University of South Florida
College of Education
FLE 4315 Teaching Students with Limited English Proficiency K-12
Fall 2003

Instructor: Joyce Nutta , Ph.D.
Telephone: 727 553-4620
E-mail: nutta@tempest.coedu.usf.edu (E-mail is the best way to reach me.)
Office Location: COQ 217
Office Hours: By appointment. Please speak with me before/after class/during break or e-mail me to set up a time.

Course Description

This course is designed to prepare pre-professional (pre-service) teachers to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate instruction, learning opportunities and assessment for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in grades K - 12.

Course Goals and Objectives

This course presents an overview of five subject areas pertinent to teaching LEP students: Cross-Cultural Communication and Understanding, Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, Methods in Teaching English as a Second Language, Curriculum Development and Adaptation, and Language Assessment. These five subject areas, which are the focus of the course modules, promote the understanding of first and second language acquisition processes, facilitate the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate instructional and assessment skills, and present effective means for modifying curricula. More detailed goals and objectives for each of these subject areas are given in the course overview and each course module in the student manual.

Required Course Materials:

Required Text: "The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook - A Complete K-12 Reference Guide" 2 nd Edition. (2002) Diaz-Rico and Weed.

Required Activity Packet: The packet is available through Pro-Copy. The cost is $9.72 + tax. You can purchase the packet at Bayboro Books, or you can order it online at www.procopycoursematerial.com . You can also order it by phone (813) 988-5900. You will need a credit card to order on-line or by phone, and the packet takes 2-3 days to arrive.

Online:

This class uses Blackboard as a support to the in-class instruction. In order to access the material and information online, go to: https://my.usf.edu

If you have never logged on to "my USF", follow the directions at the site. (You will need your student number from your USF card in order to get access the first time.)

Course Requirements and Grading Criteria

Additional information concerning the assignments, and some samples may be found on Blackboard.

Assignments followed by the logo must be copied and pasted into the appropriate forum on Blackboard. You must also read and respond to each of your group member's Blackboard assignments (except the quizzes) in order to receive the full number of points for the assignment.

25 points

Field Experience

Your field experience involves a minimum of 6 hours volunteering in an adult English language learning environment. Your role can be that of assistant to the teacher, tutoring, observing, or generally helping the instructor and students. Your 6 hours of volunteering must be documented on the Field Experience Log. Release time is given on the course calendar in order to compensate for this requirement. Remember that you are representing USF and must conduct yourself and be dressed in a professional manner at all times (see code of conduct on Blackboard).

In addition to the 6 hours volunteer time, as part of the total field experience , you need to complete the following assignments related to your contact with English language learners: Cultural Interview, SOLOM (Student Oral Language Observation), Language Learning Interview, and over-all reflection of field experience. These assignments must not be done during your 6 hours of volunteering time.

10 points Cultural Interview : Interview an adult whose native/first language IS NOT English and whose native/first culture IS NOT American. Please tape-record the interview. After the interview is complete, type the questions and answers and copy and paste them into the appropriate forum on Blackboard. Include a brief description of your informant at the beginning: name, country of origin, first language, age (approximate), etc. Hand in the tape in class. Place it in a zip lock plastic bag with a paper listing your name, your course section and number, and your informant's name and country of origin.

Be sure to read and respond to your group members' cultural interview in order to receive full points for this assignment.

5 points SOLOM (Student Oral Language Observation Matrix) Activity : See details in Course Packet.

5 points Language Learning Interview : Ask an English language learner about her /his experience learning English and write a one-page paper which includes your questions and the responses to your questions. Some suggested questions: What has helped you most in learning English? What can teachers do to help the English language learner more? What do you wish the teacher would not do? What advice would you give to other English language learners? Copy and paste the paper into the appropriate forum on Blackboard.

Be sure to read and respond to your group members' language learning interview in order to receive full points for this assignment.

5 points Reflection on over-all field experience : Write a one-page typed reflection expressing what you experienced and learned in your field experience. Copy and paste the reflection into the appropriate forum on Blackboard.

Be sure to read and respond to your group members' field experience reflection in order to receive full points for this assignment.

5 points Cultural Self-Analysis - See Course Packet for details. Copy and paste your answers and reflection into the appropriate forum on Blackboard.

Be sure to read and respond to your group members' cultural self-analysis in order to receive full points for this assignment.

6 points Reading Quizzes - 6 quizzes 1 point each. These will be available on Blackboard. Quizzes are for your benefit since a portion of their questions will be on the midterm and final exams. If you complete the quiz, no matter how many questions you answered correctly, you will receive 1 point (i.e., you get all the points just for doing the quiz). Except for the Webquest quiz, there are no deadlines for each quiz--the quizzes on the chapters that will be on the midterm must be completed before the midterm, and the quizzes on the chapters that will be on the final must be completed before the final. Please see the course schedule for more details.

5 points Methods Demonstration - See Course Packet for details.

20 points Modified Lesson Plan - Modify a K-12 lesson plan from the Web for an ELL student: Search the Web and select a content-based lesson plan appropriate to your subject of interest. The lesson selected must be for native speakers. Modify the selected lesson for each of the four levels of English proficiency. You must use the lesson plan format that will be distributed in class, and your plan will be evaluated with a rubric. You must choose a content lesson from math, science, social studies or language arts. You must include the original lesson. Use bold font to identify modifications in your procedures section of your complete rewrite of the old lesson. Do not use italics for this purpose. Remember, this assignment is worth 20% of your grade. Be creative. Explain every detail.

5 points--Lesson Plan Modification Grid-- Prior to turning in the completed modified lesson plan, you will complete a grid summarizing the modifications for each of the 4 levels--this grid will be worth 50 points, and you will receive feedback that will help you complete the lesson plan revision. The original (unmodified) lesson plan must be turned in with the grid. You may choose to submit a draft of the modified lesson plan in lieu of the grid if the grid format is not helpful to you.

5 points Case Study - Specific instructions on this assignment will be handed out in class. This activity is completed in class.

5 points ESOL Portfolio - Prepare a three-inch binder that will document your attainment of the 25 ESOL Performance Standards. The portfolio must have a portfolio contents form completed with all classes to be taken in your program area. Your name, social security number and program area must be typed in at the top of the portfolio contents form. The information for this course must be completed filled in on the form. All other information known must be filled in on the binder contents form. Your name and program area must be on the spine of the binder. You must have a divider and labeled tab for every class that you are required to take in your program area. Please see Resource Links on Blackboard for more information. This link can also be accessed at http://www.coedu.usf.edu/esol after you have completed this course. You will want to continue to refer to the website as you complete your classes in the College of Education and add the ESOL related material from each course to the binder. It is imperative that you save the ESOL work you do in your classes to put in the ESOL portfolio. Include all the assignments completed in this class, including printouts of the Blackboard assignments.

20 points EXAMS - 2 exams, 10 points each.

4 points Participation and attendance - Attendance at all classes is mandatory. One unexcused absence will result in the lowering of your grade by 25 points. Acceptable excused absences will require a doctor's note. Please see me regarding other absences. Three tardies or early departures equal one unexcused absence and will result in the lowering of your grade by 25 points. Religious Observances - Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second class meeting.

All assignments must be completed ON TIME FOR FULL CREDIT to be given. LATE assignments will result in LOSING one letter grade for each week it is late. All assignments must be typed, appropriately spaced using one-inch margins. Please do not use plastic covers of any kind for your papers. Use only black type. Use italics sparingly. Use professional fonts, i.e., Times New Roman, Palatino, and Geneva. Use a 12-point font. Do not use cover sheets for your papers. To ensure that you receive credit for your work, please put your name, course and section numbers, group number, date due and assignment name in the upper right-hand corner of your paper.

Grades will be assigned using the following standard:

A = 90 - 100

B = 80 - 89

C = 70 - 79

D = 60 - 69

F = 59 - below

TENTATIVE Course Schedule--Readings are due on the date they are noted on the schedule.

August 27

September 3

September 10--Field experience release--no class meeting but submit the Webquest Quiz

September 17

September 24

October 1

October 8--Field experience release--No class

October 15

October 22

October 29

November 5

November 12

November 19--Field experience release--No class

November 26 --Thanksgiving Holiday--No class

December 3

December 10