EDUC_257

Department of Education

MATTC

EDUC 257 (3 units)

Foundations of First & Second Language Acquisition in Children

Fall 2015

Mission and Goals of the Department of Education

Rooted in the Jesuit tradition at Santa Clara University, the mission of the Department of Education is to prepare professionals of competence, conscience, and compassion who will promote the common good as they transform lives, schools, and communities. Our core values of reflective practice, scholarship, diversity, ethical conduct, social justice, and collaboration guide both theory and practice.

Faculty, staff, and students in the Department of Education:

1. Make student learning our central focus

2. Engage continuously in reflective and scholarly practice

3. Value diversity

4. Become leaders who model ethical conduct and a commitment to social justice

5. Seek collaboration with others in reaching these goals

MS/SS Teaching Credential Program Learning Goals (PLGs)

The PLGs represent our commitment to individuals who earn their MS/SS credential at Santa Clara University. The MS/SS faculty focus on ensuring each student will begin their teaching career ready to:

1. Maximize learning for every student.

2. Teach for student understanding.

3. Make evidence-based instructional decisions informed by student assessment data.

4. Improve your practice through critical reflection and collaboration.

5. Create productive, supportive learning environments.

6. Apply ethical principles to your professional decision-making

The PLGs guide our program. Therefore, all MS/SS teaching credential program course objectives are cross-referenced with the PLGs. (A fully elaborated version of the MS/SS PLGs can be found in the Teacher Candidate Handbook, Pre-Service Pathway.)

Course Description

This course is designed to provide knowledge of the structural, semantic, and cultural aspects of the process of language acquisition and offers practical information about the cognitive development of bilingual learners in grades K-12. Credential candidates develop an understanding of the theory, principles, methods, and practices of teaching linguistically diverse learners and use professional inquiry to enhance their awareness of personal attitudes toward different cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic groups of elementary and secondary school students. This course, required of all multiple subject and single subject teaching credential candidates, does not require concurrent enrollment in a Clinical Practicum placement or a full time teaching position in a Catholic school.

Course Objective

Required Texts

· Díaz-Rico L. T. (2014). The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

· English Language Development Standards: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/eldstandards.asp

· Additional readings will be provided on CANVAS/CAMINO

Recommended Texts

· Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. J. (2005). Making Content Comprehensible for English Language Learners: The SIOP Model. MA: Boston Allen & Bacon.

· Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning: Teaching Second Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom. NH: Portsmouth: Heinemann

Course Requirements/Assignments

Grades are based on a 100-point total. The distribution of points across assignments is as follows:

1. Class Attendance & Participation. Regular attendance at all class meetings is a requirement in this program. Ten points will be deducted from your final grade for the course for each class session you missed. Each of you will be granted one Emergency Release (ER) per course. Your ER excuses you from one class session with half the grade penalty (loss of 5 points instead of 10). To use your ER you must notify me by email or phone BEFORE class. Save your ER for medical issues, family demands, car trouble, etc.

Students will not be penalized for absences due to the observance of religious holidays that fall on our scheduled class day; please give me advance notice of these absences so I can make the necessary accommodations. All other absences are unexcused and will affect your grade.

Punctuality. Coming to class (and returning from breaks) on time is another course requirement. Your first lateness will be excused; your second lateness will cause 2 points to be deducted from your final course grade; your third lateness will cause an additional 4 points to be deducted. More than three late arrivals indicate a serious problem; this situation will be dealt with at the instructor’s discretion.

Attendance and punctuality are the only policies with the immediate potential to impact your course grades. However, data documenting your adherence to the remaining policies listed here are gathered by your instructor through ongoing observation and documentation. These data are a primary factor in the assessment of your mastery of TPE 12- “Professional, ethical, and legal obligations.”

If an instructor has reason to feel you are not meeting all the expectations spelled out below, s/he will contact you privately to discuss the issue, to clarify the expectations as needed, and to offer his/her support in helping you reach those expectations. If your instructor does not contact you with a concern, you can assume you are satisfying these requirements. However, if you would like specific feedback on your professional conduct during the quarter, you are welcome to contact your instructor at any time and s/he will be glad to share his/her assessment with you.

As we will read about and study in this course, everyone’s learning is enhanced by the quantity and quality of the interactions in the learning environment. Hence, your participation in whole class discussions, group work and pair group is essential for the success of this course.

While a class is in session, you should not engage in any activity not directly related to what is taking place in the classroom. Instructors reserve the right to ask you to close your laptop or put away some other form of technology at their discretion; when/if this occurs, please respond quickly and without protest to avoid further disruption of the class’s learning. Instructors also reserve the right to ignore your inappropriate use of technology in class and simply deduct points from your final grade. If you would like more detailed clarification about the expectations regarding appropriate and inappropriate in-class technology use, please feel free to contact your instructor for further information.

Note: Points lost due to poor attendance and/or lack of punctuality, are deducted from your final grade. A student with excellent grades on assignments and other aspects of professional conduct can earn a poor course grade as a result of excessive absence or chronic lateness.

2. Literature Circles (LC). A common book discussion routine used in reading programs is the Literature Circle-an instructional approach where students come together in small temporary groups formed by book choice that meet on a regular and predictable schedule to (re) read and discuss readings.

Each student will be responsible for leading two Literature Circles on the readings throughout the course. Literature Circle leaders should come to class (whether on-line or in person) prepared with handouts for each member of your group (4/5 students) that outline the assigned readings with the asterisked headings listed below under the “LC Components” heading. The “Literature Circle Discussion Format” outlines how the literature circle would unfold.