Field I Experience: English in the Middle Grades

Catalog description

This course is designed to equip teacher candidates to understand theoretical and research-based foundations of middle grades ELA classroom instruction. Using young adult literature as a tool for understanding adolescent experiences and literacy development, teacher candidates will learn the intricacies of text selection and strategies for facilitating discussions and supporting adolescents in developing presentation strategies. They will also learn how to incorporate technology to encourage higher-order thinking, how to align curriculum to instructional standards, and how to use middle grades literature strategically within a traditional curriculum. Through an integrated field experience at a local middle school, candidates will learn about the complex processes of planning discipline-specific literacy instruction, engaging students in learning, and assessing student learning. Candidates will further develop understanding and practices related to the topics of academic language, disciplinary literacy, teacher performance assessment, text complexity, and conflict resolution. A multi-day, consistent schedule in the field experience classroom will be established by the course instructor in consultation with the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher. Prerequisites: ENG 110 ; at least one 200-level English course; concurrent enrollment in ENG 351 ; admission to teacher education. Consent of department. Offered Fall, Spring.