PART 1:

UNLEASHING LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ SUPERPOWER

EXTRACTING THE JUICE

CYNTHIA C. JAMES 8 OCT 2013

Language teachers have a superpower.

Do you agree?

IMAGINE…You’re teaching in a school on a very remote island.

No text book.No electricity.

Very limited resources.

No computer. No workbook.

You search through your box of materials and find…

Your challenge: Turn these into language learning materials.

Use your superpower.

LANGUAGE TEACHER

CREATIVITY – your greatest superpower.

What is creativity?

Creativity is…an “imaginative process with outcomes that are original and of value.”

(Sir Ken Robinson, 2006).

Creativity is…a

“mental activity performed in situations where

there is no prior correct solution or answer.”

 (Encyclopedia of Creativity, vol.

2, ‘Teaching Creativity’).

Teaching creatively

Teaching for creativity

Teaching creatively teachers use their own creative skills to

make ideas and content more interesting. Some of the great teachers we know are the most creative teachers because they

find a way of connecting what they're teaching to student interests.

~ Sir Ken Robinson

Teaching for creativity the pedagogy is designed to encourage

other people to think creatively. You encourage kids to experiment, to innovate, not

giving them all the answers but giving them the tools they need to find out what the

answers might be or to explore new avenues.

~ Sir Ken Robinson

“…all kids have tremendous

talents and we squander them,

pretty ruthlessly.”

(Sir Ken Robinson, 2006)

“My contention is that creativity now is as

important in education as literacy, and we

should treat it with the same status.”

(Sir Ken Robinson, 2006)

Creativity in 21st Century Education

“Creativity, ingenuity, and innovation are the keys to success in the evolving global

economy.”

(Henderson, 2008)

“I call the age we are entering the creative age because the key factor propelling

us forward is the rise of creativity as the primary mover of our economy.”

Richard Florida, The Flight of the Creative Class

but…

What about exam?

CREATIVITY

The clock is ticking…

CREATIVITY

Expectation is high…

CREATIVITY

stress

workload

responsibility

risks

pressure

CREATIVITY?

CREATIVITY?

CREATIVITY?

exam versus creativity?

exam and creativity?

Can we bridge the gap…

between…

…standardised testing…

…fun learning?

between…

…learning for exam…

…learning for life?

between…

…exam drills…

…communicative language activities?

between…

…exam performance…

…learning experience?

between… …examination…

…creativity?

&

If you can turn these into language learning materials…

…imagine what you can do with these!

You have a superpower.

Extract the language.

Squeeze out the fun.

Let the creative juice flow…

Throw a party!

IDCA Model

ID

CA

nspiration

efinition

reativity

cquisition

James, C.C (2013)

Inspiration

What inspires you?

What inspires your students?

Personality

Interests

Aptitudes Style

Ability

DefinitionWhat language area/s does

the exam item test?

What skill/s do you want to your students to focus on?

Content

SkillsIssues

CreativityHow do you tackle the

issues / problems?

How do you make it interesting?

Pedagogy

Materials

Psychology

Acquisition

Does learning occur? Why?

Do you manage to solve the problem? What can you do to improve?

Assessment

Analysis

Reflection

The best teachers…are the ones who are able to think outside the

box and put themselves in the

mind-set of the children they

teach.

Ron Clark

“The teacher who is indeed wise

does not bid you to enter the house of

his wisdom but rather leads you to

the threshold of your mind.”

Kahlil Gibran

“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.”

Robert Frost

Cynthia C. James (2013)‘Beyond Chalk & Talk’

http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com

Stay tuned for Part 2