Curriculum On Its Ear

The article Everything you know about curriculum may be wrong. Really. is really thought provoking. Essentially, Grant Wiggins is saying that the aim of most contemporary curriculum is to impart knowledge but that this should not be the goal. Instead, knowledge is the dynamic and never static result of trying to actually perform well in reality. For example, you wouldn't learn to play basketball by sitting in a classroom and studying all the rules and strategies. Rather, you would learn on the court and pick up the rules and strategies as you progressed.

I like the critique offered of classical styles of learning and it makes me think of the traditional manner in which students study language, especially here in Korea where rote memorization and cramming are second-to-none. My aim in class is to improve students confidence and fluency and I look at grammar eventual result. This is much the way a child would learn his or her native language. Task-based learning lessons would suit this style offering role-plays, projects, case studies, and authentic materials to engage students. For testing, I like to give students questions at random as well as mystery questions to limit how much they can memorize and really see what they have absorbed in class through the various activities that we have covered.

Wiggins offers a lot of food for thought that I find intriguing.

Protocol Discussion Lesson

This lesson is highly customizable letting the teacher tailor it to the students' ability and the desired materials that need to be covered. I use this with my intermediate level students as a review before midterm and final exams which are group conversations. I've included a graphical version and vanilla version of the PowerPoint as well as a Word and PDF version of the worksheet. Follow the link: Protocol Discussion Dropbox Link

Triangle - Square - Circle

Trying to choose my favorite lesson to teach is tough. The enjoyment I receive from a lesson depends on a number of factors from the students and their ability, what has been studied previously to how much coffee I have consumed that day. Having had no coffee today, I will go with an old tried and true lesson that I have been using for years: Shapes.

Sounds simple enough, and it is. Basically, by the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe simple shapes and their relative locations on a page to their partner. This exercise is a review for confirmation questions and clarification questions that were covered in previous lessons. As well, it is a great way to practice giving directions. It progresses step by step and is very formulaic so that lower level students can participate without two much trouble. Here are a few shots of the PPt showing how the lesson moves from easy to more complex.

I have used the lesson successfully from novice to advanced level students and have even had these two extremes in ability partnered together and communicating.

Students really enjoy this lesson, especially at the end where they can create their own pictures and then try to explain them to their partners. They really feel that they have accomplished something. And since giving directions can be difficult, even in one's own language, I think that it offers a good challenge for anyone, regardless of ability.

Digital Footprints Don't Wash Away

Once it's online, it's there forever. I think those of us over the age of thirty have a bit of an advantage when it comes to online reputation since most of our rabble-rousing days were before the advent of social media, at least as it stands today. So, most of our unflattering history is in memory or a few printed photos. Nevertheless, even these days I am sure that there are numerous tidbits of information connected to me that are seemingly innocent but could be misconstrued as inappropriate if taken out of context.

For my digital reputation, I think a few factors have limited my footprint so far. One, I am often told that I am better in person than in photos, so a love for the camera I do not have (just ask my wife). Two, I allow my students to friend me on Facebook so that keeps my Facebook content tame. Third, I tend to be fairly private so I'm not comfortable with too much of my information floating around in the ether of the interweb.

Taking ECUC932 has validated my actions when it comes to my online reputation but it has also given me food for thought about how I project my professional persona online. I like the idea of having a history of what I have accomplished which can attest to my abilities, experience, and aptitude. Trent Kays' blog (http://teaching.trentmkays.com/) is a good example that I think I will pattern my blog on. It clearly and concisely showcases who he is and what he has done. A blog such as this is a good forum that I can openly present to would-be employers in the future, fellow professionals, collaborators, and students.

I think I am already on the right path, I just need to keep walking.

Paper or Plastic?

While paper is still the medium of choice and I don't think it will ever disappear, the benefits of going digital in the classroom cannot be overstated. I've always been a fan of Dropbox and had wanted to use it to share with my students. When Dropbox finally created a feature that allowed me to share files with students without requiring them to join Dropbox, I jumped on it right away. As well, in this configuration, when I shared a link with someone, they could only view or download the file but couldn't modify the original in my Dropbox. Perfect for syllabus, outlines, and any other educational materials I wanted my students to have. 

In all  of my courses, I have a folder in my Dropbox called "Student Shared Folder" and I take that URL and embed it in a QR code. That way, students can simply scan it with their smartphone and have everything in their pocket. I also convert the URL into a tiny URL for students with lackluster phones, which in the past few years has become less and less. Now my students have everything that I deem important with them all of the time. If I update the files or add new material, they simply need to refresh the QR code within the app or visit the URL again and the new material is there. 

Making materials available to students in this manner has made my life a lot easier and I would think, the lives of my students, too. I don't need to spend a lot of time printing and photocopying, wasting paper if I made too many or wasting time when I needed to run out to make a few more copies. Or worse yet, if I made an error in the original. My students can't claim to have lost important documents, either, and I can share PowerPoint files, videos, and other materials that are impractical as handouts. We have practicum visits with all of our class students in my university, so this allows me to keep an Excel file that shows everyone's visitation time and I update it whenever a student makes a reservation. That way, I don't have double-bookings or students emailing me if they forgot their scheduled appointment time. They can see it for themselves.

I've used the QR codes for doing graded reading in class by linking the QR codes with Google Docs that contain various stories I wanted the students to read. I could put students in pairs and have them each read a different story. Afterward, they would do a retelling of the story to their partner. The same can be done with videos, although it's a bit noisy. The QR codes can also be used for polling and I particularly like using it for getting mass amounts of data from students via a Google Doc. 

Digitizing my materials has been successful for me in large part due to the prevalence of smartphones these days. However, paper is still needed for some worksheets and particular lessons. I wish that more tablets were in student hands so that I could expand my digital classroom and eliminate the use of paper altogether. 

Benefits of this course

The only way to keep teaching interesting for me is to continually change and innovate the materials and methods that I use in my classroom. My hope is that this course, Creative Teaching Techniques and Utilization of Media, will allow me to find new ways to offer lessons that are engaging and accessible to my students. In my eyes, I see smartphones as a means to engage with students in a medium that is comfortable to them. I want to offer my materials from my classes to them through these devices but also have lessons that incorporate their phones in a manner that is unique and original. I encounter many students who have a fear of learning English but if I offer them alternative or parallel avenues using English perhaps that will be a bridge to improve their confidence and eventually communicative competence.

I'm always wishing for more time with students to work on skills and then to spend time honing them but there is never enough time. I see technology as a means of continuing the learning outside of the classroom and as a result, allowing more time for meaningful face-to-face interaction inside the class. A few years ago I stumbled upon the work of Salmon Khan and was completely amazed by the work he has done and his concept for an alternative means of learning (check out his TED Talk here: Salman Khan - TED Talk). Since then, I have been pondering how to apply a similar concept to the way I teach my students so that the time spent in class can be better-spent. Perhaps this course is the first step.

And so it begins

This is my first blog and my first assignment for Creative Teaching Techniques and Utilization of Multimedia course I am about to take. I look forward to trying new things, such as this, and seeing what I can adapt to improve the learning environment for my students.