Syllabus

Master of Science in Education

EDU 748 Literacy for Inclusion – Summer B 2016

Credits - 3

Description

This course is designed to straddle the disciplines of regular and special education. With the movement to RTI (Response to Intervention) schools are taking on a more holistic approach to differentiation of instruction and support for intervention at all levels before a special education identification is made for a child. As a result regular and special education teachers have been asked to sit at the same side of the table when assessing and planning instruction for all students. This course will emphasize this bridge between working with students in an inclusive setting. Special emphasis on literacy assessments and instruction will be the focus as well as how to differentiate in Tier One, Two, and Three levels of instruction.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

• Students will describe the legal, political and social issues surrounding special education and RTI as well as theories of disability (medical vs. social model) and specific disability classifications and resources.
• Students will explain and justify the RTI Process as a formal approach to assessing, supporting and documenting student learning.
• Students will assess a student’s learning strengths and challenges, and design a modified or differentiated lesson plan to leverage and support learning.
• Students will facilitate and practice collaborative inquiry in a group to evaluate a focal student and develop a plan for instruction.
• Students will participate as active and contributing members of an academic learning community to learn new content and further understanding of teaching literacy in inclusion settings.

Assignments

Course Introduction 

Write a brief introduction and post it to the Discussion Board. Include your teaching experience in the past and your current role, where you live, your family, something you like to do, a picture of yourself, and any experience you have with RTI or teaching students with disabilities. Take time to read each other’s introductions at the end of the week and comment on one.

 

Autobiographical Learning Story

Write a reflective essay about a time when you learned something new and found the process to be challenging. This can be a learning story from childhood or adulthood, and can include any topic, skill, or activity. Describe the learning process, the ways that others responded to your struggles (peers and/or teachers) and how this experience constructed your identity as a learner. Did the people involved take a deficit approach or a strengths-based approach toward your learning? How did the approach taken impact you? Connect your own experience to the readings done so far and to your own teaching practice. Either write your story OR create a digital story using a tool of your choosing. Post your story to Blackboard. and then comment on at least one other classmate’s story.

 

Threaded and Synchronous Discussions 

In this course there will be 1 threaded discussion via Blackboard and 1 synchronous small group discussion for you to participate in. Each discussion is worth 3 points graded using a holistic rubric. You will post a response to a question or problem presented in the threaded discussion forum. Your initial post must be completed by the end of the day on Wednesday of the week. The initial post should include at least one in-text citation and reference in APA format. Replies must be submitted by the end of the day on Sundays of each week.  

 

Introduction to Focal Student 

In Week 2, you will select a focal student for your RTI Project with whom you will work throughout the duration of this course at the Tier 2/ Tier 3 level. Post a short (1-paragraph) description of the student (using a pseudonym) explaining why you are choosing him/her to work with and what you hope to learn about the student.

 

RTI Project (52 total points)

• Part I: Assessing the Student (24 points)
• Part II: Collaborating with Colleagues and Developing a Support Plan (20 points)
• Part III: Developing a Lesson Plan (8 points)

This assignment spans the duration of the course. Select one focal student with whom you work or can meet with regularly. Choose a student who would benefit from additional support in reading and/or writing. Assess, observe, and discuss the student with your colleagues in order to understand his or her strengths and areas of concern. Develop a goal for the student. Create and execute a lesson plan and develop a plan for progress monitoring. While the 8-week duration of the course is not enough time to fully develop and implement an RTI plan for the student, use this time to engage in the initial steps of identifying student concerns and creating a plan to address them. A detailed description of the assignment can be found in the course document: RTI Project Assignment.

 

Final Essay 

Write a 3-5 page essay synthesizing some of the critical issues surrounding RTI. Connect what you have learned about teaching literacy in inclusion settings to your experience with a focal student. Follow APA Guidelines.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment	Points
Course Introduction	3 points
Autobiographical Learning Story Discussion	20 points
Introduction to Focal Student	3 points
Participation in Discussions (2)	6 points (3 points each)
RTI Project	52 points
Final Essay	16 points
TOTAL	100 points

Grade Scale

Grade	Points Grade	Point Average (GPA)
A	94 – 100%	4.00
A-	90 – 93%	3.75
B+	87 – 89%	3.50
B	84 – 86%	3.00
B-	80 – 83%	2.75
C+	77 – 79%	2.50
C	74 – 76%	2.00
C-	70 – 73%	1.75
D	64 – 69%	1.00
F	00 – 63%	0.00