Educ 5271 Advanced Practices For Teaching Elementary And Middle School Literacy

EDUC 5271: Advanced Practices for Teaching Elementary and Middle School Literacy

Course Description:

This course covers the cognitive foundations and curricular implications for the teaching of reading and language arts in elementary grades with an emphasis on understanding the theoretical and research bases for classroom practice. The theory and practice of writing and its development are explored, and the racial, social, cultural, and linguistic implications for the development of literacy are examined. The specific genres of children’s literature are discussed, and the increasing role of technology in mediating literacy is considered.

Required Textbook and Materials:

The main required textbooks for this course are listed below, and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course’s General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

This course does not contain a main textbook; resources to all required reading will be provided in the course Learning Guide for each week.
To access the LIRN resources you must log in to Moodle and access the Library and Information Resource Network (LIRN) located under the Resources link on the Home page. Click on the Alphabetical View tab at the top of the page and scroll down to the database where the resource is located (eBook Central, ERIC, Gale, etc). Copy and paste the title of the resource into the search bar. A link to the resource will appear. If you have any problems please contact [email protected].

Software Requirements/Installation:

No special requirements.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Analyze the theoretical and research bases for classroom practice in teaching reading and language arts.
2. Explore the racial, social, cultural and linguistic implications for literacy development in education.
3. Investigate and analyzes the different genres of children’s literature in an elementary and middle school environment.
4. Assess the role of technology in mediating literacy to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom.

Course Schedule and Topics:

This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week.

Week 1: Unit 1 – Cognitive Foundations and Curricular Implications of Teaching Reading and Language Arts

Week 2: Unit 2 – Theoretical Perspectives and Technology: the New Literacies

Week 3: Unit 3 – Teaching Reading, Part I

Week 4: Unit 4 – Selecting Children’s Literature: grades K-8th

Week 5: Unit 5 – Teaching Reading, Part II: Teaching in the Digital Age

Week 6: Unit 6 – Teaching Writing, Part I: Story Making

Week 7: Unit 7 – Teaching Writing, Part II: Poetry

Week 8: Unit 8 – Reading Strategies