Georgia State University, Course Syllabus, EDRD 7650:
Individualized Assessment and Instruction for At-risk Readers
Required Texts
Gillet, J.W., & Temple, C. (1994). Understanding reading problems: Assessment and instruction (4th ed.). New York: HarperCollins.
Johns, J. (1997). Basic reading inventory: Pre-primer through grade 12. New York: Kendall Hunt.
Supplemental Texts
Rhodes, L.K., & Shanklin, N.L. (1993). Windows into literacy. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Rhodes, L.K. (Ed.). (1993). Literacy assessment: A handbook of instruments. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Articles from the following journals will also be instrumental in the development of the literacy profiles compiled for this course: The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, In the Middle, Journal of Literacy Research, Reading and Writing Quarterly, Reading Online, Reading Research Quarterly, and Research in the Teaching of English.
Description of Course in Course Catalog
Introduces students to assessment and instruction techniques used for working with individuals experiencing difficulties with reading. Students examine factors influencing reading abilities and utilize case study approaches to evaluate students’ literacy processes.
Unit Theme and Program Theme
The goals, content, and organization of this course are intended to support the program theme, “Teacher as Reflective Practitioner and Continual Learner,” as well as the College of Education’s theme, “Creating Effective Contexts for Learning.”
Course Objectives
This course addresses theory, research, and pedagogy associated with the assessment and instructional practices used with individuals experiencing difficulty in reading. The following competencies will be addressed through this course:
(Competencies drawn from Standards for Reading Professionals, developed by the IRA Professional Standards and Ethics Committee and the IRA Advisory Group to NCATE, 1992.)
In order to underscore this department’s emphasis on preparing reflective professionals who respond to society’s needs, I choose also to highlight the following competencies which will be developed and demonstrated through the activities/readings associated with this course:
This course is one step in your preparation as a reading professional. It has been designed in light of guidelines and recommendations from our university, from the Professional Standards Commission in the State of Georgia, and from national professional organizations such as NCATE and IRA. Georgia State University’s Professional Education faculty has developed a set of assumptions for the preparation of educators.... Consistent with these assumptions, I recognize that your learning should be an active process and that my scaffolding of your learning should be based on my ongoing assessment of your differences as learners and your individual needs. Although this course has minimal in-person on-campus contact, I will maintain careful monitoring of your progress and will support your understanding of the content through a variety of strategies (including online chats, posting of bulletin board messages to clarify concepts, dissemination of supplemental materials, development of support groups, and individual e-mail messages containing ongoing personalized feedback on your progress). The course is also carefully structured to ensure not only that you develop an awareness of content and pedagogical knowledge but that you are also able to apply those understandings to work in field situations with struggling readers. Consistent with IRA calls for a supervised field-experience for reading professionals, your work will be carefully monitored through the evaluation of your applications in the field and through examination of audio- and videotapes documenting your experiences. To assure your awareness of how you can ensure that struggling readers develop competencies address by our state’s Quality Core Curriculum, you will also refer to this document as you make instructional recommendations for at-risk readers.
Course Overview
This online course is designed as a sequence of 14 modules. Each module contains the following:
The course is designed to be completed online, at your own pace. I will, however, provide support through regular office hours, online office hours, weekly chats, and mid-semester and end-of-semester in-person meetings. In addition, support groups will be organized to encourage interaction among participants.
Online office hours: Each week from 4:30 to 5:30 I will be in the Chatroom.... You can come into this room, come by my office at GSU, or call me at GSU.... You can always use the WebCT mail to ask me questions — but if you like to talk to a person, feel free to enter the chat room, call, or come by. This is the time to address questions regarding technology or upcoming assignments.
Chats: I will be online each week from 5:30 to 6:15 in the course chatroom. The focus of each “Chat with Dr. Many” can be found on the course syllabus. Online participation in these chats is entirely optional. Transcripts of the chats will be posted on the bulletin board. Please note the chat time is dedicated to group discussion of course content according to the focus posted on the bulletin board. If you have questions/concerns regarding technology, course assignments, or content other than that to be addressed in the weekly chat, please contact me at a separate time.
In-person meetings: We will schedule two in-person meetings, one the week before the mid-semester point and one prior to the end of the semester. These informal potluck dinners are designed to provide support, clarification, and motivation, and to enhance a sense of community. Because of our commitment to offering courses that can be completed entirely at a distance, however, these meetings are optional. Following the potluck dinner meetings, I will post on the bulletin board a summary of information addressed.
Support groups: The class will be divided into 5 or 6 support groups that will convene online to discuss content, assignments, and technology pointers. Participants in each group will determine the dates and focus of the support group chats.
The course calendar lists the focus of each week’s chat, the due dates for the completion of the assignments within each module, and the due dates for the literacy profiles. Each support group is responsible for posting the dates/times of their support group chats.
Course Requirements
Regular online participation: This course is designed to be completed at your own individual pace within the structure provided. It is essential that you log on a minimum of one time per week to read the bulletin board postings and any mail messages that might have been sent to you. If your computer is down for an extended period of time, you must make arrangements to stay current with your course responsibilities. One option open to you is to come to the Instructional Technology Center at GSU and use the computers in the open lab area. You can also contact me if you wish to make arrangements to reserve a computer in the MSIT 6th floor computer lab on any Monday from 4:30 to 9:30.
Support group chats: The purpose of the support groups is to encourage discussion, collaboration, and supportive interaction among class participants. Support groups must schedule a minimum of 4 chats, place the dates for the chats on the calendar, and conduct the chats using the designated WebCT chat room titled “Support Groups.” If a support group wishes to meet in person, arrangements must be made with me regarding documentation of the meeting.
After reading — bulletin board postings: At the completion of the assigned readings for each module, you will be asked to reflect on the readings and to post your reflections on the class bulletin board. This activity provides us with the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas with others who are taking the class and to learn from and about other’s perspectives. The focus of the prompts are designed to ensure that your attention is drawn to key elements in the readings and to encourage reflection on aspects which I consider important to your understanding of the content. Think of these postings as analogous to the class participation that you would have if you were attending the class on campus. Each posting will be assessed using a +, /, or -. Full credit is given to responses that incorporate reflection, address all components of the prompt(s), and are posted by the assigned date.
Classroom applications: As part of each module you will also be asked to apply information from the readings to classroom situations. If you are teaching in a school you will find that these activities can generally be applied to your own classroom. If you are not currently teaching, you will need to make arrangements with a classroom teacher to observe/interact in her classroom once every one to two weeks. These assignments are crucial to ensuring that you can demonstrate an ability to move from reading about assessment and instruction for at-risk readers to applying that information to real students in real classrooms. Assignments will be assessed in light of the degree to which all components were addressed, the incorporation of reflection and analysis, the professionalism of the document, and whether the assignment was received by the assigned due date.
Literacy profiles: This semester you will work intensely with two students who are having reading difficulties.
| Age | Stage of Reading | |
|---|---|---|
| Reader 1 | preK—gr. 3 or gr. 4—high school | emergent/beginning |
| Reader 2 | preK—gr. 3 or gr. 4—high school | fluency/reading to learn—reading for pleasure |
Through a minimum of 7 sessions (approximately 30-45 minutes in length) with each student, you will assess each student’s views, reading process, and ability to construct meaning from texts. The information from the sessions will provide the data for the writing of a report, or a literacy profile, for each student (students should be given pseudonyms to ensure confidentiality). A literacy profile is a case study of the student’s strengths, needs, attitudes, and interests. The literacy profile will also involve a critical analysis of related literature and incorporation of appropriate instructional recommendations based on an analysis of the data collected through the various assessments. Instructional recommendations should be designed in light of the competencies students need to learn as outlined by the QCCs for the State of Georgia. These reports are expected to be professional documents written with clarity and should be understandable to other teachers and to the student and/or parents. Additional information regarding the requirements of the literacy profile can be found under the Assignments section of our WebCT course.
Grading
| Assignment | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Participation | Minimum online reading of bulletin board/mail messages — once a week | 30 |
| Small group chats | 4 chats at 5 points each | 20 |
| Bulletin board postings | 14 postings at 5 points each | 70 |
| Classroom applications | 14 assignments at 20 points each | 280 |
| Literacy profiles | 2 profiles at 100 points each | 200 |
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From “‘I Know Them Better Than Students in My On-campus Courses’: Exploring a Personalized Approach to Online Instruction ” by Joyce Many et al.
Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted September 2004