Welcome!

Welcome to ENGL 3690

Take charge of your happiness,

surround yourself with wisdom,
and move ahead with determination.
It is a pleasure to work with you!

Mrs. Barbara Meeusen

Instructor
 Introductions
We will begin our class today by introducing ourselves and
stating your nickname if you have one, and sharing with us
what pronouns you prefer. Please also share one special
detail about yourself.

At the end of the class, you will go to the Discussion Board

and write a few sentences about yourself that you would like
to share with the class. In Elearning, go to Communications,
then Discussions. The directions are there for you to follow.
This will be our In-Class Points for today.
 All
All About
About Me
Me

This is a great writing assignment

for the beginning of the year in
the elementary grades.
 Technology Help

How many times have you sat

in a course and the instructor is
struggling with technology and
you know exactly what is wrong
and how to fix it? I have been
there myself, and it is frustrating
for both parties. Precious time is
being wasted… and that isn’t in
anyone’s best interest.

If you are proficient in technology, and would like to help

me out on occasion, please send me a private email.
Although I do have skills, sometimes I get flustered when I
waste time searching for something. I would appreciate it!
 PPP Follow Along

Please open Elearning and take a look at

the News section. News is always posted
sometime over the weekend (usually
Sunday nights) to provide a gentle
reminder of the week’s events. Make sure
you have your notifications on if you wish
to be alerted when an unexpected News
item is posted (cancelled class, etc.).
Now, go to the Content tab, find the Modules list
on the left side, and click on PowerPoint
Presentations, and then Welcome PPP. At the
beginning of each class session, please open the
PPP for that week. You will follow along with me,
and I will be sharing my PPP on WebEx. I have
posted the weekly PPPs (usually on the Thursday
prior to the new week). I have also included the
PDF format.
 Community
Engagement

Community
Engagement is the
backbone of this
course and the basis of
Best Practices in a
successful pedagogy
in Element Education.
Community
Engagement is also
how you earn In-Class
Points during class
time. This information is
also contained in
Module 1.
 Let’s Get Started
Camera/Screen Policy

By modeling/creating this same

environment for our class, I am
hoping that you will feel safe,
nurtured, and are able to take
academic risks.

In order to achieve this goal, we

all need to have our cameras on
In Elementary Education during discussions and group
(especially during writing work. When I (or a colleague)
time), Classroom am using a PowerPoint
Community is crucial. This Presentation, you can turn your
way teachers can create camera off if you wish. Using your
a safe space so students camera also earns In-Class Points
can feel nurtured and because it shows active
take academic risks. participation and engagement.
 Syllabus
Click the Content tab in
Elearning to find the
information about our
course. The Syllabus is the
document that addresses
the overview of
academic content.
Please take some time
this week to familiarize
yourself with this
documents and the other
procedural documents
that are contained in
Module 1. We will cover
some elements today.
 In-Class Points

Typically, you will earn In-Class Points in a

number of ways throughout the course.
Then, when appropriate, I will copy these
submissions and post them for you all to
read. By sharing our writing, we will get to
know each other, establish trust, and build
a positive writing community.

That is exactly what you will do when you become a

teacher and have your own classroom and students!
Building a positive and nurturing classroom environment
will provide your future students with many learning
opportunities. I sincerely hope that this is the type of
community that results in our ENGL 3690 Course this
semester. When we work together and give our best
effort anything is possible!
Article of the Week
Assignment

The Article of the Week

Assignment instructions are in
Module 1. Each week, we will
have two individual student
presentations that will teach the
class about a "hot topic” in
education based on the research
of an academic article. The
article must be written by an
expert, and it must be approved
by me no later than one week
prior to presentation.
Presentations should be
approximately 5 (no longer than
10 minutes). Students need to
sign-up for a date to present. We
will do that now!
Article of the Week
Assignment

You can demonstrate your

engagement and
participation in class by
posting questions and/or
comments about the
articles in the Chat Box or
out loud. We will refer to
that interaction as
Community Engagement.
That is one way you can
earn In-Class Points.
 Writer’s Website
Reading Responses

As you familiarize yourself

with the assignments in this
course, please be aware
that before we meet next
week you will need to
begin your Writer’s Website
and enter your first
Reading Response.

You will find the instructions

for these assignments
(as well as the rest of the
assignments for this course)
in Module1of Elearning.
 Writer’s Website

Click Here for the URL that

connects to Weebly. We will now
begin to set up the backbone of
our website. You can add the fun
stuff later to individualize your site
and make it easy to navigate.
You will need to include the items
on the list to the righ. Each item
needs its own page (menu tab).
When you submit your Reading
Responses and Reading
Reflections, you will submit to your
Website (not Dropbox) before the
first meeting of Week 2. You will
then submit your Reading
Response and Reading
Reflections links to Dropbox.
 Pen Pal Letters

Please be aware that your first Pen Pal Letter is due next
week during Week 2. This assignment has many
components, and the guidelines for these multiple
assignments are located in the Content Area/Module1of
Elearning.
Pen Pal Letters are due on the
first class of Week 2.
Please submit this letter to
Dropbox. Remember, be
friendly and cute to your Pen
Pals. Ask your Pen Pals
questions about their hobbies,
interests, and school. You may
use clipart to engage Pen Pals
so they will want to write an
interesting letter back to you!
 PowerPoints
Teachers know that all students (despite their age) learn in
different ways. In Education, we call these ways the Multiple
Intelligences. With that in mind, I have prepared these slides
for YOU to support your learning in this class. Before each
week, I will post these slides on the Thursday before the week
begins. They live in the Module called PowerPoint
Presentations.
In the coming years as you prepare
to become teachers, you will work
hard to design interesting lessons so
that your students become active
listeners and learners. I hope you
enjoy these slides and they help
you learn how to become an
amazing teacher. The world could
really use some amazing teachers
right now!
 Philosophy

Your Teaching Philosophy is a self-reflective

statement of your beliefs about teaching
and learning. During this course, you will
have the opportunity to create and/or
adapt your Teaching Philosophy to reflect
the K-6 Teaching Preparation Standards.

I also have a Teaching Philosophy that I will share

with you throughout our time together.
Remember, this philosophy is different with each
teacher and is what we use to support our
students’ academic, social, and emotional
needs. We call this pedagogy. Kindness, grace,
mutual respect, fostering accountability, and
teaching multi-level problem solving strategies
are some of the key components of my Teaching
Philosophy.
 Unpack Assignments

Let’s unpack some of the key elements from the

assignments that you will be completing this
semester. It is important to read the instructions for
each assignment carefully and thoroughly. To earn
all the points, you must include each component of
the assignment.
 Questions???

Any questions? Please put them in the Chat Box or

use the WebEx hand wait your turn to speak.
 Cultivating Genius

Goldy Muhammad is the author of a truly amazing

book called Cultivating Genius. This book is a
remarkable resource for teaching the group(s) of
students who have been marginalized the most in
society and within schools.

Cultivating Genius provides a

historically responsive literacy
framework to help teachers
redesign learning goals and lesson
plans. Just as importantly, it helps
teachers select culturally and
historically responsive texts to use
in teaching.
 Quote

At the end of each class, we will unpack a quote from

Cultivating Genius to see how the idea would provide
valuable instruction for our students. Since reading and
writing are so closely intertwined in education, this
discussion will prove to be an effective strategy for
teaching both content areas in elementary school.

“Rather than wait for their rights

and education to be granted from
those with legislative power, they
instead created their own
agendas and claimed authority by
organizing into professional
associations focused on literacy.”
 Exit Tickets

Today, we will conclude our class meeting

by writing in the Discussion Board. When
you earn points at the end of class it is
called an Exit Ticket. Today you will earn all
of your In-Class Points by writing in the
Discussion Board. First, go to the Content
area of Elearning. Please read the
Discussion Guidelines before you begin
your post.
Then, you will go to the Discussion
Board and write a few sentences
about yourself that you would like
to share with the class. In Elearning,
click on Communications, then
Discussions. The directions are
there for you to follow. as well.
 Writer’s Website
Reading Responses
To get you started, we will
begin the process by
composing a Weebly
Website. You will be
responsible for adding the
appropriate information to
your website and
providing me with the
required links.
www.weebly.com
Weebly is relatively easy to
navigate, but when you
have technical issues you
will need to contact OIT. I
can help you with
educational questions.
 Questions???

Any questions? Please put them in the Chat Box or

use the WebEx hand to wait for your turn to speak.
 Writer’s Website
Reading Responses

OIT HelpDesk
http://www.wmich.edu/help
desk
helpdesk@wmich.edu
(269) 387-4357 Option 1
2nd Floor, University
Computing Center
*Click image below and
for Live Chat
 Contact Info

barbara.meeusen@wmich.edu
WebEx Meeting Room:
https://wmich.webex.com/meet/barbara.meeusen

Mrs. Meeusen's Office Hours:

Monday & Wednesday 4:00-5:00 BY

Please email me if you plan to join me

in WebEx during Office Hours.
I am also available at other times by appointment.

Please contact me with any questions and/or

concerns that you may have during this course. I
am happy to do whatever I can to support you
as you learn.