Beyond the commercial textbook: your own is better Lawrie Hunter Kochi University of Technology ...

Beyond the commercial textbook:your own is better

Lawrie HunterKochi University of Technologyhttp://www.core.kochi-tech.ac.jp/hunter/lawrie_hunter@kochi-tech.ac.jp

East Shikoku ChapterKickoff Meeting

Beyond the Commercial Textbook: Your Own is Better

Thanks to the great developmentsin personal computing in the past decade,

it is now possible for every self-defined instructor to author print language learning materials which are at least as good as those available commercially.

As well, after a relatively short learning period, one can develop a very comfortable level of skill and efficiency in composition and in computer use.

Beyond the Commercial Textbook: Your Own is Better

Thanks to the great developmentsin personal computing in the past decade,

it is now possible for every self-defined instructor to author print language learning materials which are at least as good as those available commercially.

As well, after a relatively short learning period, one can develop a very comfortable level of skill and efficiency in composition and in computer use.

Beyond the Commercial Textbook: Your Own is Better

Thanks to the great developmentsin personal computing in the past decade,

it is now possible for every self-defined instructor to author print language learning materials which are at least as good as those available commercially.

As well, after a relatively short learning period, one can develop a very comfortable level of skill and efficiency in composition and in computer use.

Defining yourself: methodology/cognitive view/teacher as learner

Defining your target (instructors/students)

Framing your content (you do need content)

Anchoring in theory

Choosing authoring software

From the start, don't plagiarize

Graphic/text balance

Testing new materials (instructor and learner feedback)

Textbook vs. prints

CALL authoring/paper prototyping

Peripherals: teacher's guide/vocabulary journals

Defining yourself II: web presence/conferences

When to publish commercially

Defining yourself: methodology/cognitive view/teacher as learner

Defining yourself: methodology/cognitive view/teacher as learner

What L2 is

Language as paint on realityLanguage as constructedLanguage as passively acquired

Defining yourself: methodology/cognitive view/teacher as learner

What L2 is

Language as paint on realityLanguage as constructedLanguage as passively acquired

What L2 learning is

Language as passively acquiredConstructivistConstructionist

Task as processingProcessing

Defining yourself: methodology/cognitive view/teacher as learner

What you do

ModellingEngagingChallengingClarifyingFraming

What L2 is

Language as paint on realityLanguage as constructedLanguage as passively acquired

What L2 learning is

Language as passively acquiredConstructivistConstructionist

Task as processingProcessing

Defining yourself: methodology/cognitive view/teacher as learner

Your image

PerformerVentriloquistConductorRabblerouserTaskmasterGood exampleMemorable nutPalNagging motherBeat TakeshiTantalusMonolingual idiotCultural emperor

What you do

ModellingEngagingChallengingClarifyingFraming

What L2 is

Language as paint on realityLanguage as constructedLanguage as passively acquired

What L2 learning is

Language as passively acquiredConstructivistConstructionist

Task as processingProcessing

Task design (interface design):

LEARNERlanguage info

Task design (interface design):

LEARNERinfo

LEARNER

language

language info

Defining your target (instructors/students)

Students

BackgroundLearning stylesGoalsSocietal demand on SsInstitutional demand

Defining your target (instructors/students)

Students

BackgroundLearning stylesGoalsSocietal demand on SsInstitutional demand

Instructors

Just yourself (MY TEACHING)You and your colleaguesAll of JapanThe world

Framing your content (you do need content)

Lexical content

VocabPhrasesGenresDomains (ESP?)

Pragmatics content

Target functionsRegisters

Framing your content (you do need content)

Critical ThinkingAsahi Press 20012nd year textbook6 units (6 genres)

in 2 quarters

At KUT, we have built our curriculumaround these genres (a.k.a. text types):

DescriptionClassificationComparisonSequenceCause-effect + inferencePro-con -a composite genre

hunter’stools

GENRES REGISTERS MOVES

KUT’s genres

Critical ThinkingAsahi Press 20012nd year textbook6 units (6 genres)

in 2 quarters

The learning process used in this book

Each of the 6 units in this book follows the same teaching/learning pattern:

INPUT: the learners are exposed to the target vocabulary and phrases required for expression of the ideas which are basic to the genre in the unit. For input, the learners listen to explanations of the genre by the teacher, practice speaking and listening to sentences from the genre, and read various explanations of the genres language and language structure

USAGE PRACTICE: in each unit there are a succession of activities and tasks which allow the learner to practice using the language required for the genre. It is important to emphasize to the learners that the activities and exercises are necessary to prepare the students for the final large task at the end of each unit. The activities and tasks may be performed in several different modes: for example, as in-class activities (individual or group) or as written homework. This flexibility is important for the teacher, allowing for a variety of timings and paces.

AUTHENTIC TASK: the tasks at the end of the units are designed to be non-linguistic tasks, based in the real world. In some chapters the learners are asked to arrange information in certain structures; in other chapters the learners are asked to solve real-world type problems. These tasks may be done individually or in groups of 2, 3 or 4 learners.

EXPRESSION: the language aspect of the authentic tasks lies in the expression of the product of the task. In this book the tasks are written tasks, but they may also be done as pair or group presentations. The presentation approach is explained in detail in the teacher's guide.

hunter’stools

GENRES REGISTERS MOVES

KUT’s genres

Critical ThinkingAsahi Press 20012nd year textbook6 units (6 genres)

in 2 quarters

The learning process used in this bookEach of the 6 units in this book follows the same teaching/learning pattern:

hunter’stools

GENRES REGISTERS MOVES

INPUT

USAGE PRACTICE

AUTHENTIC TASK

EXPRESSION

KUT’s genres

Critical ThinkingAsahi Press 20012nd year textbook6 units (6 genres)

in 2 quarters

hunter’stools

GENRES REGISTERS MOVES

Thinking in EnglishKUT Press 2nd ed. 2005A mapping workbook,

companion to CT6 units (6 genres)

Extends CT to 4 quarters

Anchoring in theory

Learning theory

KrashenLongEllisNationStevickRinvolucri

Cognitive theory

BehavioristLacanianVygotskianSituated cognitionConceptual blending

Learn about things like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/

E.g. Wikipedia on “situated cognition”:

William J. Clancey Situated Cognition (1994) (ISBN 0521448719)

Brown, J.S., Collins, A. & Duguid, S. (1989). 'Situated cognition and the culture of learning.' http://www.exploratorium.edu/IFI/resources/museumeducation/situated.html

Hutchins, E., (1995). Cognition in the wild. MIT Press ISBN 0-26258146-9

Hunter’s genres stem fromMohan's (1986) knowledge structures

Classification Principle Evaluation

Description Process Choice

Classification Principle Evaluation

Description Process Choice

<good

Hunter’s infomaps stem fromMohan's (1986) knowledge structures

Hunter’s infomap links

<big

Description Classification

Degreecomparison

Attributecomparison

Sequence Cause-effect

Is this a task?

1. Read a paragaraph No.

2. Read a paragraph and speak it out loud Yes, weak processing.

3. Read a paragraph and copy it longhand Yes, stronger processing than 2.

4. Listen to spoken English No.

5. Listen to spoken English and repeat it Yes, weak processing.

6. Listen to spoken English and write the verbs Yes, stronger processing than 5.

7. Read an equation and find the value of x. Yes.

8. Read a problem, make it into an equation, and find the value of x.Yes, stronger than 7.

9. Watch a video. No.

10. Watch a video and repeat one character's speech. Yes.

11. Watch a video and write down all the locations. Yes.

12. Memorize a list of the halogens, Cl, Br... Yes, weak processing.

13. Draw a set of atomic models for the halogens Yes, stronger than 12.

Creating tasks

Creating tasks

Choosing authoring software

Mac WindozeWord processing

M$ WordAppleworksOpen OfficePages

MS WordOpen Office

Spreadsheet ExcelAppleworksOpen Office

ExcelOpen Office

Graphics PainterCorelDrawIllustratorPhotoshopPowerPoint

PainterCorelDrawIllustratorPhotoshopPowerPoint

Photos Graphic ConverterPhotoshopiPhoto

Photoshop

Page making IllustratorPages

Illustrator

Killer layout Pagemaker Pagemaker

Presentation PowerPointKeynote

PowerPoint

Choosing authoring software

Cross platform

Usable tools

Shareable files -mailable-are PDFs good?

From the start, don't plagiarize

Copyright?

ISBNs

Creative commons

Get on with it

Graphic/text balance

Have a rule for G/T balance

Change the rule as you go

Watch your learners use your stuff

Be a learner

Testing new materials (instructor and learner feedback)

Observe T/L in action

Video in the back of the room

Listen first, ask later

Give teachers choice: choice speaks loud

Testing new materials (instructor and learner feedback)

Observe T/L in action

Video in the back of the room

Listen first, ask later

Give teachers choice: choice speaks loud

Textbook vs. prints

Textbooks are tidy

But they need annual revision

They DO provide stimulus to GET DONE

ISBNs are good for you

CALL authoring/paper prototyping

Paper is beautiful and quiet:

-just the instructor and the learner and a piece of paper

CALL is much harder to observe (larger T-L distance)

Peripherals: teacher's guide/lexical journals

Keep detailed lesson notes (detailed!)

Write your TG for whom?

Develop a layout for student lexical journals

Defining yourself II: web presence/conferences

Google yourself, your topics

The world will find you if

Persuading reveals your weaknesses (I never thought of that)

Give away your powerpoints

Shelter your creations: ISBNs/Creative Commons

http://jalt.org/groups/Materials_Writers

A good place to start:

When to publish commercially

Introductions to publishers

Local press vs. international

Time lag: editing and trialling

http://www.core.kochi-tech.ac.jp/hunter/(or Google: lawrie hunter kochi)

lawrie_hunter@kochi-tech.ac.jp

Presentationslides/ppts

CV

Furtherblather:

{Thank you for your

retention.