Introduction to Literacy and Numeracy Tutoring

with Caren Holtzman

EDS 134/139

Fall 2007

Class meeting time: Tuesdays 3:30-5:50                                       

 

 

SYLLABUS

This course provides UCSD students with an opportunity to serve as tutors to preK and elementary school children.  The UCSD tutors will

work primarily with underserved populations in low to middle income neighborhood schools in San Diego County. Teaching research and

methodology will be explored and applied to tutoring settings. The place of public service in U.S. society and the social and political organization

of the schools will be explored.  Students will examine philosophical, sociological, and political issues that relate to education systems in the

U.S. and the academic achievement of students.

 

All readings, lectures, discussion sections, assignments, and field placements are selected to help achieve the goals of the course:

    1.  to learn practical and meaningful ways to assist children in the school setting

    2.  to explore schools’ structures and roles in the community

    3.  to reflect on public service and its impact on individuals and communities

 

Required Readings:

 

Xerox packets of Required Readings available through University Reader Service,

Order online at www.universityreaders.com/students

 

Class Personnel:

 

Instructor:  

Caren Holtzman

Phone: 858/534-1685

Email: choltzman@ucsd.edu

Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1:30 - 3:00 or by appointment in Pepper Canyon Hall room 323

 

Instructional Support:

Zoltan Sarda: zsarda@hotmail.com

Jakey Toor: rememberment2@yahoo.com

 

 

Course Organization:

This course is divided into several parts.  There are a series of lectures and guest presentations dealing with the topics listed on the course schedule. 

Another component is the field experience in which students serve as tutors to preK and elementary school children for at least 40 hours during the quarter.  

In addition, students discuss their individual field experiences in relation to course readings and lecture presentations.   

 

 

Course Expectations:

Because this course has a field component, there are expectations for students that go beyond that of the usual course.  All students are expected, at minimum, to:

 

1.  Regularly participate in assigned field experience for a minimum of 40 hours over the ten week quarter.

2.  Maintain regular contact with the cooperating teacher.

3.  Complete assigned readings.

4.  Attend all class meetings and discussion sections.

 

Failure to complete these minimum course requirements will severely affect final course grades.

 

Student Evaluation:

 

Course grades will be based on punctuality and consistency of volunteer hours, regularity of attendance at lectures, quality of participation and contribution to discussions,

and timeliness and quality of written assignments. Points for paperwork will be assigned as follows:

 

 

Weekly Journals                   3 points each

Teacher Intro Letter            2 points

Orientation Booklet              2 points

Tb test results                     2 points

Activity Analyses                10 points each

Final Project                       40 points

Tutor Log Sheet                   4 points

Teacher Evaluation               3 points

 

Specific criteria for written assignments will be distributed in class.

 

Lecture Topics and Readings:

 

Session #1    Overview: Introduction and Course Expectations

    10/2

 

Session #2    Relationships

    10/9         read:

                    Barry, “The Substitute”

                    Shonkoff & Phillips, “Nurturing Relationships”

                    Howes & Ritchie, “Teacher Behaviors that Foster…”

                    Paley, White Teacher excerpt

                    due:

                    journal assignment 1: response to the readings

                    teacher intro letter

 

Session #3    Reading Instruction Overview

    10/16       read:

                    Opitz,  Goodbye Round Robin excerpt

                    Stires, “Reading and Talking”

                    Trelease, “Why Read Aloud”    

                    due:

                    journal assignment 2

                    orientation sheet

                    tb results copy

 

Session #4    Number Sense and Number Talks

     10/23      read:

                    Burns, Math: Facing an American Phobia excerpt

                    Carpenter, “Equality”

                    due:

                    journal assignment 3

 

Session #5    Learning and Development

    10/30       read:

                    Duckworth, “The Having of Wonderful Ideas”

                    Tharp & Gallimore, Rousing Minds to Life excerpt

                    Bowman, “The Future of Head Start”

                    due:

                    journal assignment 4

 

Session #6    Writing

     11/6        read:

                    Karelitz, “Note Writing: A Neglected Genre”

                    Calkins, The Art of Teaching Writing excerpt (read the chapter about your grade level, skim the others)        

                    due:

                    journal assignment 5

 

Session #7    The Mathematics Curriculum

    11/13       read:    

                    Hiebert, “Equity and Accessibility”

                    Schmidt, “A Vision for School Mathematics”

                    due:

                    journal assignment 6

                    literacy activity analysis

 

Session #8    Learning Environments

    11/20       read:

                    Barry, “Gum or Mystery”

                    Zetterman, “Composing a Teacher Study Group”

                    Morrow, “Designing a Classroom to Promote Literacy Development”

                    Cohen, “Making Cooperative Learning Equitable”

                    due:

                    journal assignment 7

 

Session #9    The Arts

    11/27       read:

                    Eisner, The Kind of Schools We Need excerpt

                    Allen, “In the Front Row”

                    Gaining the Arts Advantage “The Findings”  (www.pcah.gov/gaa/)

                    due:

                    journal assignment 8

                    math activity

 

Session #10    Summary of Experiences

    12/4         read:

                    Kohn,  The Schools Our Children Deserve excerpt

                    Rose, Possible Lives excerpt

                    due:

                    journal 9

 

Field Experience:

Students will participate in a field experience component in which they will be assigned to an elementary school classroom.  Students are expected to work in various academic

capacities with children, contributing 4-6 hours per week for the quarter (a minimum of 40 hours per quarter). Students must establish and maintain a regular schedule

of visits throughout the quarter.  In setting up the schedule, and in providing assistance to the school and the children, students must be responsive to the needs of the

children and the professional development goals of the host teacher.  Individual tutoring and small group instruction are appropriate activities.   

 

Journals:

Journal entries are a place for students to record the events and impact of their field experiences.  Journals also provide an arena for connecting fieldwork, course readings, lectures,

and discussion topics.  A detailed description of journal assignments and format will be distributed.

 

All journals must include the following information in Section 1:

 

your name            date                 journal #            

name of school         teacher and room #        grade

dates and times of your visits during the week        total # of hours at site to date

 

Course Assignments:

During the quarter students will be assigned several projects.  These tasks have two functions.  They will heighten students’ awareness of topics and issues in education.  In addition,

they will augment the students’ impact as tutors.  The assignments include conducting an orientation for the hosting teacher, planning and implementing learning activities, and

interacting with the educational community.  The specific criteria for the projects will be discussed in class.

 

Final Assignment:

The final project will include information from the journal and written assignments, as well as analysis of the issues raised in the course lectures, readings, and discussions and their

relevance to the field experience.  A more detailed description of the final project components will be distributed in class.

 

 

Download the syllabus:

EDS134 revised syllabus.doc