Appalachian State University
Department of Language, Reading, and Exceptionalities
Seminar in Reading and Language Arts Research
RE 5710-376
Summer Term, 2009
Dr. Beth Frye
201 F Edwin Duncan Hall
262-7623 (office) 263-0274 (home)
Hickory Metropolitan Higher Education Center
Course Description
This is one of the required courses for the Master’s Degree in Reading Education at Appalachian State University, and it is designed to be the capstone course for the Reading Education Master’s Degree. Students will examine, discuss, and write about current research in the Language Arts. The comprehensive exam is written in this course, part 1 and 2.
The Graduate Bulletin describes this class as follows:
Current theory and research in reading and the language arts are examined.
Students select a topic in which to pursue in-depth study and then their
newly-acquired knowledge is applied to classroom teaching. Emphasis is placed on
assisting teachers to be leaders in school settings. This course should be
taken at the end of the Master of Arts program.
Several years ago, the ASU Reading Program redesigned
the Masters program to meet requirements for Advanced Licensure in Reading
Education. One of the outcomes of this revision was the elimination of
Comprehensive Exams in favor of the Product of Learning. Traditionally,
Comprehensive Exams have served two purposes: (1) to review the content of the
degree program, and (2) to provide an opportunity for students to deeply examine
a topic that they encountered during the program. It was decided that the
Seminar class would replace the traditional exam. Therefore, the purpose of this
course is to review and extend the knowledge you have acquired in the program
Course Goals
You will:
(a) review the knowledge you have
acquired during the Master's Program and in your own professional experiences and
apply them in examining and (re)designing your current practice;
(b) examine in-depth a topic of professional interest in order to synthesize what the reading field understands about that topic; and
(c) engage in professional dialogue and reading that will increase your professional knowledge base.
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Methods of Instruction
Instruction will be seminar, small group, writing circles, discussions, computer lab research and individual workshop meetings. Your peers and I will provide assistance and feedback to you as you write responses to the comprehensive exam questions. You are invited to take an active role as a peer instructor in this class. Students will be expected to work individually and in groups to complete the comprehensive exams.
Texts/Materials:
I strongly recommend you purchase a Flash Drive specifically for this class; this will save you from printing out so many articles!!! Save the trees!!!
Texts assigned and used as resource material.
http://www.library.appstate.edu/distance_learning/guide/index.html
http://www.library.appstate.edu/services/reserve/index.html
(All articles available on Library Reserve under Instructor-Frye, Beth or Course # RE 5710)
ASU Library: See Class Guide for Resources
http://www.library.appstate.edu/reference/classguides/re5710.html
Optional:
Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. III (2000)
Kamil, Mosenthal, Pearson, & Barr.
Grading
Upon completion of the comprehensive exam, students will receive a grade for the course.
Community of Practice: General Assignments & Engagement /Attendance. 10%
Question 1 Response: Literature Review and Synthesis. . . . 45%
Question 2 Response: Best Practice Analysis and Synthesis. . . 45%
Course Assignments
Reading and responding to selected articles.
* On-going discussion of reading.
* On-going written reviews of readings.
Written response to the comprehensive exam (part 1).
You will be asked to select a topic that you will explore in-depth. You will be expected to generate a research question and then locate research and instructional articles about your topic. You will be expected to read and critique this literature and produce a written product that demonstrates your exploration.
* Write an annotated review of relevant literature—clear summaries and comments about the literature, with a focus on breadth.
* You may work with partners on these reviews.
* Develop a PowerPoint presentation to summarize your research review.
Written response to the comprehensive exam (part 2).
You will be asked to respond in writing to a comprehensive exam question that is designed to pull together concepts you have studied and learned in our graduate program and insights you have regarding classroom application of those concepts.
Schedule and Topics
June 8 (Class Meeting 1)
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Hickory
o Distance Learning Library Services
v Sample Texts: Research Journals, Reviews of Research and On-Line Resources
v Brainstorm Topics and Focus for Question 1: List-Group-Label
v For Wednesday, read the research article by Dole et al. and attempt to write a summary of the research article.
Then check your summary against this summary. How did you do? What did you find difficult? Be prepared to discuss both summaries in class on Wed.
v Preliminary Topic and Focus Due End of Class June 10
v Brainstorm Topics and Focus for Question 2
· Comprehensive Exam Question 1: Due June 23
o Email as attachment bethfrye@gmail.com
· Comprehensive Exam Question 2:
o Due June 29 (On or Before)
o Email as attachment bethfrye@gmail.com
June 10 (Class Meeting 2)
v Dole et al. Summary Due (Discuss in class)
Sample Texts: Research Journals, Reviews of Research and On-Line Resources
Work on developing topic/focus for Exam Question 1; form groups. These resources may help.
Begin Research!
Begin writing your summaries. Please use the form for Reading and Abstracting Research Articles.
For tomorrow:
v Read the following article:
o Meeting the Needs of Low Spellers in a Second-Grade Classroom by Judy Brown and Darrell Morris
v Write a summary for the article. Check your summary against this summary.
June 11 (Class Meeting 3)
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Hickory
v Discuss article Meeting the Needs of Low Spellers in a Second-Grade Classroom by Judy Brown and Darrell Morris and your summaries.
v Question 1 (Workshop)
June 15 (Class Meeting 4)
Work on Exam Question 1; complete your summaries!
June 17 (Class Meeting 5)
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Hickory
v Workshop: Complete Exam Question 1 and/or begin Exam Question 2
v Question 1 Due June 23 by 12 pm-Email as attachment bethfrye@gmail.com
June 23 (Class Meeting 6)
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Hickory
v Question 1 Due June 23 by 12 pm-Email as attachment bethfrye@gmail.com
Prepare Topic Seminar Presentations
v Workshop: Work on Exam Question 2
June 25 (Class Meeting 7)
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Hickory
v Topic Seminar Presentations
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June 29 (Class meeting 8)
Comprehensive Exam Question 2: Due June 29 (On or Before)