This week's readings are very useful and interesting because it gives examples, guidelines and techniques that we can use to achieve the appropriate approach for our classrooms. Every student I will have in the future will come with different needs and backgrounds, and I will have to accommodate my approach to them. Even though the 12 principles (within cognitive, socioaffective and linguistic) and techniques, mentioned in Brown chapter 4, cannot tell me exactly how each student will successfully acquire a language, I can base my teaching on these to create a more appropriate approach for my future classrooms. Also, the classroom implications under every principle are very useful, because these give some tips and guidelines to use in case I am placed in a challenging situation. For example, If I want to create a meaningful lesson plan, Brown mentions that I can "capitalize on the power of meaningful learning by appealing to the student's interests, academic goals, and career goals", as well as connecting the lesson with the student's existing knowledge and background to make it more appealing to them (66). This can create intrinsic motivation and I can effectively engage them into learning. I will remember not to use rewards to the point where they are relying on them and not focus on learning, because we want them to achieve an "intrinsic system of rewards" that will benefit them in the future, something that is a long term benefit for them. When I was younger, I loved to get stickers next to my good scores on a quiz, the sticker would make me happy and proud of myself, but sometimes I would forget the content if I was tested on it again and it would lower my confidence. It is necessary to motivate the students on learning the content to avoid affecting other factors, such as emotional. I liked the socioaffective principles Brown mentions because it is a factor that is most likely to be skipped over because teaching the content and creating the appropriate lesson is usually the focal point. The student's emotions (self-confidence, anxiety, enthusiasm, shyness, etc.) can affect their learning and we need to make sure we are considering them while planning and teaching a lesson.
Chapter 16 helps me see some factors, techniques and strategies I need to be aware of when teaching and adapt them to my future classrooms. It is important to teach the children how to be more independent of their own learning, as teacher we are here to guide them to the right path, but they have to create their own ways of achieving success. Student should be able to explore the lessons given to them, so they can apply them anywhere else (such as using them in social contexts). It is important to encourage them to have good language learner behaviors, be enthusiastic, be independent learners, as well as to teach them to be risk takers and challenge themselves, use learning centers, promote cooperative learning, and much more, as well as to teach them how to work for themselves cause it will help them live a more independent life in the future.
Kumar emphasizes on how both the student and teacher are valuable players in creating and using
learning opportunities. We need to monitor how the lesson
is unfolding and make changes as necessary when the lesson is taking place. The chapter gives great examples of conversations between teachers and students on how to prompt and guide the students so they can learn by themselves, as well as what not to do when teaching language. It is definitely important to create learning opportunities outside of the classroom because it will engage students and relate the content to actual social contexts that will be useful in real life situations. I loved the micro strategies for maximizing learning opportunities, Kumar mentions in chapter 3, because these give examples on what to do in certain situations to help them generate learning opportunities for themselves. For example, to connect with campus community, the teacher can put them in groups so they can explore one of the student services offered by the college and participate in a campus event. This will create some motivation, enthusiasm, meaningful learner involvement, and guide them to become independent learners, basically we want them to acquire a love for learning.
These chapters discuss all about the student-teacher relationship in the classroom and helps us, pre-service teachers, how to prepare for a classroom environment and create an appropriate approach that can benefit our students in the future. The guidelines, strategies and techniques were really enjoyable to read and useful, because they allowed me to think about my future classrooms and ways to incorporate them in a classroom. I will be able to put them into practice once I meet my classrooms and get to know each child individually (their needs and backgrounds) and create the appropriate and effective lesson for them. I wonder how will I be able to incorporate theory, their own culture, their needs, this new culture for them, other emotional factors, and these strategies and techniques to create the most effective approach for them? I know it will not be easy, it will take time. I know there will be lots of changes to my lessons, but I will figure it out once I meet my classroom.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Week 4: Brown Ch 3 and Kumar article
Brown Chapter 3: The Post Method Era: Toward Informed Approches
Brown discusses the concept of "post method" and taps into the different approaches within a language classroom. First, he discusses that it is better to focus on the approach the teacher uses for language teaching (effective tasks and techniques) instead of a method for all. As future teachers, we have to be aware of the learner's context and offer the appropriate blend of tasks for each student. Before entering the education program, I had ignored and was oblivious about the fact that a learner's needs and geographical, social, and political contexts play a vital part on teaching and learning. We need to consider their context and apply our teaching to their specific needs to appropriately educate them. Now, I have learned to be more focused on the learners' background and specific needs, apply it to the approach I am going to use, as well as reflect on my own experiences and practice, to effectively teach every diverse student I will come across in the future. The beginning of the chapter caught my attention because it explains that no matter how inexperienced I am in teaching, I have learned from my personal experiences and previous classes, as well as classroom observations and experiences as a learner (which is true!), and these will help me develop an "enlightened approach" when I teach in the future.
Moving onto the specific approaches Brown discusses, he mentions the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Some of the characteristics of this approach are to focus on all components (such as sociolinguistic, grammatical, discourse, etc.), create language techniques for meaningful purposes, focus on fluency and accuracy, apply real world contexts, and allow students to be aware of their own learning, and finally, students are active participants in their learning while teachers step back and guides them. Another important approach is the Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). This approach has been said to be somewhat similar to CLT by both authors discussed in this post, Kumar and Brown. This approach focuses on the learner and meaning, using problem-solving to engage students and creating communicative goals with carefully designed elements. Like the CLT, it also applies real world contexts.
Some of the others are: Learner-centered instruction (giving the learner a "sense of ownership" by allowing them to take control, use creativity and focus on their needs), Cooperative Learning (teaching them how to communicate effectively and work with others to accomplish a task), Interactive Learning (communicating effectively with others to create interaction in the classroom through negotiation, spontaneity, and authentic language input), Whole Language Education (viewing language as a whole and connecting between oral and written language), Content-Based Instruction (focusing on the study of language and subject matter, "with the form and sequence of language presentation dictated by content material). I believe each approach has disadvantages and advantages, teachers can design their own approach gathering the appropriate techniques and tasks from other approaches to fit their own classroom. I learned that in this profession, one has to be an observer of their own and others practices, analyze them, and become a researcher for their own classrooms.
Kumar and his article "TESOL methods: Changing Tracks, Challenging Trends".
Kumar discusses different perspectives on the language teaching methods within the TESOL profession. He taps into CLT and TBLT and compares them historically discussing their disadvantages and advantages as approaches being currently used by teachers in the education field. There have been various arguments between CLT and TBLT given by theorists analyzing the reliability of these approaches. Overall, Kumar suggests that both approaches are effective depending on the classroom, because there is no definitive research on which one is better. He also touches on method-based versus postmethod pedagogy. He suggests that creating a new method is not the way to go, but instead it is to find a new way to help and advise teachers to create a sense of plausibility. Method should not be considered valuable anymore. Post method pedagogy helps language teachers be cautious and value the learner's context, carefully assess and treat the learner, and appropriately work with diverse students with aid from "local assessments of students' strategies for learning". And finally, he discusses critical discourse emphasizing on the importance of "extending the educational space to the social, cultural, political language use", not just settling on teaching the pragmatic domains of language use. It is to consider the culture and knowledge within the personal experiences of the students and teachers. Teachers have to create a sense of awareness on beliefs, identities and overall structure within the classroom environment.
It is interesting to see the correlation between both authors and theories about CLT and TBLT, as well as post method pedagogy. Both agree that teachers have to have a sense of plausibility, awareness of the student's uniqueness, and reflect on their practices to develop a better teaching approach. After reading both assignments, I wonder what type of approach will I be using in the future to effectively teach my diverse students? or maybe a mix of various approaches?
Brown discusses the concept of "post method" and taps into the different approaches within a language classroom. First, he discusses that it is better to focus on the approach the teacher uses for language teaching (effective tasks and techniques) instead of a method for all. As future teachers, we have to be aware of the learner's context and offer the appropriate blend of tasks for each student. Before entering the education program, I had ignored and was oblivious about the fact that a learner's needs and geographical, social, and political contexts play a vital part on teaching and learning. We need to consider their context and apply our teaching to their specific needs to appropriately educate them. Now, I have learned to be more focused on the learners' background and specific needs, apply it to the approach I am going to use, as well as reflect on my own experiences and practice, to effectively teach every diverse student I will come across in the future. The beginning of the chapter caught my attention because it explains that no matter how inexperienced I am in teaching, I have learned from my personal experiences and previous classes, as well as classroom observations and experiences as a learner (which is true!), and these will help me develop an "enlightened approach" when I teach in the future.
Moving onto the specific approaches Brown discusses, he mentions the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Some of the characteristics of this approach are to focus on all components (such as sociolinguistic, grammatical, discourse, etc.), create language techniques for meaningful purposes, focus on fluency and accuracy, apply real world contexts, and allow students to be aware of their own learning, and finally, students are active participants in their learning while teachers step back and guides them. Another important approach is the Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). This approach has been said to be somewhat similar to CLT by both authors discussed in this post, Kumar and Brown. This approach focuses on the learner and meaning, using problem-solving to engage students and creating communicative goals with carefully designed elements. Like the CLT, it also applies real world contexts.
Some of the others are: Learner-centered instruction (giving the learner a "sense of ownership" by allowing them to take control, use creativity and focus on their needs), Cooperative Learning (teaching them how to communicate effectively and work with others to accomplish a task), Interactive Learning (communicating effectively with others to create interaction in the classroom through negotiation, spontaneity, and authentic language input), Whole Language Education (viewing language as a whole and connecting between oral and written language), Content-Based Instruction (focusing on the study of language and subject matter, "with the form and sequence of language presentation dictated by content material). I believe each approach has disadvantages and advantages, teachers can design their own approach gathering the appropriate techniques and tasks from other approaches to fit their own classroom. I learned that in this profession, one has to be an observer of their own and others practices, analyze them, and become a researcher for their own classrooms.
Kumar and his article "TESOL methods: Changing Tracks, Challenging Trends".
Kumar discusses different perspectives on the language teaching methods within the TESOL profession. He taps into CLT and TBLT and compares them historically discussing their disadvantages and advantages as approaches being currently used by teachers in the education field. There have been various arguments between CLT and TBLT given by theorists analyzing the reliability of these approaches. Overall, Kumar suggests that both approaches are effective depending on the classroom, because there is no definitive research on which one is better. He also touches on method-based versus postmethod pedagogy. He suggests that creating a new method is not the way to go, but instead it is to find a new way to help and advise teachers to create a sense of plausibility. Method should not be considered valuable anymore. Post method pedagogy helps language teachers be cautious and value the learner's context, carefully assess and treat the learner, and appropriately work with diverse students with aid from "local assessments of students' strategies for learning". And finally, he discusses critical discourse emphasizing on the importance of "extending the educational space to the social, cultural, political language use", not just settling on teaching the pragmatic domains of language use. It is to consider the culture and knowledge within the personal experiences of the students and teachers. Teachers have to create a sense of awareness on beliefs, identities and overall structure within the classroom environment.
It is interesting to see the correlation between both authors and theories about CLT and TBLT, as well as post method pedagogy. Both agree that teachers have to have a sense of plausibility, awareness of the student's uniqueness, and reflect on their practices to develop a better teaching approach. After reading both assignments, I wonder what type of approach will I be using in the future to effectively teach my diverse students? or maybe a mix of various approaches?
Monday, September 3, 2012
Week 3: Kumar Ch 1 and 2 & Pennycook article
Kumaravadivelu Chapters 1 and 2
In chapter 1, the author describes three types of teacher roles. The first one is teachers as passive practitioners. These are traditional teachers focusing on teaching the content and sending information without implementing other types of resources, any context-specific learning, or original teaching techniques. Teachers as reflective practitioners, the second one, are the teachers who revise and analyse their own teaching, by reflecting before, after and during their lessons to locate, and fix their own mistakes while exceeding their strengths. These teachers also question their assumptions of their own teaching, and are involved in developing the appropriate curriculum for their classroom. The book describes teacher education as "an ongoing process throughout one's teaching career" (Kumar, 11). In my opinion, this phrase is pretty accurate because teachers should always research for the latest resources and teaching techniques, never give up, be aware of their own teaching, make changes in their own lessons if necessary, appropriately fit the needs of their students, question their own teaching techniques, and apply new strategies, as well as learn from their own professional development, personal experiences, students, and other professionals out there. Teachers can also be seen as transformative intellectuals. These professionals can reflect upon pedagogical theories and ideological principles as well as being conscious of the sociopolitical issues surrounding the school community. These teachers want education to move forward and focus on the issues affecting their classrooms and students. They want to make a change, be sensitive to cultural diversity and take action on issues affecting their students' education. As future teachers, it is always necessary to think pedagogically about our teaching and focus on the latest issues surrounding our own students' lives and school environment.
The main focus on chapter 2 is the word "method" breaking it down into three features: language-centered, learner-centered, and learning-centered. Language-centered methods focuses on linguistic forms, making sure the learner is practicing "preselected, presequenced linguistic structures through form-focused exercises" (Kumar, 25). The adult learner is consciously aware of their language learning mastering every structure at a time. The learner-centered method focuses on the learner's needs and language use, where students practice their written and oral language skills with others, being aware of their own learning, through activities that emphasizes on meaning and fluency. Learning-centered methods indicate the importance of learning processes, where students are involved in "open-ended meaningful interactions" using critical thinking, problem solving and communicative tasks (Kumar, 26). In this case, language learning occurs unconsciously most of the time. These three methods focus on specific sets of classroom procedures and principles. These methods do not describe all the classrooms in general because every classroom is unique. When there is more interaction, meaning-based activities and critical thinking involved in the language learning process, the student can reach implicit learning and mastery more easily the language. I know from experience that when students are learning a language, they can grasp the language faster by speaking with native speakers of the target language and become involved with the culture (e.g. by taking trips), so they can get a more hands-on learning experience and be more enthusiastic about their language learning. I know it is not always the case, where a student is able to take trips or speak with a native speaker, but if the activities are meaningful and challenging enough as well as interactive and enjoyable, I think the students will be interested in learning the language and achieve mastery.
The article "Critical Approaches to TESOL" by Alastair Pennycook
This article analyzes themes that complement the critical approaches to TESOL. There are critical domains affecting TESOL, such as power, politics, inequality, discrimination, resistance and struggle. The teacher should avoid being biased when constructing a curriculum and being aware of on the current issues affecting culturally and linguistically diverse students. Language teaching is connected with cultural politics, social structure and unequal relations of power. All of these can affect students' lives, so the language teacher has to be aware of the issues, theories, and pedagogic development surrounding TESOL and take a positive approach. It is important to always be informed on the issues within TESOL. It is necessary to consider the political, cultural, and educational issues affecting TESOL students. I found the Kumar chapters and the Pennycook article interesting because these focus on topics that future language teachers should be aware of, such as creating the appropriate role and strategy/method that will benefit the appropriate classroom and individual students, as well as being aware of the problems affecting the schools and their diverse students. One has to think of the correct way to manage the issues and protect the diverse learners in the classroom and school environment.
In chapter 1, the author describes three types of teacher roles. The first one is teachers as passive practitioners. These are traditional teachers focusing on teaching the content and sending information without implementing other types of resources, any context-specific learning, or original teaching techniques. Teachers as reflective practitioners, the second one, are the teachers who revise and analyse their own teaching, by reflecting before, after and during their lessons to locate, and fix their own mistakes while exceeding their strengths. These teachers also question their assumptions of their own teaching, and are involved in developing the appropriate curriculum for their classroom. The book describes teacher education as "an ongoing process throughout one's teaching career" (Kumar, 11). In my opinion, this phrase is pretty accurate because teachers should always research for the latest resources and teaching techniques, never give up, be aware of their own teaching, make changes in their own lessons if necessary, appropriately fit the needs of their students, question their own teaching techniques, and apply new strategies, as well as learn from their own professional development, personal experiences, students, and other professionals out there. Teachers can also be seen as transformative intellectuals. These professionals can reflect upon pedagogical theories and ideological principles as well as being conscious of the sociopolitical issues surrounding the school community. These teachers want education to move forward and focus on the issues affecting their classrooms and students. They want to make a change, be sensitive to cultural diversity and take action on issues affecting their students' education. As future teachers, it is always necessary to think pedagogically about our teaching and focus on the latest issues surrounding our own students' lives and school environment.
The main focus on chapter 2 is the word "method" breaking it down into three features: language-centered, learner-centered, and learning-centered. Language-centered methods focuses on linguistic forms, making sure the learner is practicing "preselected, presequenced linguistic structures through form-focused exercises" (Kumar, 25). The adult learner is consciously aware of their language learning mastering every structure at a time. The learner-centered method focuses on the learner's needs and language use, where students practice their written and oral language skills with others, being aware of their own learning, through activities that emphasizes on meaning and fluency. Learning-centered methods indicate the importance of learning processes, where students are involved in "open-ended meaningful interactions" using critical thinking, problem solving and communicative tasks (Kumar, 26). In this case, language learning occurs unconsciously most of the time. These three methods focus on specific sets of classroom procedures and principles. These methods do not describe all the classrooms in general because every classroom is unique. When there is more interaction, meaning-based activities and critical thinking involved in the language learning process, the student can reach implicit learning and mastery more easily the language. I know from experience that when students are learning a language, they can grasp the language faster by speaking with native speakers of the target language and become involved with the culture (e.g. by taking trips), so they can get a more hands-on learning experience and be more enthusiastic about their language learning. I know it is not always the case, where a student is able to take trips or speak with a native speaker, but if the activities are meaningful and challenging enough as well as interactive and enjoyable, I think the students will be interested in learning the language and achieve mastery.
The article "Critical Approaches to TESOL" by Alastair Pennycook
This article analyzes themes that complement the critical approaches to TESOL. There are critical domains affecting TESOL, such as power, politics, inequality, discrimination, resistance and struggle. The teacher should avoid being biased when constructing a curriculum and being aware of on the current issues affecting culturally and linguistically diverse students. Language teaching is connected with cultural politics, social structure and unequal relations of power. All of these can affect students' lives, so the language teacher has to be aware of the issues, theories, and pedagogic development surrounding TESOL and take a positive approach. It is important to always be informed on the issues within TESOL. It is necessary to consider the political, cultural, and educational issues affecting TESOL students. I found the Kumar chapters and the Pennycook article interesting because these focus on topics that future language teachers should be aware of, such as creating the appropriate role and strategy/method that will benefit the appropriate classroom and individual students, as well as being aware of the problems affecting the schools and their diverse students. One has to think of the correct way to manage the issues and protect the diverse learners in the classroom and school environment.
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