Integrating Culture in the Language Classroom

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Integrating Culture in the Language Classroom

• Iris Moye and
• Leslie Opp-Beckman
• University of Oregon

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Topics, Session 10

• Announcements
• What is Reflective Teaching?
• Purposes and Benefits of RT
• Activity 1
• Tools for RT
• Teacher Diary Suggestions

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Topics, Session 10

• Teacher Diary Suggestions
• Activity 2
• Student Feedback Examples
• Analyzing Your Evidence
• Activity 3
• Conclusion, Q A

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Announcements

• Introductions
• Homework to share?
• We are continuing the series, starting November
  2005.
• For information, seehttp//thaiuo.uoregon.edu

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What is Reflective Teaching?

• Three attitudes are necessary for us to become
  reflective teachers
• 1. Open-mindedness.
• 2. Responsibility.
• Wholeheartedness.
• (J. Dewey, A Handbook for Reflective Teaching)

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What is Reflective Teaching?

• Exploring underlying beliefs.
• Self-observation, evaluation.
• Process of observing and collecting
  information-- our own behaviors-- those of our
  learners.

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What is Reflective Teaching?

• A means to institute meaningful changes and
  improvements in our teaching.
• A beneficial form of professional development.

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Purposes / Benefits

• To expand our understanding of the
  teaching/learning process.
• To enlarge our repertoire of options as language
  teachers.
• To enhance learning opportunities for our
  students.

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Activity 1

• Small Group Task, Analysis
• Think about a lesson you have recently taught.
  Describe a part of a lesson that went well and
  why this was so. Describe a part of a lesson
  that didnt go well. What might you do
  differently to make that part go better?

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Tools

• Lesson notes.
• Teacher diary.
• Peer observation.
• Video or audio class recordings.
• Student feedback.
• Professional portfolio

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Teacher Diaries

• Suggestions
• (Adapted from BBC/British Council. (2004).
  Think, Writing a Teaching Diary.)
• Lesson objectives Did the students understand
  what we did and why we did it? Was it something
  all learners could do? challenged the faster
  learners?
• Materials and activities Appropriate to our
  goals? Appeal to the students?

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Teacher Diaries

• Suggestions, continued
• Learners Were they on task? If not, when and
  why? Which parts engaged them most? Least? How
  much English did they use?
• Management How was the pacing and timing? What
  were the interaction formats (groups, etc)? Did
  they work? Were my directions clear?
• Overall If I teach the lesson again, what will
  I do differently?

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Activity 2

• Small Group Task, Brainstorm
• Its the middle of a course.You observe that many
  of the students dont seem to be interested in
  the course. How could you find out what some of
  the problems might be?

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Student Feedback Examples

• Five-minute papers.
• Smiley Faces for younger learners.
• Stop, Start, Continue.
• Other?

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Analyzing YourData / Evidence

• Think.
• Talk / Ask.
• Read.

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Activity 3

• Three-minute Papers
• Write What is the one thing you are most likely
  to remember from todays session? Explain why
  you will remember it, and what its relevance is
  to your teaching situation. Share your response
  with your group.

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Conclusion

• What are you (and the learners) doing?
• Why are you doing it?
• How effective is it?
• How are the studentsresponding?
• How can you do it better?

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Reflective Teaching

• http//thaiuo.uoregon.edu
• Iris Moye and
• Leslie Opp-BeckmanUniversity of Oregon