Education Course Outcomes

English 486

Part 1: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: READING AND LITERATURE

The teacher candidate should be able to:

  • explain and illustrate a) various theories of reading and b) the basic findings of research on the developmental nature of how we learn to read, including phonemic, morphemic, semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic systems of language and their relationship to the reading process.
  • describe and illustrate the ways in which experience and prior knowledge affect the making of meaning from print on the page and the cognitive processes involved with reading and meaning making.
  • compare and contrast, as well as model, the variety of ways in which readers interact with texts, depending on their purpose for reading
  • illustrate how readers respond to and interpret what they read in a constructive or transactional process
  • identify students’ ease or difficulties in comprehending printed material and describe a range of strategies for helping students improve as readers.
  • defend and explain the need for the use of a range of instructional and informational technologies to support literacy learning
  • model respect for cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity in their own reading
  • discuss, interpret, and evaluate literature written for and about adolescents and young adults including literature
    • by contemporary and traditional authors 
    • by diverse authors (gender, ethnicity, class)
    • in diverse genres, forms, and media 
  • identify and evaluate other sources of literary texts that might further engage students or extend their depth and understanding of the art and craft of literature
  • be active readers/viewers who are able to approach new texts with understanding and sensitivity
  • use their experiences as readers, combined with their knowledge of reading and student development, in illustrating the value of providing scaffolds and “ways in” to literature
  • draw on their own experiences as readers and writers to deepen their understanding of how to help students develop and increasingly complex awareness of how an author’s craft affects their responses to texts.
  • respect how individual students respond to texts and how those personal responses shape their interpretations and evaluations
  • illustrate and describe diverse strategies to help students engage with texts 
  • model the various interpretative stances or relationships possible between reader and text and argue for the need to support students in selecting stances and approaches that fit their own reading circumstances and purposes for reading
  • analyze the factors important in creating a supportive environment that allows students to develop as readers who can make meaning from texts 

Part 2: PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: READING AND LITERATURE  

The teacher candidate should be able to:

  • model diverse reading and response strategies for students, teaching students to respond honestly and thoughtfully to literature and to hone responses through careful analysis, interpretation, judgment, and comparison of texts. 
  • demonstrate accuracy of knowledge about literature and its contexts.
  • make intertextual connections among a range of different texts, across genres, periods, forms,authors, and cultures.
  • use a variety of strategies to guide students in understanding the content and context presented in diverse texts.
  • design active, reading/thinking instruction, including schema activation, purpose setting, comprehension-monitoring, post-reading schema building, vocabulary development, self-monitoring, metacognitive strategies and reflection.

English 487

Students who successfully complete this course should be able to:

  • Write in various personal/professional modes.
  • Study various and sometimes incompatible approaches to teaching writing.
  • Plan and revise their teaching approaches as they teach writing and reflect on their decision-making.
  • Critique other writing teachers’ pedagogical decisions
  • Consider the ways in which various tools, cultures and conditions influence their professional actions.
  • Examine the role of film and other visual media to develop adolescent writing skills.
  • Articulate the components of and compose in both multigenre and multimodal digital forms.
  • Develop a thoughtful philosophy for teaching writing.
  • Create relevant, student-centered mini writing lessons.
  • Grapple with the ways that assessment should inform the teaching of writing.
  • Craft their own stories in multiple genres and forms.
  • Read, interpret, and integrate writing research into their curriculum development
  • Wrestle with the conflicting theories on the teaching of writing.
  • Develop qualitative research tools that illuminate their students’ writing development.
  • Submit a piece of original writing for publication.
  • Consider multiple ways they could effectively incorporate digital tools in their teaching of writing.
  • Submit a proposal to present at a professional writing and/or education conference.
  • Construct a Writers Workshop.
  • Understand the ways to engage adolescents in their writing development.
  • Articulate the role of grammar instruction in the teaching of writing.
  • Take risks as a writer and become a stronger writer as a result.

English 488

Students who successfully complete this course should be able to:

  • design coherent instructional plans that integrate English/language arts
  • select a variety of ELA materials and media that are appropriate to learners in your field classroom
  • use a variety of organizational structures in support of varied instructional goals and diverse learners
  • implement lesson planning with flexibility, creativity, and efficiency
  • create learner-centered environments that respect individuals and engage learners
  • use variety of discussion-based teaching strategies and model effective oral communication
  • design and use multiple forms of student assessments
  • communicate assessment information appropriately to diverse audiences
  • model effective, clear, and concise spoken and written language skills when engaging in all aspects of teaching
  • model diverse reading and response processes for students
  • demonstrate accuracy of knowledge in English/language arts content
  • use variety of strategies to guide students in reading
  • design active, reading/thinking instruction
  • engage in reflective practice based on assessment data
  • articulate your own critical, theoretical perspectives on the subject matter of this course and your own teaching
  • enact those professional dispositions and behaviors expected of you
  • act as a colleague to your peers as they seek to accomplish the same