Cathrine-Mette Mork - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Videos by Cathrine-Mette Mork
Banking customers need assistance with tasks such as opening bank accounts and transferring money... more Banking customers need assistance with tasks such as opening bank accounts and transferring money. Some banks, however, do not provide English (ATM or teller) support, so banking can be challenging for non-Japanese speakers. This presentation describes a banking English seminar which has been designed for staff at a prefectural banking institution. The materials have been assessed and improved using a holistic business English evaluation framework, and this presentation shares what was done.
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Papers by Cathrine-Mette Mork
Comparative Culture, 2023
In the early summer of 2020, OpenAI released its Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), an... more In the early summer of 2020, OpenAI released its Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text. With this advance in machine learning, AI is now capable of producing original writing that can easily be mistaken for work created by humans. AI authoring tools using GPT-3 are also capable of paraphrasing, summarizing, and changing the style and tone of any text fed into them. These functionalities will no doubt increase productivity and efficiency in enterprises of all kinds, but they come with more than a small handful of potential dangers as well. One of these is the increased temptation to plagiarize accompanied by the increased difficulties in detecting it. This has important implications for EFL writing assessment. Since it is more likely that advances in AI writing technology will continue to improve, educators must adapt to this changing landscape. EFL writing instructors can respond to this new landscape by ignoring it, circumventing its use, or embracing it. This paper outlines the latter two options.
Introduction Active Learning (AL) is not a new concept, particularly to those who teach language ... more Introduction Active Learning (AL) is not a new concept, particularly to those who teach language or young learners, but it is becoming better known at the tertiary level as well. Its very familiarity can be an obstacle to its development, as different practitioners have different ideas of what AL means, which can impede communication. As part of the Acceleration Program for University Rebuild (AP) grant received by Miyazaki International College (MIC) from Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2014, the Active Learning Working Group (ALWG) was charged with investigating the AL practices of MIC faculty over the next several years. In doing this, the ALWG hopes to facilitate the growth of AL by giving the MIC community a common definition, sharing practices among differing disciplines, and increasing instructors' overall teaching skills. In addition to these goals, an investigation into AL can make our mission as an institution easier to convey to stakeholders in Japan, where knowledge and practice of AL is not so widespread, particularly in university settings. This paper describes a pilot project looking at some preferred practices of AL at MIC, how they are tied to critical thinking goals, and how they can be categorized in order to help qualify and quantify what kinds of strategies are preferred by MIC instructors. What is Active Learning? The theoretical basis for AL is said to have derived from situated cognition theorists such as Paolo Freire, who laid the foundations for critical pedagogy. Freire is perhaps most famous for his attack on what he called the "banking" concept of education, in which the student was viewed as an empty account to be filled by the teacher, which "transforms students into receiving objects. It attempts to control thinking and action, leads men and women to adjust to the world, and inhibits their creative power" (1970). The Constructivist Theory of learning that emerged in the 1970s and 80s "gave rise to the idea that learners actively construct their knowledge in interaction with the environment and though the reorganization of their mental structures" as opposed to simply being passive recipients of information. This lies in contrast to previous learning models from the 20th century: Behaviorism and Cognitive Psychology. Under Jean Piaget's Constructivism, knowledge is thought to be constructed rather than acquired. Adding on to this model to create Socio-constructivism, such theorists as Vygotsky, and Rogoff and Lave developed this idea to suggest that learning does not happen in isolation from the environment and students' interaction with it (UNESCO, 2016). According to a theory of learning called Constructionism, the interests and capabilities of young people differ based on their stage of development. Constructionism was built on Piaget's work by Seymour Papert and "focuses more on the art of learning, or 'learning to learn', and on the significance of making things in learning" (Ackermann, 2011). Currently, both Constructivist and Constructionist views on learning perhaps best reflect the way we understand how people learn and grow, and both of these models are intrinsically linked to AL. Although most people involved in education have some intuitive idea of what AL is, it is surprisingly difficult to find a generally accepted definition. In 1991, Bonwell and Eison claimed that there was no common definition of AL (p.18), and Drew and Mackie made the same claim in 2011. The problem may have to do with delimiting the meaning of "active" in this context. Some practitioners may claim that if learning is taking place, a teaching strategy can be considered active (Bonwell & Eison 1991, p.18), which would mean that all learning is a form of active learning. AL is sometimes contrasted with lecturing (e.g. Weimer, 2015), and yet there are quite a few ways of lecturing actively (e.g. Bean, 2001). A useful definition can be found in Prince (2004): "Active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. In short, active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing." Boswell and Eison (1991) give more detail: "Students are involved in more than listening. Less emphasis is placed on transmitting information and more on developing students' skills. Students are involved in higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation). Students are engaged in activities (e.g., reading, discussing, writing). Greater emphasis is placed on students' exploration of their own attitudes and values." This view is reiterated in Fern et al.: "Essential to the AL approach is the view of the learner as responsible for discovering, constructing, and creating something new and the view of the teacher as a resource and facilitator" (1994). As the goal of this project is to discover as much as possible about AL at MIC and its relationship with critical thinking, these are the definitions we used when listing and describing AL activities. AL accompanied a paradigm shift, from seeing students as tabulae rasae who could be motivated by extrinsic rewards such as grades, to regarding them as co-creators of their own learning who could be motivated intrinsically by the pleasure of learning itself. Along with this we have changed our view of instruction, from the proverbial 'sage on the stage' to the 'guide on the side' (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991). In his look at Eric Mazur's advocacy for AL at Harvard University, Lambert notes that, "active learning overthrows the 'transfer of information' model of instruction, which casts the student as a dry sponge who passively absorbs facts and ideas from a teacher" (2012, para. 16). A key feature of AL is learner autonomy and the learner's use of higher-order thinking skills, rather than what the instructor or students might be doing or how "active" they are to an observer. A further question concerns the effectiveness of AL. Most of the work on this issue seems to have been done in the hard sciences, and AL has been shown to be generally effective in those fields (Prince, 2004; Freeman et al., 2014). AL is not known so well in Japan as it is in the West, although MEXT called for more active classrooms as early as 1997. However, instructors are beginning to introduce it in tertiary classrooms in Japan, and it has been found to be effective (again, in the hard sciences) here as well (Ito & Kawazoe, 2015). Active Learning at MIC AL is an explicit part of the institutional identity of MIC. It was one of the founding principles of the College, and MIC took a leadership role in promoting AL at a time when it was not widely practiced in Japan in non-language courses. In 1999 a group of faculty guest-edited and authored several articles in The Language Teacher, the practical journal of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) on AL (Isbell et al., 1999). Today, it is still mentioned in our public relations materials as being the "core of our academic program." The idea of AL informs our personnel and budgeting decisions as well as faculty development. Although MIC instructors come from disparate backgrounds and teach a variety of subjects, AL is common to all of our classrooms.
Comparative Culture the Journal of Miyazaki International College, 2021
The Language Teacher, 2020
This paper outlines research on group role classification and explains methods of introducing dis... more This paper outlines research on group role classification and explains methods of introducing discussion work to Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners who may initially lack the language skills and/or discussion skills required for fruitful group discourse. Assigning specific roles to each member in a group can diffuse responsibility to every participant for a successful discussion or even a simple exchange of ideas. With a clearly defined role and set of phrases useful to that role at their disposal, learners are empowered to participate actively in class discussions.
Comparative Culture The Journal of Miyazaki International College, 2018
Extensive writing is doing a large amount of regular free writing on a range of topics and styles... more Extensive writing is doing a large amount of regular free writing on a range of topics and styles, focusing less on accuracy and more on fluency. Today there are many online options for students to practice their writing that have the additional benefit of developing basic computer and typing skills. In a first-year Japanese university EFL writing course, students wrote short journal entries up to five times a week for the duration of one semester as a form of extensive writing. The goal was to increase fluency and writing speed, and get students into the habit of writing regularly on a range of simple topics in preparation for much more challenging future writing assignments in their program. Part way into the semester, students switched from paper-based journaling to an online option called Penzu. At the end of the semester students were surveyed on their opinions regarding their experiences journaling both offline and online. Overall close to 60% of students surveyed preferred the online option and a higher percentage thought it was useful for developing their typing and basic computer skills.
ACTC 2014 - Conference Proceedings, Jun 30, 2014
A survey design was used to investigate the status of teaching and learning with ICT in secondary... more A survey design was used to investigate the status of teaching and learning with ICT in secondary schools of Abia State, Nigeria. Questionnaires were distributed to 60 science teachers and 203 Senior Secondary II science students from four schools randomly sampled from 20 schools in Umuahia education zone. The data were analyzed using percentages and chi-square. Results of the study revealed that a very low proportion of science teachers use ICT resources in preparing science lessons (10%), practical classes (3.33%), preparing presentation (10%) and simulations 1.67%. The dominant use of ICT by teachers is for Word Processing (38.33%) and collecting reference materials (31.67%). The study also confirmed lack of gender parity in access to ICT resources as significant differences were revealed in the use of e-mail, internet and mobile phones, all in favour of the males. Some recommendations were made which include the need to provide relevant ICT training for teaching with modern technologies and encouraging females to embrace the use of ICT in this information age.
Official VOKI Blog, Dec 18, 2013
This paper outlines the unofficial use of a social networking and blogging site called Multiply b... more This paper outlines the unofficial use of a social networking and blogging site called Multiply by several EFL teachers and their students in Tama University's English Shower program in Tama City, Tokyo. Five teachers used the system as a communication hub for their classes, requiring students to access it regularly to submit homework, receive corrected work, check their class schedules, and other tasks depending on the class and the teacher. At the end of the term, students were surveyed using an online form to assess the perceived usefulness of having used the system. Though survey results confirmed some issues for teachers that came to light half-way through the term, the responses of those having used the system were also positive.
Journal of Minami Kyushu Junior College, Jun 2002
The Language Teacher , Jul 1998
Book contributions by Cathrine-Mette Mork
New Ways of Teaching Speaking (2nd Ed), 2019
an activity published in "Part 2: Part II. Developing Accuracy" (page 83) "New Ways in Teaching ... more an activity published in "Part 2: Part II. Developing Accuracy" (page 83)
"New Ways in Teaching Speaking, Second Edition includes more than 100 new activities for all proficiency levels and all ages. Learn how to incorporate technology tools to improve speaking skills while utilizing digital literacy skills. The new career-focused activities connect to work in business, law, and more, allowing students to continue strengthening their speaking skills for their daily lives speaking in English. These diverse and ready-to-use activities will keep your students engaged and enjoying their time learning this essential language skill. Readers can also access over 40 online appendices with detailed, ready-to-print resources for teachers, such as rubrics, handouts, and more. The activities are organized by category: Developing Fluency, Developing Accuracy, Developing Pronunciation, Speaking in Specific Contexts, Speaking and Technology!
Book reviews by Cathrine-Mette Mork
JALT Journal, 2023
Book Review
Comparative Culture The Journal of Miyazaki International College, 2018
book review of "Dynamic Lecturing: Research-Based Strategies to Enhance Lecture Effectiveness" by... more book review of "Dynamic Lecturing: Research-Based Strategies to Enhance
Lecture Effectiveness" by Christine Harrington and Todd Zakrajsek
Banking customers need assistance with tasks such as opening bank accounts and transferring money... more Banking customers need assistance with tasks such as opening bank accounts and transferring money. Some banks, however, do not provide English (ATM or teller) support, so banking can be challenging for non-Japanese speakers. This presentation describes a banking English seminar which has been designed for staff at a prefectural banking institution. The materials have been assessed and improved using a holistic business English evaluation framework, and this presentation shares what was done.
2 views
Comparative Culture, 2023
In the early summer of 2020, OpenAI released its Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), an... more In the early summer of 2020, OpenAI released its Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text. With this advance in machine learning, AI is now capable of producing original writing that can easily be mistaken for work created by humans. AI authoring tools using GPT-3 are also capable of paraphrasing, summarizing, and changing the style and tone of any text fed into them. These functionalities will no doubt increase productivity and efficiency in enterprises of all kinds, but they come with more than a small handful of potential dangers as well. One of these is the increased temptation to plagiarize accompanied by the increased difficulties in detecting it. This has important implications for EFL writing assessment. Since it is more likely that advances in AI writing technology will continue to improve, educators must adapt to this changing landscape. EFL writing instructors can respond to this new landscape by ignoring it, circumventing its use, or embracing it. This paper outlines the latter two options.
Introduction Active Learning (AL) is not a new concept, particularly to those who teach language ... more Introduction Active Learning (AL) is not a new concept, particularly to those who teach language or young learners, but it is becoming better known at the tertiary level as well. Its very familiarity can be an obstacle to its development, as different practitioners have different ideas of what AL means, which can impede communication. As part of the Acceleration Program for University Rebuild (AP) grant received by Miyazaki International College (MIC) from Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2014, the Active Learning Working Group (ALWG) was charged with investigating the AL practices of MIC faculty over the next several years. In doing this, the ALWG hopes to facilitate the growth of AL by giving the MIC community a common definition, sharing practices among differing disciplines, and increasing instructors' overall teaching skills. In addition to these goals, an investigation into AL can make our mission as an institution easier to convey to stakeholders in Japan, where knowledge and practice of AL is not so widespread, particularly in university settings. This paper describes a pilot project looking at some preferred practices of AL at MIC, how they are tied to critical thinking goals, and how they can be categorized in order to help qualify and quantify what kinds of strategies are preferred by MIC instructors. What is Active Learning? The theoretical basis for AL is said to have derived from situated cognition theorists such as Paolo Freire, who laid the foundations for critical pedagogy. Freire is perhaps most famous for his attack on what he called the "banking" concept of education, in which the student was viewed as an empty account to be filled by the teacher, which "transforms students into receiving objects. It attempts to control thinking and action, leads men and women to adjust to the world, and inhibits their creative power" (1970). The Constructivist Theory of learning that emerged in the 1970s and 80s "gave rise to the idea that learners actively construct their knowledge in interaction with the environment and though the reorganization of their mental structures" as opposed to simply being passive recipients of information. This lies in contrast to previous learning models from the 20th century: Behaviorism and Cognitive Psychology. Under Jean Piaget's Constructivism, knowledge is thought to be constructed rather than acquired. Adding on to this model to create Socio-constructivism, such theorists as Vygotsky, and Rogoff and Lave developed this idea to suggest that learning does not happen in isolation from the environment and students' interaction with it (UNESCO, 2016). According to a theory of learning called Constructionism, the interests and capabilities of young people differ based on their stage of development. Constructionism was built on Piaget's work by Seymour Papert and "focuses more on the art of learning, or 'learning to learn', and on the significance of making things in learning" (Ackermann, 2011). Currently, both Constructivist and Constructionist views on learning perhaps best reflect the way we understand how people learn and grow, and both of these models are intrinsically linked to AL. Although most people involved in education have some intuitive idea of what AL is, it is surprisingly difficult to find a generally accepted definition. In 1991, Bonwell and Eison claimed that there was no common definition of AL (p.18), and Drew and Mackie made the same claim in 2011. The problem may have to do with delimiting the meaning of "active" in this context. Some practitioners may claim that if learning is taking place, a teaching strategy can be considered active (Bonwell & Eison 1991, p.18), which would mean that all learning is a form of active learning. AL is sometimes contrasted with lecturing (e.g. Weimer, 2015), and yet there are quite a few ways of lecturing actively (e.g. Bean, 2001). A useful definition can be found in Prince (2004): "Active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. In short, active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing." Boswell and Eison (1991) give more detail: "Students are involved in more than listening. Less emphasis is placed on transmitting information and more on developing students' skills. Students are involved in higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation). Students are engaged in activities (e.g., reading, discussing, writing). Greater emphasis is placed on students' exploration of their own attitudes and values." This view is reiterated in Fern et al.: "Essential to the AL approach is the view of the learner as responsible for discovering, constructing, and creating something new and the view of the teacher as a resource and facilitator" (1994). As the goal of this project is to discover as much as possible about AL at MIC and its relationship with critical thinking, these are the definitions we used when listing and describing AL activities. AL accompanied a paradigm shift, from seeing students as tabulae rasae who could be motivated by extrinsic rewards such as grades, to regarding them as co-creators of their own learning who could be motivated intrinsically by the pleasure of learning itself. Along with this we have changed our view of instruction, from the proverbial 'sage on the stage' to the 'guide on the side' (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991). In his look at Eric Mazur's advocacy for AL at Harvard University, Lambert notes that, "active learning overthrows the 'transfer of information' model of instruction, which casts the student as a dry sponge who passively absorbs facts and ideas from a teacher" (2012, para. 16). A key feature of AL is learner autonomy and the learner's use of higher-order thinking skills, rather than what the instructor or students might be doing or how "active" they are to an observer. A further question concerns the effectiveness of AL. Most of the work on this issue seems to have been done in the hard sciences, and AL has been shown to be generally effective in those fields (Prince, 2004; Freeman et al., 2014). AL is not known so well in Japan as it is in the West, although MEXT called for more active classrooms as early as 1997. However, instructors are beginning to introduce it in tertiary classrooms in Japan, and it has been found to be effective (again, in the hard sciences) here as well (Ito & Kawazoe, 2015). Active Learning at MIC AL is an explicit part of the institutional identity of MIC. It was one of the founding principles of the College, and MIC took a leadership role in promoting AL at a time when it was not widely practiced in Japan in non-language courses. In 1999 a group of faculty guest-edited and authored several articles in The Language Teacher, the practical journal of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) on AL (Isbell et al., 1999). Today, it is still mentioned in our public relations materials as being the "core of our academic program." The idea of AL informs our personnel and budgeting decisions as well as faculty development. Although MIC instructors come from disparate backgrounds and teach a variety of subjects, AL is common to all of our classrooms.
Comparative Culture the Journal of Miyazaki International College, 2021
The Language Teacher, 2020
This paper outlines research on group role classification and explains methods of introducing dis... more This paper outlines research on group role classification and explains methods of introducing discussion work to Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners who may initially lack the language skills and/or discussion skills required for fruitful group discourse. Assigning specific roles to each member in a group can diffuse responsibility to every participant for a successful discussion or even a simple exchange of ideas. With a clearly defined role and set of phrases useful to that role at their disposal, learners are empowered to participate actively in class discussions.
Comparative Culture The Journal of Miyazaki International College, 2018
Extensive writing is doing a large amount of regular free writing on a range of topics and styles... more Extensive writing is doing a large amount of regular free writing on a range of topics and styles, focusing less on accuracy and more on fluency. Today there are many online options for students to practice their writing that have the additional benefit of developing basic computer and typing skills. In a first-year Japanese university EFL writing course, students wrote short journal entries up to five times a week for the duration of one semester as a form of extensive writing. The goal was to increase fluency and writing speed, and get students into the habit of writing regularly on a range of simple topics in preparation for much more challenging future writing assignments in their program. Part way into the semester, students switched from paper-based journaling to an online option called Penzu. At the end of the semester students were surveyed on their opinions regarding their experiences journaling both offline and online. Overall close to 60% of students surveyed preferred the online option and a higher percentage thought it was useful for developing their typing and basic computer skills.
ACTC 2014 - Conference Proceedings, Jun 30, 2014
A survey design was used to investigate the status of teaching and learning with ICT in secondary... more A survey design was used to investigate the status of teaching and learning with ICT in secondary schools of Abia State, Nigeria. Questionnaires were distributed to 60 science teachers and 203 Senior Secondary II science students from four schools randomly sampled from 20 schools in Umuahia education zone. The data were analyzed using percentages and chi-square. Results of the study revealed that a very low proportion of science teachers use ICT resources in preparing science lessons (10%), practical classes (3.33%), preparing presentation (10%) and simulations 1.67%. The dominant use of ICT by teachers is for Word Processing (38.33%) and collecting reference materials (31.67%). The study also confirmed lack of gender parity in access to ICT resources as significant differences were revealed in the use of e-mail, internet and mobile phones, all in favour of the males. Some recommendations were made which include the need to provide relevant ICT training for teaching with modern technologies and encouraging females to embrace the use of ICT in this information age.
Official VOKI Blog, Dec 18, 2013
This paper outlines the unofficial use of a social networking and blogging site called Multiply b... more This paper outlines the unofficial use of a social networking and blogging site called Multiply by several EFL teachers and their students in Tama University's English Shower program in Tama City, Tokyo. Five teachers used the system as a communication hub for their classes, requiring students to access it regularly to submit homework, receive corrected work, check their class schedules, and other tasks depending on the class and the teacher. At the end of the term, students were surveyed using an online form to assess the perceived usefulness of having used the system. Though survey results confirmed some issues for teachers that came to light half-way through the term, the responses of those having used the system were also positive.
Journal of Minami Kyushu Junior College, Jun 2002
The Language Teacher , Jul 1998
New Ways of Teaching Speaking (2nd Ed), 2019
an activity published in "Part 2: Part II. Developing Accuracy" (page 83) "New Ways in Teaching ... more an activity published in "Part 2: Part II. Developing Accuracy" (page 83)
"New Ways in Teaching Speaking, Second Edition includes more than 100 new activities for all proficiency levels and all ages. Learn how to incorporate technology tools to improve speaking skills while utilizing digital literacy skills. The new career-focused activities connect to work in business, law, and more, allowing students to continue strengthening their speaking skills for their daily lives speaking in English. These diverse and ready-to-use activities will keep your students engaged and enjoying their time learning this essential language skill. Readers can also access over 40 online appendices with detailed, ready-to-print resources for teachers, such as rubrics, handouts, and more. The activities are organized by category: Developing Fluency, Developing Accuracy, Developing Pronunciation, Speaking in Specific Contexts, Speaking and Technology!
JALT Journal, 2023
Book Review
Comparative Culture The Journal of Miyazaki International College, 2018
book review of "Dynamic Lecturing: Research-Based Strategies to Enhance Lecture Effectiveness" by... more book review of "Dynamic Lecturing: Research-Based Strategies to Enhance
Lecture Effectiveness" by Christine Harrington and Todd Zakrajsek
Self-reflection is recognized as being part of the learning process. It is intended to allow for ... more Self-reflection is recognized as being part of the learning process. It is intended to allow for metacognition, the evaluation of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and the ability to gain insight into one’s learning preferences. It can lead to more engagement and motivation in learners, who can follow through by setting more realistic study goals. In this study, six communicative English classes of a total of 165 freshmen and sophomore students were required to complete short self evaluation rubrics at the end of every class during the semester. Additionally, they participated in three “voice journals” spaced out during the semester. These oral journals consisted of 5-10 minute video recordings using flip.com. The students were given a list of topics/issues they were expected to address in their video reflections, and were encouraged to watched each others' recordings. Learners will be surveyed at the end of the term to find out the degree to which they perceived these self-reflection practices to help them with their learning. It is anticipated that learners will recognize at least some of the benefits of having reflected regularly.
Poster Presentation shared at the 2023 JALT National Conference in Tsukuba, Japan
Poster Presentation shared at the 2023 JALT PanSIG Conference in Kyoto, Japan
Poster Presentation shared at the 2022 JALT International Conference in Fukuoka, Japan
JALT CCLT (Creating Community Learning Together) 6 - JALT Learners SIG Conference, December 20, 20210, 2020
This group presentation outlines a CLIL course originally taught to students unable to study abro... more This group presentation outlines a CLIL course originally taught to students unable to study abroad in their fourth semester at university (which applies to all students in 2020!). The instructor will explain the course, including its rationale and methodology, and outline what technology has been applied in case of a return to Zoom classes (fall courses have been conducted on campus so far). Student co-presenters will share their views on how the course is helping them to become more self-directed learners. They may discuss how the course is prompting them to develop their own language, presentation, and critical thinking skills, as well as how it is broadening their knowledge base.
Ice breakers are simple activities that allow students and teachers to get to know each other and... more Ice breakers are simple activities that allow students and teachers to get to know each other and feel at ease, which is essential for subsequent learning to take place. Icebreaker activities are also energizing and motivating, and tend to be short, fun, and often require little to no preparation or organization. Virtual classes can create an additional layer of stress for some learners, but thankfully there are ways of breaking the ice online as well. Many of these activities are not limited to the first class, as feeling comfortable with strangers does not happen quickly for most, whether virtual or face to face. During the first part of this session, participants will watch a YouTube video outlining several ice-breakers created or adapted for classes using videotelephony software such as Zoom. In the second part, participants will try one or more of the suggested activities. Time permitting, participants will share their own ideas. Hopefully, they will take away a few ideas for their own English language classes.
Online resources for ESL/EFL learners are getting better and better. This is good, since so many ... more Online resources for ESL/EFL learners are getting better and better. This is good, since so many educators and learners have been hurled out into digital spaces since COVID-19 began to disrupt lives globally this year. Students are now in a situation where they may be forced to take more responsibility for their own learning, and thankfully, this is increasingly easier for them to do. Among the many areas English language learners can focus their energies when studying on their own, perhaps reading is the most impactful. This session consists of a video (geared at learners) sharing 10 + free online resources for students to make use of for their own reading practice. Many of these resources are especially useful if instructors set up teacher accounts as well. After the video, participants will share their impressions of the resources, share their own, if any, and discuss ways they can evaluate any other reading resources they may find before recommending them for adoption by their own students and possibly for official coursework as well.
Presented at the English Language Teaching Seminar (英語教育セミナー) event hosted by MEI for JHS and SHS... more Presented at the English Language Teaching Seminar (英語教育セミナー) event hosted by MEI for JHS and SHS instructors for active learning at the Kiten building conference center (near Miyazaki Station), 11/29/19.
Teachers Helping Teachers presentation in Kyrgyzstan, Sept, 2019 CLIL (Content and Integrated La... more Teachers Helping Teachers presentation in Kyrgyzstan, Sept, 2019
CLIL (Content and Integrated Language Learning) is a form of instruction that attempts to emphasize both English language and content to non-native English speakers. It serves as the model of instruction for many courses taught in the liberal arts program of a small college in southern Japan, where the presenter is employed. This presentation explained CLIL through comparison with its cousins: EMI (English Medium Instruction) and CBI (Content Based Instruction). Some of the benefits of the CLIL model will be outlined. An overview of a 15-week freshman political science course meeting twice per week was presented in order to exemplify what a team-taught CLIL course might look like. Participants received a multiple-lesson plan and student materials for one of this course’s 10+ readings to see the how content and language can be integrated, and provided ideas to teachers interested in this instructional model.
SQ4R is a reading comprehension method named for its steps: survey, question, read, record, recit... more SQ4R is a reading comprehension method named for its steps: survey, question, read, record, recite, and review. The first version of the method was introduced by American education philosopher Francis P. Robinson in his 1946 book Effective Study, and has been expanded upon, altered, and adapted for different purposes by other scholars and practitioners over the years. The strategy is particularly effective for L1 students who have difficulty learning when reading, and for L2 learners in CBI (Content Based Instruction) or CLIL (Content and Integrated Language Learning) settings. This presentation explained the steps of SQ4R and the method’s benefits and drawbacks. Participants were challenged to try the method themselves. They were encouraged to reflect on how SQ4R relates to the way they currently teach reading, and how they could teach the system to their own students.
a special event presentation for the Miyazaki International Foundation in Japanese about diversit... more a special event presentation for the Miyazaki International Foundation in Japanese about diversity in Canada
Timed writing (TW) can take place along a spectrum from simple free-writing or brainstorming sess... more Timed writing (TW) can take place along a spectrum from simple free-writing or brainstorming sessions on simple topics in short time frames all the way to structured, argumentative essays on challenging topics over longer amounts of time. TW can provide a gauge of writing ability and therefore can serve as an assessment tool. TW instruction and its implementation hold an important place in the foreign language classroom many reasons. The most prevalent rationale for TW is to foster writing fluency, but TW can also result in improvements in the accuracy and content quality of student writing as well as in learner confidence. Additionally, in content-based instruction (CBI) or content and language integrated learning (CLIL) environments, it can be an effective tool to help students more fully digest and understand content. This study employs freshman EFL writing courses in Japan divided into three streamed classes. Writing teachers have TW activities on predetermined topics covering themes from a parallel reading course over a semester. When using word count as a measuring tool, it is hoped that significant gains in writing fluency will be made. Students will be surveyed using a questionnaire to determine their perceptions of any gains made in writing fluency, vocabulary use, and content comprehension. Some suggestions for implementing TW into an EFL, CLIL, or CBI curriculum may also be offered.
Keynote presentation for JET Programme Skills Development Conference 2018 "CLAIR and the three... more Keynote presentation for JET Programme Skills Development Conference 2018
"CLAIR and the three Japanese ministries involved in the administration of the JET Programme, in addition to local authorities throughout Japan, sponsor and host a variety of conferences and seminars for JET participants each year.. Through this conference and others, CLAIR and the three ministries aim to give JET participants the opportunity to build on their work skills and become better, more effective and successful JET participants." (http://jetprogramme.org/en/conferences/)
ISSOTL17 Conference
In 2014, The Japanese Ministry of Education awarded a five-year grant to Miyazaki International C... more In 2014, The Japanese Ministry of Education awarded a five-year grant to Miyazaki International College (MIC) to explore and clarify “best practices” in active learning teaching strategies (ALTSs) at MIC. In so far as the use of ALTSs helps students to develop critical thinking skills, the ministry is invested and committed to promoting active learning methodologies in university classrooms throughout Japan. As one of the first English-medium, liberal arts colleges founded in Japan, and as one that has stressed since its founding the development of critical thinking skills and active learning methodologies, MIC was thought to be an ideal institution for research into active learning and critical thinking skills. Following through on the objectives outlined by the grant, the college’s Active Learning Working Group (ALWG) compiled and defined a list of over thirty Active Learning Teaching Strategies (ALTSs) used at the school. These strategies are essentially the teaching techniques that instructors employ in their classes to engage students in the learning process, encouraging them actively interact with the materials, the instructor, and each other and employ various levels of critical thinking. The list was compiled by researching strategies used at several American universities and through class observations and interviews with teaching faculty at MIC. The ALWG decided to organize the strategies in a logical fashion in hopes of determining how the AL strategies differ from each other, and how much of what kinds of activities are currently being employed at MIC. The group’s efforts resulted in a categorization heuristic that may be of use to other institutions wishing to clarify their educators’ preferred practices for ALTSs. This poster presentation includes a visual of the MIC ALWG matrix (heuristic) and an explanation into how it was developed and what significance it holds. The group’s compilation of ALTSs will also be made available to those interested.
JALTCALL2017 Conference
Read Theory (readtheory.org) is a free, online reading practice platform that supplies students w... more Read Theory (readtheory.org) is a free, online reading practice platform that supplies students with an extensive library of passages catered to individual levels. Learners are assessed on comprehension through a series of multiple choice questions and optional written responses. The system uses algorithms and Lexile (lexile.com) level information to initially place students in the initial reading level assessment and in subsequent reading practices. The questions are designed to improve critical thinking ability as well as an understanding of scope, structure, intention, memory, and vocabulary. Readers move up (or down) in level as they work through Read Theory and detailed answers and explanations after completion of a section are available. Teachers can create class accounts to manage student activity and allow them to view extensive reports giving insights into students’ levels and progress. Although the platform is designed for American K12 readers, adhering to national benchmarks and specified by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the system was piloted for two freshmen EFL reading courses in a Japanese university over two semesters. As the structure of typical Read Theory sessions resembles that of the university’s final exams for reading courses, it was hoped that the system would provide an opportunity to familiarize students with the exam format in addition to improving their reading skills and providing them with a tool for future self-directed learning. Questionnaires addressing student perceptions were completed at the end of each semester, and student progress in the system was analyzed. Results are presented in this poster presentation.
This handout provides more details of the MIC active learning categorization heuristic.
As part of its project with MEXT’s Acceleration Program (AP) Grant, the Miyazaki International Co... more As part of its project with MEXT’s Acceleration Program (AP) Grant, the Miyazaki International College Active Learning Working Group (MIC ALWG) compiled and defined a list of over 30 of what we have come to term Active Learning Teaching Strategies. (ALTSs). These strategies are essentially the teaching techniques that instructors employ in their classes to engage students in the learning process, encouraging them actively interact with the materials, the instructor, and each other and employ various levels of critical thinking. The list was compiled by researching strategies used at several American universities and through class observations and interviews with teaching faculty at MIC. The ALWG decided to organized the strategies in a logical fashion in hopes of determining how the AL strategies differ from each other, and how much of what kinds of activities are currently being employed at MIC. The group’s efforts resulted in a categorization heuristic that may be of use to other institutions wishing to clarify their educators’ preferred practices for AL teaching techniques. This poster presented includes a visual of the MIC ALWG’s “matrix” and the group’s compilation of ALTS’s will be made available to those interested.
A man lives on the seventeenth floor of an apartment building. Every morning he takes the lift do... more A man lives on the seventeenth floor of an apartment building. Every morning he takes the lift down to the ground. In the evening he goes into the lift and if it is raining he goes directly back to the seventeenth floor. Otherwise he goes to the tenth floor and climbs up several flights of stairs. Why?
Presented at THT Kyrgyzstan, Sept., 2016. Lateral thinking refers to solving problems through i... more Presented at THT Kyrgyzstan, Sept., 2016.
Lateral thinking refers to solving problems through indirect and creative analysis, requiring non-traditional reasoning that is not immediately obvious. Lateral thinking puzzles (sometimes known as situational puzzles or yes/no puzzles) and similarly structured whodunit mysteries are worth consideration for incorporation into EFL classes because they are fun, challenging, and engaging. They also foster creative, “outside of the box” thinking in addition to offering natural opportunities to communicate in the learner’s L2. In small groups, participants in this workshop will work on solving a few of these types of puzzles as recommended for use in communicative English classes. Suggesting resources for lateral thinking puzzles and mysteries will be shared.
Note that the attached PPT files does not view well on academia.edu, but downloads appear to be fine.
NOTE: I teach the phrases in this handout to 1 st year Japanese university students over the cour... more NOTE: I teach the phrases in this handout to 1 st year Japanese university students over the course of a full year of 90 hours of class time; I have consolidated them for your reference.