This was a very informative, practical chapter on how Atwell prepares
Time
Materials
Space
Tracking/Monitoring systems
Expectations
for her workshop style classes
①参考になった点
TIME
p.91 Preparing "Time" = 3 class periods per week to help kids "conceive topics, sustain projects, and behave as writers"
p. 92 With tough schedule requirements "I might never compose anything I liked or cared about" "Good writers and writing don't take less time; they take more." p.93 "With adequate time to detour--to take risks and reflect on the results--writers learn how to consider what's working and what needs more work, to apply my teaching to their writing, and to take control."
p.95-96 About making time to read (or write) in the classroom "The best readers are those who read a lot" (and adolescents often cannot make time outside class to read)
p.97 "...the in-class time sets a a tone and creates a milieu: a group of kids and a teacher who read together an talk about books." (In a required curriculum, carve out workshop time)
Timeのところをまとめると、学習者が作家・読者になるためにはなによりも大量に書く時間・読む時間が必要で、それを授業の中で提供することに大きな意味があるとAtwellが論じている。
共に支え合う「作家・読者集団」としての意識が生まれるには同じ部屋で自由に書く・読む時間を確保しないといけないというところが特に印象的だった。
日本にいる英語学習者はCommunicationの機会が少ないので、限られた英語の授業の中では何よりも読む・書く材料を元に「話して欲しい」という目標がある。しかし、読むこと・書くことも時間を設けるべきだろうか。基本的に読む・書くは一人でできるので自分の時間でやってくださいという考え方を変えるべきだろうか？Atwellを読むと書く時間・読む時間をせめて少しでも取るBalanceを検討する価値はある気がする。
MATERIALS
p.99 "...samples of writing by students, professionals, and me, organized by genre. ...effective"
Nice list of genres on p.100 -> clip or copy nice samples and add to files...files of authors...publication center...1000 volumes of novels and nonfiction (See Appendix L + M for best books recommended by students)
p.103 using an easel with poster paper to take notes that stay as a reference (better than a blackboard) "puts me into the circle with them." p.104 Conference areas to keep the room quiet
Materialsのところでは、Writingのサンプルを大量に用意するところがすばらしいと思った。今ICUのELPではまだまだ学生に様々なタイプのWritingを見せることが少ない。PublicationCenterもすごい！Argumentantive Essayはどうしても「課題」っぽくて誰にも見せる気がしない場合が多い。ICUでPublishing目的でもっとExpository/persuasive writingができないだろうか。Japan Timesに最近Hotline to Nagata-ChoというCornerがあるが、学生にそこに出るぐらいのpieceを書いて欲しい。
Easelの使用もとてもAtwellの教育愛を物語っていると思った。使ってみたいなぁ。パソコンやelectronic whiteboardで似たような感じで記録は残せるが、記録として残る大きな紙をみんなで囲んでBrainstormingする雰囲気にちょっと憧れる。
KEEPING TRACK/ESTABLISHING EXPECTATIONS
p.105 Color and form coordination of folders - spelling / homework / text-lyrics, daily writing, permanent writing, reading) - Buy them for students- Also, require a composition/reading journal notebook and writing-reading handbook.
明確なシステムはとても大切！自分ももっと練ったものを構築したい。
p.106 "The system of record keeping I've created puts major responsibility on individuals"
生徒が自分で自分の学習の整理・評価をすること。これももっとしたい。新学期の前にそのシステムやFormsを徹底的に作ることをしてみたい。多くの場合、自己評価の基準・システムや生徒に期待する整理・整頓を完全に決めないまま新学期に授業スタートしてしまっている自分に反省。
p.107 Status of the class sheets - Making notes to be sure to talk with struggling students, post-its to leave reminders, note ad-hoc assignments given to writers. Note reading homework progress by checking what book/page they are on quietly - What do I really need to know?
学生のニーズをTrackingして把握し、苦労している学生や個人に合ったAd-Hoc課題を出すAtwellはすごい。自分はもっと学生の実態を把握するべき。Dialogue Journalなどがそれに役立つと思う。
Appendix D, E = Wow, powerful questions. How did you learn to write??
Keeping Trackのところでは自由でありながらVeryOrganizedなシステムの重要性を再確認。Appendix D/EのSurveyのAre you a writer? How did you learn to write?というPowerfulな質問には感動。システム、Rules,Expectationsが明確だと
p.111 Expectations - "Right from the start I hope for rich, authentic, adult-like experiences for my students." Try 4 basic genres-fiction, memoir, poetry, and exposition - produce quantity, develop criteria, bring pieces to final writing....nice list.
Authentic, Adult-like experiencesをテーマにしたExpectations Listはすごい。ICU ELPの自分のAcademic Englishの学生に必用そうなItemは以下に英語でNoteしました。
For ICU ELP students, especially usable writing expectations seem to be:
-Find topics that matter to your life, make your own decisions about what is working or not working, comment on others' writing helpfully, maintain a record of writing/reading, individualized proofreading list/spelling, set goals p.112 Take a deliberate stance toward writing well: Try to make all of your (academic) writing literature.
p.113 Reading expectations: こんなReading Expectationsのある授業を自分も受けたかった！自分の好みの作家・作風を探すなんてすごい。やはりWorkshopを通してしかそれはできないだろう。一斉授業しか受けていない自分はそれが出来なかったのが悔しい。
②わかりにくい点／疑問・質問／さらなる説明・解説が必要な点
一般的な大学のスケジュールや施設でどこまでAtwellのようなシステムが作れるか？Kosaka先生が（確か）今学年実践のしたWW風の授業のシステムや学生のコメントに非常に興味あります。自分の授業の中でもいくつかの要素は導入できると思いますが、中途半端ではあまり効果がない気もしますし、検討していきたいです。
③やってみたいこと／応用できそうなこと
既に書きましたが、
・もっとサンプルを見せたい・提供したい。
・Publishingをなんらかの形で学生にさせたいーみなさん何かしていますか？
2009年2月21日土曜日
2009年2月18日水曜日
What do you do with a presentation team that fails to prepare?
I just finished a presentation "rehearsal" meeting with a group of 4 students who are on the same team to prepare a presentation for my academic reading/writing class. The team was created over a month ago, and this afternoon is the presentation time, but they still have very little prepared. No visuals, no organized argument, very little research to support what they seem to be arguing.
Ahhh! Makes me want to scream, mainly because I don't know what to do with them. I was about to say "Get out of here and don't waste my time" because I can't really give any advice unless a presentation is more or less prepared. I also was tempted to say "You can't present" because the whole class is going to have to endure a sloppy production. But of course, being the kind, helpful teacher that I am, I listened to them stumble through a completely fragemented and incoherent presentation that showed no coordinator or thought on their part and then let them know that they need to figure out a thesis and organize their presentation around it--in 2 hours.
All other groups have created an interesting and organized presentation about a global issue and solutions for it. The team presentation at the end of the year is a requirement in my course and is 20% of the evaluation. Doing at least a satisfactory effort to present the problem and possible solutions is an important part of finishing the course. In the past, I have never had a group fail to prepare to this extent.
So...what went wrong?
One problem was how the team was formed. The students had a sign up system to get together with people of the same interest. The four students, who all tend to have relatively low attendance (but not low aptitude), were the last to sign up and ended up getting stuck with each other. Because of absence problems and generally low engagement by all of them, they were rarely all in attendance and could not agree on a topic or outline or other requirements. To some extent, I knew they would have trouble, but I didn't expect they would struggle this badly.
Also, perhaps I should have set a stricter minimum preparation requirement for allowing the rehearsal and presentation. Something to the effect of: If you don't have a topic, thesis, and visual materials by this date, your team will lose its right to make a presentation. Would that be effective? Possibly, but not necessarily if they really struggle to put things together.
But do you give those students a "0" score for the presentation then? Or, perhaps an alternative is to say they must find a video camera, tape their presentation and submit it. In any case, if they are not prepared, the other groups in the class should not have to suffer through 15 minutes of unprepared communication.
Another possibility is to dismantle the team and ask for individual presentations at a lower evaluation. They can't work as a team, so show me what you can do individually (on video?).
Why couldn't they communicate with each other outside class and move the presentation preparation forward? I want to ask them when they do their self-reflection. I hope I never have a team end up like this.
But who knows? They may put together something doable in two hours final preparation? I will keep my hopes.
Mark
Ahhh! Makes me want to scream, mainly because I don't know what to do with them. I was about to say "Get out of here and don't waste my time" because I can't really give any advice unless a presentation is more or less prepared. I also was tempted to say "You can't present" because the whole class is going to have to endure a sloppy production. But of course, being the kind, helpful teacher that I am, I listened to them stumble through a completely fragemented and incoherent presentation that showed no coordinator or thought on their part and then let them know that they need to figure out a thesis and organize their presentation around it--in 2 hours.
All other groups have created an interesting and organized presentation about a global issue and solutions for it. The team presentation at the end of the year is a requirement in my course and is 20% of the evaluation. Doing at least a satisfactory effort to present the problem and possible solutions is an important part of finishing the course. In the past, I have never had a group fail to prepare to this extent.
So...what went wrong?
One problem was how the team was formed. The students had a sign up system to get together with people of the same interest. The four students, who all tend to have relatively low attendance (but not low aptitude), were the last to sign up and ended up getting stuck with each other. Because of absence problems and generally low engagement by all of them, they were rarely all in attendance and could not agree on a topic or outline or other requirements. To some extent, I knew they would have trouble, but I didn't expect they would struggle this badly.
Also, perhaps I should have set a stricter minimum preparation requirement for allowing the rehearsal and presentation. Something to the effect of: If you don't have a topic, thesis, and visual materials by this date, your team will lose its right to make a presentation. Would that be effective? Possibly, but not necessarily if they really struggle to put things together.
But do you give those students a "0" score for the presentation then? Or, perhaps an alternative is to say they must find a video camera, tape their presentation and submit it. In any case, if they are not prepared, the other groups in the class should not have to suffer through 15 minutes of unprepared communication.
Another possibility is to dismantle the team and ask for individual presentations at a lower evaluation. They can't work as a team, so show me what you can do individually (on video?).
Why couldn't they communicate with each other outside class and move the presentation preparation forward? I want to ask them when they do their self-reflection. I hope I never have a team end up like this.
But who knows? They may put together something doable in two hours final preparation? I will keep my hopes.
Mark
2009年2月17日火曜日
A photo of Mei (Dec 08, I think)
Mei is talking a lot recently, mostly in Japanese. Her favorite sentence is Something + "Tai!" which is the Japanese suffix for "want" as in "tabetai" (want to eat) or "nomitai" (want to drink) or "mitai" (want to watch videos etc.). Her favorite activities are watching kids dance and song videos, dancing and singing along as happy as can be and also going out to the park to "play." She has a number of one word English phrases such as Daddy, Mommy, various colors, bath, bread, apple, nanana (=banana), play, car, bus, plane...I haven't been as diligent as I was with Michael to keep up with her new words.
2009年2月12日木曜日
Creating a ELP/JLP Exchange Class
Tomorrow will be my first attempt at an international exchange class at ICU. My English language program students ("ELP students") will be visited by a group of international students studying Japanese at ICU ("JLP students") and the schedule will roughly be as follows:
10:10 Class starts with an explanation of a ice-breaking activity that will be conducted in Japanese.
10:15 The ice-breaker consists of everyone introducing three things in Japanese about themselves. One thing is false, so the others need to guess. This will be played in groups of roughly 3 or 4 ELP students plus 3 or 4 JLP students, so groups of 6 to 8. That can be quite large... If we allow 3 minutes to write three things, and then each person takes 3 minutes to introduce...it can take 30 minutes just for that. Strict time keeping is needed. Or, smaller groups... Or make sure the JLP students go first and skip the ELP students 3 things intro if time runs out.
10:40 (target time) ELP groups start their presentations in English, with a time limit of 15 minutes, definitely finishing by 11:00?
11:00 JLP students match up with ELP students to ask questions about the presentation and possibly give some suggestions.
11:15 Try to get some feedback on what each student thought about the exchange...or just ask them to take it home and submit it later.
-Things to be careful of:
1) Time management. Make sure things go according to the schedule so that all parts get the planned amount of time. Otherwise, the exchange can feel like a waste for certain group.
2) Equality of opportunity: Make sure everyone knows that there will be an exchange next Friday too with a similar structure.
3) Expectation management: Make sure all sides have realistic expectations about what is going to happen. They need to know this is experimental and that their speaking time for their foreignn language will be cut in half. The goals of the class have to be made clear -- Hopefully they will agree that the goals are worth the time allocation.
4) Fear of frustration/stress -- It is very likely that students will feel stress about their language ability. Hopefully most students will be OK, and students will be able to help each other by good listening, good encouragement etc.
I hope it goes well! I plan to write a report on this blog, so stay tuned.
10:10 Class starts with an explanation of a ice-breaking activity that will be conducted in Japanese.
10:15 The ice-breaker consists of everyone introducing three things in Japanese about themselves. One thing is false, so the others need to guess. This will be played in groups of roughly 3 or 4 ELP students plus 3 or 4 JLP students, so groups of 6 to 8. That can be quite large... If we allow 3 minutes to write three things, and then each person takes 3 minutes to introduce...it can take 30 minutes just for that. Strict time keeping is needed. Or, smaller groups... Or make sure the JLP students go first and skip the ELP students 3 things intro if time runs out.
10:40 (target time) ELP groups start their presentations in English, with a time limit of 15 minutes, definitely finishing by 11:00?
11:00 JLP students match up with ELP students to ask questions about the presentation and possibly give some suggestions.
11:15 Try to get some feedback on what each student thought about the exchange...or just ask them to take it home and submit it later.
-Things to be careful of:
1) Time management. Make sure things go according to the schedule so that all parts get the planned amount of time. Otherwise, the exchange can feel like a waste for certain group.
2) Equality of opportunity: Make sure everyone knows that there will be an exchange next Friday too with a similar structure.
3) Expectation management: Make sure all sides have realistic expectations about what is going to happen. They need to know this is experimental and that their speaking time for their foreignn language will be cut in half. The goals of the class have to be made clear -- Hopefully they will agree that the goals are worth the time allocation.
4) Fear of frustration/stress -- It is very likely that students will feel stress about their language ability. Hopefully most students will be OK, and students will be able to help each other by good listening, good encouragement etc.
I hope it goes well! I plan to write a report on this blog, so stay tuned.
2009年2月10日火曜日
RW/WW Atwell Chapter 3: Making the Best of Adolescence
I teach college students. Atwell teaches middle school students. However, I feel that a lot of what she says about how to create effective learning for her adolescents learning English literature as a first language can correspond to designing reading and writing learning for college students in Japan studying English as a foreign language.
Summary:
Atwell's main point in this chapter is summed up well in her last sentence, "We make the best of adolescence when we make the classroom the best context we can for the mercurial minds at work and play there" (p.85). Traditional instruction for adolescents tended to focus on keeping the kids busy and regimented with teacher-centered teaching that imposed uniformity and discipline, guarded by arcane rules, tracking of "good" and "bad" students, and systems of punishments. Atwell argues that the key to success in developing the minds of adolescents through reading and writing is to respect and meet their social and intellectual needs through a "workshop" system: Allowing independence and responsibility as a reader and writer to choose books and writing topics. Allowing social interaction and collaboration to discuss ideas and exchange feedback. Allowing students to surprise the teacher with their unique experiences, emotions and insights in poems, stories, and reactions to literature. The poetry written by Atwell's students is ample evidence of the sophistication of unleashed adolescent minds working together in an accomodating literate environment.
思ったこと・勉強になったこと
確かにAtwellのWorkshopはすごいと思います。彼女の本を読んでいると憧れます。アメリカの中学生の感情や反抗や知的好奇心をそのまま受け止め、自由な読み・書きの選択と活動で本物の読者・作者として成長させる彼女の教え方はとても効果的な方法だと思います。Learnerの本当の姿をそのまま「受け止める」ということはどんな教育の中でとても大事だなと思います。
いろいろな面でAtwellから学びたいものがあると思いました：
英語の読む・書くを大学生に教えている自分としてはまだまだ本人の目標や好みの尊重も足りないと思うし、読む・書くに関する自分の愛情も伝え切れていない気がするし、様々な見本も十分に見せていない気がする。どうしても決められた内容をカバーするのに急がしく、感動や発見を第一にする授業になっていないと思う。今のELPの授業は一部の生徒の興味やニーズしか満たさず、他の生徒の興味は無視している部分もあると思う。
自分の教えたいことだけを学生に押し付けず、本人の興味を尊重してその中でアドバイスし、読者・作者としての見本と熱意を見せ、読む・書くを好きにし、新しい発見を促す授業を今後も出来る範囲で目指したいです。そのためにはどうすればいいか？英語のICUの授業が受けられるように学生を特訓することとどうバランスをとれるのか？少しづつ探っていきたいです。
でも同時に日本の大学（例えばICU）の英語読み書きとAtwellの中学生の読み書きは違うところがいろいろあります。その違いが頭の中をぐるぐる回っているので近い将来にその「違い」を重点的に整理してみたいなと思います。
ワークショップをもしやるとした場合、
ICUの学生 VS. Atwellの生徒
「違いTOP THREE」と「だから何？」
Summary:
Atwell's main point in this chapter is summed up well in her last sentence, "We make the best of adolescence when we make the classroom the best context we can for the mercurial minds at work and play there" (p.85). Traditional instruction for adolescents tended to focus on keeping the kids busy and regimented with teacher-centered teaching that imposed uniformity and discipline, guarded by arcane rules, tracking of "good" and "bad" students, and systems of punishments. Atwell argues that the key to success in developing the minds of adolescents through reading and writing is to respect and meet their social and intellectual needs through a "workshop" system: Allowing independence and responsibility as a reader and writer to choose books and writing topics. Allowing social interaction and collaboration to discuss ideas and exchange feedback. Allowing students to surprise the teacher with their unique experiences, emotions and insights in poems, stories, and reactions to literature. The poetry written by Atwell's students is ample evidence of the sophistication of unleashed adolescent minds working together in an accomodating literate environment.
思ったこと・勉強になったこと
確かにAtwellのWorkshopはすごいと思います。彼女の本を読んでいると憧れます。アメリカの中学生の感情や反抗や知的好奇心をそのまま受け止め、自由な読み・書きの選択と活動で本物の読者・作者として成長させる彼女の教え方はとても効果的な方法だと思います。Learnerの本当の姿をそのまま「受け止める」ということはどんな教育の中でとても大事だなと思います。
いろいろな面でAtwellから学びたいものがあると思いました：
英語の読む・書くを大学生に教えている自分としてはまだまだ本人の目標や好みの尊重も足りないと思うし、読む・書くに関する自分の愛情も伝え切れていない気がするし、様々な見本も十分に見せていない気がする。どうしても決められた内容をカバーするのに急がしく、感動や発見を第一にする授業になっていないと思う。今のELPの授業は一部の生徒の興味やニーズしか満たさず、他の生徒の興味は無視している部分もあると思う。
自分の教えたいことだけを学生に押し付けず、本人の興味を尊重してその中でアドバイスし、読者・作者としての見本と熱意を見せ、読む・書くを好きにし、新しい発見を促す授業を今後も出来る範囲で目指したいです。そのためにはどうすればいいか？英語のICUの授業が受けられるように学生を特訓することとどうバランスをとれるのか？少しづつ探っていきたいです。
でも同時に日本の大学（例えばICU）の英語読み書きとAtwellの中学生の読み書きは違うところがいろいろあります。その違いが頭の中をぐるぐる回っているので近い将来にその「違い」を重点的に整理してみたいなと思います。
ワークショップをもしやるとした場合、
ICUの学生 VS. Atwellの生徒
「違いTOP THREE」と「だから何？」
- 違い① 母国語と外国語：
学生だけで本や書く題材を選ぶことなど、主体的に動くだけの英語力があるだろうか？（ICUだと意外にあるかも）
あと、外国語を学ぶ場合、表現や語彙が紹介され、「読み書き聞く話す」が組み合わさったある程度決められたプログラムがあるのは安心なのではないだろうか。どこから「自由」なワークショップにできるのか。 - 違い② 中学生と大学生の学習動機：
Atwellの中学生と違い、ICU生はある程度同じような英語学習目標をもって大学に入ってきているので的を絞ったEnglish for Academic Purposesの一斉授業から十分学べるのではないだろうか。もちろんEAPに興味ない大学生もいるが、入学の時点でICUのシステムに入るという選択がされているのでプログラムがあるのはそれほど問題ない？ - 違い③ 考え中。。。
John Adams Mini-Series - The Unromatic side of the revolution
Borrowed this 3 Dvd series from a colleague and was immediately sucked into the complex and not-so-romantic-after-all reality of the American revolution.Highlights =
-John Adams played by Paul Giamatti of "Sideways" is superb in conveying the initial reluctance-and then fiery passion- of a colonial barrister to join other Bostonians and members of the Continental Congress in the armed revolt against England.
-Laura Linny as Abigail Adams is also very convincing as the no-nonsense partner of John, keeping him humble and sane as he climbs to top leadership in the US government and eventually the 2nd president.
-The dynamics of the Adams family, with neglected second son Charles dying from alcohol and drugs while first son Quincy rises to success as a diplomat and eventually President. Makes you wonder what you'll be like when you're a busy professional with a large family -- Will you be able to spend enough time with each child and give enough love? How do you avoid being too overbearing while still providing enough guidance?
-Other characters of the revolution Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton etc. exhibiting the practical difficulties of throwing together a new government on the American continent in an age with very limited travel and communication infrastructure.
-The ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution -- Seemingly too idealistic at the time, but great credit to Jefferson and others for putting ideals into writing and systems. What would we do today if we had a chance to create a government out of the blue with complete freedom to redesign it the way we like?
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