Instructors: Dr.

Katie Brooks

Course Description:
The purpose of this course is not to teach you how to teach your students to read. Rather, this
course is designed to help you begin to become accountable to your future students by ensuring
their comprehension of the material in your content area. Field experience is required and is
conducted off campus. The focus of the course will be the practical application of the following
objectives for the intellectual and social development of students age 11-19:

College of Education Objectives: Students will be able:

1. To articulate an understanding of why content specific reading strategy instruction is
important at the middle/secondary level (Standard 7)

2. To practice strategies and methods designed to enhance students learning in content
area classes through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. (Standard 7, 2)

3. To utilize and articulate choice of appropriate instructional strategies for
differentiating and evaluating reading and writing tasks and instruction to meet the needs
of all learners, especially those with special considerations. (Standard 1, 2, 3)

4. To plan, implement and reflect on content area lessons that include literacy learning
components designed to help students better comprehend text while recognizing how
curriculum is developed, how ideology influences curriculum and how different
models/designs influence instructional choices. (Standard 3, 4)

5. To identify and value the role that all personnel play in the development of young
adolescents in support of their learning. (Standard 6)

6. To identify support resources, persons, structures, and systems of the importance in
the community that impact the education of young adolescents and to identify resource
persons, structures and systems within communities and schools that should serve as
support to students but can unintentionally marginalize students. (Standard 6)

7. To connect knowledge of YA development and their changing relationships to family
and community to instructional choices while also recognizing diversity of the family
and community backgrounds as an educational asset. (Standard 1, 5)

Essential Questions:
What do professional organizations and school districts expect in terms of content literacy
instruction for secondary teachers?
Where does reading break down for struggling readers?
What is backwards lesson design? Why is it important?
How do I connect student assessment data, standards, and instruction?
What can I do to support all students in understanding my lessons?
How does content literacy fit into lesson planning?

Required Texts:
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2007). Improving adolescent literacy: Content area strategies at
work (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Additional texts will be available through Dropbox

Disposition Related Policies and Expectations: The College of Education assesses teaching
dispositions. There is no point value placed on these, but failure to demonstrate competence in
these areas can affect your progress in the program. Our goal is not to change your disposition
but to make clear and transparent our expectations for the caliber of teachers we graduate from
our program.

Our work in schools as teachers is so important. We must give the work our full attention.
Appreciation for the Knowledge and Skill in our Profession, Appropriate Engagement with the
Teaching, Learning and Mentoring Process and Appreciation for the Diversity of Learners are
dispositions key to your success in this class. This courses curricular scope and sequence are
important to the programs goals and your own personal clarity and understanding. As the
instructors of this course, we want neither to push you further into the program if you arent
committed to teaching, nor to push you out of the college if you are earnestly and honestly
searching for the right career path. However, we will raise and address dispositional issues. We
are fully committed to our Colleges vision, to you as a member of our College, and to your
future students.

Attendance Policy: This course is designed to help you develop the necessary skills and
knowledge to work in a field you have chosen. Attendance is expected and required. Absences
and lateness will affect your disposition assessment and course grade. Absence from field
experience may result in a withdrawal from the class. If you miss more than one class session,
your grade for the semester will be lower by a letter grade for each additional absence.

Course Assignments: The assignments in this course are designed to help you see educational
and learning theories in practical application in a real teaching context. They are designed to
help you gather evidence of progress toward meeting the professional Educator Standards.
Assignments must be turned in on time. Failure to do so will affect your disposition assessment.
There is an expectation that you master the material. You will be expected to revise assignments
that dont meet that expectation. If you dont master the material now, your students will be
the ones who pay for it when you are a teacher. It is our responsibility to make sure your
students get the best teacher possible.

Assignments:

Content Area Literacy Rationale 20%
Student Background and Assessment Assignment 40%
2 Formal Lesson Plans & Lesson Plan Reflections 30%
Electronic Portfolio: (continued from ED 227) 10%

Grading G
A 93-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79
A- 90-92 B 83-86 C 73-76
B- 80-82 C- Requires retaking course.

Educator Standards: Middle and Secondary Teachers
You can find the complete listing under the REPA Teacher Standards www.doe.in.gov

Standard 1: Student Development and Diversity
Middle school teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student development
and diversity and demonstrate the ability to provide instruction that is responsive to student
differences and that promotes development and learning for all students.

Standard 2: Learning Process
Middle school teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of learning processes and
demonstrate the ability to facilitate student achievement.

Standard 3: Instructional Planning and Delivery
Middle school teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of instructional planning
and delivery and demonstrate the ability to plan and deliver standards-based, data-driven
differentiated instruction that engages students, makes effective use of contemporary tools and
technologies, and helps all students achieve learning goals.

Standard 4: Assessment
Middle school teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of assessment principles
and practices and demonstrate the ability to use assessment to monitor student progress and to
use data to guide instructional decision-making.

Standard 5: Learning Environment
Middle school teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student learning
environments and demonstrate the ability to establish positive, productive, well-managed, and
safe learning environments for all students.

Standard 6: The Professional Environment
Middle school teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of professional
environments and expectations and demonstrate the ability to collaborate with others to improve
student learning, to engage in continuous professional growth and self reflection, and to adhere
to legal and ethical requirements of the profession.

Standard 7: Reading Instruction
Middle school teachers have a broad and comprehensive understanding of content-area and
disciplinary literacy skills, and demonstrate the ability to plan and deliver integrated content-area
reading instruction that is based on student learning students, student literacy needs and strengths
as reflected in ongoing student data, and scientifically based reading research.