Teaching Authentic Language Arts in a Test-Driven Era [Paperback]

Most pre-service education students are enthusiastic about the progressive, constructivist, and student-centered theory and practice advocated in many teacher education programs and by the National Council of Teachers of English. Yet in actual day-to-day practice, teachers often have trouble thinking of ways in which such student-centered and constructivist practices in literacy instruction can be implemented in classrooms which are increasingly driven by high stakes tests, increased accountability, and mandated and even 'teacher proof' scripted curricula. Teaching Authentic Language Arts in a Test-Driven Eraprovides a powerful and much-needed counterargument to the assumption that test-driven curricula preclude meaningful instruction and authentic student engagement within a Language Arts curriculum. Providing teachers with the theoretical stances and pedagogicals tools to develop a Language Arts practice which can be personally rewarding as well as beneficial to students,Teaching Authentic Language Arts in a Test-Driven Eraempowers teachers to be effective even within the confines of a testing- and accountability-driven curriculum.

@contents:Selected Contents:

Chapter One: Surviving and Thriving in a Test- and Accountability-Driven Culture

Chapter Two: Constructivist Controversies

Chapter Three: Writing Theory and Practice

Chapter Four: Reading Theory and Practice

Chapter Five: Symbolic Assessment and Authentic Assessment

Chapter Six: Aesthetic Education

Chapter Seven: Teaching Social Justice in a Test-Driven Era

Chapter Eight: Teaching Language Arts in a Test Driven Era

Arthur Costigan is Assistant Professor of Education at Queens College, City University of New York. A former New York City high school teacher, his research interest is the ways in which new tl#µ