Computers and Language Learning

This article discussed the role of active communication in language learning. Often, ELLs arrive at school not knowing the discourse for that particular situation. That results in mistreatment from other students and teachers because the language learner appears unmotivated lazy when in fact they truly do not understand or have the language skills to understand the task at hand.

The author states that through the use of computers teachers can assist students in gaining the language skills necessary to help them become successful students and to help them become part of the social structure of school. Through the use of computers students can become more involved in their learning. They can also make choices about how to use the programs and what to do if the computer fails to work properly.

This article discussed the role of active communication in language learning. Often, ELLs arrive at school not knowing the discourse for that particular situation. That results in mistreatment from other students and teachers because the language learner appears unmotivated lazy when in fact they truly do not understand or have the language skills to understand the task at hand.

The author states that through the use of computers teachers can assist students in gaining the language skills necessary to help them become successful students and to help them become part of the social structure of school. Through the use of computers students can become more involved in their learning. They can also make choices about how to use the programs and what to do if the computer fails to work properly.

The teacher can also use computers to help students acquire the necessary language to overcome the power relationships that exists within schools. When students know the lanague they can participate int eh larger school communities effectively.

This article made me think about all the English Laguage Learners I have worked with throughout the years. Often, I hear that students can’t or won’t be able to do certain things. I think back to when I was student teaching and there was one boy in my class. Everyday he would come into English class and within seconds his head was down on his desk and it remained there for the rest of the class hour. My cooperating teacher told me that the student had a history of nonparticipatroy behavior and that his behavior was nothing new and that he wouldn’t ever participate in class. Looking back on the situation I am amazed at how unaware I was of this kid’s situation. I wonder now about what I could have done to have made school better for him and how I could have tapped into his funds of knowledge and how I could have connected to him better.

Meskill, C. (2005). Triadic Scaffolds: Tools For Teaching English Language Learners With Computers. Language Learning & Technology. 9 (1). (pp.46-59).

New Math

I thought this was funny.

Webquests

This article was all about webquests and how to set one up in your classroom. It gave some really good resrouces and if one were to find it online I would go ahead and bookmark the snot out of that website because I'm sure that you would come back to it at some point.

I've always thought that webquests for for younger children and had a vision of some cloze type activity accompanying the task and children would just peruse the internet and look for the words that fill in the blanks on each site. I have never used a webquest in my classroom. Right now I am kicking myself in the butt because I see the value of a webquest for various projects, especially research projects. I have found that my high school students need quite a bit of guidance creating reserach questions and finding answers to those questions. A webquest would be the perfect way to guide students towards the answers without really having to lecture or do all the work yourself. It would be a great way for students to hone those reserach skills and become research maniacs!

I also think that webquests are great ways for students to work on group skills as well. I'm sold. I think I like them.

Here are some links I found when I Googled "webquests"...some look pretty kewl.

http://webquest.org/index.php

http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests.html

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/webquest/webquest.html

http://bestwebquests.com/what_webquests_are.asp

Dodge, B. (1997). Webquests. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from San Diego State University WebQuest site: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/about webquests.html

Emerging Technologies

Emerging Technologies

With the rise in online activity there are many opportunities and ways in which people can post their own personal writing. Many browsers now include text editing features which makes it easier for people to save their work and edit their work online instead of through a different software program. This makes it extremely easy for people to access their work and to edit it regardless of the operating system of the computer.

This article also discussed in depth about portfolios and how e-portfolios have grown in popularity. The growth of online portfolios has many positive implications for language learners. Language learners can track and see their progress and growth over time.

Not only do language learners have the ability to keep all their documents online, but there are also a variety of programs that can be used to assess writing as well. Not only do these programs check grammar but there are some that can also evaluate the writing sample and give a score.

The section of this article that interested me the most was the section regarding e-portfolios. I really want to use e-portfolios in my classroom and have been exploring many websites to find the best way to begin the project. I still have students keeping their work in manila folders and I keep those folders in a crate in the corner of my classroom so they don’t get lost. However, what I would love to do is to have the freedom to give the students the hard copies of all their work and to know that if they want to access their work they can just pop online and access it.

I’m glad to know that there are programs out there that can assess my students’ essays for me. It hink it would be interesting to see how the essay would differ if I were to assess it and if the computer program were to assess it. Since many of the programs just look at formulaic writing I wonder how many grammatical mistakes I would overlook due to the content or purpose of that written piece. It would also be interesting for students to run their own essays through the assessment program before they turn it in or before we meet for a teacher conference so they could identify and fix some of those errors on their own.

Godwin-Jones, R. (2008). Emerging technologies web-writing 2.0: Enabling, documenting, and assessing writing online, 12 (2), 7-13.

Thornedy, Thorne, Thorne, Thorne

This was a pretty good article. Thorne does a good job of not only stating how to use technology in the classroom but how technology fits into various language acquisition theories. Thorne also talked about how technology can fit into classroom pedagogy and described how to use wikis, blogs and gaming in the classroom to enhance SLA.

I’m glad that Thorne included the various language acquisition theories and how technology fits into those theories. This has helped me to focus more on how I can apply the various theories of SLA and technology in my own research.

The section of the article I chose to focus on the most was the section that dealt with how open internet communities can enhance SLA. I found it quite interesting that the students from various cultures responded and used the technology in completing different ways. I also found it encouraging the students were able to identify and discuss how the partnerships helped enhance SLA. I have been thinking of trying to arrange a telecollaboration with another school but have not quite organized it as of yet. In the past, I have had my students email or be keypals with other students in Japan and Italy but the students had a hard time trying to figure out what to write and often tines responses were quite slow. I would love to do a telecollaboration project using some sort of chat (iChat, Skype) that has a video chat option. I think that would help students to realize that the other students existed in some other realm instead of just on a computer screen and hopefully that would encourage students to form a more worthwhile relationship.

Many of the ideas in this article have been the same ideas that have been presented in many other articles as well. I think it is extremely important to allow students to craft their own identities and personalities. With so many students coming from such a variety of backgrounds it is so important that we incorporate these differences into our classroom and allow students to express their individuality.

Thorn, S. (2006). New technologies and additional language learning. CALPER Working Paper Series, 1-26

The Evilness of Myspace

Yea!! So happy that someone is standing up for poor Myspace. Really, what did Myspace ever do to deserve the bashing it receives? Ok, ok, ok...I know that Myspace can be a tool sexual predators can use to target children. I realize that, if used inappropriately, it can be dangerous. However, wouldn't it make more sense to talk to kids about how to use the website responsibly instead of just blocking it? Don't people realize that if you tell a teen not to do something that it only makes them want to do it more? Ahhhhh!!

Garcia rocks for using Myspace with his students. I don't even know Garcia and already I like him (not in the kissy way, in the "he's cool as hell" way). Garcia has decided to use Myspace to connect to his students He has set up a Mysapce site so that students can check their homework and check in with him about what they need to do. He rationalizes the use of Myspace by pointing out that all the students use it anyway and that as teachers we need to figure out ways to connect with our students in a way that they will respond. He also states that using websites such as Myspace helps students to socially connect with each other and that each one of their sites is a reflection of who they are as an individual.

My favorite part of this article was the point Garcia made that kids are much more techno-savvy than we give them credit for. Haven't schools realized that they can ban all the websites they want but kids are going to find a way around them? When I went to AASG in Anchorage this past fall there I noticed some students on Myspace. I approached them and asked if their school allowed them to access Myspace. They laughed and said no and then went right back to what they were doing. I just laughed and walked away. Here were students, using school computers to access a site that the school had banned and they weren't even hiding it. Since so many other teachers in my district are frequent Myspacers I have heard many of them voice their frustrations that this site is blocked. One of the funniest stories I have had a friend tell me is that he once busted a kid on Myspace and made the kids show him how to access Myspace. Instead of punishing the kid the teacher received instruction on how to use other proxy servers to access blocked websites.

Students are going to use Myspace no matter how many times we block it. I use Myspace and some of my students are my "friends" as well as many other teachers and co-workers. My students and I talk about Myspace quite a bit and we have had discussions about how to protect yourself and how to use the website responsibly. However, I have never once told them that I thought Myspace was the evil demon that it has become in the media.

This is a picture of Antero Garcia. He's cute and much younger than I thought. I wonder if he has a wife and if he talks to her on Myspace too?

Garcia, A. (2008). Rethinking myspace: Using social networking tools to connect with students. Rethinking Schools, 22, 27-29

The Laptops are Coming!

Hmmmm....where do I begin my response to this article.

Let's begin with a summary.

This article was centered around a teacher being frustrated by the misuse of technology in her school. Instead of creating a more cohesive community the technology distanced language learners. The computers allowed students to isolate themselves from the group. The author also stated her frustrations about her constant vigilance as to what content the students were looking up on the internet and felt that her classroom had gone from one of learning and cooperation to one of isolation where she had to "police" what students were doing. She ended the article by saying that if she had to do it all over again she would encourage their district to fully plan out how the computers would be implemented in the classrooms and address all aspects of the program before implementing it.

Now for my reaction.....(I have lots to say)

As a One-to-One program leader in my school I think that the integration of computers has been probably the most valuable addition to our school in the past few years. When I first heard that we were going to get fancy new laptops I was very resistant. I had very little knowledge about computers and was, yes, intimidated by the expectations of my district and of my principal. I had no idea how I was going to integrate technology into my curriculum and I looked at the program as just as something else I would have to manage.

When all the One-to-One leaders went to the district training we were still intimidated. We all left interpreting the expectations of our district and of Apple differently. I put the computers in the hands of my students and there were immediate issues that arose. Many students stayed up all night chatting with friends and were definitely not using the computers for homework. I felt frustrated. Then, four out of six computers needed repairs due to negligence. It was then that I really sat down and started thinking about whether this program was worth all the headaches and how I could change aspects of it to make it more worthwhile.

I feel bad that the author in the article felt that the computers were creating distance among her learners. In my experience, the laptops have been instrumental in creating and solidifying a more effective classroom community. I see students sharing ideas and helping each other figure stuff out. They share jump drives, talk about podcasts, tell each other about cool websites and so much more. I love watching my students interact with each other.

As far as monitoring the computers...I think it is all about how the teacher explains and present the monitoring software to the learners. I've used my monitoring program not as a way to catch them doing something bad but as a way to enhance learning. I can see what my students are doing at all times on their computers and they know it. They will often ask me to look at their screens to see if they are doing something correct or will ask me to take control of their computer to help them understand how something is done. I can also chat with my students on the program and I have used it numerous times to help students and to talk to students about what they are struggling on without ever uttering a word.

I was surprised to read that the learners themselves wanted the laptops gone. I think that if the laptop program is so unsuccessful that even kids don't want it the district really needs to take another look at it. As with any other learning tool, computer usage really needs to be monitored by the teacher. If she has a party and no one is talking and everyone is just on the computer then the teacher needs to establish more structure about when it is and is not appropriate to use the computers. Students need to be knowledgeable about social etiquette and part of having the computers is teaching them how to use it responsibly.

McFarlane, S. (2008). The laptops are coming! The laptops are coming!, Rethinking Schools, 22, 22-26

My Precious Little Nephew

My Precious Little Nephew by Cindy La Marr is a poem about a little boy realizing the inequity that exists in the world. The narrator is an auntie who loves her nephew very much and who is also hurt when her “precious little nephew” realizes the cruelty of people. It was one of many poems that I responded to quite emotionally. As an aunt I am often amazed and awed by the wonder of my niece, her boldness and her love of the world. I am envious of her unawareness of the inequity that exists in the world and how people can direct one’s feelings about themselves. When I see her I really feel that she is in a free and perfect world. Also, like the aunt in the poem I want to protect and want nothing but the best for my niece. When I see someone hurt her I am hurt. The use of repetition of the words, “my precious little nephew” in this poem made the aunt’s love for the nephew come alive and we realize the depth of the love she has for her nephew. I found these to be the most powerful words in the poem. This poem brought me back to many of my younger days as I was discovering that other people did not always think and feel the same way I did about things. I remember bringing something to school to show off only to find that others didn’t understand why this object was important to me or how proud I was of it. Discovering society’s unspoken rules and behaviors is a difficult process that, often times, hurts and wounds in ways that run much deeper than we could ever imagine.

Obama On Education

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/

Week 1

First, let me just say that I am really liking this block schedule. I feel that we can really get into good discussion and that there is continuity through the days.

I've been thinking A LOT about course design throughout the last couple of days. I think I'm kind of amazed at how much planning and follow up really does go into course planning and I'm a bit ashamed to admit that often I just kind of throw things together to see if it will work. I feel I am getting a better handle on course planning and how to use the materials I have more effectively. I also am understanding more the importance of good course planning and have made promises to myself to be a better course planner.

I'm not sure if I have specific questions about the material. I think the biggest thing I have been doing is questioning myself and the reasons why I choose to do or not do something. I've been realizing slowly how much effort course planning is. Since I am going to plan new courses for this upcoming school year, I'm a little overwhelmed. There is so much thought and planning that goes into designing a new curriculum that I am kind of wondering where to start.

Chapter 1 and 2

I'm going to be a total dork right now and say that I really like this textbook.

Chapter 1 outlined the organization of the rest of the book and went into some details about what the main ideas of each of the sections was.

Chapter 2 gave the goals and rationale for integrating technology into the classroom. Chapter 2 used the key principles of second language acquisition and explained how technology can be used to boost language acquisition.

I was so glad to see so many positive remarks about the use of technology in the classroom. Over the last two years I have made many strides to include technology in the classroom and to expose my students to as many technologies as possible. I feel strongly that with all the new technologies available that educators need to become more knowledgeable about how to use them in their classes. I often hear from other teachers that they don't want their students to use computers because the teachers don't feel confident in how to use computers themselves and they are scared to just turn the kids loose. However, what I have found is that many of my students come in with so much knowledge about how to use technology and I have given them opportunities to be my teacher and to teach me a thing or two.

I also feel strongly that schools need to reassess some of the rules they have in place for electronic devices in the classroom. I often bring in my iPod and will play it during class or download podcasts to share with my class and yet, my students cannot bring their own iPod in. I often see iPod cords hanging out from their desks and they use it in secret. I've actually stopped asking them to put their iPods away. Instead, I try to direct them to podcasts that they may enjoy, I show them how to put pictures on and we often will spend time after school playing with the iPods and iTunes. I figure that the time I am spending interacting with my students and talking about iPods and iTunes is much more effective than yelling at them to put the iPods away.

Erben, T. (2008). Introduction: Calling all foreign language teachers. In T. Erben & I. Sarieva (Eds)., Calling all foreign language teachers: Computer assisted language learning in the classroom. (pp. 1-4). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education

Sarieva, I & Zoran, A. (2008). Guiding principles: Second language acquisition, instructional technology, and the constructionvist framework. In T. Erben & I. Sarieva (Eds)., Calling all foreign language teachers: Computer assisted language learning in the classroom. (pp. 1-4). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education

Chapter 9

Oh Chapter 9...

This chapter told me all about how to evaluate a curriculum to see if it is effecive or not. It told me about the different purposes and types of evaluation and when I would use that type of evaluation. It also focused on choosing an audience for the evaluation so that a more holistic evaluation can be completed. The chapter also told me all about how gather information to use in a curriculum evaluation and how to analyze that data.

One thing that stood out for me in this chapter was that when Richards was telling me all about the various audiences for the evaluation the students were the first people listed. I think that the students ideas and viewpoints are extremely important to keep in mind when evaluating the effectiveness of the course. We can crunch all the data we want but the most valuable information is going to come from the students themselves. Their ideas and opinions are the most important source of information we have in the classroom.

I also feel that according to Richards, course evaluation is very in depth and requires a lot of documentation and then examination of that documentation. In my school and my district I have never participated in such an indepth examination of the courses. From conversations I have had with other teaches I know that there are definitely many opinions and feelings about the way the courses are going. However, I also feel that we don't have many opportunities to give consistent feedback about those courses and that the curriculum stays the same for a few years until it is time to review it again.

Richards, J. (2001). Approaches to evaluation. In Curriculum development in language teaching. (286-309). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Chapter 8

This chapter focused on the role materials play in language learning. The materials that the language learners are exposed to serve as their primary exposure to the material. Therefore, the materials that the teacher chooses to use in the classroom has to add content to the course and supplement the teacher's instruction. The chapter then focused on explaining authentic materials versus created materials. Richards also provided guidelines on how to evaluate textbooks and how to adapt them to the classroom so they would be better suited to the language needs of the learners. The remainder of the chapter focused on choosing materials and monitoring the use of materials in the classroom.

One thing I connected with when reading this chapter was how some teachers use materials as the basis for their instruction when materials should be used to supplement instruction, not drive it. With so many packaged curriculums out there we really need to be careful as to how we are using materials in the classroom. Often, textbooks are not appropriate for the students in terms of readability. I have adapted many of my classroom textbooks to better suit the language needs of my students. Also, I think it is important to remember that the materials used should be meaningful to the students and should be something that is not only user-friendly but something that the students can make connections to and draw meaning from.

Another aspect of this chapter that I felt strongly about was the explanation of what "materials" are. Too often, when we talk about materials we talk about what texts or textbooks we are going to use to teach a concept. What I liked in this chapter was that the definition of what materials was much broader than the traditional sense. Too often, teachers get stuck on page numbers and "teaching" a book chronologically from page 1 to the end. However, there so many other things we can share with our students to make their language learning meaningful. The hardest part is taking the time and making the effort to go out there and find those things.

Richards, J. (2001). The role and design of instructional materials. In Curriculum development in language teaching. (pp. 251-285). New York: Cambridge University Press.

All the different syllabuses...

Grammatical (structural) syllabus

A grammatical syllabus is one that is organized solely around grammatical items. It is used most often in beginner level language courses and the items chosen for the syllabus are ones that will allow the learner to acquire beginning level communication skills.

Although many courses are not usually planned entirely around grammatical items, a grammatical syllabus can still be quite valuable in that many students expect to see grammatical items on a syllabus and will often question the absence of grammatical items. Grammatical items can also be linked fairly easily to other items on a syllabus and since grammar does serve as a basis for language proficiency and grammatical forms should be included in the syllabus.

A syllabus based entirely on grammatical items can be problematic in many ways. First, grammar constitutes only a small portion of language proficiency and a syllabus based entirely on grammar can often ignore other important aspects of language proficiency such as communicative skills. Also, according the naturalist approach, some students may not be ready linguistically to understand and use that particular form. Focusing on grammar often means that students are not given the opportunity to use and make meaning from longer units of the written and spoken word.

There is a place for the teaching of grammar in my courses. However, I do not explicitly teach grammatical units unless many of my students are struggling with mastering one particular form. If I see many students making common grammatical errors then I will take class time to present a lesson on that form. Often times I will address other grammatical issues one on one with students when we conference about their writing and ask the student to focus on correcting that particular grammatical issues. Although grammar is a course component in my writing class I do not spend much time focusing solely on grammar, instead, I spent much class time encouraging students to create writing samples and discussing those samples their peers and with their teacher.


Lexical Syllabus

A lexical syllabus is based on vocabulary and targets a certain number of vocabulary words depending on the level of the student. Vocabulary targets for an elementary student would be approximately 1,000 words whereas the target for an advanced level language student would be 2,000 or more words.

Many educators agree that including the teaching of vocabulary is important in acquiring a language. All level of textbooks and materials include target vocabulary and it is definitely needed in a language course.

A lexical syllabus, however, is not an ideal to have in isolation. IT is most effective when incorporated into a larger, more comprehensive syllabus.

Functional Syllabus

A functional syllabus is one that focuses on communicative competence. It explores how words are used to achieve meaning and encourages language learners to develop communication skills such as requesting, complaining, suggesting and agreeing.


One advantage of a functional syllabus is that it provides an opportunity for language learners to socialize and to seek answers for themselves. Language learners send much of their time expressing how they feel about something. Functional syllabi are also beneficial because they provide an opportunity for language learners to use the language and are well suited to teaching listening and speaking skills in a language.

Some drawbacks to a functional syllabus are that students may often lack grammatical knowledge that is not focused on in the syllabus. Also, students often only practice certain phrases, expressions or idioms that they may come across in certain contexts, thus the language that they learn is only a small sample of the whole language.


Situational syllabus

Situational syllabuses use language students may find accompanying certain situations, such as at a school or at a hotel. These types of syllabus identifies in which situations learners will use the language and then has students practice the typical communicative acts they may find in that situation.

The main advantage to using situational syllabuses is that the language the learner uses is very practical and has very realistic and practical use for the language learner.

The drawback to situational syllabuses is that the learners only practice the specific language for that particular situation. Students may not transfer the language use to other situations. Grammar is not explicitly taught and students, although they can use the language to achieve a purpose, lack grammatical knowledge about that language.


Topical or content-based syllabus

A topical or content-based syllabus is one where the content of the syllabus is more important than grammar, functions or situations. The content is the core of the syllabus and is often organized thematically or by topics. Content is chosen based on theme and then the presentation of language structures follow whereas with other syllabuses the teacher decides which language structures to teach the students and then content is chosen that models the appropriate use of that structure.

One advantage to a content-based syllabus is that students can make links and connections to the various contents provided. Also, teachers may choose content based on the needs and interests of their students and the presentation of this content could then motivate learners. Content-based syllabuses also aid in comprehension and may be more meaningful to the learners.

One drawback to content based syllabuses are that grammatical forms are not practiced as well as situations in which the learner may use the language. Another questions about the development of content-based courses are that of how the content is chosen and whether there is a balance between content and grammar. The issue of appropriate assessment also arises when designing content bases courses.

Competency based syllabus

A competency based syllabus is one that centers on students mastering and becoming competent in the skills, knowledge and attitudes to perform a certain task or activity. These types of syllabuses are often used in work based education and social survival programs.

One major benefit to a competency-based syllabus is that learners are often given the skills and knowledge they need to survive and be successful in everyday society. They may be used to give immigrants or refugees the necessary language skills to obtain a job or to survive in an unfamiliar environment.

One criticism that is present in competency-based programs is that the competencies that are chosen for a particular program may have hidden values and the learners are taught not to question the values. Competency based programs are sometimes formed to make refugees and immigrant passive participant in a society instead of to complain, disagree or resist the values that are impressed upon them.


Task-based syllabus

This is a syllabus that is organized around tasks that the students must complete in the target language. While carrying out tasks the learners receive comprehensible input and they modify their output accordingly. Two types of tasks that are employed with the implementation of this syllabus include pedagogical tasks and real-world tasks.

The main advantage with task-based syllabuses is that they allow students to practice tasks and activities that they encounter in real world situations.

One issue with a task-based syllabus is that it encourages fluency of language use over accuracy.

An integrated syllabus

An integrated syllabus is one the threads together different components from various other syllabus designs. Varying levels of language proficiencies may benefit from various types of syllabus designs.
The main advantage of using an integrated syllabus is that it helps the course designer decide what the focus of each level of language learning should be and to design a syllabus that has the appropriate focus for that level.

Since almost all types of syllabuses integrate other syllabus designs there really are no drawbacks to an integrated syllabus.

Text-based syllabus

A text-based syllabus is one that focuses on using various written and spoken texts in a language classroom. A variety of texts are chosen that fit the particular context of the language learner and then units of work are developed from those texts.

An advantage to a text-based syllabus is that it is highly integrated. It focuses on specific language structures and grammatical features of the texts. It provides students with guided practice as develop their language skills and glean meaning from the texts.

In many situations a text-based syllabus is impractical and does not all for a more general language proficiency to be developed.

Skills syllabus

Skills syllabuses are designed to approach language by teaching skill sets to the learners. It takes a complex activity and breaks it down into varying skills that he learner masters. A skills syllabus is broken down into macro skill sets and micro skills sets. The goal is to have the learner master micro skills on their way to mastering the macro skills. It breaks complex activities down into smaller skills and the student is assessed according to their performance of those skills.

One advantage to this syllabus is that is provides a nice, neat framework for course design and teaching materials. This type of syllabus can be implemented and be beneficial to students if students have very specific needs.

The main drawback is to this type of syllabus is that the focus is not on communicative abilities that students can apply in a wider setting.

Richards, J. (2001). Course planning and syllabus design. In Curriculum planning in language teaching. (145-197). New York: Cambridge University Press

Chapter 6

Richards, J. 2001. Course planning and syllabus design. In Curriculum development and language teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press. 145-196.

This chapter focused on planning a course to meet the aims or outcomes of a language program and outlined the process planners usually follow when planning a new course. This chapter also focused heavily on syllabus design. It discussed the various types of syllabi and the skills that are focused on with each design.

As someone who is currently planning and gathering materials for new courses I found this chapter to be extremely helpful. It’s amazing how much thought and planning has to go into a course. I found myself already thinking about the rationales for the new courses and thinking about the type of syllabus I would like to use in the course. In addition, I also found myself thinking about some of the current courses that are already in place and tried to identify the rationales, type of syllabus, etc. for those courses as well. I find that in my own course planning I often haven’t thought about everything I need to and it makes it difficult to know for me where we are going each day and why we are headed in this direction.

I was hoping someone could give me a better picture of how I could use a module instructional block in my classroom. I am not that familiar with the module instructional block setting and am having difficulty visualizing what that would look like in a language classroom. I also would like to discuss more in depth development of scope and sequence of a course. When planning my current courses I find that planning of the scope and sequence is the hardest for me, especially when teaching in content areas I am unfamiliar with.

Chapter 5

Richards, J. 2001. Planning goals and learning outcomes. In Curriculum development and language teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press. 112-142.

Chapter 5:

This chapter focused on planning learning outcomes of the curriculum one would design. Five major ideologies should be taken into account when planning the learning goals or outcomes. The participants in the curriculum planning process can use these ideologies to help them define what they want to accomplish with the curriculum as well as how they intend to accomplish those goals or aims. Another major component to curriculum planning is to be able to state and describe the goals or outcomes of the planed curriculum.

When reading about the ideologies of curriculum planning I though much about the curriculum that we have in place in our district and in our school and tried to identify which ideologies were present in our curriculums. What I found is that it really was difficult for me to pinpoint only one ideology driving our curriculum. Instead, what I found is that our curriculum is a motley mix of many ideologies. Can a curriculum that incorporates too many ideologies be dangerous? It seems that everyone who planned the curriculum would have a different idea as to what the purpose of that curriculum would be and it seems like that would cause problems amongst the various planners.

In reading this chapter I connected some of the material to the SIOP model. Most similar was the material regarding the creation of language and non-language objectives and being able to state those objectives in the curriculum planning process. Too often curriculums are designed and implemented in schools and only the language objectives (reading, writing, speaking, etc) are focused on. I strongly feel that although those objectives are necessary and valuable there is a whole other skill set that many teachers may not be giving the students. What that results in is a mass of people who can read, write, respond, etc but who lack the skills to be flexible enough to apply those skills to a job or to other situations in their lives outside of school. The goals of a curriculum should be to give students the most well rounded education possible and often the real world skill set is left out of core class curriculums.

We're Back!

Welcome back to Fairbanks everyone! I'm looking forward to having an awesome time in class and I look forward to reading everyone's awesome blogs.


This is a pic of my new VW van. I don't have a name for it yet. Any suggestions would be helpful.