Tag: pedagogy

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Project Prospectus

Approaches to teaching through short stories

Context               

In the English classroom, some works (and genres) of literature are treated as worthy of study simply for their own sake and for their socio-cultural importance, such as Romeo and Juliet, but very few short stories are considered so iconic.  Of the four genres mandatorily taught at the secondary level—short stories, novels, poetry, and drama (Shakespeare)—short stories are perhaps the most superficially accessible to students, and therein lies the danger of limiting the learning outcome to superficial understandings of individual texts.  This is unfortunate, as the structure of the genre has great potential for developing critical thinking, literacy and literary skills that are widely applicable both to other subjects and to real-life situations.

Research Question

For this reason, I believe it is valuable for the English teacher to consider which approaches (classroom and lesson structures) are most conducive to pushing past a superficial level of understanding and using the texts themselves as opportunities to learn and apply critical thinking and literacy skills.  For this independent inquiry project, I intend to explore the range of approaches to teaching short stories, both traditional and contemporary, that have been used to foster the development of specific skills, paying specific attention to which skills are favored by each particular approach.  As a secondary consideration, I would also like to explore how different approaches address the issue of having a wide range of skill, ability and interest across the student population, as well as how those approaches are able to make students’ internal thought processes accessible to the teacher.

Research Approach

The approach that I have taken for this inquiry project involves researching academic publications on the topic of pedagogical approaches to the short story, identifying at least three unique approaches to teaching the short story and the skills they aim to develop, and comparing these approaches to uncover how and why they lend themselves to fostering specific skills.  This information will then be experimented with during my long practicum with the goal of uncovering which techniques best address the needs of my classroom and are the most practical, given my own individual teaching style.

Expected Conclusions

I anticipate finding a range of approaches that focus on developing literary (reading and analysis) skills, as well as awareness of important social and historical considerations.  While these are valuable, I also hope to find some approaches that focus on the development of writing skills, language skills—specifically for EL learners—and information literacy.

Preliminary bibliography

Brier, D. J., & Lebbin, V. K. (2004). Teaching information literacy using the short story. Reference services review, 32(4), 383-387.

Duke, C. R. (1974). Teaching the Short Story. The English Journal, 63(6), 62-67.

Freeman, B. (1955). Teaching Short Stories. English Journal, 284-307.

Peltzie, B. E. (1966). Teaching Meaning Through Structure in the Short Story. English Journal, 703-719.

Potter, R., & Dale, J. (1948). A technique of teaching short-story writing. English Journal, 248-252.

Kallan, R. A. (2000). Teaching Journalistic Cogency with 55-Word Short Stories. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 55(3), 81-88.

Yan, K. (2006). An Approach To Teaching Short Stories. International Journal of Business and Management, 1.

Adhikari, B. Teaching short stories in the language classroom.  Journal of NELTA, 11(1).

Carrell, P. L. (1985). Facilitating ESL reading by teaching text structure.TESOL quarterly, 19(4), 727-752.

Neupane, M. (2010).  Teaching short stories with a difference.  Journal of NELTA, 12(1).

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Project Prospectus

To Kill a Mockingbird: Relevance and Pedagogy

* Please see updated Prospectus in the comment section below.

This project will focus on how one can make the novel To Kill a Mockingbird interesting and relevant to my students through the use of other forms of literature.

The main question here is whether using outside forms of literature will assist students in their understanding of the novel and if it will benefit their overall appreciation of the main themes in TKAM. This inquiry question is based on the concern that students will struggle to see the importance of past literature in their present day lives.

Steps

1. The unit will begin by exploring the abolishment of slavery and the “unknown” result that people were afraid of. For  this step students will explore literature on current movements that induce this same “fear of the unknown.”

  • This step will help in judging whether making these connection between the past and the present help students to relate their own lives to the lives of those in the past

2.  In this step the students will be looking at the civil rights movement and its role in the novel. Poetry and other forms of literature with the same theme, (i.e. – “I know why the caged bird sings”, “We Wear the Mask”, “Sympathy”, MLK).

  • This step will assist in the ability to assess the usefulness of poetry in regards to expanding the understanding of the main themes in TKAM.
    • Will the students be able to make connections between the different pieces?
    • Will the novel aid in the understanding of the given poems, and vice versa?

3. Finally students will create their own literature based on their feelings towards both to novel as well as the other literature we have looked at.

  • Through this step it can be determined whether students are able to make personal connections to the literature

 

Preliminary Bibliography

Best, Rebecca H. “Panopticism and the use of “the Other” in to Kill a Mockingbird.” Mississippi Quarterly 62.3 (2009): 541-52. Print.

Jolley, Susan Arpajian. “Integrating Poetry and “to Kill a Mockingbird”.” The English Journal 92.2, Multigenre Teaching (2002): 34-40. Print.

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Project Prospectus

To Kill a Mockingbird: Criticism and Pedagogy

Ilana Finkleman

January 3 / 2013

Inquiry Seminar: Proposal

For my inquiry project, I plan to investigate literary criticism and pedagogy around Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I will be teaching this novel to a class of 9/10s at my practicum school. They are an accelerated class and meet every day which gives me the opportunity to dig deeply into issues exposed in the novel.

The novel is rich with history and issues of morality that are very relevant to students’ experiences in contemporary Canada. Of particular interest to me is the notion of striated societies and how certain characters in the novel push past the boundaries that align and keep small-town society and ideology in line and functioning according to the status quo. Rebecca H. Best discusses the importance of boundaries and adhering to the strict patterns laid out by society in her article on Mockingbird. According to Best, Mockingbird demonstrates the structure of a society that is deeply regulated by the way people are expected to behave and act. Anyone who is outside this strict regiment is attacked or attemptively forced back into the mould that holds fast to the status quo; Best offers that society acts as its own Panopticon (Foucault’s term from Discipline and Punish) or watchdog of sorts and keeps itself in check. Certain characters in Mockingbird also exist outside the rule-bound and kept in-check operation of society in the novel – these characters are considered insane by the other characters – this being the only mechanism to which they can act outside the highly regimented social code that structures society in Maycomb (ex. Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond). Such a theory on societal structure is translatable and potentially relevant to students’ own understanding of their own daily activity in microcosmic friend groups, their personal belief systems, or life in Vancouver/Canada, more generally. The importance of being a boundary-pusher and attempting to destabilize societal order in order to support what is morally the right thing to do is also a model students may be inspired by.

Also central to this novel are issues of prejudice and ideology. Understanding the effects of education, the historical context and mindset of the times, and the influence of the people you interact with on the way prejudice develops is also central to the novel and again applicable to students’ own experiences. I am awaiting the arrival of a book from the library which contextualizes the novel in the time it was written (the Civil Rights period) and also the time in which it took place (the Depression in the 30s). This book by Claudia Durst Johnson offers information about the trials of the Scottsboro boys – black boys accused of raping a black girl, and supposedly the story Lee based the trial of Tom Robinson on, the symbol of the pure and virginal white Southern woman and the threats posed to her purity, a history of lynching, etc. Having an awareness of the history that enrobes this historical fiction is necessary to breaking into its complexity. Also important is recognizing our own institutionalized prejudices and how these cloud the way we operate in our society.

Finally, pedagogical theory around this novel suggests utilizing role play – having students act out and decide on decisions around the difficult moral situations presented to characters in this novel as a tool for students to engage kinesthetically with the complex moral situations facing many of the characters who challenge the status quo. Also, paralleling and drawing connections between scenarios which challenge moral positioning from the novel with scenarios which are relevant to students’ current life experiences might be a useful angle of exploration of the moral complexities in the novel.

Works Consulted

Best, Rebecca H. “Panopticism and the Use of the Other in To Kill a Mockingbird.” Mississippi Quarterly 62.3 (2009): 541 – 560. Web.

Durst Johnson, Claudia. To Kill a Mockingbird: Threatening Boundaries.  New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1994. Print.

—.Understanding To Kill a Mockingbird: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historic Documents. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 1994. Print.

Gibbons, Louel C. To Kill a Mockingbird in the Classroom: Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes. Urbana: National Council of English Teachers, 2009. Print.

Peters, Mike. “Examining a Set Text – To Kill a Mockingbird Fifty Years on.” NATE CLASSROOM 12 (2010). 34. Web. Jan 4 2013.

Saney, Isaac. “The Case Against To Kill a Mockingbird.” Race & Class 45.1 (2003). 99-105. Web. Jan 4 2013.

Stiltner, Mitzi-Ann. “Don’t Put Your Shoes on the Bed: A Moral Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird.” MA Thesis, 2002. Web. Jan 4 2013.

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Project Prospectus

Anxiety in Foreign Language Classrooms

Gabriel Jones & Christina Lee

 

As future Japanese language teachers, a major concern of ours is the anxiety, especially in listening and speaking, felt by students in foreign language classrooms. This anxiety can hinder students from fully realizing their educational potential, because it affects their confidence, motivation, and emotional well-being.

From our initial research, we have identified three types of anxieties in the foreign language classroom: communication apprehension, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation (Horwitz et. al 127). In other words, students are hesitant and even embarrassed to communicate in the target language, fear  failure on tests, and dread being viewed negatively by peers and teachers. Although these feelings are present in all subject areas, the anxiety felt in foreign language classrooms are distinct because language learning essentially “threatens an individual’s self-concept and worldview” in the sense that students are essentially put in an unfamiliar space where they are not able to communicate freely (Horwitz et. al 125). Therefore, we want to conduct inquiry into greater understanding of the anxiety and its detriments, as well as possible strategies of alleviating such anxieties in the foreign language classroom.

In order to attain a deeper understanding of this issue, we intend to read a variety of scholarly articles pertaining to anxiety, natural teaching methods, and assessment in the foreign language classroom. We hope to make use of the research and identify potential roots of those anxieties, in order to create and foster a positive classroom environment that will help to lessen stress felt by students during our long practica. Our ultimate goal is to recognize students’ distress and collaboratively create ways of overcoming those obstacles in the foreign language classroom.

Works consulted:

Grenfell, Michael, and Vee Harris. Modern Languages and Learning Strategies: In Theory and Practice. New York: Routledge Falmer, 1999. Print.

Clark, Ann. “Boys into Modern Languages: An Investigation of the Discrepancy in Attitudes and Performance between Boys and Girls in Modern Languages.” Gender and Education 7.3 (1995): 315-26. Print.

Aida, Yukie. “Examination of Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope’s Construct of Foreign Language Anxiety: The Case of Students of Japanese.” The Modern Language Journal 78.2 (1994): 155-68. Print.

Bernhardt, Elizabeth, and Joann Hammadou. “A Decade of Research in Foreign Language Teacher Education.” The Modern Language Journal 71.3 (1987): 289-99. Print.

Terrell, T. D. “The Natural Approach to Language Teaching: An Update.” The Modern Language Journal 66.2 (1982): 121-32. Print.

Hendrickson, James M. “Error Correction in Foreign Language Teaching: Recent Theory, Research, and Practice.” The Modern Language Journal 62.8 (1978): 387-98. Print.

Horwitz, Elaine K., Michael B. Horwitz, and Joann Cope. “Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety.” The Modern Language Journal 70.2 (1986): 125-32. Print.

Sung-Yeon Kim. “Is Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Context Free Or Context Dependent?” Foreign Language Annals 43.2 (2010): 187-9. Print.

Sparks, Richard L., and Leonore Ganschow. “Is the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale Measuring Anxiety Or Language Skills?” Foreign Language Annals 40.2 (2007): 260-87. Print.

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Project Prospectus

Strategies and Methods for Teaching Holocaust Literature

In my upcoming practicum, I will be teaching Art Spiegleman’s graphic novel, Maus. Unlike many graphic novels which often focus on fantasy, Maus is a novel in which the author, Spiegleman, retells his father’s story as a Holocaust survivor. Given the delicate nature of the subject and the fact that it will be taught to a grade nine class with little prior knowledge of the Holocaust, it is of the utmost importance to teach the novel in a thoughtful and constructive manner. As such, my project aims to explore which methods and strategies are most effective for teaching the Holocaust so that students not only understand the social, political, and religious conditions which lead to the atrocity, but also the key themes of discrimination, survival, and family. (There are more themes, but for simplicity…) Additional issues that need to be explored include ways in which to present historical material: emotionally, or factually, as well as which supplementary materials to include.

In order to explore this issue, I intend to read and review a number of scholarly articles and book chapters which focus specifically on teaching Holocaust literature. Through this research I hope to create a theoretical and practical framework for a successful unit plan, which will include lesson examples to demonstrate the shift from theory to praxis. In all likelihood, the research will show that successful teaching of the Holocaust through literature requires incorporating additional first-person literary accounts, film, primary documents and artifacts, as well as survivor testimony, if available.

 

 

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Project Prospectus

Symposium on kinesthetic games, multimodality, and performance in English classrooms

Sarah Wu, Rita Shahi and Corinna Nettleton

How to most effectively incooperate multi-modal activities in order to aid teaching and student learning of complex literary text. Motivating students in the English classroom is a challenge for every teacher, therefore, finding fresh and relevant approaches for engaging students with course content is key.

Sarah Wu: Kinesthetic games and activities for comprehension and engagement

My inquiry project will be focused on how to use kinesthetic games and activities to help students comprehend and engage with content materials, especially in EAL classes. I am interested in how specific aspects of kinesthetic activities aid students’ motivation and learning in the classroom. I designed this inquiry topic because I plan to use many active games in all of my classes during my long practicum. I understand that games can create a high energy and engaging environment for students, but I would like to research on the specific aspects of kinesthetic games that contribute to the overall effectiveness of students’ understanding and learning of content materials. As EAL is my major teachable area, I will focus my research around this area of study. Through this project, I also hope to gather more resources of kinesthetic activities to experiment in my upcoming practicum

Rita Shahi: Multimodality in non-mainstream English classrooms

The focus of my inquiry project is to explore the idea of using multimodal activities, specifically digitally and kinesthetically related, for the purposes of engaging students and developing student interest in learning curriculum content in a non-mainstream English classroom (such as an ESL/EAL or Communications course). The approach I hope to take will look at a variety of research articles pertaining to the topic of multimodal learning, including studies and practical applications of activities in classrooms. What kinds of activities best “hook” students into the text, help develop interest and invite them to interact with it? Some material will consist of resources and activities that can be used in an English classroom and can aid in teaching literature (plays) and engaging students for continuous learning.

Corinna Nettleton: Multimodality for enrichment and effectiveness in teaching Shakespeare

My inquiry will focus on incorporating multi-modalities specifically for the enrichment and effectiveness of teaching Shakespeare to ELL students. Various strategies which are specific to teaching ELL will be explored and implemented in order to aid comprehension of this unique form of English and its use in the English classroom. The issue of whether to use modified text or not will be explored. Transitional ELL learners require skills to aid them in comprehension of such texts which they will interact with once they have entered mainstream English and through incorporating multi-modal techniques Shakespeare may be made more accessible to ELL (visuals, drama, prereading, etc.). In teaching a dramatic text, not only should teachers incorporate dramatic teaching strategies but other modalities which can encourage various kinds of learners to excel in their areas of ability and interest. Unique challenges of teaching specific text of Shakespeare to ELL learners will also be addressed.

Bibliography of articles we wish to consult:

Ajayi, L. (2009). English as a second language learners’ exploration of multimodal texts in a junior high school. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(7), 585-595.

Albers, P. (2006). Imagining the possibilities in multimodal curriculum design. English Education 38(2). 75-101.

[Multimodal inquiry as a framework: english teachers and students must be able to interpret and represent meanings across different modes (film, plays, art, music, photography). These modes encourage students to think alternatively about literature and how it connects to the world around them. If multiple modes are incorporated, it gives students the potential to make different meanings and representations. Each mode also contributes something different to the interpretation and representation of the text and affects its overall message. When students explore multimodal representations, they learn actively, have interest in the topic, and express meaning in different modes of representation. 

Albers suggests that when designing curriculum, important questions to consider are: which essential questions will guide the study, how the text or theme will be introduced, how will you tap into what your students already know and build on previous knowledge, and how will you integrate multiple modes to “maximize student involvement and understanding?.” 

Albers also recommends Focused Study, which involves initiating engagements, demonstrations, text and literature study, invitations to inquiry, opportunities for learning and sharing, and reflective action plans.]

Auster, E. R., & Wylie, K. K. (2006). Creating active learning in the classroom: A systematic approach. Journal of Management Education, 30(2), 333-353.

Benson, S. (2008). A Restart of what language arts is: bringing multimodal assignments into secondary language arts. Journal of Advanced Academics, 29(4), 634-674. DOI: 10.4219/jaa-2008-828

Cruickshank, D. R., & Telfer, R. (1980). Classroom games and simulations.Theory into practice, 19(1), 75-80.

Culham, C. R. (2002). Coping with obstacles in drama-based ESL teaching: A nonverbal approach. Body and language: Intercultural learning through drama, 95-112.

Early, M. & Marshall, S. (2008). Adolescent ESL Students’ Interpretation and Appreciation of Literary Texts: A Case Study of Multimodality. Canadian modern language review. Volume 64, Issue 3. p. 377-395.

  • [A case study is used to illustrate the effectiveness of using multimodal activities in the ESL classroom in order to foster deeper understanding and appreciation for literature (short story specifically). Students ‘transmediate’ oral to visual within groups by making a visual representation of a short story interpretation. Meaning is shared and negotiated. Use of L1 is permitted to some extent and collaborative group work keeps students motivated and allow them to explore different perspectives and inspires more thoughtful reading (and rereading) of the text. Freedom to create is given with specific guiding criteria for the finished project. Reflections from the students and teacher on the final product were very positive. Corinna]

Folger Shakespeare Library. (n.d.). Shakespeare for ELL and ESL Students. Retrieved from

http://www.folger.edu/Content/Teach-and-Learn/Teaching-Resources/For-English-Language-Learners/

  • [Resources include lesson plans and activities for ELL using Shakespeare plays easily adaptable to whichever play one is working with. Practical advice for the unique challenges faced when teaching ELL and advocation of use of multimodal approach. Corinna]

Gardner, Howard. (1999). Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Intelligence reframed: multiple intelligences for the 21st century. p. 135-155.

  • [This chapter of Gardner’s book covers some of the difficulties and misunderstanding surrounding how to incorporate MI theory in the classroom. He addresses some misconceptions and also suggests some ways of approaching MI learning in curriculum design. Much of the information on tips for implementation is focused on changing a whole school to MI format, but there are several tips which are applicable within the classroom. Corinna]

Garris, R., Ahlers, R., & Driskell, J. E. (2002).
Games, motivation, and learning: A research and practice model. Simulation & gaming, 33(4), 441-467.

Godwin-Jones, R. (2005). Emerging technologies: Messaging, gaming, peer-to-peer sharing: Language learning strategies & tools for the millennial generation.Language, Learning & Technology, 9(1), 17-23.

Gaudart, H. (1999). Games as teaching tools for teaching English to speakers of other languages. Simulation & Gaming, 30(3), 283-291.

Haddon, J. (2009). Teaching Reading Shakespeare. Taylor & Francis Group. NY.

  • [Haddon gives in-depth detail on strategies for teaching Shakespeare in high school including how to approach understanding early modern English. Very comprehensive but little focus on incorporating multimodal approach. Mostly focused on practical application. Corinna]

Hill, Jane D., and Kathleen M. Flynn. Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners. Alexandria: ASCD, 2006. Print. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ubc/docDetail.action?docID=10141226

  • List of various effect strategies for teaching EL learners

June Straughan. (Dec., 1996). Romeo and Juliet” and the ESL Classroom. The English Journal. Vol. 85, No. 8 (Dec., 1996), pp. 52-54. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/820042

Moreno, R. & Mayer, R. (2007). Interactive multimodal learning environments. Educational Psychology Review, 19(3). 309-326.

[Questions addressed:

  • what are interactive multimodal learning environments?
  • how do students learn from them?
  • how can they be implemented?
  • directions for further research?

The article describes multimodal learning environments as the use of verbal and non verbal modes of representing content knowledge. The purpose is to enhance student understanding of concepts. Interactive multimodal learning is dependent on the actions of the learner who navigates, searches, converses with, and manipulates the content. Multimodal learning is synonymous with viewing learning as knowledge construction rather than simply information acquisition. Building mental representations involves selecting, organizing, and integrating new information with existing knowledge, and actively making sense of it all. Students learn from verbal and nonverbal modes of representation through cognitive processing. Cognitive processing involves selecting information, processing and organizing it, and then integrating it with existing knowledge. The researchers suggest using various instructional design principles in integrating and incorporating multimodal representations: guided activity, reflection, feedback, and pacing.]

Nuria Carassco. (2002). Teaching Romeo and Juliet to ESL Students in Middle School. Learning Domain. 54-71. Retrieved from

http://www.learningdomain.com/MEdHOME/TESL/Teach.Romeo.ESL.drama.pdf.

Porter, Christina. (2009). Words, Words, Words: Reading Shakespeare with English Language Learners. English Journal. Vol. 99, Iss. 1, 44.

  • [Many practical activities and exercises for teaching ELL students Shakespeare using prereading, drama, visuals and chunking of reading material. Encourages teachers to avoid dumbing-down the language of Shakespeare but if need to using abridged version of play (portions of the play about 30 pages in length, including the most vital aspects of the texts). ELL learners are frequently handed text which has been reworded into more simplistic language which lacks the richness of the original and sells the student short in preparation for interaction with texts which are similar when they enter mainstream English classes. The activities suggested show multi-modal strategies which make the text more accessible to ELL learners and trains them in ways to not only comprehend complex text, but enjoy it! (Corinna)]

Randel, J. M., Morris, B. A., Wetzel, C. D., & Whitehill, B. V. (1992). The effectiveness of games for educational purposes: A review of recent research.Simulation & Gaming, 23(3), 261-276.

Sam, W. Y. (1990). Drama in Teaching English as a Second Language-A Communicative Approach. The English Teacher, 19.

  • [Encourages the use of drama in the classroom as a communicative approach to education. Argues that it is a more authentic activity for practice of language because it includes aspects such as emotion and involves the whole person and not just mental processes, but best for language which has already been learned and not for teaching new forms. Gives a list of advantages and disadvantages, but states that the disadvantages can be resolved through careful planning. Mostly covering the theoretical aspect of drama without practical examples of how to implement drama activities in the classroom. (Corinna)]

Sewell, W.C. & Denton, S. (2011). Multimodal literacies in the secondary english classroom. English Journal 100(5). 61-65.

[The article argues that teachers should shift from traditional literacy practices to incorporating more multimodal instruction to represent a text in a variety of different modes. It is important to incorporate multiple modes of representation because it is a large part of how our students and society in general communicates and it could help students perform better if they could draw on their out-of-school experiences. The reason given for why multi-modality should be integrated in instruction, according to this article, is that not all students are proficient in multi-modality, and therefore need training to be competitive in the work force. The article also discusses the concept of “anchored instruction,” to make learning meaningful and useful to students. Relating the material to media that students use daily helps build background knowledge, helps them draw on previous knowledge, and make connections with new information. The article also makes suggestions on the types of media and programs that can be used in classroom (mostly digital) including Youtube, Power Point, AVC Labs to convert Youtube clips, and Windows Movie Maker/iMovie.]

 

Shakespeare, William. (1901). Romeo and Juliet. The University Society. New York.

Silberstein, S. (1994). Techniques and Resources in Teaching Reading. Oxford University Press. New York: NY.

  • [How a text reflects the kind of activities used in a curriculum. Using a variety of reading techniques encourages independent learning by developing various reading skills needed to become proficient. Gives guiding questions to ask to direct activity choice in relation to text being taught. Corinna]

Somers, Albert B. (1939). Teaching Poetry in High School. Urbana, Ill. : National Council of Teachers of English, 213-218.

Thompson, M. (2008). Multimodal teaching and learning: creating spaces for content teachers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(2), 144-153.

Walsh, M. (2010). Multimodal literacy: what does it mean for classroom practice?. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(3), 211-239.

 

 

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