Curriculum Constructs and Assessment: Secondary English/Language Arts
This course explores the application of basic instructional methods to the content area of English/language arts in middle level and high school settings. Participants identify the educational needs of middle level and secondary students by exploring current instructional theory, models, and strategies; state, local, and national standards as they relate to instruction, assessment, and accountability; and social issues that impact reading, listening, speaking, and writing in the classroom. The course also helps prospective educators develop skills in selecting and adapting delivery methods and behavior management plans for diverse individual students and student populations.
Topics and Objectives
State Standards, Assessment, and Accountability
- Understand the progression of K-12 state standards in English and language arts.
- Identify the state-approved assessment tools and the academic areas they measure.
- Locate and examine the course outlines for local education agencies (districts).
- Define the state's method for reporting student achievement.
- Examine the implications of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
Envisioning the English/Language Arts Professional
- Describe the role and function of an English/language arts professional.
Lesson Planning and Assessment
- Utilize state and national standards to create lesson plans and develop units of study.
- Analyze the elements of an effective lesson plan that integrates assessment strategies.
Factors that Impact English/Language Arts Instruction
- Define the developmental differences between middle and secondary level students and how this impacts lesson design and instructional strategies.
- Identify strategies for promoting positive learning environments in English/language arts classrooms.
- Analyze instructional strategies that meet the learning needs of diverse students.
Teaching Reading
- Examine strategies for building students' comprehension and vocabulary skills in reading.
- Develop strategies for helping students become reflective readers.
Teaching Literature
- Utilize state standards to define the skills students must develop to critically read and respond to a variety of texts.
- Develop strategies for expanding student literacy through the study of a wide variety of genre.
Media and Technology in the English/Language Arts Classroom
- Develop strategies for establishing critical reading skills for various mediums.
- Analyze the role of technology in English/language arts instruction.
- Analyze the influence of visual and print media in our society and its impact on learning.
Teaching Writing
- Define the developmental stages of writing.
- Analyze the elements of an effective writing workshop and adapt those elements to meet student needs.
- Analyze the use of rubrics in teaching and evaluating writing.
Oral Language and Speech
- Analyze the components of an effective speech.
- Create a rubric for evaluating speeches.
