College of Education

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Education

[Spring 2017

Instructor and Course Meeting Information: Susan Browne and Midge Madden

Adult Literacy Course: Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing in Response to

Texts: To be provided by instructors.

Catalog Description

This course is designed to address the needs of any adult student who wishes to become a
more critical, proficient reader. The course is characterized by providing multiple
opportunities for students to apply critical thinking and reading skills to a variety of
texts. It will provide multiple opportunities to learn and apply a variety of strategies
needed to successfully negotiate everyday and workplace texts and tier two vocabulary
across a broad spectrum of majors. Critical thinking and reading skills, effective
communication, decision-making and self-management skills will be emphasized.

Connection to the Mission of the College of Education

To positively impact and develop local, regional, national and global educational
communities by:
● collaborating with partners in the field to promote learning and the mental and
physical health of diverse learners in all settings
● integrating teaching, research, and service to advance knowledge in the field
● preparing and supporting professionals through the development of knowledge,
skills and dispositions
with the ultimate goal of ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all learners.

Department and/or Program Purpose Statement

Composed of faculty from diverse backgrounds and varied teaching and research
specialities within education, the Department of Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural
Education is united in our commitment to the humanities and social sciences as
foundational disciplines for understanding and improving the lives of people in our
region, nation, and world. Our purpose is to prepare undergraduate and graduate students
to be transformational leaders who advocate for social change and consider their roles as
educators in a broad context, exploring the connections and tensions that exist among
schools, cultures, and societies. We engage our students in examining pedagogical
theories and practices by

● developing content and pedagogical knowledge through research and

constructivist teaching practices;
● using digital technology in the classroom to teach critical literacy and equitable
access to knowledge, information, and education;
 ● examining issues of social justice, equity, and diversity within the courses we
offer students; and
● assessing the impact of our department on P-12 learners, families, communities,
and our students.

Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing prepares adult learners with literacy knowledge
and skills to foster success with GED training, community college ad university courses
and workplace demands. The course provides a balanced approach in building on what
the student already knows, to what he or she will need to know in order to experience
success with various kinds of texts, both academic and workplace related.

Objectives of the Course

Objective Assignment Where Assessed

Develop cognitive strategies necessary to construct Class participation including
meaning from text, including use of background quick writes and discussions,
knowledge, interpretation, prediction, analysis and homework, midterm assessment,
evaluation. final project
Recognize text structure and use knowledge of that Class participation including
structure to aid in meaning construction. quick writes and discussions,
homework, midterm assessment,
final project
Identify patterns of development such as Class participation including
division/classification, comparison/contrast, and quick writes and discussions,
cause/effect, and analyze author’s intent in choice of homework, midterm assessment,
patterns final project
Develop a broader vocabulary base and learn Weekly vocabulary activities,
techniques for independently improving vocabulary. midterm assessment
Learn to monitor comprehension and use Class participation including
metacognitive strategies when failure to comprehend quick writes and discussions
occurs.
Analyze texts for implied meanings and author’s Class participation including
tone, mood, and intent. quick writes and discussions,
homework, midterm assessment,
final project
Think critically when reading by identifying diverse Class participation including
perspectives and arguments and evaluating their quick writes and discussions,
strengths and limitations. homework, midterm assessment,
final project

Topical Outline/Content
A. Understanding the Demands of Multiple Genres of Texts
1. Text-related demands
 a. Difficulty of content
b. Idea density
c. Vocabulary level
d. Patterns of organization
2. Reader-related demands
a. Prior knowledge
b. Comprehension monitoring
B. Reading Comprehension Instruction
1. Prereading strategies
a. Activating and developing schema
b. Establishing a purpose
c. Predicting
2. Reading in a variety of disciplines
a. Questioning
b. Visualizing
c. Monitoring understanding
d. Metacognitive awareness of strengths and needs as a reader
e. Schema
3. Post-reading strategies
a. Annotating/highlighting
b. Outlining
c. Graphic organizers
d. Summarizing
4. Unpacking meaning through conversations and writing
C. Comprehension and Critical Literacy
1. Recognizing social barriers
a. Race and ethnicity
b. Age
c. Gender
d. Religions
e. Ethnic groups
f. Social class
g. Home language experiences
2. Examining multiple perspectives of historical events throughout history
3. Critical examination of authentic voice
a. Language of the text
b. How cultural groups use language
4. Juxtaposing similar and contrasting texts
5. Evaluating an author’s argument
D. Strategies for vocabulary development
1. Vocabulary in context
2. Analyzing word structure clues
3. Connotative meanings
4. Figurative language
E. Digital text and technological literacy
1. Numeracy
 2. Media literacy
3. Visual literacy
4. Technological literacy

Course Calendar: Detailed descriptions of assignments will be provided. Schedule is

subject to some changes.

Student Evaluation: (Grading Policy)

Assignments in this course will receive points toward a letter grade. The grading scale
for each course requirement will be based on the following scale:

A = 94-100
A- = 90-93
B+= 87-89
B = 84-86
B- = 80-83
C+= 77-79
C = 74-76
C- = 70-73
D+= 67-69
D = 64-66
D- = 60=63

Assignments

All assignments (except for reading online response work and in-class activies) must be
typed on the computer using Times New Roman, 12 point font and must be carefully
edited. Please double check the assignment description to make sure you have included
all parts of the assignment. Proofread your work so your final copy is error free and
professionally done. Attention should be given to content, writing style, and mechanics
that are essential for a well written paper.

Major Course Activities/Assignments

Course Reading Assignments: Read and implement comprehension strategies that

demonstrate you understand semantic mapping, outlining, and summary writing.

Critical Analysis of Text Final Project: Working in small groups, identify a current
controversial issue relevant to your interests or major and find a minimum of three texts
that support both points of view. Present a multimedia presentation that explains the
following:
a. how you identified the topic
b. how you identified the resources
c. how you analyzed the ways the authors presented their points
d. the strengths and limitations of the authors’ works
e. the conclusions you drew from reading the texts
f. what you learned from this project, both in terms of content knowledge and
analyzing texts.

In this oral presentation, everyone in the group must share an equal amount of speaking
time. The point of your presentation is to explain two different view points of a current
controversial issue. Your presentation must include some type of visual aid which helps
clarify your group’s presentation. You may do a Powerpoint, Google slides, or Prezi
presentation.

You must submit written work for this presentation. Your written work includes hard
copies of the articles you read, and a typewritten outline of the oral presentation. The
project should be 6-10 minutes in length.

Participation: Class participation is considered an important part of your

grade. Participation includes being an active member of whole-class and small group
discussions. All members of the class are expected to come to class prepared and ready
to respectfully agree and disagree with course readings and class members.

Reference List:

Buscemi, Santi and Charlotte Smith. (2013). 75 Readings Plus. New York: McGraw

Hill.

Elder, Janet and Joe Cortina. (2016). Opening Doors. New York: McGraw Hill.

Muller, Gilbert. (2017). The New World Reader. Boston: Cengage Learning.

Mather, Peter and Rita McCarthy. (2016). Reading and All That Jazz. New York:

McGraw Hill.

Mather, Peter and Rita McCarthy. (2016). The Art of Critical Reading. New York:

McGraw Hill.