English 554
Teaching Writing in the Secondary School
Fall 2008
Susan Spangler
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Office: 266 Fenton |
Ph. D., Illinois State University |
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Phone: 673-3862 |
M.A., University of Illinois at Springfield |
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Email: susan.spangler@fredonia.edu |
B. S. English Education, Illinois State University |
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Welcome to English 554! According to the catalogue description, this course involves the “study of and practice in approaches to teaching writing, with emphasis on whole language instruction. Survey of recent research in written composition and its application in the secondary classroom.” This means that we will be doing a lot of reading and discussing of materials that will foster your development as a teacher of writing and language at the secondary level. Website: <http://www.fredonia.edu/faculty/english/spangler/554.html>. Check this for current information about the assignments and schedule.
Class Web Board: www.nicenet.org Class Key: . Use the class key to add yourself to the roster. Go to the Nicenet URL to join the class. Be sure to enter a name and e-mail address. You will use this web board to post your reading responses, check the schedule, and more.
Office hours: In person: M/W 6:00-6:30 p.m. T 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. R 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Please call or email for an appointment if you are unable to meet during this time. Virtual: SusanSpangler1 (AOL Instant Messenger), pretty much anytime my computer is on and I’m available to chat.
Required Texts Dornan, Reade W., Lois Matz Rosen, and Marily Wilson. Within and Beyond the Writing Process in the Secondary English Classroom. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. Gardner, Traci. Designing Writing Assignments. Champaign, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 2008. Soven, Margot Iris. Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools: Theory, Research, and Practice. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Subscription to English Journal –Join the National Council of Teachers of English (only $20 for students), and add English Journal to your membership (only $12.50, I think). You will be able to access archived issues online.
Course Goals
Students in this course are practicing or novice teaching professionals specializing in English at the secondary level. To that end, students will become familiar with theories of literacy learning as well as teaching methods based on those theories. Students will practice the methods they are learning and reflect on their teaching experiences both in and out of class. Students will participate in professional practices by compiling a teaching portfolio, joining professional organizations, designing a writing curriculum, and developing teacher research interests.
Course Requirements
ENGAGEMENT WITH COURSE MATERIAL AND ACTIVITIES. Part of your obligation to this class is to participate vigorously in the ongoing dialogue we will have about teaching writing, whether in group activities, in individual activities, or in class discussions. Engagement includes sharing most of the work that you produce this semester as well as commenting on others' work. If you don't attend class, you can't participate, so I discourage absences unless absolutely necessary, in which case you should notify me prior to your absence and meet with me afterward. Perfect attendance is expected.
WEB BOARD POSTING. An easy way to share your thoughts on the readings and on class discussion is to post your thoughts in a timely manner to the class web board, available at nicenet.org. You will be posting your reading responses on the web board, and you will also respond to others’ writing there.
CLASS PORTFOLIO. Your grade for the class will be based on the completion of a class portfolio. Many of these items will be appropriate additions for your professional teaching portfolio. We’ll discuss these items as well as appropriate assessment of them throughout the semester. Here are things that will go in it, in no particular order:
General Policies In the event of an emergency absence, it is your responsibility to check for any missed assignments. See the office hours above and check with classmates or the web board for work missed. Of course, the information you receive from these sources will be less complete than if you were actually in class. Just avoid the whole mess and be here. You’ll find as an effective teacher that it’s just easier to go to school than to miss, and that attitude should be evident here.
I hate grades. There, I said it. I try to do as little grading as possible, but I DO love reading your writing. Basically, I'll assign a grade for your portfolio, which counts for 100% of your grade, at the end of the semester, but I’ll look at drafts of your work throughout the semester to give you feedback. Any other time you want to talk about your progress in class, come and talk to me. We won't necessarily talk about your grade, but we will talk about what you are learning in class.
Sadly, computers don’t always work the way we want them to. It’s an unfortunate fact of life. You are ultimately responsible for your work, even if the computer fails. Please avoid saying things like, “My disk broke,” “I couldn’t get online,” “I swear I e-mailed it to you” to me. Ways to avoid computer problems include 1) printing everything, 2) backing up on disk/jump drive, at home, in cyberspace.
Which leads me to a long discussion of professionalism. I will expect you to act in a professional manner. Such behavior means, among other things, always doing your best work, remaining positive in the face of adversity, showing integrity in your actions, joining professional organizations, and reflecting on your teaching (sometimes before the fact). A question I’ve always found helpful is this: “Would I do/say this/act this way if my principal/grandmother were standing right here/able to see this?” You should always be able to be proud of your actions as a professional. This includes any public forums in which you choose to represent yourself: Facebook, MySpace, or other venues.
Being a professional also means solely taking responsibility for your actions. While your parents may be an integral part of your personal life, they should not be part of your professional life. That is, they may rejoice with you or grieve with you in your professional successes or disappointments, but they should not take an active role in discussing these events with your colleagues or supervisors.
Acting in a professional manner also means being academically honest (i.e. not plagiarizing anything). The lines are often blurry, but in general, when you adapt a lesson for use, it’s a good idea to acknowledge or cite the source of the lesson or idea. It’s professional courtesy, really. When in doubt of whether or not you are plagiarizing something, either ask me or cite it.
If you are having problems with the class, PLEASE see me. That’s what learning is about, people helping people. I would LOVE to have you visit me during my office hours. You can be sure I will not hesitate to see you if you are having problems. Other sources of help to consider:
Disability Support Services in The Learning Center 673-3270 Counseling Center LoGrasso Hall 673-3424
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