REED 663: STRATEGIC USE OF MATERIALS Course Overview

1. REED 663: STRATEGIC USE OF MATERIALSCourse Overview Dr. Sharon Pitcher Spitcher@towson.edu When viewing PowerPoints, click on “View Show” under Slide Show on PowerPoint menu so links will be active.

2. In this Course We Create a Third Space Online for Us to Learn Together On-Line Classes: Provide opportunities to learn from different resources (Interactive PowerPoint Presentations, research articles, Internet sites, video clips, discussions, blogs) Blackboard Site: • Materials you can use independently • Interactive PowerPoints • Submitting projects • Opportunities to share Email: • Updates and information (make sure you are checking your Towson email account numerous times during the week) • If you have questions or concerns, I would rather you email me than worry.

3. Blackboard Café Discussion Board • There is a special discussion board on the Blackboard site I call the Café. • This is where you can ask questions (often some of your classmates can answer questions faster than I can), share ideas, share materials, or just chat with your classmates. • During the course I will often put up threads on this discussion board so we can get to know each other and share ideas on current topics. The professor is not the only one who can add a thread on this discussion board. All of you are welcome to add one. I describe this discussion board as a way to go to Starbucks and discuss ideas with friends only you can do it in your own home and have to supply your own coffee.

4. Expected Course Outcomes • Approved by MSDE to meet the requirements of the Materials for Teaching Reading Course • Crucial preparation for Reading Clinic. • Fulfills some of the major IRA Standards for Reading Professionals (See syllabus for list) • Helps you to achieve the College of Education Dispositions

5. This course fits in TU College of Ed Framework as it is an important part of developing reading specialists.

6. ESSENTIAL DISPOSITIONS FOR EDUCATORSTowson University College of Education Commitment to Professional Practice • Respects and models high academic standards, and demonstrates proficiency in academic writing and professional oral presentation. • Demonstrates a repertoire of pedagogical skills that develop all students’ critical and independent thinking, and performance capabilities. • Reflects on practice regularly in order to improve student learning. Caring for the Success and Well-being of All Students • Believes that all students can learn and persists in facilitating their success. • Accepts and demonstrates responsibility for improving learning for all students. • Demonstrates culturally responsive teaching and celebrates cultural differences. Collaboration with Colleagues and Stakeholders • Establishes and contributes to a positive learning climate for all students. • Engages in continual learning and discussion with other professionals. • Seeks expert knowledge in order to improve teaching and learning. • Accepts suggestions and implements changes to improve professional practice. You will see that I will be incorporating assessments throughout the course to make sure that you are working towards these dispositions.

7. On-Line Classes • All materials for an on-line class will be available on the course Blackboard site by 1:00 PM on Wednesdays of each week. • The Weekly Direction Sheet* will list all of the activities for the class and when the activities are due. It is crucial that you make sure you understand the activities for the week so you can put on the Café Discussion Board or email me any questions you may have so put a time on your schedule to check Blackboard every Wednesday afternoon or evening. • Questions about the weekly assignments can be posted on the Café and will be answered on Thursdays. *DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE WEEKEND TO READ THIS BECAUSE THEN YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME TO ASK QUESTIONS.

8. Blog Site • For six classes we will use a blog to respond to the readings. • The blog provides an opportunity to discuss the readings of the week with your classmates. A rubric for how the blog is graded is available under Course Projects on the Blackboard site. The course blog site link is http://spitcher.wordpress.com/ You are welcome to check out the site and read some of the blog responses from past classes so you can see what the activities look like. A link to this site is also provided on the Blackboard site.

9. EMAIL SUPPORT • Do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions about the activities of the week or if you need some extra help doing them. • I check email often on Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday. • I am not always able to check email from Friday to Monday. So if you have a question about work for the week, you need to make a habit of checking the Weekly “Class Direction Sheets” on Wednesdays so I can answer your questions before the weekend. Dr. Pitcher’s Email: spitcher@towson.edu

10. Review of the Syllabus • Extremely important to read over all of it. • This is the professor’s contract with you. This includes the course outcomes, course textbooks, grading system, and online support. Read it carefully and put any questions you may have on the Café.

11. A Little Guide to Reading the Syllabus • The following slides will explain the importance of the parts of the syllabus. • Print the syllabus off the Blackboard site at this point and read the sections as you go through the next couple of slides.

12. Expected Course Outcomes • Are aligned with IRA Standards. • Show the purpose of each of the course projects.

13. Course Texts (p. 2 of Syllabus) • Phonics Text *– You have a choice between From Phonics to Fluency (more early elementary oriented and easier to read) or Words Their Way (more comprehensive explanation of research and includes activities from K to high school, great CD with games and materials that you can individualize). You will need this text by Class 6**. • Comprehension Text* - I am requiring the 2007 edition of Strategies That Work. If you have the older edition, you still need to buy this one. It has so much more in it that we will be using. You will need this text by Class 12**. • Optional Text* - Revisit, Reflect, Retellis a required text for the Reading Clinic courses. This could be very helpful for when you are writing the research paper and doing the instructional project. There will be one optional project using this book in the course. *These can be purchased from the TU Bookstore, On-line at a site of your choice or Intac, Inc. (This is a local professional book seller and he has great prices -301-589-5460 or 495-0254) ** Check Schedule at a Glance on Blackboard under Course Information for dates.

14. Journal readings will be available on the Blackboard site at the E-Reserve link on the Index. • For other journal resources online go to Cook Library on the TU website and choose “Find It, Get It, Use It” on left menu. http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/ For the Research Paper in this course, I will be giving you further directions on how to use the resources of Cook Library Online.

15. Page 3 - 5 Includes important information about: • Disability accommodations • How grades are decided and what each project is worth. • Class participation information • Importance of syllabus and rubrics • Professor’s availability

16. Bibliography • Includes a list of books and materials that were used to design this course. • Also includes reference materials that can used to do your research paper and instructional project

17. Course Projects • A list of course projects with project descriptions and rubrics is on the course Blackboard site under Course Projects on Table of Contents. • What is on the rubric is what I grade. Take time now to read over each of the rubrics carefully so you understand what all the projects will entail. Don’t worry about not knowing how to do the projects at this point. For each project, a PowerPoint explaining the project and examples of past projects are available under Course Documents.

18. Schedule at a Glance • This is available by clicking on the link on the “Schedule at a Glance” on the Table of Contents of the Blackboard site. • Includes an outline of what is learned and required each week. • Can be used to plan ahead for completing projects.

19. More About Projects More directions for the following projects on will be available on the Blackboard site: • Internet Project • Text Set • Research Paper • Instructional Projects Questions about the projects can be posted on the Cafe discussion group.

20. One Topic Ties Three Projects Together Choose a strategy to learn more about.Then use that strategy for your : • Research Paper/Literature Review helps you to learn more about it. • Text Set brings together texts to teach it. You find ten texts to use to teach the strategy. • Instructional Project gives you a chance to try it.

21. Strategy Choice for Projects • The strategy you choose to do the projects on must be a reading strategy that can be taught to students for them to internalize. • The strategy must be approved by the professor (just email ideas). • To get ideas of strategies that could be used, look at the table of contents of the course textbooks. • More direction on how to choose a strategy will be given in future classes.

22. Instructional Project Teacher research study • Decide to try to teach something that you have never done before. • Choose a group of children to work with • Teach using the gradual release of responsibility approach (much more about this during the course) • Document what you do If you are not teaching right now, you can work with any children that are available to you .

23. Blackboard Involvement • Manage Your Own Learning and Completion of the Projects – Schedule at a Glance and Due Dates will help you. • Schedule time after 1 PM on Wednesdays to check the Weekly “Class Direction Sheets”. • Course Documents provide aids to help with all projects and classes. See Blackboard site for more details.

24. Extra Credit Projects See descriptions of choices on Course Projects and Rubrics under Course Information on the Blackboard site. These options give you the opportunity to place all of the resources available to you from this course on an online format. If you can think of another resource to use, you are welcome to suggest it. If you choose not to do one of these projects, you may want to save some of the resources from this course in a binder or on a flash drive. The Internet sites, text sets, instructional projects, PowerPoints, and some of the instructional ideas will be very helpful for you if you are in the Graduate Reading Program when you get to Clinic.

25. This Week • Follow Directions Sheet for Class 1 included on the Blackboard site under Weekly Direction Sheets. • Email your assignment to me. • Enter any questions you may have about the syllabus, projects, on-line classes, etc. on the Café under Discussion Boards on Blackboard. • Introduce yourself to the rest of us following the directions on the “introduce Yourself” link on the Café.

26. I look forward to • Getting to know you in this course. • Helping you in any way I can to learn more about materials to teach reading. • Leading you in this educational experience. Dr. Sharon Pitcher