Digital Commons Network^™

One Good Lesson, Community Of Practice Model For Preparing Teachers Of Writing, Latrise P. Johnson, Elizabeth P. Eubanks

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Many writing initiatives have been advocated as ways to improve student writing. However, in order for teachers to successfully teach writing, they must be exposed to a variety of classroom-tested approaches (National Writing Project, 2003).With this in mind, a summer teaching writing course that met at a local high school combined the study of several approaches to teaching writing and field-based teaching and then employed one classroom-tested approach. Using Wenger’s (1998, 2010) communities of practice model, the teaching and learning about writing instruction centered on “practice” within the community and emphasized that preservice teachers act as social participants--that is, meaning-making …

It’S A Matter Of Practice: Influences Of A Writing Methods Course On Inservice Teachers’ Dispositions And Self-Efficacy, Sherry Dismuke

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This mixed-methods study examined the influences of a graduate writing methods course on the dispositions and instructional practice of twelve elementary classroom teachers, six who participated in the course and six who did not, during their post-graduate education. Data from interviews, classroom observation notes, and protocols have been analyzed, compared, and integrated. Outcomes of this study link participation in this course with increased confidence and readiness to teach the complexities of writing, as well as enhanced instructional practice and student learning opportunities. Findings suggest implications for teacher professional development, literacy teacher educators, and teacher education researchers.

The Negotiation And Development Of Writing Teacher Identities In Elementary Education, Shartriya M. Collier, Suzanne Scheld, Ian Barnard, Jackie Stallcup

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Identity development in writing is a unique process. While many studies have explored the process of developing a professional identity among future teachers, few studies have investigated how teacher candidates develop a writing teacher’s identity. This study explores the development and negotiation of writing teacher identity among 21 pre-service multiple-subject teacher candidates at a large public institution in California. More specifically, the study examines the students’ journeys as they transformed from students of writing in a university methods course to student teachers of writing in a local school district. Our findings indicate that the use of a sociocultural-based approach to …

Moving Writing Out Of The Margins In Edtpa: “Academic Language” In Writing Teacher Education, Sarah Hochstetler, Melinda J. Mcbee Orzulak

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

The edTPA, a standardized teacher performance assessment developed by Stanford University and launched by the Pearson corporation, is quickly becoming a national measure of preservice teacher effectiveness. As more states adopt this assessment as a required component of successful completion of teacher education programs and licensure, we are compelled to critique the design, implementation, and evaluation of this high-stakes testing instrument. Our goal is to articulate the effects of this assessment on writing teacher education and the teaching of writing more broadly. Specifically, we argue that programmatic or individual interpretation of the edTPA can marginalize writing instruction (and writing teacher …

Inquiry, Experience, And Exploration: Rebooting The Research Project And Making Connections Beyond The English Classroom, Trevor Thomas Stewart, Jeff Goodman

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This article describes our efforts to revitalize the research project in the English Language Arts classroom, engage students in the exploration of topics of organic interest, and create opportunities for them to share their findings with authentic audiences.

Performing Pedagogy: Negotiating The “Appropriate” And The Possible In The Writing Classroom, Lesley Erin Bartlett

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

While the field of Composition and Rhetoric has long held that “good writing” is a construct, we haven’t thoroughly examined how “good teaching” is also a construct. Drawing from work in composition studies, rhetorical theory, and feminist theory, this essay builds on questions of identity, embodiment, and privilege to enrich conversations about writing pedagogy and teacher development and to offer writing teachers an interpretive lens through which to critically examine their pedagogical performances. I begin with the assumption that all acts of writing and teaching are performances, whether they are marked as such or not. Featuring two key rhetorical concepts, …

“It Sounds Wrong” Vs. “I Would Be Curious”: Challenges In Seeing Students As Writers In A School-University Partnership, Anne Elrod Whitney, Nicole Olcese, Virginia Squier

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This article presents qualitative data and a pedagogical reflection from two teacher educators as they consider a writing partnership between preservice teachers in their methods course and a class of middle school writers. The purpose of the partnership was to help preservice teachers think about students not just for the purposes of evaluation and grading, but as writers, and, more importantly, as human beings. Authors present their inquiry and the challenges that arose as a result of the project, including reflections on the partnership from preservice teachers.

What Does College Writing Really Entail? The Ccss Connection To University Writing, Marcy Taylor, Elizabeth Marie Brockman

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This article responds to the question: What Does College Writing Really Entail? The authors showcase four university-level writing assignments and demonstrate how they collectively reflect both assessment results of study of college writing at a Midwestern University and the Common Core State Standards, especially the writing and reading anchor standards.

The Vulgate Commentary On Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book 1, Frank T. Coulson

TEAMS Secular Commentary Series

Composed around 1250 by an unknown author in the region of Orléans, the Vulgate Commentary on Ovid's Metamorphoses is the most widely disseminated and reproduced medieval work on Ovid's epic compendium of classical mythology and materialist philosophy. This commentary both preserves the rich store of twelfth-century glossing on the Metamorphoses and incorporates new material of literary interest, while the marginal glosses in many respects reflect the scholar interests of an early thirteenth-century schoolmaster. The Vulgate Commentary is always transmitted as a series of interlinear and marginal glosses surrounding the text manuscript, whereas other earlier commentaries were independent of a full …

Accessus Ad Auctores: Medieval Introductions To The Authors (Codex Latinus Monacensis 19475), Stephen M. Wheeler

TEAMS Secular Commentary Series

Medieval commentaries typically included an accessus, a standardized introduction to an author or book. In the twelfth century these introductions were anthologised, referred to now as Accessus ad auctores. They served as the first handbooks of literary criticism. The earliest and most comprehensive example, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 19475, saec. XII, is presented here for the first time in a faithful critical edition, with a new translation and explanatory notes addressing different aspects of the text. This book's aim is to present an accurate version of the text while respecting the arrangement and integrity of the anthology as a …

November 6, 2015: Carol Symes Lecture, Department Of English

Gleanings: Department of English Blog Archive

The Department of English Anthony Ellis Scholarly Speakers Series featuring Carol Symes

Western News, Nov. 5, 2015, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Michigan earns liberal education status; WMU, Peace Corps giving students added service edge; First Lady to spotlight campus assault prevention; On Campus with Teresa Ventimiglia.

Emeriti News, November 2015, Emeriti Council

Emeriti News

Contents of Volume XXI Number 2:

• Message from the Co-Chair
• Upcoming Events
• Emeriti Past Events
• Emeriti News and Announcements
• Emeriti Council Book Scholarships
• Emeriti Medallion Scholarships
• Scholarship
• The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Western Michigan University
• In Remembrance
• Provost’s Newsletter
• Emeriti Council Website

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 31: November 2015, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• Master of Arts in Spirituality, Culture and Health
• Climate Change Studies Minor
• WMU Researches Rare Disease
• History Professor Linda Borish Mentors a SEITA Scholar
• Dr. Arthur R. McGurn Publishes Physics Book

Front Matter, Medieval Feminist Forum, V.51, No.1, 2015

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

The War Of The Two Jeannes And The Role Of The Duchess In Lordship In The Fourteenth Century, Katrin E. Sjursen

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

In the mid-fourteenth century, two women headed opposing parties in a civil war for control of the duchy of Brittany in France. Conventional scholarship explains their involvement in politics and warfare as exceptions possible only during emergencies. Contemporary chronicles and the letters of the two women themselves, however, tell another story, one in which these two women participated in politics and warfare even before their husbands entered captivity. Their participation makes sense if we recognize that medieval society understood lordship as a form of shared governance performed by a noble couple. While separate roles did exist for the husband and …

Reginal Intercession And The Case Of Cristina, Convicted Murderer, Katherine Allocco

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

In the winter of 1328-1329, Cristina, widow of Thomas Scot, potter of London, was convicted, imprisoned in Newgate and sentenced to hang for the crime of murdering her husband. Her execution was delayed due to her pregnancy. In January or February 1329, Cristina sent a letter to Isabella of France, queen mother, requesting a King’s pardon. On March 2, Edward III pardoned Cristina, at his mother’s request, through letters patent. It appears that Isabella, who had an established reputation as an intercessor for both personal petitions and general political appeals, had successfully interceded on Cristina’s behalf. Although medieval queens- both …

Kingship And Masculinity In Late Medieval England, Jennifer Thibodeaux

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Back Matterr, Medieval Feminist Forum, V.51, No.1, 2015

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

The Life Of St. Winifred: The Vita S. Wenefrede From Bl Lansdowne Ms 436, James Ryan Gregory

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Updates In Academic Affairs - 10/19/15, Office Of The Provost And Vice President Of Academic Affairs

Updates in Academic Affairs

• College Of Arts And Sciences Dean Candidates To Be On Campus This Fall
• Veterans, Military Personnel Honored During Slate Of Events
• University Libraries, Engineering College Partner In Embedded Tech Venture

Reading Horizons Vol. 54 No. 2

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

No abstract provided.

Methodological Status And Trends In Expository Text Structure Instruction Efficacy Research, Janet J. Bohaty, Michael A. Hebert, J Ron Nelson, Jessica A. Brown

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This systematic descriptive historical review was conducted to examine the status and trends in expository text structure instruction efficacy research for first through twelfth grade students. The analysis included sixty studies, which spanned the years 1978 to 2014. Descriptive dimensions of the research included study type, research design, treatment fidelity, school level, number of participants, service delivery settings, and comprehensiveness of demographic reporting, text structure instruction, and measurement. Researchers primarily used randomized and quasi-experimental research designs. Analysis of results revealed that (a) a relatively large number of text structure efficacy research studies have been conducted, (b) complete demographic information was …

Successfully Promoting 21st Century Online Research Skills: Interventions In 5th-Grade Classrooms, Tara L. Kingsley, Jerrell C. Cassady, Susan M. Tancock

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This quantitative study was developed to explore the ability to impact elementary student 21^st Century online research skills with a planned classroom intervention curriculum. The repeated measures quasi-experimental study randomly assigned all 5^th grade classes in a Midwestern, suburban school (n=418) to a 12-week intervention or control condition. Analyses of the ORCA Elementary-Revised performance prior to intervention revealed significant correlations with traditional measures of reading achievement as well as limited influence from demographic variables. In the primary research question, results demonstrated that the intervention group showed significantly higher gains from pretest to posttest on the measure of online …

Spelling Instruction In The Primary Grades: Teachers’ Beliefs, Practices, And Concerns, Antoinette Doyle, Jing Zhang, Chris Mattatall

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study examined Canadian teachers’ beliefs, practices and concerns about spelling instruction in the primary grades. Data from surveys (n = 56) indicated that most teachers believe that spelling is important and plan for spelling instruction. For most teachers, the spelling words and activities used, and the instructional resources they chose, reflected an attempt to incorporate both holistic and traditional approaches to instruction. Teachers reported that substantial numbers of children experience difficulty with spelling. They suggested that greater emphasis be placed on defining spelling outcomes in the curriculum, as well as on teacher education and resources for teaching spelling to …

Enhancing Nonfiction Reading Comprehension Through Online Book Discussions, Angela Falter Thomas

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Abstract

The introduction of Common Core State Standards has many middle grade school teachers concerned with implementing standards while retaining student reading engagement and motivation strategies. This study analyzes the effectiveness of providing social networking strategies in online book discussion groups on enhancing middle grade student reading engagement and motivation. Additionally, this study reaffirmed that offering students choice of texts fostered more autonomous learning habits. Finally as a result of facilitating these online book discussions, graduate students were able to learn and develop more effective strategies and skills for engaging and motivating middle grade student reading. It is hoped that …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session October 6, 2015, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the WMU Board of Trustees meeting include appendices:

• State Capital Outlay
• Proposal- EUP Program Expansion
• Honorary Degree Policy

October 5, 2015: David Bleich Lecture, Department Of English

Gleanings: Department of English Blog Archive

The Department of English Anthony Ellis Scholarly Speakers Series featuring David Bleich

Aribo, De Musica And Sententiae, T. J. H. Mccarthy

TEAMS Varia

Music was central to the medieval church's public worship: it was the essential medium of the Mass and the Divine Office. In this new critical edition, T. J. H. McCarthy presents the Latin text and the first English translation of Aribo's musical treatise, De musica and Sententiae. Written between 1070 and 1078, it is concerned with the workings of the liturgical music that Aribo and his contemporaries called Gregorian chant, and builds off of and responds to several contemporary treatises by Abbot Bern of Reichenau and his pupil Herman, Abbot William of Hirsau, Frutolf of Michelsberg, and Theoger of Metz. …

A Bibliographical Guide To The Study Of The Troubadours And Old Occitan Literature, Robert A. Taylor

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

Although it seemed in the mid-1970s that the study of the troubadours and of Occitan literature had reached a sort of zenith, it has since become apparent that this moment was merely a plateau from which an intensive renewal was being launched. In this new bibliographic guide to Occitan and troubadour literature, Robert Taylor provides a definitive survey of the field of Occitan literary studies - from the earliest enigmatic texts to the fifteenth-century works of Occitano-Catalan poet Jordi de Sant Jordi - and treats over two thousand recent books and articles with full annotations. Taylor includes articles on related …