ABSTRACT
The background surrounding the design of this course is deeply rooted in ongoing discussions in the literacy field around content area and disciplinary literacy and the impact it has had on our teacher preparation programs, particularly at the secondary level. Course 1 provides an introductory framework for graduate students and consists of three parts: immersion in knowledge building via literacy events, practice in knowledge building via literacy events, and building a knowledge unit. In dialogical response to the theoretical underpinnings of Course 1, the design of Course 2 aligns with previously noted research that informs the preparation of teachers for work in schools. The theoretical foundations behind the design of this course via the creation of collaborative literacy inquiry groups are knowledge-building and cognitive distribution. Equally vital was to design the practicum model around the creation of a collaborative teaching community with graduate teachers and middle school students that would encourage teaching as a reciprocal act.
