Instructors: Zoey Jackson (zajacks@ilstu.edu)
Course Web-site: http://webboard.ilstu.edu:80/~eng291
Office: STV 133D
Office Hours: TR 4-5
Phone: 438-7100
Course Date/Time: Wednesdays 530-645
Course Location: STV 132

Course Description: A course designed specifically for undergraduate students who work in the University Center for Learning Assistance (UCLA) and serve as undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) in the English 101.10 Language & Composition I course. This course is intended to achieve the following goals:

 ·  Help UTAs to develop a self-understanding that becomes a basis for understanding others.

·   Help UTAs develop skills that will enable them to assist students with learning how to develop their writing skills.

·   Help UTAs o celebrate differences among students and to develop skills that will enable them to deal positively and fairly with all members of ISU’s community of learners.

Required Texts:

UCLA Tutor Handbook

Guidebook for Assisting in English 101.10

Course Guide for English 101

Mercury Reader

Reading to be assigned
 

Course Objectives: This course focuses on the training and development of the English 101.10 UTA.  The purpose of this course is to support the work of the UTA by providing explicit knowledge of cognitive learning theory, with an opportunity to put theory into practice, and with a forum to discuss how that theory works out in practice. Students are expected to:

· Demonstrate knowledge of course topics.

·  Demonstrate the ability to promote independent learning.

·   Demonstrate the ability to appreciate and successfully work with the strengths and weaknesses of the students they tutor.

·   Demonstrate ability to communicate effectively.

Course Components:

Weekly Reflective Journal

Your entries may focus on specific classroom incidents or on more general issues relating to your tutoring/teaching. The central requirement is that they be reflective in nature. In other words, they should demonstrate an honest effort to improve your own personal philosophy or teaching/tutoring practices through careful consideration of what works and what doesn't, what might work and what might not, but most importantly--why things work or don't work.

Reading Response Logs

Course participants will be asked to make regular critical responses to the course readings in a variety of formats written logs, e-mail logs, sketched or 3-D logs—which participants will complete on a rotating basis. What this means is that one day you'll do a written log; one day you'll do an e-mail log; one day you'll do an written log, etc.) As responses, logs should not summarize readings, but rather expand upon them, put them into dialog with other readings or pose problems with the concepts or positions raised in the English 101.10 classroom.

• Written logs should be about 50 typed words, will be turned into instructor.

• E-mail log is a 50-word log e-mailed to everyone in this class.

• Sketched or 3-D logs can take one of many forms: sketched, graphed, or sculpted representations of concepts or controversies from the readings; dramatic sketches or debates; interpretive dance or song; role playing scenario; etc. These sketched or 3-D response logs are shown to the class in a 10-minute format. (*See end of syllabus for more info.)

Group Observation Presentation

In pairs, course participants will prepare and deliver a 45-minute class presentation that expands upon an actual in-class observation of their UTA experience without the lead instructor. You should plan to have your co-UTA observe at least one class you teach this semester.  Presentation may also include a video-taped observation of conference sessions or an in-class experience with English 101.10 students. The oral presentation should focus on an aspect of Cognitive Theory and must relate directly to how you have applied the theory to practice.

 Teaching Portfolio

One major assignment for this course is to begin compiling a teaching portfolio. The purpose of such a portfolio is to showcase your teaching and your development as a reflective practitioner. As such, a teaching portfolio can be a powerful tool in a job search. Equally important, however, it can also be a powerful tool in your own professional development. A teaching portfolio is never truly "finished." It continues to evolve as long as you do. Therefore, your assignment for this semester is not by any means to complete your portfolio; it is simply to demonstrate a portfolio mindset, to begin to collect and construct what we hope will become one of many keys to a successful future. Consider including in your portfolio:

 A reflective introduction: Just as you expect your students to conclude their semester in English 101 by reflecting upon their development as writers, you should spend some time reflecting upon your development as an instructor.

 A table of contents: This may be annotated or not.

 A statement of your Personal Tutoring/Teaching philosophy: At this stage in your development as an instructor, you may not have a fully articulated teaching philosophy. I have included with this assignment, however, some tips on how you can begin to consider and articulate such a philosophy. Work on these activities and see if you can't construct an initial philosophy, which can be read with the understanding that it is, indeed, a "living" document, always subject to revision.

An annotated list of other teaching/tutoring experiences: Don't forget about your tutoring in the UCLA!

Printed portions of your personal website: Again, a great idea, but optional at this point. If you're a true technophile, go for it. If not, develop this skill before you graduate, but you don't have to do it this semester.

Excerpts from your teaching journal: Select these entries with care. You might want to include a body of entries which, for example, demonstrate your growth as a professional or show you continuing to grapple with a particular issue. It wouldn't hurt to include at the start a brief explanation of why you have selected these entries and what they show about you as a developing member of the profession.

Role Playing Activities (with various answers and explanations): Designing UTA/tutor role playing scenarios and simulations will be part of your course work for ENG 291 course and will be added to the Guidebook for Assisting in English 101.10.

An annotated list of courses you've taken and workshops you've attended to prepare you to teach/tutor: Don't forget English 291 course and the January UCLA Pre-Service Orientation. Include as well a list of professional development events you attended and, if you want to be really impressive, short reflections on what you gained from each. (These could constitute your annotations.)

Observations of your teaching: During the course of the semester you will accumulate several reports from folks who've observed your teaching/tutoring. (Your lead teacher, your English 291 instructor, and a peer or two, for example.) These can be included in your portfolio, along with your responses to them.

Advice to New UTAs: As an experienced UTA your advice may be very valuable to those who are either thinking of being a UTA or will be a UTA. 

 Course Grades:

 Grades will be determined according to the following:

            Weekly Reflective Journal:                        20%

             Reading Response Logs:                          25%

             Group Observation Presentation:           25%    

             Teaching Portfolio:                                    30%

            _________________________________________

              Total:                                                         100%

Class Participation

Students are expected to attend every class and turn in all assignments on time. If class must be missed, students should contact the instructor beforehand as a courtesy. Students should contact other students after class to find out what they missed. As well, students are expected to participate fully in all in-class workshops, discussions and responses to student and group presentations and other class activities.

 Additional Concerns:

Please make the course instructor aware of any learning difference or physical challenge you experience that will affect your performance in the course. Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice),
438-8620 (TDD).

COURSE SCHEDULE (Tentative)                                                                                                                           

READING REPONSE LOG SCHEDULE

 * More information on Response Logs (RL)

A =      Stefanie Bryant
B =       Sarah Keller
C =      Amelia Magnuson
D =      Elizabeth Pantaleone
E =       Elizabeth Pratt
F =       Rebecca Shaw
G =      Collen Tierney
H =      Joylynn Yocum
I =        Jessie Baginski

RL # 1, due Wednesday, Jan. 30:                  

            A = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            B, C, D, E, = written log

            F, G, H, I = e-mail to all

RL # 2, due Wednesday, Feb. 6:

            B = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            C, D, E, F = written log

            G, H, I, A = e-mail to all

RL # 3, due Wednesday, Feb. 13:

C = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            D, E, F, G = written log

            H, I, A, B = e-mail to all

RL #4, due Wednesday, Feb. 20:

D = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            E, F, G, H = written log

            I, A, B, C = e-mail

RL #5, due Wednesday, Feb. 27:

            E = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            F, G, H, I  = written log

           A, B, C, D = e-mail to all

RL #6, due Wednesday, Mar. 6:

            F = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            G, H, I, A = written log

            B, C, D, E  = e-mail to all

 RL # 7, due Wednesday, Mar. 20:

            G = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            H, I, A, B = written log

            C, D, E, F = e-mail to all

RL # 8, due Wednesday, Mar. 27:

            H = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            I, A, B, C = written log

            D, E, F, G = e-mail to all

RL # 9, due Wednesday, Apr. 3:

I = sketched or 3-D pres. to class

            A, B, C, D = written log

            E, F, G, H = email to all

ENGLISH 101.10 UTA SCHEDULES