Course+Syllabus


 * PLN 1 - Syllabus**

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Secondary school teachers are involved in the constant process of increasing students’ active reading and writing about content area texts within the high-pressure environment of state accountability. PLN 1 Secondary offers practical strategies and applications that help establish a literate classroom environment in support of learning across all subject areas. Teachers, specialists, and administrators learn approaches to help them establish literate classroom environments that are rich in problem-solving, critical thinking, logical reasoning concepts focused on state and national standards, and practical techniques that investigate and connect content in all subject areas to the real world.

PLN 1 Secondary is structured to allow participants the opportunity to explore strategies and concepts for increasing student reading and writing proficiency. Participants are encouraged to try out the strategies discussed in class and reflect on this implementation with colleagues and facilitators, as well as inform their practice through professional readings.

OBJECTIVES
This course examines strategies for incorporating reading, writing, and talking across the curriculum. Specifically, it addresses the frameworks of Emeritus Professor and PLN Founder, Dr. Morton Botel, emphasizing varied language experiences as integral to learning. Participants read and write about the implementation of this framework. In addition, they develop and facilitate lessons that incorporation reading, writing, talking and listening in their content areas.

Central to this course are **Four Lenses** that reflect PLN’s perspective on language, literacy, and learning. These lenses identify teaching and learning as:


 * Meaning –centered
 * Social
 * Language-based
 * Human

The framework also includes **Five Reading/Writing/Talking Processes** that immerse students in reading, writing, talking, and listening across the curriculum:


 * Transacting With Text
 * Composing Texts
 * Extending Reading and Writing
 * Investigating Language
 * Learning to Learn

These four lenses and five processes are the foundation of this course. Participants will think about classroom practice in terms of how it reflects this PLN framework.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 * Participation:** Central to the course is the sharing of ideas among participants. In addition to talking about the course readings, participants will share plans of how they will implement particular reading/writing/talking/listening strategies in their content areas. Please bring curriculum texts to class to develop lesson plans to try out with your students based on course concepts and strategies. During each class meeting, students will also participate in demonstrations of reading/writing/talking listening strategies.


 * Readings and Discussions:** As noted in the calendar, we address particular segments from the course texts. Participant’s interests, insights, and questions generate this conversation. Everyone is expected to keep up with the readings and to contribute to these discussions regularly. Course texts: The Plainer Truths of Reading/Writing/Talking Across the Curriculum by Dr. Morton Botel and selected articles from the PLN 1 Secondary Online Bulk pack.


 * Journal:** During the course, participants will submit a total of 2-3 written journal entries and participate in a minimum of 2 online discussions through a Wiki site. Each written journal entry should be one to two typed pages in length. This journal serves as a tool for reflecting on and critically evaluating the course readings and class discussions. It also records the participants’ experiences and responses to the r/w/t/l strategies they plan to implement in the classroom.


 * Final Project:** All participants will be required to submit a curriculum project and plans for implementation that reflects the PLN frameworks. The nature of this project varies according to the participants’ needs and interests. Specific guidelines for this project will be distributed at a later date.

Attendance: Attendance and participation are vital to the success of the class. All students are expected to attend every class. We will start promptly at 3:00 and end at 6:00 p.m. If a class is missed, participants are required to make arrangements to obtain the missed material and may receive a reduced grade in the class. Class dates are: Monday, March 19, 2012 Monday, March 26, 2012 Monday, April 2, 2012 Monday, April 16, 2012 Monday, April 23, 2012 Monday, April 30, 2012 Monday, May 7, 2012 Monday, May 14, 2012

EVALUATION
The final course grade is based on the following criteria:
 * 1) Attendance at all class meetings.
 * 2) Participation in class discussions and activities.
 * 3) Completion of journals, participation in online discussions and completion and submission of the final project.
 * 4) Expectation that all teachers who attend the courses will work in collaboration with the coaches to implement new learning in their districts, schools and classrooms.


 * Course session readings and topics are subject to change**