. |
Understandings |
|
B.
COMPOSING & ANALYZING
LANGUAGE (2)
Teachers of English language arts shall: understand the importance of rich
oral language experiences in early grades and how those experiences can lead
to writing skills. (4)
All language arts teachers shall understand the importance of learning about
practicing various aspects of composing processes. (prewriting,writing,revising,editing,evaluating)
in order to achieve the knowledge rewuired to teach those processes well. |
Understandings
& Practices |
|
C.
READING & LITERATURE 2(c)
All language arts teachers shall be able to teach students to ask questions
that elicit both oral and written responses at a variety of levels. 4(g)
All language arts teachers shall draw upon literature in many genres from
many historical periods, and of varying degrees of complexity in order to
develop and elicit critical insights from their students. |
Understandings
& Practices |
|
D.
NONPRINT MEDIA (3)
All language arts teachers shall be familiar with aspects of electronic
media-internet, word processing, CD-RPM and other relevant media to be able
to effectively teach through the use of both verbal and visual media. |
Understandings
& Practices |
|
E.
EVALUATION (1)Teachers
of English language arts shall demonstrate knowledge of evaluative techniques
to be used to describe a student’s progress in English. (a)
All language arts teachers shall demonstrate competence in applying a number
of evaluative techniques, including individual conferences, for determining
and reporting student progress. (c)
All language arts teachers shall be proficient at ”student watching” and
other informal ways of describing student progress in all language processes. 2(b)
All language arts teachers shall be able to select the most appropriate
formal and informal ways to assess or evaluate growth in oral and written
language and reading skills. |
Understandings
& Practices |
|
F.
RESEARCH (2)(iv)
All language arts teachers shall that students of diverse cultures interpret
written and oral language in different ways. |
Understandings
& Practices |
|
G.
PEDAGOGY (1)
Teachers of English language arts are able to effectively deliver instruction
using a variety of approaches. (2)
Teachers of English language arts shall understand that the classroom is
composed of students with varied needs such as physical disabilities, learning
disabilities, limited English proficiency, and cultural diversity. (b)
All language arts teachers need to be aware of varied students needs and how
to modify and implement instruction for diverse learners. (c)
All language arts teachers need to be aware of strategies for helping
students be sensitive to and understanding of each other’s learning and
social needs. (3)
Teachers of English language arts shall understand that the educational
process includes families, and the social and economic communities. |
Understandings,
Practices & Professional Identity |
Course Strands and Dimensions of Learning
as correlated with UNM Conceptual Framework (Understanding, Practice, Professional Identity)
Means of interpreting and assessing student
achievement will involve Course Strands
and Dimensions of Learning.
Course Strands
1. communication
2. research/content 3. technology, and 4. collaboration
components describing your development as readers, writers,
storytellers and users of technology.
Five Dimensions of Learning
1. Confidence and
Confidence and independence in your own reading, writing, and thinking
abilities. We see growth and development when learners' confidence and
independence become coordinated with their actual abilities and skills, content
knowledge, use of experience, and reflectiveness about their own learning. The
overconfident student learns to ask for help when facing an obstacle; the shy
student begins to trust her own abilities and begins to work alone at times, or
to insist on presenting her own point of view in discussion. In both cases,
students develop along the dimension of confidence and independence.
2. Skills and Strategies (Practice)
Specific skills and strategies involved in composing and communicating
effectively, from concept to organization to polishing grammar and correctness,
and including technological skills for computer communication and adherence to
APA style. Skills and strategies represent the "know-how" aspect of
learning. When we speak of "performance" or "mastery," we
generally mean that learners have developed skills and strategies to function
successfully in certain situations. In this course, it will be communicating as
practicum educators in wrapping your own ideas and questions around what educating linguistically diverse children means and how as professionals
we can meet their diverse needs of the students with whom you are working.
3. Knowledge Content (Understanding)
Knowledge content refer to the "content" knowledge you gained about
this course, your experiences, and communication technologies for expression.
Knowledge and understanding is the most familiar dimension, focusing on the
"know-what" aspect of learning. What do I know about this content and
how can I extend my learning on different levels? What have I learned about
nurturing diverse learners?
4. Use of Prior and Emerging Experience (Understanding)
The use of prior and emerging experience involves the ability to draw on your
own experience and connect it to your work. A crucial but often unrecognized
dimension of learning is the ability to make use of prior experience as well as
emerging experience in new situations. It is necessary to observe learners over
a period of time while they engage in a variety of activities in order to
account for the development of this important capability, which is at the heart
of creative thinking and its application. In focusing, reflecting and designing
our own research proposal and agenda, our prior experience might be tapped to
help scaffold new understandings, or consider how ongoing experience shapes the
content knowledge or skills and strategies we are developing.
5. Critical Reflection (Understanding, Practice, Professional
Identity)
Reflection refers to your developing awareness of our own learning process, as
well as more analytical approaches to reading, writing, and communication. When
we speak of reflection as a crucial component of learning, we are not using the
term in its commonsense meaning of reverie or abstract introspection. We are
referring to the development of your ability to step back and consider a
situation critically and analytically, with growing insight into your own
learning processes as a kind of metacognition. Have I explored my own personal
biases and prejudices, aware of cultural stereotypes and cultural and
linguistic sensitivities?
It is important that you are made aware of the course strands
and the five dimensions of learning because the ownership of your learning in
relation to this course content is a focus of your assessment and evaluation.
This evaluative process provides a framework with which you can evaluate your
own growth. As learners, you are measuring your own learning given the strands
and dimensions, considering them in relation to your prior learning. In
assessing your progress, you will provide a midterm and final reflection which
will be posted on your webpage. See Guideline below:
LLSS 315/593 EVALUATION & ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE
PROVIDE WRITTEN MIDTERM & FINAL
SUMMARIES AND EVALUATIONS at Individual CONFERENCES as well as downloading to
your webpage.
______________________________________________________________
Due
October 9 – post to your webpage
Midterm Summary
Summary interpretation of observations and evidence
in terms of the four major strands of work and the five dimensions of learning.
1.
Four major
strands of work: communication, research, technology, and
collaboration
2.
Five
dimensions of learning:
- confidence and independence
- knowledge content
- skills and strategies
- use of prior and emerging experience
- reflectiveness (critical awareness)
Midterm
evaluation
- Estimated evaluation in terms of grade
- Suggestions for your own further development
during remainder of semester
- Suggestions for class activities or for the
professor to better support learning
________________________________________________
Due Dec. 4 – post to
your webpage
Final Summary
Summary
interpretation of observations and evidence covering the whole semester in
terms of the four major strands of work and the five dimensions of learning. Be
sure to connect your interpretations with specific examples included in the
observations and samples of work.
1.
Four major
strands of work: communication,
research, technology, and collaboration
2.
Five
dimensions of learning:
- confidence and independence
- knowledge content
- skills and strategies
- use of prior and emerging experience
- reflectiveness (critical awareness)
Final
evaluation
- Reflections on semester's learning experience
- Any suggestions for the professor for future
classes
- Estimated evaluation in terms of grade