GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION/DIVISION OF EDUCATION

COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE TITLE:                  Teaching Writing in the Classroom

COURSE NUMBER:            EDUC 719

CREDIT HOURS:                 3

INSTRUCTOR:                     Glenna L. Howell, Ph.D.

                                     g-howell@govst.edu       708-534-4371           G-320

TRIMESTER:                     Winter 2001

Catalog Description

            Assists classroom teachers in developing a year-long written composition program for elementary or secondary students.  Leads students from prewriting experiences to finished compositions, stories, and reports.  Applies current theory and research in writing to classroom processes through which students acquire writing skills.

Prerequisites

            At least one undergraduate course in language arts or methods of language arts; graduate standing.

Restrictions

            Previous or current teaching experience preferred.

Rationale

            Numerous national studies, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress reports, have reported that students in most American classrooms are unable to express themselves in clear written language.  At a time of growing concern for the quality of student writing in our schools, classroom teachers need to develop effective methods for teaching written composition skills.  Reviews of professional literature highlight a growing body of research related to written composition.  The work of various state and local writing projects--the Bay Area Writing Project, for example--demonstrates that classroom teachers can become more effective as language arts instructors if they are made aware of current research and receive opportunities to participate in direct writing experiences.  This blending of research and practice provides a sound base from which teachers can develop strategies and activities that promote student writing competence.

Textbook

Calkins, L. M. (1994).  The art of teaching writing (2nd ed.).  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.

Objectives

          As a result of participating in this course, the student will

1.       engage in a variety  writing techniques and formats typically used in the K-12 classroom;                            

          2.       describe environmental, developmental, and process factors related to writing;

3.       analyze issues in writing development for narrative, expository, and personal writing;

          4.       discuss and participate in peer conferencing and writing across the curriculum;

          5.       evaluate meaning, editing, and grading techniques of writing.

Literacy Requirement

            All written assignments are to be in edited American English and free of distracting errors in grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.  Multiple, distracting errors will result in the grade for the assignment being lowered one full letter grade (e.g., A- to B-).

            All written assignments must be typed or word processed in a professional manner and observe the editorial conventions of the American Psychological Association.

Attendance and Make-up Policies

            Class attendance is mandatory.  In-class, collaborative learning activities have been scheduled throughout the course; therefore, any absence from class will adversely affect the student’s grade for the course.  No opportunities will be provided for the student to make up class activities missed during an absence.

            All assignments and projects are due at the beginning of the period designated in the “Reading and Assignment Schedule” section of this document.  Grades for work submitted after that time will be reduced by one letter grade for every calendar day it is past due.

Grading

         Course grades will be determined on the following basis:

          Writing Profile                           10%

          Participation                             10%

Writing Journal (42 entries)          15%

                        OR

          English 3200

          Memoir                                    15%

 Poetry                                    15%

 Literary Nonfiction                     15%

 Instructional Writing Project        20%

                                                       100%

Writing Profile

            This reflective, three-to-five-page paper will be a first-person account of your own attitudes about and experiences with the writing process and writing instruction.  Refer to Calkins and class discussion for additional description of this requirement.

Writing Instructional Project

            You will develop for submission to your professor and sharing with your classmates (during the Curriculum Fair) a writing instructional project for a specific grade level.  Your project should include the following:  Description of the Project, Rationale for the Project, Sequence of Instruction (Objectives and Activities for each session), and Evaluation of Learning.  All materials necessary for implementation of your project are also to be developed and submitted/shared.

Reading and Assignment Schedule

January 10                    Introduction and Overview

                                   Teacher as Role Model Philosophy

January 17                    Calkins, Chapter 24:”Making Memoir Out of Pieces of Our Lives”

                                   Writing Profile Due

January 24                    Calkins, Chapter 1:  “Making Meaning on the Page and in Our Lives”

                                   Writing Workshop (First Draft of Memoir Due)

January 31                    Calkins, Chapters 2:  “Tap the Energy for Writing”; Chapter 3:

                                   “Rehearsal:  Living the Writerly Life”; Chapter 4:  “Drafting

                                   and Revision:  Letting Our Words Surprise and Instruct Us”

February 7                   Calkins, Chapter 7:  “Growing Up Writing” OR Chapter 10:

                                  “Teaching Adolescents”

                                   Memoir Due

February 14                Calkins, Chapter 22:  “Genre Study”

February 21                 Calkins, Chapter 23:  “Poetry:  It Begins in Delight and Ends in Wisdom”

February 28                 Writing Workshop (First Draft of Poem Due)

March 7                      

March 14                     Calkins, Chapter 26:  “Theme Studies”

                                 Poem Due

March 21                     Calkins, Chapter 25:  “Literary Nonfiction”

March 28                     Writing Workshop (First Draft of Literary Nonfiction Due)

April 4

April 14                        Literary Nonfiction Due

April 11                        Curriculum Fair:  Instructional Writing Projects Due

April 18                       

April 25                        Writing Journal  OR  English 3200 Due

                                           Evaluation

NOTE:  This schedule is subject to change.