Teaching Literature in the Secondary Schools
This section of English 4800 will ground students in traditional approaches to literature pedagogy while simultaneously focusing on recent waves of reform, reader response, cultural studies, and the impact of the internet. We will use a thematic approach to integrate these approaches as we explore a variety of cultural studies themes in a problem-posing, student-led format.
For over a generation the reader response movement has generated reform in secondary English teaching. Yet, in confronting a wide range of students, content questions, and social and cultural issues, reader response approaches fall short. Potential answers and new directions for English teaching have emerged under the umbrella of "cultural studies." This course contends that the starting point for curriculum and teaching methodology for teaching literature is addressing what literary works are about, what it means as well as how it means, in historical, cultural and social contexts.
In preparation for the visit of nationally recognized scholar Sheridan Blau in April 2009, we will read his thoughtful book on literature instruction, The Literature Workshop enhancing our investagation of close reading, reader response, and discussion leading.
By focusing on difficult and potentially controversial cultural studies curricular themes during the student-led portion of the course, future teachers will gain understanding of issues involved in teaching literature at the secondary level, see Course Goals. You may also want to review the WMU teacher education Program Goals, which are the basis for the evaluation of intern teaching.
Changes in information technology are offering to extend and reshape the teaching of literature. The inherited cultural archive is now available in digital format on-line and with complementary resources that far exceed what is available in textbooks.
Class will be held in a new, wireless, laptop classroom in Brown Hall specifically designed for English education courses. This room will allow us to integrate technology into literature teaching in a "classroom of the future." Our class will be organized by our on-line syllabus that also serves as an electronic, hyperlinked, textbook.
All students will develop and publish their own teaching website, both a portfolio of work and a real-world working site for future teaching. Obtain help for your technology projects at the IT Lab on the Tower Bridge of the second floor of the Computer Center.
A significant portion of the class will be student-led, as we explore the development of response-based, cultural studies literature teaching within the context of NCTE and the State of Michigan standards, content expectations, and model curriculums. Student groups will select topics addressing current and controversial themes such as literature and the Third World, literature and the environment (global warming?), literature and social class, literature and religion, literature and sexuality, literature and sexual orientation, literature and service learning, literature and the mass media, teaching Native American literature, literature and white priviledge, literature and the Middle East, literature and the Iraq War, etc. Expect to spend an additional twenty dollars on books, packets, and reading materials for each of the student-led units -- this reading will be announced throughout the course.
Course discussions will be significantly extended in the class on-line discussion forum on our computer conference. Participation in the electronic conference and in the professional activities are all included as part of class participation. Our "class name" on Nicenet is "4800 Spring 2009" and our "class key" is "9257050460" -- you will need this information to join the discussion.
A substantial website focused on Teaching English Through Technology has been developed to support this class and will provide access to streaming videos, on-line resources, and our own server space. Dr. Webb's website (www.allenwebb.net) is an additional resource for aspiring English teachers.
I have worked with former secondary English students to create an extensive wiki about seeking a job teaching secondary English and I have created a webpage of information for aspiring teachers. Information about the Michigan Teacher Certification test is available on the MTTC website.
As the capstone experience for English Education majors, this course entails an exciting variety of professional activities and responsibilities. Students are expected to attend a professional English teacher's conference, for example the MCTE sponsored "Bright Ideas Conference" in Lansing on April 12 or the Michigan Reading Association Conference in Detroit March 15-17. You should also join NCTE, MCTE, and/or MRA and read regularly the English Journal or Voices from the Middle.
WMU has many resources to foster student health and well being. I support the Safe on Campus environment (387-2123), and I recommend The Last Closet for gay and straight future teachers. If at any point in the semester if you feel stress, English 4800 does offer free on-line therapy from Eliza! (One of the early products of artificial intelligence research.)
My office is 723 Sprau Tower, 387-2605. Office hours are after class and by appointment. You can always reach me via email.
Atwell, Nancie. The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, and Critical Readers (Scholastic, 2007)
Blau, Sheridan. The Literature Workshop: Teaching Texts and Their Readers (Heinemann, 2003)
Carey-Webb, Allen. Literature and Lives: A Response-Based, Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching Literature (NCTE, 2001)
Additional books, packets, and web sites as components in research and group learning (up to $20 per group).
Major Assignments
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Class Participation & Nicenet
(15%) Due: every week, closed on 4/24 Your own Teaching Web Site (15%) Due: 1/15 Discussion Analysis (10%) Due: by 2/10 MI Standards Analysis (10%) Due: 2/3 Student-Led Unit (20% your own unit (includes self-evaluation) & 20% participation in other units) Final Exam (10%) Due: 4/21 |
Planning the Course, Individual and Group Expectations, formation of groups
Jan 7 Thursday: Workshop Classroom Website
Before class:
1. Read carefully through the entire on-line syllabus, including all assignments, and, especially, expectations for the student-led unit. Bring any questions about the syllabus and assignments to class.
2. Look at websites made by students in previous 4800 classes. Be sure you know what each page of a classroom website should contain. Sign up for an account at sites.google.com.
3. Join and respond to the question about introductions (1) on the Nicenet computer conference.4. Look for webresources that you want to link to your site: Study closely web resources for teachers and students. Look at Web Research sites and on-line Literature Resources, including Webquests, BeyondBooks, Literary Worlds, and other sites that support literature scholarship. Seek out webpages and websites that would be useful for your teaching website, including sites for parents and students, using Google and other resources, and create links to those pages. Check out my new book, Literature and the Web: Reading and Responding with New Technologies!
5. Put the Bright Ideas Conference on to your calendar for April 4.
6. Join NCTE and subscribe to the English Journal.
Jan 13 Tuesday: Lesson Planning Resources
1. Read three or more articles from back issues of the English Journal that interest you. You should subscribe to the English Journal (only $12.50 for students!) and you can do so from its home website and view a sample issue. NCTE members can read back issues of the English Journal at the NCTE website on-line using their membership number as a password. Back issues are also in the Sangren Library under the call number PE1.E5. (Between Waldo (all issues before 1980) and Sangren (issues after 1980) we have back issues to 1912 when the English Journal began publication--fascinating reading in the history of secondary English teaching!) You can conduct an ERIC search for articles on specific topics, for example for the unit you will be leading, by setting "English Journal" as the "source."
2. Find three or more secondary English lesson plans available on the web that you consider to be thoughtful and well-crafted. There are many sources for Language Arts lesson plans on the web. Try Read/Write/Think, Outta Ray's Head, Web English Teacher, the Discovery School, New York Times Lesson Plan Archive, Cyberguides, Lesson Plans Page, ERIC, NCTE's Notes Plus (subscribers only), Lesson Planz.com, and, of course, Google!
3. Drawing on at least three on-line lesson plans and three English Journal articles, develop an annotated list of "Teaching Ideas" with at least a paragraph of description and comments about how you might use or modify the idea in your own classroom. Post this on your website page for teacher resources with links as appropriate.
4. Visit Nicenet and respond to questions about websites (2) and the English Journal (3).
Jan 15 Thursday: Presentation of Teaching Web Sites
Jan 20 Tuesday: Leading Discussion
1. Study the following Web Sites: Tips for Leading Discussion, Discussion Groups, Creating Discussion Questions, as well as A System for Analyzing Discussion. After class meeting, observe a discussion and write a discussion analysis as soon as possible, but before 10/7.
2. Visit Nicenet and respond to the question about leading discussion (4).
3. Start reading The Reading Zone by Nancie Atwell
Jan 22 Thursday: Reader's Workshop
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Jan 22, Thursday Teaching About MLK, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement
Sangren Hall 2304, 4-5:30
Jan 27 Tuesday: Cultural Studies Teaching
1. Read: Literature and Lives, Introduction through Chapter Four.
2. Respond on Nicenet item 6.
Jan 29 Thursday: Cultural Studies Teaching Continued
1. Read: finish Literature and Lives, Chapter Five to end
2. Respond again to the Nicenet discussion item 6.
Feb 3 Tuesday: Michigan and National Language Arts Standards
1.Read NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts, the Michigan English Language Arts Content Standards, and the Michigan K-8 standards and write a standards analysis.
2. Study the controversy over the implementation of standards and the Michigan Merit curriculum described at MiEnglishStandards.com. On this site read the Letter to Teachers, and study the Model Curriculums -- download and read through at least one model, 9-12, from the MDE Merit Curriculum site. Signing the petition is, of course, optional!
3. Respond to Nicenet discussion (7) on the standards.
4. Respond to Nicenet discussion (8) on how your student-led group is going.
Feb 5 Thursday: Literature Workshop I
1. Read: The Literature Workshop, Introduction & Chapters 1-3
2. Respond to Nicenet discussion (9)
Feb 10 Tuesday: Literature Workshop II
1. Read: The Literature Workshop, Chapters 4-6
2. Respond to Nicenet discussion (9).
3. Last day to turn in Discussion Analysis.
Feb 12 Thursday: Literature Workshop III
1. Read: The Literature Workshop, Chapters 7-10
2. Respond to Nicenet discussion (9).
3. Respond to Nicenet discussion on the on-going evaluation of the course and my teaching 11).
Student-Led Units
Feb 17 Tuesday Feb 19 Thursday Feb 24 Tuesday Feb 26 Thursday |
Group 1 |
| Feb 2-6 SPRING BREAK | |
Mar 10 Tuesday Mar 12 Thursday March 14-6 Michigan Reading Association Conference, Grand Rapids Mar 16 Tuesday Mar 19 Thursday |
Group 2 |
Mar 24 Tuesday Mar 26 Thursday Mar 31 Tuesday Apr 2 Thursday |
Group 3 |
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Apr 7 Tuesday Apr 9 Thursday Apr 9 Thursday Evening Guest Lecture Dr. Sheridan Blau Apr 10 Friday Morning Workshop with Dr. Sheridan Blau Apr 14 Tuesday Apr 16 Thursday |
Group 4 |
Apr 20-24: Finals Week
Apr 21 Tuesday: 12:30 - 2:30 Take Home Final Exam due
Intern Teaching Panel
At the time set for our final exam, a panel of English 4800 graduates will speak on their experiences with intern teaching. Does 4800 work in the 'real world'? Read on-line: Tips for Intern Teaching and Letter to First-Year Teacher
Examine Other On-line Secondary English Methods Courses
Upcoming Events
Nov 19-24 NCTE National Conference, Philadelphia