Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 Questions
- In Chapter 3 the author discusses the importance of understanding the learner population in order to desgin lessons and the overall syllabus for the composition course. The author presents the idea of working with the students in regards to decision making about the reading selections, assignments, and assignment criteria. How would this affect the classroom? Do you believe that this is a realistic practice for teachers?
- I was examining the text book features and evaluation criteria on page 132 and 133 and was wondering what you all thought of it. Is this something that you would implement as a composition teacher? If not, how would you go about selecting course material?
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteI am sure this would have a positive effect in the classroom, though I feel that the idea of doing it via questionnaires, although very straightforward, is kind of weird. Though, it may just be because I have never tried it. In our ESL class we were given ideas as to how to understand learner population via research, but that just takes too long. Could questionnaires work? Yes I think it could and it does seem realistic though it is still strange as I have never had a teacher do that.
Question 2:
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would implement that level of detail in choosing a text book, it is simply too much. My teaching philosophy feels that the class should not revolve around a textbook, rather to supplement classroom instruction, and I know it would be like that in some teaching situations where classes have to revolve around the textbook. I think, depending on the situation we can set our bar on how high the book should reach. I think I could use those criteria and simplify them a little more; we know what we are looking for.
Response to Q1
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important to understand students’ background when designing lessons and the overall syllabus for the course. Though most of the time, teachers are required to create a syllabus before the semester begins and before knowing who will be his/her students. If it is allowed, the teacher can modify the syllabus based on the information gained throughout the semester to meet the students’ needs.
I think the questionnaire in the chapter which was also mentioned by Noe can be one document used to find out the background information of students. Another means of finding out students’ background information can be used, such as writing activity with topics that allow teachers to find out students’ interest in reading, their family influence on their literacy practices, and so on. The information gained from such documents can help teacher plan a lesson based on the students’ needs and interests. I believe students benefit more if the class reading and the class assignments are revolved around their needs and interests. They will benefit more if the assigned reading is something interesting for them and the knowledge of students’ interest would help teachers to select appropriate reading for the class. I think it is a realistic practice for teachers but it will require teachers to put extra time modifying the lesson or syllabus based on the dynamics of each class.
Response to Q2
ReplyDeleteI do not think I will use the evaluation criteria in the chapter either because of the same reason Noe mentioned. Instead I might create my own evaluation criteria based on the one from the chapter and what my students’ needs are from the course. I agree with Noe about a class shouldn’t be revolving around a textbook. Even though I think textbooks can be helpful source for instruction, a textbook should be used as support for the instruction. Sometimes it could be used as a base for teaching but if it was used as a base, I think different meaningful activities related to the topic in the textbook should be incorporated in the teaching rather than exercises provided from the textbook. I think what I would do to select course material is by using my own evaluation criteria and also asking colleagues who have taught the class in the past for their opinions on which textbook they think is more beneficial to use in the class.
Response to question 1: In my opinion, it is hard to work with the students in regards to decision making about the reading selections, assignments, and assignment criteria. As Aya mentioned above, teachers have almost everything (readings list, question, tests, ...) before the semester starts. Also teachers usually use almost the same teaching materials and supplement document from semester to semester. It can be explained that teachers always assume that students in that class are supposed to be in that level. Therefore, teachers do not make big changes to those materials. It partly makes sense because teachers expect the level of students at a particular level.
ReplyDeleteI dont totally negate the effort of teachers in knowing more about students. Teachers can have students write First Day Writing, it is one way to know more about students when the semester has just started. "Knowing each other" activity like this can be conducted during the whole semester. Weekly journal is one effective way to see how students reflect their progress. It is quite private so only one student and teacher can read it. Students feel free to express themselves and if one thing that have majority of support from students, definitely teachers should consider it and adjust the syllabus/ assignment.
Response to question 2:
ReplyDeleteI dont think I am going to use all these criteria to evaluate a textbook. It all depends on our students when we decide a textbook for them. Getting strictly along with textbook all the time and view it as a compass in teaching is absolutely not good. it is too rigid. Teachers should adapt it. Some activities works really well with this class but not with another class. So it is not because of the activities in that textbook, because of students. There are many types of learners which should be taken into teachers' consideration.
To ESL, I do like textbook which advocates for communicative approach. Not drills, not sets, not sentences transformation, not translate into...