Syllabus

Learning Through Teaching Syllabus
Salem, NH ( 3) Spring 2008
Tomasen M. Carey

Required Text: Comprehension Connections by Tanny McGregor
Class Dates and Topics:

January 8th: Histories and Metacognition. Who are we as readers and writers? How does that impact our teaching of reading and writing? What does reading feel like?
Model Bio Book Bag.
Assignment:
· Read article on Bio Book Bags and Chapters 1 and 2.
· Create your own bio book bag to share.
· Bring a book or something you are currently reading to our next class.
Classroom Invitation:
1. Using a digital camera, take a picture of what reading “feels” like. Write a sentence to go along with each photo. Post them outside your classroom.
2. Take your students on a “Board Walk”
3. Draw a sketch of a reader and write about your sketch. What does a reading look like? Sound like? Feel like?

February 5th: Reader’s Workshop and Schema
What is a Reader’s Workshop?
Model Schema using Roxaboxen in workshop setting
Share Bio Book Bags
Discuss Classroom Invitations
Assignment:
· Read Chapter 3 in Comprehension Connections.
Classroom Invitations:
1. Do a think aloud on schema using the book Roxaboxen in a workshop setting. Record the connections of your students in the hallway illustrating how one connection leads to another. Watch the connections grow throughout the school! (Put connections on “rocks” building a rock wall of connections.)
2. Go on a board walk with or without Post It’s.

March 5th: More Metacognition: Discuss readings and Readers’ Workshop…how did it go? Discuss the use of Roxaboxen and your think aloud.
Use Graphic organizer from book.
Demonstrate using paint chips to “monitor” your reading.
Assignment:
· Read Chapter 5 (and possibly another article from me)
Classroom Invitations:
1. Try one of the ideas from the reading with your students. Invite me in to come and observe!
2. Model Bio Book Bags with your students. Let them create their own bio book bags.


April 2nd: Questioning in a Reader’s Workshop Format…
Identify the types of questions.
Model Think Aloud using The Three Questions.
Assignment:
· Read Chapter 4 in Comprehension Connections.
Classroom Invitation:
1. Model a think aloud on questioning with the book, The Three Questions or another book of your choosing using a Workshop format. Post your questions about this book out in the hall.
2. Take your students on another “Board Walk”
3. Try something from our reading and invite me in to observe!

April 23rd: More Questioning and a bit of Inferring:
Annotating text at all levels
Looking at and using non-fiction with our students.
Go over and model final reflection
Assignment:
· Read article by Cris Tovani
· Write Final Reflective piece using a metaphor.
Classroom Invitations:
· Model the annotating of text with your students. Be sure to choose a short text that is copied so that they can write on it. Also try to find a text that is non-fiction and is related to something else you are doing in your classroom (science, social studies, math etc.)
· Be sure to debrief with your students about this process and their thoughts and reflections on it.



May 7th: A day of Reflection and Celebration!!
Now that we have spent the semester thinking about reading and trying Tanny’s ways in to strategy instruction take some time to reflect on what reading is like for you. Write a reflection comparing reading to an object or an idea. Take the metaphor as far as you can pointing out things you know about reading, yourself as a reader and how that looks or feels in your classroom. We will read these final papers aloud on this final class. Be prepared for our class to run late on this day!!

Course Requirements: These requirements will be evaluated to determine final grades.
· Regular attendance and participation at group meetings, having all of the assigned reading completed and ready to discuss it in detail. (40%)
· Classroom Invitations (30%)
· Weekly blog entries on (http://thinkingitthroughsalem3.blogspot.com/) 20%
· One visitation in your school or within your district of a colleague. I will ask that you post your observation on our blog. There will be a special section on the blog specifically for visitations. (10%)

How do I get onto the blog?

Go to the address http://thinkingitthroughsalem3.blogspot.com/
To “comment” look at the bottom of each post and click on the “comment” link. This will take you to a page where you can post your thoughts and ideas and reactions.

When there you need to create a Google account.
To create a Google account click on the link that says, “Create Google account.” And follow the steps provided.

If you already have one then you will be able to use that one.
Type in your Google address and password.
Write down your comments in the box and then push the publish post button at the bottom.
Your post will appear on the left-hand side.

REMEMBER…these are meant to be quick writes…not major works of art! It is a place for us to continue our conversations out of class! They should not take you more than 15 minutes!! We will start out slowly and be sure that everyone is getting on the blog and go from there. The syllabus says weekly entries, but that will change based on the needs of the group.

Be patient. It may take some time but you will find it is worth it!!

If you ever have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at tomasen@comcast.net or you can call me at 772-4351. Here is to a great semester together.