Program requirements

Prerequisites (if any):

Catalog Description:

Teachers will critically examine major instructional strategies for teaching writing. Covers these topics: the intertwining roles of talk and reading in writing development, writing in and across disciplines, assessment, and uses of technology in writing 5-12 classrooms. (3 credits)

Extended Description:

[in preparation]

Readings

(Note: these are suggested texts—actual readings in this course will be listed in the current course outline)

Themes/Content

1. Theoretical and Historical Perspectives on the Teaching of Writing

2. Writing Workshop: Purpose, Audience, Genre

• prewriting

• drafting

• revising

• editing (spelling and grammar)

• mini lessons

3. Writing in the Disciplines/Writing to Learn

• Writing and learning

• Writing and disciplinary knowledge

  • genre

  • vocabulary

4. Assessment/Writing Development: Informal and Formal

   A. Informal

• Rubric Development  

• Portfolio Assessment

   B. Formal

• New York State Standards Assessment

• C. Key in on struggling writers’ instructional needs

5. Culture and Instructional Settings

6. Writing with New Technologies

[This section is in preparation]

Assignments

1. Journal entry

2. Conduct a writing workshop with at least one adolescent over 5 one-hour sessions.The workshop should explore social studies or science content and writing should involve a DBQ or science response to meet NYS standards in these disciplines. Or, examine writing from videotapes of a science or social studies classroom. In either case, include the following:

• 5 hours of workshop or video tapes

• writing to learn tools

• rearticulation of tools into new form/genre

• develop rubric that is NYS standards-based in the content area

• Write a reflective essay (focusing questions provided in syllabus)

• (This assignment is REQUIRED)

  *If a student is non-degree and an ELA teacher, he/she may substitute an ELA workshop.

  1. Writing workshop. (The writing workshop is a cross-listed REQUIRED assignment.)

   

  2. Examination of and Standards and Tests across one discipline (Social Studies, Science, Language Arts), at grades 5, 8, and high school. Develop a feature matrix for each grade. (REQUIRED AS OF 2005)

  3. Journal entry: Vocabulary in content areas

   

   

  1.Develop a rubric to go along with writing in Workshop. (REQUIRED)

  2. Journal entry re portfolios

  3. Assess writing from workshop, using Standards. (REQUIRED)

  4. Cross-listed assignment: feature matrix, comparing standards and tests in one discipline (Science, Soc. Studs, ELA) in grades 5, 8, and high school. (REQUIRED)

  (In-class examination of writing samples and issues.)

  1.Journal entry (REQUIRED)

   2.(#Question #10 on Workshop Reflective 

• Essay—in syllabus)

  1.Using either imovie or Power Point, compose a presentation or movie that includes (at minimum):

  1. Scanning

  2. Transitions

  3. Fonts, signs, color (semiotic codes)

  4. Final product

  Reflection, commenting on how all the above influenced one’s composing process.  (REQUIRED)

[This section is in preparation]

Baines, L., & Kunkel, A. (2003). Teaching adolescents to write: The unsubtle art of naked teaching. Boston: Longman.

Burke, J. (2003). Writing tools, tips, and techniques: Reminders. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Fulwiler, T. (1987). Teaching with writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Hillocks. (19xx).