TE 639 Language & Literacy
Jill Kerper Mora
San Diego State University
Hot Topics in Language & Literacy Education
Assignment Description & Guidelines
Attention TE 639 Students!
Click here to go directly to a list of specially selected links on
topics that you researched and that have been discussed further in class as of
9/02
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to guide the student-practitioner in an examination of current issues and questions in literacy education from multiple perspectives based on academic polemics, published qualitative and quantitative research, and public media debate. Students will prepare a report according to the guidelines below to demonstrate a critical analysis of the question or issue selected for study. The professor has provided links to resource for you to consult for an overview of current controversies surrounding literacy education. The report will focus on the extent to which academic perspectives, public opinion and educational policy are congruent or incongruent with the students' own professional knowledge base and experiences in effective instruction and program design from his/her own academic preparation and classroom experiences.
Resources
The graduate student will consult various sources of research data and discussion of a selected issue or question that affect policy decisions and school practices in literacy teaching and learning. There are links to many of these resources provided through the on-line syllabus for this course. You will reference one article from any five of these categories in your report. These resources include the following:
- Scholarly books
- Academic journal research articles
- Public policy documents published by government agencies
- On-line publications and research articles
- On-line discussion forums and e-mail listserv discussions sponsored by language/literacy organizations
- Magazines, newspaper editorials, & other popular media
- Legal provisions & regulations, court decisions, court testimony from expert witnesses, and public policy reports and analysis stemming from changes in education law
- Literacy histories or reflections on teaching/learning from colleagues or students that are available on-line or in a print media.
Using on-line resources is most convenient to begin your investigation, since Internet sources are often very current and up-to-date. You can find the Phi Delta Kappan, Education Week, Rethinking Schools, Reading OnLine and other journals available on-line. The TE 639 on-line syllabus has many relevant links. However, some journals are not yet available on-line, so you may need to plan a trip to the library. The professor also has a large collection of articles on current issues in hard copy that can be made available. A number of relevant scholarly books are also available at the SDSU Love Library, although the most popular ones are usually checked out. Consult the professor if you cannot find a copy of the one you of greatest interest to you or relevance to your topic. A bibliography of many of the most current and widely discussed scholarly books will be provided. A summary or excerpts available on-line are acceptable. An example of reviews of books on educational issues can be found on this website: Learning to Read Language Arts & Reading Research.
Many newspapers have research and reporting on topics about literacy and language learning. Other on-line newspapers are designed for a general audience, but also publish scholarly analysis of educational issues, such as this article on phonemic awareness in Education News. Also, several websites for organizations provide links to news articles related to their particular topic. Some of these represent articles selected to promote a particular ideology or point of view. Others are comprehensive lists that do not pre-screen the articles they post on the site. . In either case, these sites are a time-saver since they compile media articles for easy access. These sources will provide the public policy and popular media perspective. An example is the news links on the website of One Nation sponsored by proponents of Proposition 227.
There is considerable controversy surrounding the National Reading Panel Report. Several links are provided below to guide you to research and discussion of the NRP Report and the policy initiatives stemming from report findings.
A source of links to articles and other on-line resources on bilingual education is available through MoraModules: The Bilingual Education Debate.
Steps & Procedure
1. The student-practitioner will first select a topic or issue of professional interest that relates to his/her classroom teaching and/or program design. Choose a topic about which you will benefit from further exploration and analysis. A means of determining your level of interest around an issue would be to reflect on these questions:
If I were to take time to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine, what topic would the letter be about? What point or argument would I make about an issue? What would I want a group such as teacher educators, school district administrators, legislators, the State Board of Education, parents of public school students, or the public at large to understand about the issue from my professional point of view?
2. The next step is to formulate a clearly focused research question about the issue. The question should be succinct enough to target your report on a certain aspect of the research literature or academic and public debate. In other words, do not take on too broad a question because you may wander too far astray or try to answer in a short paper a question worthy of a dissertation. However, the question should be broad enough and formulated in a way to make it meaningful to you by contributing to your professional practice. The question may have two or three sub-questions to begin with, but these may narrow as you discover the perspectives dealt with in the resources available. We will brainstorm and discuss research questions in class.
3. Step 3 is to conduct a review of the literature. The purpose of this review is to carry the thread of arguments surrounding an issue or questions through the different sources of research and discussion to discover multiple perspectives. Once you have narrowed your question to an aspect of the broader debate, you will consult the many sources where this topic is argued and discussed. You will then select articles or discussions from each of five sources to cite and discuss in your report.
Below are some questions to guide your analysis of the resources you consult as you research your topic:
Educational Research
What research studies have been conducted as a basis for policy and pedagogical practices surrounding the question? Do the studies include both quantitative and qualitative data?
What are the theories on which this research is based? Are these theories identified with a particular school of thought or movement (behaviorism, schema theory, natural approach to language learning, etc.)?
What theorists or big-name scholars are considered authoritative in research and debate on this issue? What is their reputation? Have their theories been implemented on a wide or narrow scale in the public schools? Has this implementation had the greatest impact on public policy? Program design? Classroom practice? All of these equally?
Click here for an
example of a treatise of the state of the art in literacy theory and research published in
Reading On Line titled Further
Notes on the Four Resources Model.
An example of critiques
of research can be reviewed by clicking here for an analysis of a major study of language
minority education (Collier & Thomas,
2002).
Academic Polemics
What theories, assumptions or beliefs underlie the arguments pro- and con- regarding the language & literacy education question?
What research is selected to support or refute particular arguments? Is a body of research excluded or ignored in making the arguments? Are counter-arguments or research findings discussed with objectivity? Is data or evidence that would disprove or call into question researchers' conclusions presented and examined? From your perspective as an educator, does the author make his/her case?
For a sample of an
assessment of the validity of the quantitative research in reading, see this
series of articles by Professor
Margaret Moustafa from CSU Los Angeles.
Click here for an
example of how an academic literacy research organization will summarize research into a
body of principles for literacy development and instruction. This link will
give you access to the library of technical reports from the CIERA
organization at the University of Virginia College of Education. This link
will take you to the 600 research reports from the National
Research and Development Centers
Public Media and Policy Debates
What is popular opinion about the issue? Can this opinion be linked to a particular political ideology or perspective?
What evidence for or against an issue is used in public debate to convince an audience of the correctness or urgency and importance of a particular perspective? Is the audience broad or narrow? What is the relative power position of the target audience in society?
Does the public media debate around an issue or question tend to focus on a certain definition of literacy such as those discussed in class? Does the operational definition of literacy suggest what the author or organization believes is important about literacy learning to individuals and to society?
Do you perceive faulty assumptions or "leaps of logic" in the policy and public debate about the question that do not jibe with your professional knowledge and experience? What does the educational research say about any incongruity? Does the educational community agree or disagree on the soundness and completeness of the research base around this issue?
Click here for an
example of an editorial in the popular media that will show you how
journalists use certain lines of reasoning and
persuasive devises.
Writing the Report
Your Hot Topics Report should be between six to eight pages in length in order to fully cover and discuss the following:
- Rationale: Discuss why this topic was of interest to you as an educator. What did you hope to learn from research and reflection on this topic that would enhance your professional growth and refine your teaching?
- Review of the literature: Trace the thread of the issue through different resources. Discussing the perspective taken by each along with your critical analysis.
- Analysis of the controversy: This section will present your thoughts as to why the issue is a "hot topic" from your point of view. Discuss what is at stake in resolving or reconciling the issue in terms of the impact on public education, teachers, and students.
- Professional application: In this portion of your report, you will reflect on the research and writing on your question or issue. Has your thinking changed or your understanding of the question been enhanced? What impact will what you have learned have on your teaching? Your professional relationships? Your future professional development and inquiry?
- Bibliography: List the references you consulted for the report using the American Psychological Association (APA) reference style.
Literacy
Websites & On-line Resources
Several literacy organizations for children and
adults are linked below:
International Reading Association Reading Online
Literacy Volunteers of America
United States Department of Education America Reads
National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE)
National Institute for Literacy
Learning to Read Language Arts & Reading Research
Click below for wonderful CHILDREN'S
LITERATURE links:
Carol Hurst' Children's Literature Site
Kay Vandergrift on Children's Literature
Kay Vandergrift on Hispanic Images
Author's link for Anna Grossnicke Hines
Author's link for Aaron Shepard
Cri-Cri El Grillito Cantor Children's Songs in Spanish
Webpages and
Articles on Selected Topics
Accountability Policies in the 50 States
Effectiveness of Bilingual Education (Thomas & Collier 2002)
Programs for Immigrants & Newcomers
Biliteracy and L1-L2 Transition
Teachers' Response to Accountability (Chicago Case Study)
Testing and Standards-based Instruction
Opposition to the Standards Movement
In-grade retention & "social promotion"
Commentary
& research analysis by Robert Hauser
Research analysis
by Anne Wheelock
Dr. Mora's
discussion of retention policies
Directory of Dual Immersion Programs in the USA
Immersion School Sites Descriptions from Reading On Line
Phonics Instruction: Resources & Articles
The Reading Wars & State Government Reading Instruction Policies
Controversy over the National Reading Panel Report
Balanced Approach to Reading: Advisory by State Board of Education
Equal Educational Opportunities for Hispanic Students
Hispanic Literacy Publications
Preventing Hispanic Dropouts--Exemplary Practices
The Amazing Case of Bilingual Education
Teacher/Student Interaction in Biliteracy Instruction
Family Factors in Literacy Achievement of ELL
Effective Teaching Practices for L2 Learners (Includes literacy instruction)
Assessments of Language Minority Students
Resiliency and Instructional Practices for L2 Learners
What Matters Most: Study of Teacher Education & Credentialing
Civil Rights of Language Minority Students (Harvard)
Overlooked and Underserved: Urban Institute Report
The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpitt
To Navigate Dr. Mora's CLAD Website:
This page was last updated on 09/23/02