tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44951555799301312512024-02-07T21:39:32.589+00:00BEYOND CHALK & TALK...over my favourite cup of tea and doodles on my sketchpad...cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-83243447867336314842020-12-27T13:09:00.001+00:002020-12-28T03:24:11.807+00:00Thank You and See You Soon <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVm08tyNe8nhvXrpldM7bJlFNqyEmhzIpzHG9kUmOXKnemTge0mv7A_aOmMo7kunXL545hTq-8VFVsLhcqqPxYKpM4hb66uncV6xEHBuW7Frhqppmt6Bs3oYFegzou1i6F-JVDszv8bZoR/s1080/we+have+moved.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVm08tyNe8nhvXrpldM7bJlFNqyEmhzIpzHG9kUmOXKnemTge0mv7A_aOmMo7kunXL545hTq-8VFVsLhcqqPxYKpM4hb66uncV6xEHBuW7Frhqppmt6Bs3oYFegzou1i6F-JVDszv8bZoR/w400-h400/we+have+moved.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>If you've been following my post on Facebook, you'll know that I'm going to stop writing on this blog. I've also announced that I'll be deleting the Facebook page and Instagram account associated with this blog. This blog will remain where it is - I won't be deleting it. I just won't be updating it any longer.</p><p>Initially, I wanted to make this like a farewell post where I would thank everyone for supporting me for the past 11 years, but I can't. I feel like this shouldn't sound like a goodbye message - simply because it isn't. I'm not going anywhere. Just moving to a different home.</p><p>This blog will remain a big part of who I am and what I've done in my 15 years of career as a primary school teacher. It has become like an old backyard garage - where I've tinkered with ideas and experimented with projects. It has also brought me to lots of amazing, inspiring people whom I might have not known otherwise. It has opened up doors, led to opportunities, created networks. People who have been with me would have seen how I've grown and matured throughout the years (hopefully). </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZiEnCbu5H_LJc0bgWQn9ileR_ypff3ryiTphAhT2NaiNN7lxNoR1CyQjetkZ3Huq16dwyyCLTUwT11sk547IKgYlX5YT169hL3ghKLBtQPkTADtEd_ypU7GqOI1PzpkeqrHNSROHK7jF/s1351/facebook+memory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1351" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZiEnCbu5H_LJc0bgWQn9ileR_ypff3ryiTphAhT2NaiNN7lxNoR1CyQjetkZ3Huq16dwyyCLTUwT11sk547IKgYlX5YT169hL3ghKLBtQPkTADtEd_ypU7GqOI1PzpkeqrHNSROHK7jF/w304-h640/facebook+memory.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYq65bMN6HQR8JOLeXXM7edFmnzW6qh22HeKNJuFgFnAPLW2gkW2tt18Ad222SG34-jF0tAp86lB8zN0Trcgdz7tOiRkrsfXzPO2y5EtHB0ywFEg8fwEdcLyrvgwrPFqu-IJWXX68tbBt/s720/facebook+memory+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYq65bMN6HQR8JOLeXXM7edFmnzW6qh22HeKNJuFgFnAPLW2gkW2tt18Ad222SG34-jF0tAp86lB8zN0Trcgdz7tOiRkrsfXzPO2y5EtHB0ywFEg8fwEdcLyrvgwrPFqu-IJWXX68tbBt/w400-h300/facebook+memory+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I'll still be creating teaching materials and will still be sharing them with my friends. For now, at least. If you're still interested, you can subscribe to my Telegram channel <a href="https://t.me/bitesizedenglishbyccj" target="_blank">Bite-Sized English</a>, and my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKhiHO0eVA9fjL1SY0tA72A" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> of the same name. I won't be as prolific as I used to, though...and the materials I make won't be as gorgeous and original and up-to-date and relevant to the current Malaysian curriculum as the ones made by amazing super teachers like <a href="https://web.facebook.com/teacherdilla" target="_blank">Teacher Dilla</a>, <a href="https://www.ashtheteacher.com" target="_blank">Teacher Ash</a>, <a href="http://teacherfiera.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Teacher Fiera</a>, <a href="https://mrsuheilscollectibles.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Mr Suheil</a>, <a href="https://web.facebook.com/Little-Lessons-by-Little-Chuckee-302561070220651" target="_blank">Mr Nazmi aka Little Chuckee</a> - just to name a few (please, please, please check them out if you haven't already). But yeah, as long as I'm still creating something, why not just put them somewhere accessible. Some people might find them useful. And I might want to go back to them, too, someday. Who knows. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce3HS6cuXwtFf2rQ0MZ3hOHhkCIKEUr8PkP4OVLzjflyB3EGUxAgdvRt7YTGrdOjuh4mUDZlN_ZTw_nixQn1m5nTaMvJxEpw7EZcZftnTthsLDrEVbiXEfI2a2eYQQwVC6qpdtHKyJmc9/s640/bitesizedenglish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce3HS6cuXwtFf2rQ0MZ3hOHhkCIKEUr8PkP4OVLzjflyB3EGUxAgdvRt7YTGrdOjuh4mUDZlN_ZTw_nixQn1m5nTaMvJxEpw7EZcZftnTthsLDrEVbiXEfI2a2eYQQwVC6qpdtHKyJmc9/w400-h400/bitesizedenglish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I'll also be writing on my new blog, <a href="http://ccjames.blog">ccjames.blog</a>. It'll be slightly different from this one, because it won't be 100% teaching-related or education-related. It'll act more like a personal blog where I aim to write more for myself rather than for an audience. I can anticipate lots of posts on education still, since it's something that's very important to me and close to my heart. But in addition to that, I might write about other stuffs that are not related to education, too. Like about books that I read, movies that I watch, music that I make, prayers that I pray. And a bunch of other (boring) stuffs. So, if you feel like visiting - come on over! I'll be happy to have you in my new home.</p><p>I also plan to be fully committed to <a href="https://www.goingdigital-elt.com/store/c1/Home" target="_blank">Going Digital ELT</a>, a teacher community blog project which I truly love and am passionate about. Do check out the website (and also the <a href="https://web.facebook.com/goingdigitalelt" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/goingdigitalelt/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/goingdigitalelt" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/going-digital-elt" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>) if you like to know more. </p><p>Whether this is farewell or not - I haven't fully decided. Perhaps I never will. But thanking you is still something that I know I should do. It has been too long overdue.</p><p>So, <b><i>thank you so much from the bottom of my heart</i></b> for all that you've done for me. Words can never adequately express how much I'm indebted to you. I won't be where I am today if it's not because of you. May God bless you abundantly for all the kindness you've shown me. </p><p>And I like to humbly apologise, too, if I've hurt you in any way, through the things that I've written on this blog, or on my Facebook page, or on my Instagram account. </p><p>Hope to see you in my other channels. </p><p>Love, ~ccj</p>cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-37395938840352308052020-04-30T00:58:00.000+01:002020-04-30T00:59:00.403+01:003-Minute English YouTube Project: Resources for Teachers (Grammar Lessons)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMz_vZFGLLUnJxAD8jlzIMPAudMudE5_8dQQlzfNHEXLmVLRF4N6UaDFOpV3uWvGmd2kLPwsBxdC9r4lckxlXHhGSQWTJz9D5TIZwkPd_-JmdJkbeJ-KmzRa8LZ95sA_DtUGUCnQ0SP6R/s1600/BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMz_vZFGLLUnJxAD8jlzIMPAudMudE5_8dQQlzfNHEXLmVLRF4N6UaDFOpV3uWvGmd2kLPwsBxdC9r4lckxlXHhGSQWTJz9D5TIZwkPd_-JmdJkbeJ-KmzRa8LZ95sA_DtUGUCnQ0SP6R/s400/BLOG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello friends! In this post I'm sharing the latest teaching resources from my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKhiHO0eVA9fjL1SY0tA72A">3-Minute English YouTube project</a>. For the past couple of weeks, I've been doing grammar lessons with a focus on subject-verb agreement.<br />
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Here are the download links to the PowerPoint slides, pdf lesson notes and the YouTube videos. Feel free to use, share, edit, change - do whatever you like with them for your teaching purposes. No need to ask for my permission! :)<br />
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<b>Lesson 1: Articles</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tXXRg_ManT4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tXXRg_ManT4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/13zFPUFMSaeVSTffm5ieWQoUyg76ATkLw/view?usp=sharing">To download the pdf lesson notes, go here</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1psQBE8s4EHeusBZuS6Lshc_dItni9qei/view?usp=sharing">To download the PowerPoint slides, go here</a><br />
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<b>Lesson 2: Verb to be</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P7dTce6MEqw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P7dTce6MEqw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IsC6G7uRCJ4UzH3BinD6IwYzT1RaBOD8/view?usp=sharing">To download the pdf lesson notes, go here</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cn903h2MR7LvZSak45OLTaCMj1C14YTZ/view?usp=sharing">To download the PowerPoint slides, go here</a><br />
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<b>Lesson 3: Four types of verbs</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Afj74OoqwnI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Afj74OoqwnI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yf5UlBVO0ju-xTjGuHjhGf_QpRjNYNOv/view?usp=sharing">To download the pdf lesson notes, go here</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NHjObjrT0M8aRvbYmEIfVK9kKIUNwbZx/view?usp=sharing">To download the PowerPoint slides, go here</a><br />
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<b>Lesson 4: Verb to do and verb to have</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_ytcv-gXdQY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_ytcv-gXdQY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/16_BrwYwOtF_eY1OTF_n7Ql73OJkt4QiL/view?usp=sharing">To download the pdf lesson notes, go here</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/15I027-ycO2hY37Bbha7_I6UrJHxbLoMR/view?usp=sharing">To download the PowerPoint slides, go here</a><br />
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<b>Lesson 5: Action verbs</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Yc59jzcLXwQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yc59jzcLXwQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pulO9ct98XSBddiKXpGTPKdSL5mDD-h4/view?usp=sharing">To download the pdf lesson notes, go here</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wwvAwe9d_i4Mf0pkYeI5iHJESgb2BX7k/view?usp=sharing">To download the PowerPoint slides, go here</a><br />
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<b>Previous Lessons on Reading Strategies</b><br />
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If you missed my previous <a href="https://www.beyondchalkandtalk.com/2020/04/3-minute-english-youtube-project.html">compilations of resources for the lessons on Reading Strategies</a>, you can view them <a href="https://www.beyondchalkandtalk.com/2020/04/3-minute-english-youtube-project.html">here</a>. Again, you don't need to ask my permission to do whatever you wish with them - provided it's for educational purposes of course. Heheh! :)<br />
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Till the next post! -ccj<br />
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-21796726473186666592020-04-07T17:23:00.000+01:002020-04-07T17:29:55.366+01:003-Minute English YouTube Project: Resources for Teachers<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTKQPkWwXBKY79U23uugIPKAaKffd0FvECJJtOYNbXX2WBQSjdfksfDLa1SlwohlmnEHdSeAHEU4Q0lR_udA_YpfVw7JgTEwp-XSeQCIACdwix8YqtK8SDvWn3tcdgqU1Y9vtuIoEkCKc/s1600/Presentation3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTKQPkWwXBKY79U23uugIPKAaKffd0FvECJJtOYNbXX2WBQSjdfksfDLa1SlwohlmnEHdSeAHEU4Q0lR_udA_YpfVw7JgTEwp-XSeQCIACdwix8YqtK8SDvWn3tcdgqU1Y9vtuIoEkCKc/s640/Presentation3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, in my desperate attempt to reach out to my students during this COVID-19 quarantine, I've created (drumroll) a brand new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKhiHO0eVA9fjL1SY0tA72A">YouTube channel</a>! Haha. I call it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKhiHO0eVA9fjL1SY0tA72A">3-Minute English: UPSR Tips and Techniques</a>. Nothing fancy - just some awful recordings of my voice talking over some PowerPoint slides (which I aimed to do in not more than 3 minutes - hence the channel's name. But as evidenced by the videos' durations, it's clear that I've failed miserably). I wrote about how I ended up doing this unplanned project in <a href="https://www.beyondchalkandtalk.com/2020/04/when-digital-technology-is-not-option.html?fbclid=IwAR0UciuR-uNXn_QurUxcOrK-6svieFQJfOU7rsgGx6nkhwxBCN7UV3lj7tE">my previous post where I reflected on digital technology and remote teaching</a>.<br />
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The videos are horrible, but the slides are okay. They are at least usable. I decided to make them available for all my teacher friends, as they might be able to do much better things with these stuffs. Also, if I survive this pandemic, I might want to go back to this post in future. Just to look back and reminisce.<br />
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Okay, so here they are. I've made six videos on Reading Strategies. I'm sharing here the links to the videos, the related blog posts, and the download links to all the PowerPoint slides. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Reading Strategies Intro</b><br />
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YouTube video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fKN_OF1qGrM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fKN_OF1qGrM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://3minuteenglish.blogspot.com/2020/03/lesson-1-reading-strategies.html">Link to the blog post</a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PFkyPDv5UkoqPjM95VNq5GrJk_awaiq8/view?usp=sharing">Link to download the PowerPoint slides</a></div>
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<b>Reading Strategies: Ep 1 - Visualisation</b><br />
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YouTube video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p7aup7nPjFg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p7aup7nPjFg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<a href="https://3minuteenglish.blogspot.com/2020/03/reading-strategies-ep-1-visualisation.html">Link to the blog post</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GsyNUIw-VqB7iwOxg1O-Qth13x_LfQO9/view?usp=sharing">Link to download the PowerPoint slides</a><br />
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<b>Reading Strategies: Ep 2 - Evaluating & Questioning</b><br />
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YouTube video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_c1GtXyrROw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_c1GtXyrROw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://3minuteenglish.blogspot.com/2020/03/reading-strategies-ep-2-evaluating-and.html">Link to the blog post</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CLjp8EapHSiFr0D80khvJ8Q0kTBEi8y_/view?usp=sharing">Link to download the PowerPoint slides</a><br />
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<b>Reading Strategies: Ep 3 - Questioning</b><br />
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YouTube video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p0IfNyw6MBQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p0IfNyw6MBQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<a href="https://3minuteenglish.blogspot.com/2020/03/reading-strategies-ep-3-questioning.html">Link to the blog post</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/10B567pl2ThjNX4d3C_TwcfiEvukLJzkc/view?usp=sharing">Link to download the PowerPoint slides</a><br />
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<b>Reading Strategies: Ep 4 - Connecting</b><br />
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YouTube video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bEPAK8JdHPg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bEPAK8JdHPg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://3minuteenglish.blogspot.com/2020/04/reading-strategies-ep-4-connecting.html">Link to the blog post</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1doWqNl_pXY0x1Bs5IzTOpYQdh7J-NC-O/view?usp=sharing">Link to download the PowerPoint slides</a><br />
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<b>Reading Strategies: Ep 5 - Clarifying (Identifying Main Points & Summarising)</b><br />
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YouTube video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ew2lyU4WlQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ew2lyU4WlQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://3minuteenglish.blogspot.com/2020/04/reading-strategies-ep-5-clarifying.html">Link to the blog post</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-3lZXeYIjf2MPJUpCifPcU99DPg0qZ3F/view?usp=sharing">Link to download the PowerPoint slides</a><br />
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<b>The Model Test Paper</b><br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/173FEY9IerOAnsI4b7EUGosmXjDzWfTPy/view?usp=sharing">Click here to download the Model Test paper</a><br />
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Okay that's it for now. If the virus doesn't get me, and if I'm still sane after a week, I'll try to share more materials from the project in another blog post. In the meantime, try to stay safe, healthy, and alive. Let's pray everything will return to normal soon, whatever 'normal' means.<br />
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Hang in there, -ccj<br />
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-88304381257454465252020-04-03T08:08:00.000+01:002020-04-03T23:45:02.448+01:00When digital technology is not an option: Some thoughts on remote teaching<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJruPlEnosubKldxRF5wTuHqu7SwhRxNbHE7wMFeyDLXkhZma-hJzfraTLvmBoeBAQs4oE5leqWXo9GRQOR0hxvvBrczrY_FbozwK6NmgTx_XtCOdFy3TX3fOiLT0QmhWIa9MbgPkyzi8_/s1600/photo_2020-04-03_14-34-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="720" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJruPlEnosubKldxRF5wTuHqu7SwhRxNbHE7wMFeyDLXkhZma-hJzfraTLvmBoeBAQs4oE5leqWXo9GRQOR0hxvvBrczrY_FbozwK6NmgTx_XtCOdFy3TX3fOiLT0QmhWIa9MbgPkyzi8_/s400/photo_2020-04-03_14-34-25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ping Pong and Sora obediently staying at home throughout the MCO period<br />
(photo credit: my sister, Sandy)</td></tr>
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Malaysia entered its second phase of Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the spread of COVID-19 on the 1st of April 2020. Schools have been closed for the past 14 days and now will continue to be closed for another 14 days. Teachers are instructed to conduct remote teaching to help students keep up with lessons. This has evoked diverse responses from teachers. Some see this as an opportunity to hone in on their technological skills and to experiment with different e-learning and digital tools. Some approach it with a lot of apprehensions and anxieties. This is an unprecedented time - a truly challenging time for many.<br />
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There are already lots of articles and resources out there which offer advice and tips on how to conduct e-learning effectively. Lots of people have shared digital tools and resources for teachers to utilise during this period, so I'm not going to touch on that. In this post, I feel moved to share some thoughts on remote teaching in situations where digital technology is not an option.<br />
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<b>What makes it work</b><br />
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There are two main factors affecting the use of digital technology in remote teaching and learning, i.e. the teacher factor and the learner factor. Each factor is further influenced by aspects such as digital literacy, tools, and access. Digital literacy for remote teaching and learning refers to one's ability to deploy and manipulate online and offline digital tools to deliver and receive instructions. Tools refers to the availability and suitability of devices, apps, software and platforms for delivering and receiving lesson contents. Access deals with issues of connectivity, i.e. availability of Internet connection and whether or not users can afford them.<br />
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In an ideal e-learning or online remote learning situation, we expect all three aspects to function at their optimal levels, both for teachers and also for learners. Teachers should have the digital literacy required to deliver effective instructions through digital platforms, and learners should have the skills necessary to receive instructions and to act upon them. Both teachers and learners should have the tools, devices, apps, or platforms necessary for delivering and receiving lesson contents. It is crucial for both teachers and learners to have access to the Internet, and to be able to afford the cost.<br />
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<b>The reality</b><br />
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Many have taken the opportunity offered by this unprecedented period in history to point out how e-learning is <i>de rigueur</i> for education in this 21st century, and that it should be more enforced by schools since a long time ago. Some go as far as suggesting how this pandemic can act as an 'eye-opener', a long-awaited catalyst that can potentially move education from its current traditional physical classroom-based mode to a more predominantly virtual, online mode. There have been a lot of debates going on for and against this argument, but I'm not going to discuss them here in this post. I believe it's important to point out that the decision to move to online teaching and learning during this period is triggered more by necessity and urgency rather than by choice. I know many teachers who would love to do more online teaching, who would love to experiment with more digital tools and e-learning platforms, - but not like this. Not in this manner. Not when everything feels so forced and <i>ad hoc</i> and unplanned and unsupported.<br />
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In an ideal online teaching and learning situation, the teacher factor and the learner factor should reciprocate one another. But the reality is often very far from ideal. To provide an illustration, a teacher might have the technological skills necessary for conducting online classes using Zoom, but she can't do it if her students have never heard of Zoom before. Although making an effort to introduce students to Zoom during this time is perhaps possible, not all students in the class might have the tools needed. Those who have the tools might not have Internet connectivity that is strong and stable enough to run the platform properly. Some students have to rely on a mobile device that's shared with seven other members of the family. In many cases it could be the only mobile device that the family owns, the only device that connects the whole family to the world during this quarantine period. Would it be wise to use up the precious Internet quota on a Zoom session with the teacher?<br />
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The illustration I offered is just one of the many examples of challenges that need to be faced by teachers in conducting online teaching. There are many more.<br />
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But please don't get me wrong. I'm not against e-learning in any way. I have conducted technology-based projects in my own classrooms. I've spent years trying to promote technology-enhanced teaching and learning to my fellow teachers. People close to me would know how passionate I am about educational technology. I appreciate the 'publicity' this pandemic has given to e-learning. I'm inspired by teachers who are doing it so wonderfully, despite the many constraints. I enjoy witnessing the tech-averse to tech-savvy transformations that some of my colleagues are undergoing at this moment.<br />
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What prompted me to write this blogpost are comments made on my Facebook page by teachers experiencing situations that are not that far different from what I've described in the illustration above. These are teachers who feel lost for not being able to jump on the bandwagon. Teachers who are enthusiastic about online teaching, but are not able to do so due to limitations faced by their learners. Teachers who feel a pang of envy for their peers who seem to be having the time of their lives using Google Hangout or Schoology or Edmodo with their students.<br />
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These teachers are not doing it, not because they don't want to. Not because they're not able to. Most of the time, it's because their students are not able to.<br />
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<b>Things to do - first and foremost</b><br />
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So, when digital technology is not an option, what should teachers do? Most of these teachers, as helpless as they are, refuse to treat this movement restriction as a vacation. The pressure that results from seeing other teachers doing it is just too much to bear, not to mention having to deal with added stresses imposed by school administrators eager to "ensure that teachers are doing what they're supposed to do," and to prove that "teaching and learning will go on as usual" despite this crisis.<br />
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If you're one of these teachers, I would urge you to, first and foremost, do the following things:<br />
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1. <i>To acknowledge that it's not your fault.</i> The last thing a teacher should do is feel guilty about students missing lessons. Nobody wants this to happen. Nobody wants a virus to force schools to shut down. We all want to go back to our classrooms and to see our kids and to teach like we always do.<br />
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2. <i>To accept that it's beyond your control. </i>No matter how advanced the technology you're using for your remote teaching, no matter how impressive your skills, the truth is that many students have already missed a lot of lessons, and many will definitely miss a lot more. This is not something that anyone can control - not with technology, not with anything.<br />
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3. <i>To realise that there's no such thing as "teaching and learning will go on as usual."</i><b> </b>There's nothing <i>usual </i>about what we're currently experiencing. Everything in our world is <i>very unusual </i>right now<i>.</i> People who can claim that they're doing everything "<i>as usual </i>despite the pandemic" are either lying, or are in denial, or have no idea what's going on.<br />
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4. <i>To stop thinking of yourself as a bad teacher. </i>Not being able to do what others are doing doesn't make you a bad teacher. The fact that you're thinking about this and are feeling guilty for things beyond your control is proof enough that you're indeed a good teacher who cares a lot about your students and your responsibilities as a teacher.<br />
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<b>When digital technology is not an option</b><br />
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The good news: there are things that we can do even when circumstances don't afford us the opportunity to utilise the most cutting edge technology in education. It won't be perfect, of course. But then again, no one should expect anything to be perfect in this unprecedented time. The key is to focus on things that we <i>can</i> do, instead of on the things that we can't.<br />
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First thing to do is <i>to assess our situation based on our ability to communicate directly with our students</i>. Through my observations, teachers who are facing challenges with using technology for remote teaching can roughly be categorised into three main groups, as follows:<br />
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1) Group 1: Teachers who can communicate directly with students,<br />
2) Group 2: Teachers who can communicate with students through someone else, e.g. parents<br />
3) Group 3: Teachers who can't communicate with students at all.<br />
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<i>Group 1: Teachers who can communicate directly with students</i><br />
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This is the group of teachers who have already formed some sort of platform to communicate with students before this lockdown happened - typically via WhatsApp or Telegram group chat. If you belong to this group, that's awesome! There are plenty of things you can do with students through a group chat. In fact, a majority of teachers in my circle are using this method to stay in touch with their students during this period. Through this group chat, you can:<br />
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<ul>
<li>post quizzes or short assignments for students to do;</li>
<li>share useful links to websites, references, and other learning resources;</li>
<li>assign tasks from the textbook - students snap a picture of their completed work and post it on the group chat for feedback;</li>
<li>utilise the voice message function for speaking lessons. Nothing complicated. I once did a tongue twister challenge for my students through our WhatsApp group and everyone went crazy (it was hilarious!);</li>
<li>just have a chat. Just be there for our students. This is the chance for us to encourage our students to use language to express themselves and to learn how to communicate in real-life situations. </li>
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Remember to keep it as simple as possible, and to avoid doing anything that may put a strain on the students' Internet quota e.g. live video chats, online streaming, etc.<br />
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<i>Group 2: Teachers who can communicate with students through someone else, e.g. parents</i><br />
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Lots of my teacher friends who belong to this group are teaching in rural areas where mobile devices are normally limited to just one or two per household and Internet connectivity is very poor. Some teachers may have a WhatsApp or Telegram group chat for communications with parents, but not with the students themselves. If you belong to this group, here are some suggestions on how you can be available for your students:<br />
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<li>assign tasks that the students can do without having to access external resources. Just give something that the students already have, e.g. anything from the textbook, or a workbook, or from previous classroom projects. Be careful not to assign anything that requires downloading or printing - downloading requires a lot of Internet data and many families don't have a printer at home;</li>
<li>encourage parents to pass on to you any questions that the students might have about the subject. Questions can be about the current tasks or from previous lessons;</li>
<li>encourage parents to send you updates on their children's progress, if they can, by sending pictures of their works etc. (only if they can - don't make it compulsory);</li>
<li>send short messages from time to time to uplift students - maybe a motivational quote, a snippet from previous lessons, a compliment for a work well done (during this time or in the past - it doesn't matter). The goal is to remind students that you're thinking about them, and are trying your best to be available for them albeit not physically. </li>
</ul>
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The rule is still the same: keep it as simple as possible. Some parents might worry about their children's education during this time, and I understand how challenging it is to try to keep everyone from panicking. Perhaps the best thing to do is to let them know that everyone in the world - not just in our school or in our country - is currently facing the same situation. We can safely say that no one is really ahead of anyone else in this game. We're all on this same boat - together. </div>
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<i>Group 3: Teachers who can't communicate with their students at all</i></div>
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I understand the frustrations of teachers in this group - believe me I do. But for now, let's focus on what we <i>can</i> do. </div>
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If you're tech-savvy, or have always wanted to experiment with technology but have never had the chance or the time to do something about it, <i>now </i>would be the best time to let your creative juices flow and to engage yourself in fun little projects. Here are some suggestions. You can:</div>
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<ul>
<li>start a YouTube channel. You can create short video lessons and upload the videos on your channel;</li>
<li>create a blog to share lesson materials, tips and techniques for examination, quizzes, lesson notes - anything you like;</li>
<li>create digital lesson materials such as quizzes, presentation slides, animations, podcasts, etc. It would be great if you can find a platform to host these materials online. </li>
</ul>
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Okay, right. I know what you're thinking right now. What's the use of all these when you don't even have the means to share them with your students? Well, it's true that all these might seem useless right now, but trust me they won't be useless forever. Sooner or later the schools are going to be reopened, and I believe you'd definitely be able to find ways to put all these precious materials to good use when that finally happens. </div>
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Maybe the materials you create might not be able to help your students right now, but they might be able to help someone else's students. I don't know about you, but I believe that when you do good things for people karma will find a way to repay the good deeds to you. And who knows, by God's grace, all these materials that you put online might be able to reach your students somehow, in some ways. With faith, anything is possible. </div>
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If you're not the tech-savvy type, don't worry. You can do something similar; you just don't have to use digital technology if you don't want to. During this time when you can't physically be there for your students, you can:</div>
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<ul>
<li>create learning modules for use when the school reopens. Your students would have missed a lot of things by that time, so you can try to use your creativity to come up with something that can help the students to catch up;</li>
<li>create a study plan for your students to help them keep up with all the things that they've missed during the school shut-down. This study plan can include at-home activities with parents. It can go together with the module you've created;</li>
<li>update your lesson plans, grade those papers, analyse those data. Things should have gone haywire because of this unexpected crisis. When school finally reopens, trust me you won't have time to sort these things out as you'll be busy cleaning up other more urgent messes. Consider it a blessing that you don't have classes to think about during this time, so you have plenty of time to work on these little, often forgotten, yet not less important stuffs.</li>
</ul>
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These lists are by no means exhaustive. I'm sure many of you can come up with a lot more. Do feel free to share with me your ideas so we can learn from one another.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW1Fb4gugqWuyFUofb2UJeyfNjGKaw8TL_qItMLBs2b3yLKlaNfH_zMpn3YUQzpVET7cnisHBh7d1ScKNITbp_9GgDBhXTAB_9fycJ9GKo8GEo_788uL9249WBFhu8sxZAQgCqp4i1Ze2/s1600/photo_2020-04-03_14-38-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW1Fb4gugqWuyFUofb2UJeyfNjGKaw8TL_qItMLBs2b3yLKlaNfH_zMpn3YUQzpVET7cnisHBh7d1ScKNITbp_9GgDBhXTAB_9fycJ9GKo8GEo_788uL9249WBFhu8sxZAQgCqp4i1Ze2/s320/photo_2020-04-03_14-38-14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://web.facebook.com/boredteachers/">Bored Teachers</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Ragtag group and uncharted waters</b></div>
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My own situation is a unique combination of Group 2 and 3. I'm quite new to this school, so I haven't really got the chance to explore online means to communicate with my students outside school hours. To cope with the school closure due to COVID19, I was forced to set up an <i>ad hoc</i> WhatsApp group for my Year 6. I'm supposed to have 28 students in my class. To date only 15 have joined the group. A third of them are students using their own mobile devices, another third are students using devices shared with siblings and other members of the family, and the remaining are parents joining the group on their children's behalf. I'm moving into uncharted waters here. I've never had any experience managing such a ragtag group, let alone trying to conduct remote teaching through it. </div>
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I started by posting something simple, just to get the students (or whoever else are in the group) to interact with me. It took two days for the first response to come, with the student profusely apologising for the late reply. He was just able to top-up his prepaid Internet. That first response triggered a couple more - one is from a confused mother. </div>
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<i>This is Amir's group for English lessons, right? </i></div>
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<i>Yup, that's right. </i></div>
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<i>Oh sorry. I'm starting to lose track. Just too many WhatsApp groups to keep track of all of a sudden. </i></div>
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She has four children, all using one and the same mobile device for remote learning. </div>
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<b>The goal is not to teach</b><br />
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I decided that the best thing to do is to take it easy, and to stop stressing myself and my students and the parents of my students unnecessarily. I realise that synchronous interactions is just not possible in my situation, so I refrain from posting daily tasks that require immediate response. I try to be constantly present but not too much, as I know that everyone holding the phone on the other end is already inundated by numerous posts from various other groups.<br />
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I'm also aware that I still have 13 students who haven't joined the group, and I have no way of reaching them. Worrying about them won't change anything, so instead of being depressed about it I tried to vent it out by keeping myself occupied. I started creating video lessons, set up my own <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKhiHO0eVA9fjL1SY0tA72A?view_as=subscriber">YouTube channel</a>, posted the videos on the channel, and shared the links with everyone. You can have a look at the channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKhiHO0eVA9fjL1SY0tA72A?view_as=subscriber">here</a>.<br />
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The videos are crappy - but working on them is therapeutic and it gives me something to look forward to every morning. I try to post one video per day on the WhatsApp group with no expectations attached. My students may or may not watch them, they may or may not learn from them, but that's not my goal here. My goal during this time is not to teach. My goal is to be there for my students - as I always have.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9r2GT4LH5BnMONhHmbuWAvn7-wyeDEvcgSJ75CMXyK1sgLLHgewRBElTw-SVj6-qv3mTpvfhSjUejckWB_upUQNW-nXRmWgLa8GzmNgs3WPtWieI5MtRFfJXloQt41KFIs90sfTu_c8i/s1600/photo_2020-04-03_14-43-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="720" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9r2GT4LH5BnMONhHmbuWAvn7-wyeDEvcgSJ75CMXyK1sgLLHgewRBElTw-SVj6-qv3mTpvfhSjUejckWB_upUQNW-nXRmWgLa8GzmNgs3WPtWieI5MtRFfJXloQt41KFIs90sfTu_c8i/s320/photo_2020-04-03_14-43-10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://web.facebook.com/WeAreTeachers/">WeAreTeachers</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Share your story</b><br />
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If you're a teacher who's struggling to make it work during this time due to technological constraints, I would really love to hear from you. I hope you won't mind sharing your stories and how you overcome your challenges so that we can learn from one another.<br />
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Sending all teachers a socially-distanced hug. Till the next - keep well and take care! -ccj #stayathome<br />
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-1410056869971609382019-10-07T06:02:00.000+01:002019-10-08T02:26:11.120+01:00Using digital technologies in low-resource ELT context: A narrative beginningYes, I'm back to the classroom! Time surely flies. I must say my <a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2018/10/im-on-study-leave.html">MPhil </a>experience has impacted me a lot, especially my research project. I can't stop thinking about the experiences of the teachers I worked with in the project - their success stories and struggles of using technology to teach language in their own unique contexts, and what these mean for them personally and professionally.<br />
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I've been doing lots of readings and deep reflections lately, and I feel the urge to put my thoughts in writing so I can get back to them when I need to. In this post, I'd like to share what I call as - to borrow Clandinin's (2013) term - the 'narrative beginning.' <span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">I plan to make this a series of posts on using digital technologies in low-resource ELT context, where I'll try to share my reflections from my readings as well as observations, conversations with teachers and students, and experiences as an EL teacher in this school where I'm currently teaching in (more on my present context in the next post). </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But for now, let's begin from the beginning - where it all started. </span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Developing a 'relationship' with technology</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 36pt;">When I attended university for my undergraduate study in the late 1990’s, I found myself struggling to complete my class assignments as everything needed to be typewritten. By working as a part-time shop assistant, I was able to collect enough money to purchase a nice, electric typewriter which I used to type all of my university papers. The challenge, however, was when it came to graphs, tables and charts. The electric typewriter was wonderful, but the functions were limited – the task was beyond what it was able to do. I was not allowed to submit hand-drawn tables and charts. For the whole first semester of my undergraduate study, my solution to this problem was to pay the printing shop to convert my hand-drawn tables and charts into an acceptable format for submission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 36pt;">Printing in shops were expensive, and I did not want to spend any more of my fast-depleting student allowances and shop assistant’s salary on printing graphs and charts. I realised that I needed to do something; that I needed to learn how to use the computer properly. I took classes, spent a lot of time at cyber cafes, and mingled with people who were more tech-savvy than I was. Eventually, I was able to master sufficient technology skills to enable me to go through the rest of my study with less difficulty than before. I sold my faithful electric typewriter and worked harder to collect more money so I could buy a second-hand laptop to type my assignments and to draw graphs, tables and charts using the word processor. I also learned how to use the Internet and to explore ways to utilise the wealth of information that I could access from the World Wide Web to my academic advantage.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMieNpvgeP6WpxkHQsDG8zl2BRA3fJbww_KYiLF63BGtImWIkBS9rwF8lztdVcmMFX5aXPWGXe5HbVOv2YtBWa8CAQ3jayfhAy8aHr1k8Jf8G0STE4eEMV1oPwBXJmpj0upM9MFxO4wrz/s1600/hawkingthesis.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="939" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMieNpvgeP6WpxkHQsDG8zl2BRA3fJbww_KYiLF63BGtImWIkBS9rwF8lztdVcmMFX5aXPWGXe5HbVOv2YtBWa8CAQ3jayfhAy8aHr1k8Jf8G0STE4eEMV1oPwBXJmpj0upM9MFxO4wrz/s400/hawkingthesis.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A snapshot of Stephen Hawking's thesis, which I took at an exhibition at Cambridge University Library a few months ago. Reminded me of my own typewritten undergraduate essays during my personal 'pre-digital epoch.' Haha</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Then I became a teacher...</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">In 2005, I started a job as a primary school ESL teacher in a rural area about 500 kilometers away from my hometown. It was a beautiful school in a village by the sea. </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"> At this point, I thought my ‘relationship’ with technology was over. I did not see a need for me to learn any more technology skills any further. My use of technology was limited to typing reports for the school and occasionally to print out worksheets for my students. The school had very limited technology facilities and no access to the Internet. As a young teacher, I was far from perfect; but I was quite happy with teaching with little or no technology at all. I saw myself as a creative ESL teacher who knew how to make language lessons fun and engaging for my students through the use of non-digital materials such as music, stories and arts. I did not see any need for me to integrate technology in my classroom.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">This changed in my third or fourth year of teaching, when I was instructed by my school to attend an orientation course on technology integration in the classroom, initiated by the Technology Education Division of the Ministry of Education. Through the two-week course, I was exposed to numerous technology software and applications, and was given the chance to explore the potentials of technology to enhance my students’ learning. I went back to school with a new-found appreciation and enthusiasm for technology in education. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">The course opened my eyes to the many wonders and potentials of technology as a tool for language teaching and learning, yet I found it really difficult to apply what I learned from the course to my practice in the classroom. To begin with, the school did not even have enough computers. The ratio was one laptop per 10 students – not to mention almost half of the laptops were outdated and barely functioning. The best I could do was to borrow an LCD projector from the school’s ICT lab and used my own laptop to project digital language learning materials on a makeshift LCD screen of white construction papers pasted on my classroom wall. This, however, did not deter me from integrating technology into my language lessons. I remember looking back often at my experience as a young undergraduate struggling with technology because my early education in rural primary and secondary schools did not provide me with the opportunities to learn how to use a computer when I was younger. I was motivated to expose my rural students to technology so that they would not have to struggle as much as I did when they pursue their education at a higher level. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><b>Things got better...</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Things got better in my seventh or eighth year of teaching, when the school finally moved to a new building with a shiny computer lab. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">We had ten new PCs, and finally access to the Internet. I had more years of teaching experiences under my belt, and more wisdom and maturity as a teacher. That was when I decided to embark on my first big technology-based classroom project with my students.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">The project was aimed at improving my students’ reading comprehension using audiobooks. The first stage of the project involved the students using the PCs in the computer lab to access free online audiobooks. In the second stage, the students created their own audiobooks. To provide a platform for the students to share their audiobooks and to receive feedbacks from one another, a class blog was created where the students could upload their works and access each other’s works. The project was effective in enhancing the students’ reading comprehension skills and in improving their motivation to read (see <a href="https://www.academia.edu/30618668/Engaging_Reluctant_Readers_through_Audiobook_Project?auto=download">James, 2015</a>. See also my <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2018/02/using-audiobooks-to-engage-reluctant.html">blogpost on the project</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">When I moved back to my hometown to teach in a suburban primary school in 2015, I had developed a whole new outlook on the use of technology in the classroom. I had developed a better understanding of how – to use Shulman’s (1987) terms – to adapt and tailor my strategies and approaches based on my students’ needs, contexts and circumstances. I embarked on another technology-based classroom project – this time focusing on the use of mobile phones and blog to improve students’ performances and motivation in story-writing. The impacts of the project were documented in a report for Cambridge University Press’ Teacher Research Programme (see <a href="http://languageresearch.cambridge.org/images/pdf/2015-16_James_CUP_TRP_final_report.pdf">James, 2016</a>. See also my <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2018/01/using-technology-to-engage-reluctant.html">blogpost on the project</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><b>Sharing with others</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Throughout the years, I had a lot of opportunities to share my enhanced technological knowledge with my colleagues and fellow teachers when I was appointed as one of the master trainers for technology in education. Most of the trainings were conducted based on the cascade model, where master trainers trained district representatives who would train teachers in their respective districts. These teachers would then train their colleagues in their respective schools. As I conducted the trainings, I could not help but look back at my first-time experience of attending the two-week orientation course on technology integration when I was just starting as a teacher. I reflected on how the experience inspired me so much, and how quickly the inspiration turned to frustration as I encountered constraints and challenges in implementing what I learned from the training to my practice in the classroom. I could see teachers just like myself, getting enthusiastic and inspired by the vast potentials of technology as a tool to enhance students’ learning. Yet I also wondered whether these teachers would have to face frustrations and obstacles just like I did, and whether the challenges they faced would demotivate them to embark on further explorations of the possibilities that technology can offer for their classrooms. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">When I joined the Education Office as a supervisor of English language programmes in my district, I was moved to explore more innovative ways to help ESL teachers just like myself to learn about technology and to discover opportunities for using it in their language classrooms in meaningful and impactful manner. I wanted to provide a platform where teachers can learn from one another and collaborate in more interactive and divergent ways, instead of learning in a linear and passive manner from a master trainer. The platform should provide lots of opportunities for teachers to explore ways to adopt and tailor the knowledge they acquire to match the unique and individual needs and contexts of their students and classrooms. To start off, I sought the assistance of experts from the local university and together we initiated a TPACK-based professional learning community as a way to provide this envisioned platform. In 2016, ‘Going Digital’ was born.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><b>To be continued...</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">I'll need to stop here for now. In the next post, I hope to share more about 'Going Digital' and what I learned from my experiences of working with teachers in my district, teaching in various low-resource EL contexts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Till the next post! -ccj, 4.10 am, Duvanson</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><b>References</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Clandinin, D. J. (2013). <i>Engaging in narrative inquiry</i>. New York: Routledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">James, C.C. (2016). <i>Improving children's writing skills through digital story prompts and feedback</i>. Cambridge University Press Teacher Research Programme. <a href="http://languageresearch.cambridge.org/images/pdf/2015-16_James_CUP_TRP_final_report.pdf">Link</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">James, C.C. (2015). Engaging reluctant readers through audiobook project. <i>International Journal on e-Learning Practices (IJELP)</i>, 2, 81-102. <a href="https://www.academia.edu/30618668/Engaging_Reluctant_Readers_through_Audiobook_Project?auto=download">Link</a></span></div>
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cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-82518570861563858842019-06-08T13:03:00.002+01:002019-06-08T13:14:19.578+01:00English-Medium Education: What is best for Malaysian students?My friends at <a href="https://dialogpendidikan.com/about/">Dialog Pendidikan</a> have started a discussion on the topic of English-medium education recently. You can check out their blog post <a href="https://dialogpendidikan.com/2019/06/03/pengenalan-pendidikan-dalam-bahasa-inggeris-english-medium-education/">here</a> and their Facebook post <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/dialog-pendidikan/pengenalan-pendidikan-dalam-bahasa-inggeris-english-medium-education/703677933399951/">here</a>. They would love to gather opinions and thoughts from as many people as possible, so please join in the discussion!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Join in the dialogue <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/dialog-pendidikan/pengenalan-pendidikan-dalam-bahasa-inggeris-english-medium-education/703677933399951/">here</a></td></tr>
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As an EL teacher, of course I want my students to know the importance of English and my life-long mission is for every children in my country to have the opportunity to learn the language well. And I can totally understand MoE's stand on this matter and why they come up with initiatives such as the Dual Language Programme (DLP) - which, supposedly is an 'improvised version' of the former Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) (Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English).<br />
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Also, as a school teacher, I believe the question: "what is best for Malaysian students?" is not only pertinent, but also the most important one - for me at least. In this post, I'd like to share some of my thoughts from the perspective of a classroom practitioner, and also as a student studying research in bilingual / multilingual education.<br />
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<b>Teaching other subjects in English</b><br />
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The principles that underlie the implementation of Dual Language Programme (DLP) seems to borrow from a lot of popular language teaching and learning models such as the one-way and two-way dual language program currently gaining popularity in the United States, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) - widely used in the UK, Language Immersion - reported to be very successful in Canada, and English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI). I don't have an insider's knowledge of the background research that has led to the implementation of our Malaysia's DLP, but I suspect some, if not all, of these models must have had influenced the decisions made by the policy makers.<br />
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From bilingual / multilingual education point of view, teaching curriculum content in English and the use of English as a medium of instruction are two different concepts, though in public discussions these two concepts are often used interchangeably. I think to answer the question of what is best for Malaysian children in terms of language learning, a practitioner needs to understand the nuanced differences among these many different models. Just to provide an example, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) operates based on the underlying principle that "all teachers are language teachers" (The Bullock Report - A Language for Life, 1975). Marsh (1994) defines CLIL as "<span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focused aims, namely the learning of content and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language."</span> CLIL lesson is neither a language lesson or a subject lesson transmitted in a foreign language. In CLIL, both language learning and the learning of the subject are given equal importance. Teachers who teach CLIL are specially trained teachers - often referred to as CLIL teachers - and they're well-versed in the teaching of both the language and the subject.<br />
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Our DLP employs current subject teachers (Mathematics, Science, Information and Communication Technology, Design and Technology) to teach the subject in English. Under the DLP, learners use textbooks and learning materials in English, and all classroom instructions are to be delivered in English. The teachers are not specially-trained DLP teachers, although they do receive trainings on how to conduct lessons under the DLP and how to use materials provided by the MoE. The teachers are not supposed to teach language skills and content. The focus is on the teaching of the subject - and DLP hopes that through the language immersion provided by classroom instructions and interactions as well as engagements with learning materials written in English, students would be able to acquire a certain level of English language proficiency.<br />
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These strike more resonance to English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) rather than CLIL. The British Council in their 2014 report on the global widespread of English as a medium of instruction defined EMI as "t<span style="font-family: inherit;">he use of the English language to teach academic subjects in countries or jurisdictions where the first language (L1) of the majority of the population is not English" (Dearden, 2014, p. 2). According to the report:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">In many countries the educational infrastructure does not support quality EMI provision: there is a shortage of linguistically qualified teachers; there are no stated expectations of English language proficiency; there appear to be few organisational or pedagogical guidelines which might lead to effective EMI teaching and learning; there is little or no EMI content in initial teacher education (teacher preparation) programmes and continuing professional development (in-service) courses. (Dearden, 2014, p. 2)</span></li>
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This echoes the sentiments associated with the former PPSMI. DLP addresses part of the issue by ensuring that only schools with enough subject teachers with high level of English language proficiency are allowed to carry out DLP. This is great, but I believe it is also important for us to address the issue of support for teachers. I don't have access to any data on this matter, but last year when I was working with KK Education Office, I was asked to interview some teachers in my district to get their feedbacks on DLP as part of MoE's study on teachers' training needs analysis. From the few responses that I got, teachers seemed to believe that more support in terms of trainings focusing on pedagogical approaches should be provided. Some teachers also pointed out that the materials provided by the MoE were not sufficient. At the time of the interview, some primary school teachers told me that their schools still hadn't received the Science and Mathematics textbooks in English. One teacher told me that most of her classroom materials were downloaded from the Internet, which was fine - but she wished that there were more support in terms of the costs of printing and photocopying. But to be fair, this was last year. I haven't been in the field for almost a year now - things might have changed, - for the better, I hope.<br />
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<b>Don't kill the wrong bird</b><br />
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The reason I'm sharing all of these is because I believe it's important to get our motivation right. In this post, I won't be discussing the socio-economical or political justifications for advocating English-medium education. I'd like to share my thoughts from the educational perspective, with specific focus on language education.<br />
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I acknowledge the appeal of the idea of "killing many birds with one stone." It carries with it the connotation of productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. But I also believe that it's important for us to ensure that during the bird-killing spree, we don't end up killing the wrong bird. <br />
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If our main agenda is to enhance English language proficiency among our children, then I believe the focus should be on English language education. I know that there are currently many MoE initiatives on that, which includes the controversial directive for all Malaysian EL teachers to sit for the Malaysia University English Test (MUET), the implementation of the Highly Immersive Programme (HIP), the adoption of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in English language curriculum and etc etc. (I actually have a lot to say about all of these, but let's keep that for another post).<br />
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DLP is a great idea - the principles mimic many of the successful models implemented in many countries. And I believe we can all understand the motivation behind the combination of English language and all science-related and technical subjects. Our politicians believe that in order to be a developed nation, promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is the way to go. And for it to be much more valuable, English has to be in the picture. However, in order to make it work, a few things need to be taken into considerations.<br />
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First, what do we want? Do we want English as a medium of instruction, or do we want to teach English and the subject simultaneously? What are the justifications for our choice?<br />
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Both choices would require us to equip schools and teachers with the facilities, materials and expertise necessary. Have we done that enough?<br />
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What about the students? What do they think about it? Do they like it? How does this affect their learning?<br />
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<b>So, what's the best for our children?</b><br />
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Dr Keith Taber from the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge once said, "In education, the answer to all questions is always the same: it depends!"<br />
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Some people believe that using English as a medium of instruction might widen the socio-economic divide between urban and rural area. Many opinions attribute this view to the fact that more children (and teachers) in the urban area are more prepared to learn (and teach) in English compared to those in the rural area. I'm sorry I don't have the statistics to back me up for this, but I've been in Malaysia's primary school education scene for close to 15 years now and throughout the years I'm blessed to have known a lot of wonderful teachers who are teaching in rural areas. I've seen with my own eyes how these teachers transform their classrooms and schools, and how their efforts impacted the students in amazing, inspiring ways. And having experienced being a rural primary school EL teacher for ten years myself, I think the view about rural children being "less competent" compared to urban children is just a load of bull. Geographical locations and demography don't determine an individual's cognitive ability. Abilities don't widen the gap, opportunities do.<br />
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So, what should we do? These are some of my humble suggestions:<br />
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<i>Provide specialised and contextualised support for schools and teachers</i><br />
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We can't just roll out policies and directives to schools and teachers and leave them in the dark to figure out things on their own. Whenever I say things like this, many people will say "What do you mean there are no support? We conduct thousands of trainings!" I know. But define training for me, please? Is it nationwide blanketing of policy implementation through transmissive cascade model? Whether we want to adopt EMI or CLIL or whatever model in our education system, we need to ensure that specialised and contextualised support are given to schools and teachers. Especially for teachers. If we want to adopt EMI, we need to have EMI-specialist teachers. If it's CLIL, then we should have CLIL specialist teachers. The trainings should be conducted for both pre-service level (teacher education) as well as in-service level (professional development). Trainings should be customised based on the needs of the schools, the teachers and the learners. Trainings shouldn't be limited to instructions about policy, directives from the MoE and all stuffs related to that. In fact, I'll be radical. Those shouldn't be in the training at all. Those things can be done during a staff meeting or whatever. Trainings should be focused on helping and supporting schools and teachers. To give them the skills and knowledge needed to pull this off effectively. And it should be contextualised. There should be no one-size-fits-all. There's no such thing.<br />
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<i>Provide sufficient materials and facilities</i><br />
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This has been an issue for a long time. Let's not talk about how using English as a medium of instruction can widen the socio-economic gap between urban and rural students when we know very well that part of the problem for the lower academic achievement in the rural areas is because many students have to learn in extremely non-conducive environment. Dilapidated classrooms, no electricity, issues of access etc etc contribute to rural students being deprived of lots of opportunities. Rural kids are as brilliant as kids in the urban areas. Given the same kind of opportunities, they can thrive as well as any kid. Believe me, I know. But the issue of lack of materials and facilities are not just confined to the rural schools, although rural areas might have suffered from this more severely. It's a serious issue in the urban areas too. Books, materials, equipment and other physical support need to be adequate, appropriate and relevant for any programme to be implemented successfully.<br />
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<i>Listen to the students</i><br />
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My good friend used to say, "When it comes to education, everyone will have an opinion." She shared with me how she had some really good conversations on the issues of education with taxi drivers while she was doing her PhD field work in Singapore. When it comes to education issues, everyone will say something. And everyone will say that the main focus is on the children. True. But the children's voices remain muted. How many times do we turn to the students for opinions? We often measure the impacts of a programme based on students' performance in examinations or some kinds of tests, or based on what their parents say, or based on the school's achievement in co-curricular activities, or even based on evaluation of teachers' competence. Well, some studies do interview students to learn about their "perceptions" of something. But I think we need to go deeper. We need to listen to students voices more. They need to be at the table with the policy makers. If it's true that we're doing this for them, then this is what we should do. More on this in my next post.<br />
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<b>Don't forget to share your thoughts</b><br />
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Well, as usual, this has become longer than I planned it to be. So I'll stop here for now. Please don't forget to share your thoughts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/dialog-pendidikan/pengenalan-pendidikan-dalam-bahasa-inggeris-english-medium-education/703677933399951/">Dialog Pendidikan</a>. Your opinions matter!<br />
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Till the next! -ccj<br />
<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-47872105761017124032019-05-18T06:02:00.003+01:002019-05-18T06:02:49.318+01:00Happy Teacher's Day!May 16 is the official date for Teacher's Day celebration in Malaysia. This year I want to do something special, since I'm celebrating this all by myself far away from my home country. I made this little video - my version of <b><i>Kami Guru Malaysia</i></b>.<br />
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Sorry, I know it's far from perfect - saya budak baru belajar! :)<br />
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<i>Saya Guru Malaysia</i></div>
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<i>Apa yang saya janji</i></div>
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<i>Tunai tetap saya tunaikan</i></div>
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I also miss receiving presents from students! :D<br />
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Happy Teacher's Day everyone! Till the next -ccj, 6:02, Cambridge</div>
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-58948663493542149762019-05-15T08:48:00.000+01:002019-05-15T10:39:11.922+01:00A Tale of Two Classrooms: Bawah Kolong and Construction ContainerI was awakened at around 2 a.m. and as usual couldn't go back to sleep. First thing I did was to look at my phone. Saw this Tweet from the Minister.<br />
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Research shows that physical spaces affect learning, which is why we have to first ensure we provide a safe and comfortable environment for our students. Sadly, I witnessed many schools that are still dilapidated and have therefore committed to fixing this as our main priority. <a href="https://t.co/ZFpdYfeq3Z">pic.twitter.com/ZFpdYfeq3Z</a></div>
— Maszlee Malik (@maszlee) <a href="https://twitter.com/maszlee/status/1128203564260548608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Now, I very seldom respond to or interact with politicians' social media posts - but I can't resist this one. This Tweet stirred something deep within. My first reaction was: what took people so long to realise that this should be the utmost priority from Day 1?</div>
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<b>First Thing First</b></div>
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I acknowledge that the ministry has a lot of things on its plate, but I believe taking care of basic necessities should be instinctive. We have been spending too much time arguing about other things which - important as they are - can actually wait. </div>
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I don't mean to direct this at the current ministry. Problems with dilapidated schools have been going on for years - for as long as I can remember, for much longer than I have existed. Believe me, I know. </div>
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I'm a Sabahan. I don't just teach in Sabah - I was born in Sabah. I grew up in Sabah. I received my primary and secondary education in government schools in Sabah. I know what <i>dilapidated schools</i> mean. I don't just know what it means - I know how it feels like to be in one. I've been a student in dilapidated schools. I've been a teacher in dilapidated schools!</div>
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I'm actually quite amused that issues with dilapidated schools don't seem to get as much buzz as, say, issues with ESL teachers' language proficiency or streaming or assessments or whether or not Science and Mathematics should be taught in English. I acknowledge that these are important issues, but so are issues with dilapidated schools. </div>
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<b>Human Instinct</b></div>
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I'm not going to quote any research - no amount of so-called 'research findings' can replace real human experience. These are pictures of me with my Year 5 in one of our out-of-class lessons.</div>
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I posted these on Facebook and I got comments like:</div>
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"Wow, Cynthia. You're such an inspiring teacher!"</div>
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"This is 21st century education."</div>
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"You should be an <i>adiwira</i>."</div>
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I was like - whaat??? You know, I didn't bring my students outside because I thought it was cool and trendy. Being a great-teacher-who-inspires was the last thing on my mind at that time. 21st century education??? <i>Adiwira</i>??? Hahahahahahahahahaha! </div>
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Please. I appreciate the compliments, but actually I was just trying my very best not to pass out.</div>
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It was after recess - I had 56 kids in my class. The classroom was a container. You know, the kind of container used as temporary makeshift offices in construction sites. The kids just came back from playing outside - they were bouncy and sweaty and smelly. The classroom (container) was hot and stuffy and unventilated. I was dizzy and suffocating and oxygen-deprived. </div>
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Okay, kids! Let's do something different today. Let's have our lesson outside!</div>
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Yay!!! I love you teacher!!! You're the best teacher everrrr!!!</div>
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I was just trying my very best not to pass out. It wasn't greatness. It wasn't inspiring. It was basic human instinct. It was me at my weakest. It was my biological mechanism's natural reaction. It was survival.</div>
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<b>I'm highly confident in my ability to teach, but...</b></div>
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I served the education office in KK for three years before leaving for my study. During those years I had this great opportunity to work with an NGO on an outreach project aimed at eradicating illiteracy and improving English language proficiency among primary school children in Sabah rural schools. The NGO had solid funding - money wasn't a problem. I worked very closely with the NGO rep - we had lots of discussions and conversations on the best strategies, the best approaches. </div>
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We wanted to stock up the school libraries with good quality storybooks. We decided on workshops for teachers. We worked on modules for teachers and students. We planned school-based English language projects. We thought about English language carnivals to motivate students and to make them fall in love with learning. The rep said we could do anything. Money wasn't a problem. We had solid financial backup. </div>
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All seemed good on paper. And then, it was time to conduct site visits. </div>
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We visited schools in flood-prone areas. Furniture and books and supplies were short-lived because classrooms were flooded all the time. Local politicians dropped by but left as soon as they had taken Insta-perfect pictures of themselves holding brooms, pretending to help teachers clean up the mess of the flood's aftermath. </div>
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The rep shared with me pictures of her visits to schools in the interior. Some schools can only be accessed with a four-wheel drive. To get to some schools, walking through the jungle is the only option. Some schools have no electricity and running water. (in the 21st century)</div>
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In KK itself (which is supposed to be the <i>capital city</i> of Sabah), we have <i>a lot of</i> schools with classrooms filled to the brim with 50 to 60 students - very little spaces to walk around. There were not enough furniture - children had to share desks and chairs. During a visit to one such school, the teacher was enthusiastically showing us around and we were enthusiastically talking about our workshops and our modules and our carnivals when I suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy. It was around 2 p.m., it was 35 degree Celsius, I was wrapped in my teacher's official attire - the <i>baju kurung</i>. I held on to the wall to stop myself from collapsing. I looked at the stuffy classrooms filled to the brim with bouncy, sweaty children and memories of my smelly, unventilated container-classroom came to mind. </div>
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"You know what?" I told my company. "Forget about the modules and the workshops and the carnivals. If we have so much money, why don't we use it to upgrade and repair classrooms and schools?"</div>
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The teacher and the rep stopped walking. They stopped talking. The teacher held my hand. They both looked at me. </div>
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"I don't think the teachers and the students are the problems here. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the children...and I'm highly confident in my ability to teach, but...but look at this..."</div>
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Both my friends nodded. They both looked straight at me, knowing look in their eyes.</div>
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"I know, Cynthia," the rep responded gently. "I know."</div>
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<b>Thank you for your prayers...</b></div>
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I'm a firm believer in the positive impacts of conducive environments on students' learning and achievement. No need to quote any research here. If you're a homo sapien, you should know. Period. One of the first projects I did as a young newly-minted teacher in my first school in the rural area about 12 years ago was to do a total classroom make-over. I was the Head of the English Panel (actually there were just two of us in the panel, haha!), and during our panel meeting we decided to 'adopt' one of the classrooms. We gave our adopted classroom a total make-over - we painted the walls, we put up wallpapers and notice boards, we laid carpets and rubber mats. We repaired the furnitures. We put up nice curtains. We spent days and nights on the classroom. We worked hard, but we had fun, too! Too bad it all happened during the pre-smartphones, pre-Facebook and pre-Instagram era, or we would have had a comprehensive before-and-after photos of the whole process to brag with and boast about. The new classroom looked stunning. It was lovely. It was an exciting time for us and our students and the whole school.</div>
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Everyone complimented us on our efforts, but no one asked how we managed to get the money to do all those things. Well, it wasn't because they didn't care - it was because they already knew the answer. We spent our own money. The school admins knew the money was from our own pockets - but all they could say was: may God bless the two of you. And all we could say was: Thank you for the prayers. </div>
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Both of us were new teachers, so we didn't yet earn much at that time. That was why we only managed to do one classroom. As we earn more, we tend to spend more. Our spending on our classrooms increased proportionately haha. I also know many teachers all over Malaysia (and all over the world) who spend a large chunk of their teachers' pay-checks on classroom decorations and other stuffs - just so they can provide conducive spaces for the students to learn in. </div>
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Many teachers are altruistic, they love doing what they're doing and are happy when the best people can do to help is to pray that the Lord will bless them. But there's a limit to what you can do with severely dilapidated classrooms. I had a colleague whose leg went through the classroom floor once - the injury was serious enough that she had to be hospitalised. What kind of 'make-over' can you give to a classroom like that? And how long will it last? Patching holes, making small repairs and touch-ups using money from teachers' puny pay-checks - is it a sustainable solution? </div>
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There's a limit to what teachers can do with severely dilapidated classrooms, and also classrooms that can't pass as classrooms. There was one time when my school experienced a serious classroom shortage. Students in my class had to move to a space under one of the stilted buildings (in Malay this is called <i>bawah kolong</i>). It was dark, dusty and musty. I had quite a hard time keeping track of some of the naughtier ones who loved to play hide-and-seek behind the fat stilts. Occasionally, random scorpions and snakes and other reptiles and crustaceans would drop by to pay us a visit. No amount of make-over can improve the conduciveness of the space. The only way we could make learning fun was if I pretended to be an inspiring <i>adiwira </i>teacher conducting '<i>21st century lessons</i> ' - we just had to do silly things to prevent ourselves from getting sick and passing out. We tried our best to be happy with whatever we had. </div>
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Looking back, in all fairness I can say that it was experiences like these that had helped me become who I am today as a teacher. They taught me a lot. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Oh well. </div>
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<b>But whatever it is...</b></div>
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But whatever it is, I still have to say this: <i>Bawah kolong</i> is NOT a classroom. A construction container is NOT a classroom. So I passed MUET and IELTS with flying colours. So what? Who cares? </div>
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Okay I have been up since 2 a.m., I'm going to pass out now.</div>
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May God bless all of us. </div>
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Till the next. -ccj, 5.55 a.m., Cambridge</div>
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cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-34288513911651240842019-05-15T04:03:00.001+01:002019-05-15T04:03:58.102+01:00My Latest Book - 2019 EditionJust a quick one to announce the latest edition of my book. Have a good day! -ccj<br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="632" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbeyondchalkandtalk%2Fposts%2F2299523473642177%3A0&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe>cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-21317321496275644822019-03-07T08:29:00.000+00:002019-03-07T10:45:28.901+00:00Measurement versus Mobilisation? : Exploring Ways to Understand Teacher Knowledge<br />
I have been sharing my thoughts and reflections on this topic on three blog posts so far :D And I think it's getting clearer to me where these whole things are heading. If you're interested, you can check out my previous posts:<br />
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<a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/02/narrative-inquiry-as-tool-for-teacher.html">Narrative Inquiry as a Tool for Teacher Professional Development: Initial Thoughts</a></div>
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<a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/02/narrative-inquiry-as-tool-for-teacher_26.html">Narrative Inquiry as a Tool for Teacher Professional Development: "How do we get here?"</a></div>
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<a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/03/teacher-knowledge-technology.html">Teacher Knowledge & Technology Integration: Measuring the Immeasurable</a>?</div>
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In the first post, I tried to explore the concept of narrative inquiry and discuss briefly the 'tensions' between narrative thinking and the traditional, so-called more 'scientific-grounded' 'grand narrative.' In the second post, I went deeper into what narrative inquiry is about and tried to see if we can explore the potential for it to be a tool for self-reflective, self-determined professional development for teachers. The third post might seem a bit off-tangent, but it's still related. I shared my passion on teacher knowledge and technology integration, and suggested narrative inquiry as a possible alternative approach to analyse the development of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of teachers. </div>
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What I'm hoping to do in this post is to gather my thoughts in a more organised manner - to explore the reasons why I believe narrative inquiry is the way to go when discussing teacher knowledge and teacher professional development in general - and specifically technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). I'm revisiting the 'tensions' described by Clandinin & Connelly (2000) and will try to contextualise them within the scope of teacher knowledge, teacher professional development and of course, TPACK.</div>
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Exploring the Value of Experiences</h3>
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While discussing the conceptualisation of the TPACK framework for application in teacher professional development, Mishra & Koehler (2006) drew on Dewey’s philosophy on experience and stated that “every experience should prepare a person for later experiences of a deeper, more expansive quality” (p. 1040). Though not explicitly addressed in the paper, Mishra & Koehler’s reference to experience implied a focus on the development (rather than the numerical measurement) of teacher knowledge. <br />
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In discussing narrative as a strategy of inquiry in research, Clandinin & Connelly (2000) also drew on John Dewey in addition to Mark Johnson and Alasdair Macintyre as their main sources of influence. As mentioned in my previous posts (see above), change is central to a narrative, and certainty is not a goal (p. 7). Hence, narrative is not a quest to find a definite answer to a question. Rather, it is a journey or an attempt to understand change and the factors that surround it. <br />
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Clandinin & Connelly described a “tension” between what they refer to as the ‘grand narrative’ and narrative inquiry. The ‘grand narrative’ is an idea of research that subscribes to Thorndike’s ideal of “observation and numerical presentation of behaviour” that has emerged as ‘the’ way in educational research (p. 22). Challenging this so-called “unquestioned way of looking at things” by proposing the alternative approach of narrative inquiry (p. 22), Clandinin & Connelly were faced with oppositions that they described as follows: “We thought they were slightly intransigent and unwilling to change, whereas they, with the weight of opinion on their side, probably saw us as esoteric and unwilling to compromise” (p. 29). <br />
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In the context of teacher professional development, I would argue that the narrative inquiry strategy is a more pertinent approach than the ‘grand narrative’. I will discuss the impetus for adopting narrative inquiry over the ‘grand narrative’ by analysing the five ‘tensions’ listed by Clandinin & Connelly (2000), i.e. temporality, people, action, certainty and context. <br />
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When discussing temporality, narrative thinking looks at an event as having a past, a present and an implied future (p. 29). Applying this to the context of a teacher’s professional development, we know that the teacher’s experience does not start and stop at the training session. The teacher brings with her a past experience that shapes how she conceptualises the knowledge she learns at the present training, and her plans for transferring the knowledge she has acquired into practice after the training is over, i.e. in the future. In their earlier work, Clandinin & Connelly encapsulated this time-bound nature through their notion of “personal practical knowledge”, i.e. a particular way for a teacher to reconstruct “the past and the intentions of the future to deal with the exigencies of a present situation” (Connelly & Clandinin, 1988, p. 25).<br />
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The ‘grand narrative’, on the other hand, characterises events and things “in and of themselves”, and appear to have a “timeless sense about them” (p. 30). This is the assumption mainly adopted by approaches that seek to measure whether a teacher’s knowledge has reached a certain ‘level’ or ‘standard’ as a result of a training session. This is problematic, because as discussed in my previous posts, teacher knowledge is not static or stagnant. It is personal, practical, tacit, systematic, and dynamic (Borg, 2015). Therefore, my contention is that examining teacher knowledge should require an approach that is not impersonal, rigid or devoid of context. <br />
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People are central to narrative inquiry. Clandinin & Connelly (2000) emphasised that “people, at any point in time, are in a process of personal change” (p. 30). Narrative thinking takes into account the histories and experiences of people. In the context of research on teacher professional development, a narrative inquirer is interested in “understanding teachers as knowers: knowers of themselves, of their situations, of children, of subject matter, of teaching, of learning” (Connelly & Clandinin, 1999, p. 1). This strikes a resonance with the underlying principles of the TPACK framework, which seeks to understand the interplay among the three components of technology, subject matter and pedagogy as well as the affordances and constraints that they represent. <br />
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The ‘grand narrative’s’ focus on scientific observation and numerical measurements makes it an “essentially people-free notion” (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000, p. 30). Inquiries on teacher professional development that adopted this approach would be more interested in measuring the effectiveness of a training programme without taking into account the personal experiences of the teachers involved. Narrative histories and personal experiences would be seen as irrelevant or merely anecdotal. This view goes against the notion of teachers as holders of knowledge. For me, it seems to be taking the most important variable out of the equation. <br />
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Action</h4>
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In narrative inquiry, action is understood as a “narrative sign” (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000, p. 30). Any action should be interpreted as expressions of narrative histories (p. 31). Interpretations of narrative histories give significant meaning to an action. In the context of research on teacher professional development, a narrative inquirer would interpret a teacher’s practice, either inside or outside the classroom, in relation to his personal histories and contextual experiences. Every single action and decision would be traced back to the teacher’s context as well as past and present experiences. <br />
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The ‘grand narrative’ perspective will treat an action as a direct evidence of something. For example, performance is a direct evidence of cognitive level. In the context of teacher professional development, this would mean interpreting teacher’s practices in the classroom as either a sign of competence or incompetence, or as evidence of the levels of skills in certain pedagogical approaches. This would often be measured using instruments consisting of checklists or description of standards. Although quite a common practice in many research on teacher professional development (e.g. Rohaan, Taconis & Jochem, 2012; König & Pflanzl, 2016; Lin & Rowland, 2016), I would like to propose a more personalised way of examining teacher knowledge. Analysing teacher knowledge and learning experiences in this manner reduces teachers to “merely a filtering variable or a factor to be considered as either an impediment or a catalyst for the achievement of objectives” (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000, p. 28). There are contextually-bound and historically-driven reasons for every action taken by teachers as professionals in the classroom, and I propose that we take these reasons into considerations when analysing the development of teacher knowledge through professional development activities.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">There are contextually-bound and historically-driven reasons for every action taken by teachers as professionals in the classroom, and I propose that we take these reasons into considerations when analysing the development of teacher knowledge through professional development activities</span></span></td></tr>
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Certainty</h4>
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Narrative thinking approaches certainty with tentativeness. Since narrative inquiry is concerned with people’s experiences, there are no right or wrong answers. A narrative inquirer embarking on research on teacher knowledge should adopt what Clandinin & Connelly (2000) described as doing “one’s best”, i.e. “knowing all the while that other possibilities, other interpretations, other ways of explaining things are possible” (p. 31). In dealing with the personal, tacit, systematic and dynamic nature of teacher knowledge (Borg, 2015), I believe this is the natural approach to be adopted. <br />
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From the ‘grand narrative’ perspective, “causality, with its ensuing certainty, is the hallmark” (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000, p. 31). The attitude associated with the ‘grand narrative’ is that there is one correct answer to every question. Causality requires the inquirer to explain how X results in Y. Factors are relationships that can be explained by equations. This will certainly create a lot of problems when applied in the study of the ever-changing and progressive nature of the temporal, contextually-bound knowledge and experiences of teachers. The complex and differentiated nature of knowledge and experiences is such that it is impossible to reduce them to mathematical equations. As Mishra & Koehler (2006) puts it, “it is difficult to study cause and effect when teachers, classrooms, politics and curriculum goals vary from case to case” (p. 1018). <br />
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Context</h4>
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In describing their journey towards the construction of the TPACK framework after 5 years of research on teacher professional development, Mishra & Koehler (2006) stated that the challenge was to develop a theory that captures “a detailed understanding of complex relationships that are <i>contextually bound</i>” (p. 1018, emphasis added). Clandinin & Connelly (2000) listed the three types of contexts to look out for in narrative inquiry, and they are temporal context, spatial context, and context of other people. In narrative thinking, context is “ever present” and “necessary for making sense of any person, event, or thing” (p. 32). This is highly relevant for research on the ever-evolving, dynamic and contextually-bound teacher knowledge. </div>
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The ‘grand narrative’ view acknowledges that contexts do exist. However, the main concern is to explore answers and solutions that can be applied to all contexts. According to Clandinin & Connelly (2000), the general view of the ‘grand narrative’ is that “context can be analysed into variables and measures of certainty attached to the importance of various contextual factors” (p. 32). The prime concern of the ‘grand narrative’ is the universal case, and not the person. This view would lead to the design of ‘one-size-fits-all’ teacher professional development models that are not differentiated or customised based on teachers’ individual needs and contexts. </div>
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So What? What Now?</h3>
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Well, I think to a certain extent I have managed to convince myself of the value of exploring teacher's development of knowledge by analysing their learning experiences through narrative inquiry, as opposed to measuring the levels of knowledge based on a certain standard descriptions or checklists. Of course, this doesn't end here. The questions that I really would like to find the answers to are these: </div>
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What is happening in the transition between training and actual classroom practices?<br />
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How do teachers make sense of the experiences? </div>
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What goes through teachers’ cognition in terms of how they can transfer or mobilise their newly acquired knowledge to actual practice? </div>
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How do teachers interpret the affordances and constraints? </div>
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What factors influence their decisions?</div>
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And most importantly: Can the answers to the above questions be explored through narrative inquiry? If so, how?<br />
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I hope I can share my thoughts on these in my next post. :) :)</div>
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Till the next one! -ccj, 8.10am, Cambridge</div>
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<b>References:</b></div>
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Borg, S. (2015). <i>Teacher Cognition and Language Education</i>. London New Dehli New Xork Sydney: Bloomsbury Academic.<br />
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Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). <i>Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in Qualitative Research</i>. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey Bass.</div>
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Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. <i>Teachers College Record, 108(6)</i>, 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x<br />
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cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-42239188854377367702019-03-06T08:05:00.003+00:002019-03-07T10:33:17.361+00:00Teacher Knowledge & Technology Integration: Measuring the Immeasurable?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); font-size: 14px;"><i><br />The more you know, the more you know you don't know. ~Aristotle</i></span></span></div>
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13 years ago, I was a newly-minted ESL teacher in a beautiful primary school by the sea in Kunak, Sabah, Malaysia. I was young, enthusiastic and eager - but I was also naive, clueless and inexperienced. I couldn't wait to apply everything that I learned from my years of education at the teachers' training college in my classroom. I wanted to teach, I wanted to touch hearts, I wanted to change my students' lives.<br />
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One of the areas that I'm super passionate about is technology integration in the language classroom. I'm not much of a tech-geek, but I do love experimenting with different types of tools and softwares to enhance pupils' engagement and increase their motivations to learn. But it was hard. Harder than I thought.<br />
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Looking back, I think I managed to apply only a fraction of what I learned about technology integration and language learning from my pre-service training. My teacher education was of course useful; it provided the foundation that I needed to start off properly. But as an in-service teacher, I had to continue developing my craft by un-learning and re-learning a lot of things. I attended lots of teacher trainings, seminars, and conferences on educational technology. I learned from books, from the Internet, and from conversations with my colleagues. But most of all, I learned from experiences - through countless experiments, trials and errors, success and failures, fixes and mistakes.<br />
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Throughout the years, I have formed my own belief system, my own principles, my own epistemology about educational technology and language pedagogy. I have developed my teacher knowledge on the subject. And this knowledge is not static. It is dynamic and ever-changing. My knowledge grows and evolves as I learn more things, and as I move from one school to another, from one context to another.<br />
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But throughout the years, I have given very little thought on how all the knowledge that I acquired through the many professional development activities and self-directed learning that I engaged in were mobilised and transferred to my professional practice in the classroom. How can I best describe the construction of my teacher knowledge? What happened in the transition process, between the learning and the actual practice? Would understanding of the affordances and constraints of technology use in language teaching help me learn how I learn as a teacher, and thus inform me about the types of professional development best suited for me?<br />
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I believe this is an area worthy of further reflections and explorations.<br />
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Learning to Know, Knowing to Learn</h3>
Teacher knowledge is a research area under the overarching field of teacher cognition. Borg (2003, 2005, 2015) defined teacher cognition as teachers thinking, knowledge and beliefs; and how they are related to practices in the classroom. The impetus for research on teacher cognition is the notion that teachers play an important role in determining what is going on in the classroom as active and thinking decision-makers (Borg, 2015). Borg also asserted that understanding of teacher cognition is central to the process of understanding teaching.<br />
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The term 'teacher knowledge' emerged in the 1980's, especially through the seminal work of Shulman (1986) on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Shulman described PCK as "the blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues are organised, represented, and adapted to the diverse interests and abilities of learners, and presented for instructions" (p. 8). According to Borg, Shulman's PCK had the largest impact on scholarships and research on teacher cognition, displacing the term 'teacher thinking' and remains the dominant concept today.<br />
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Teacher Knowledge and Technology Integration</h3>
One of the most recent contributions to the field of teacher knowledge is Mishra & Koehler’s (2006) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, which was referred to as a “model of technology integration in teaching and learning” (p. 1029). The TPACK framework incorporates a technological knowledge domain into Shulman’s (1986) concept of PCK. It describes the interplay among knowledge of pedagogy, content and knowledge as crucial for meaningful technology integration in the classroom. <br />
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Mishra & Koehler argued that technology, pedagogy, and content “exist in a state of dynamic equilibrium” and that productive technology integration needs to consider the three domains “not in isolation, but rather within the complex relationships in the system” (p. 1029). They proposed the adoption of the TPACK framework in restructuring professional development to help teachers develop “nuanced understandings” of the dynamic equilibrium among technology, pedagogy and content which is essential for meaningful technology integration in the classroom (p. 1030). <br />
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According to Mishra & Koehler, the traditional methods of training for technology integration such as workshops and courses are no longer pertinent in helping teachers become “intelligent users of technology for pedagogy” (p. 1032). They listed factors such as “the rapid rate of technology change,” “inappropriate design of software,” “the situated nature of learning” and “an emphasis on what, not how” as the reasons why “competencies and checklists of things that teachers need to know is inherently problematic,” and therefore should no longer be applied in technology integration training for teachers (pp. 1032-1033). Mishra & Koehler advocated the ‘learning-technology-by-design’ approach which adopts the TPACK framework in technology integration professional development for teachers. This approach enables teachers to be engaged in “authentic design activities around education technology” which “compelled them to seriously study the complex relationships between technology and education” (p. 1038).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Technology, pedagogy and content exist in a state of dynamic equilibrium (Mishra & Koehler, 2006)<br />
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Measuring the Immeasurable?</h3>
The TPACK framework has emerged as a representation of the knowledge required for contextually authentic and pedagogically appropriate technology integration in education (Abbit, 2011), and has had a significant impact on research and practices in the field (Cavanagh & Koehler, 2013). However, this framework is not without criticisms. Perhaps the biggest discussion surrounding the TPACK framework is associated with the way TPACK should be conceptualised and measured. Abbit (2011) reported to have reviewed more than 300 unique publications which included journal articles and conference proceedings on the topic. Yet, as pointed out by Brantley-Dias & Ertmer (2013), this large body of work do not seem to be able to offer “a simple, precise definition of the TPACK framework” or “a robust way to measure it” (p. 104). <br />
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It is important to note that the concept of TPACK originally introduced by Mishra & Koehler (2006) mentioned no reference to any form of measurement or the importance of it. Fisser et al (2015) suggested that “the desire to measure whether teachers have sufficient TPACK and whether growth in TPACK can be measured” emerged after the framework has been adopted by many researchers and practitioners (p. 3). A lot of studies have measured the TPACK of both pre-service and in-service teachers through self-assessment surveys, classroom observations, and assessment of artifacts, among others (Abbit, 2011; Fisser et al, 2015; Cavanagh & Koehler, 2013). The choice of instruments and methods of measurements were largely influenced by the way the TPACK framework was viewed by the researchers, i.e. as a technology enhancement of Shulman’s (1986) PCK, as the separate development of the different components and intersections of the domains in the framework, and the TPACK framework as an integrated body of knowledge that can be developed and assessed as a whole (Fisser et al, 2015). <br />
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To address these challenges to the TPACK framework, I propose that we return to the original concept of framework posited by Mishra & Koehler (2006). Throughout their paper, Mishra & Koehler were consistent in establishing TPACK as the interplay, or “dynamic equilibrium” among technological, pedagogical and content knowledge. Brantley-Dias & Ertmer (2013) argued that “TPACK takes the concept of technology integration and packages it as a framework that is much too big (i.e., one that embodies seven distinct knowledge types) while simultaneously making it too small by dividing the “package” into so many pieces that they have become impossible to distinguish from one another (e.g., TK vs. TCK)” (p. 104). However, referring back to Mishra & Koehler’s (2006) original proposition, it was maintained from the very beginning that “viewing any of these components in isolation from the others represents a real disservice to good teaching” (Mishra & Koehler, 2006, p. 1030). Although Mishra & Koehler did provide descriptions for the separate knowledge domains and their intersections, they were quite clear in their stance that for technology integration in education to be meaningful, all the three domains of technology, pedagogy and content should be considered as a unified yet dynamic whole rather than separately as distinguishable small pieces (Brantley-Dias & Ertmer, 2013).</div>
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Focus on Development: Narrative Inquiry of Teacher Knowledge</h3>
As pointed out by Fisser et al (2015), the desire to measure TPACK emerged after the framework has gained popularity and prominence in the field of educational technology. The original intention of the TPACK framework as proposed by Mishra & Koehler (2006) was to “transform the conceptualisation and the practice of teacher education, teacher training, and teachers’ professional development” (p. 1019), and not as a framework to measure teacher knowledge. In fact, in explaining the learning-technology-by-design approach which has led to the original conceptualisation of TPACK, Mishra & Koehler put great emphasis on the development of teachers’ learning experiences in contextualised setting, rather than the measurement of their knowledge. For example, in describing the case study of the design teams, data collected through progress reports, group postings, e-mail interviews, reflection papers and artifacts were “reviewed to identify emerging themes and develop a narrative of the development of the online course” (p. 1041). The data collection process was also described as “iterative” and “continually revisited” (p. 1041), and these are more consistent with the concept of narrative inquiry of teacher knowledge (Borg, 2015; Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), rather than numerical measurement of teacher knowledge. <br />
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Clandinin & Connelly (2000) described narrative inquiry as “a way of understanding experience” (p. 20). Change is central in narrative inquiry, and certainty is not a goal (p. 9). Clandinin & Connelly argued that change is important because change is what leads to continuity. Narrative inquiry is interested in not just what is happening at the current moment, but also in the past and in the ensuing future. Clandinin & Connelly asserted that continuity results because people improvise and adapt, i.e. they learn (p. 7). In other words, change is a clear indication that learning occurs. It is a sign of development.</div>
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Analysis of research in the field has characterised teacher knowledge as personal, practical, tacit, systematic, and dynamic (Borg, 2015). Teacher knowledge is not a static, stable trait. It is constantly evolving and ever-changing. Adopting any types of measurements on TPACK reduces it to Thorndike’s “measurement-oriented” idea of “a science education based on observation and numerical representation of behaviour” (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000, p. 22). Given the progressive nature of teacher knowledge as pointed out by the various research, I would argue that examination of TPACK should be focused on continuing development of teacher knowledge rather than on temporal, causality-based measurement.<br />
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(Check out my previous posts on narrative inquiry <a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/02/narrative-inquiry-as-tool-for-teacher.html">here</a> and <a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/02/narrative-inquiry-as-tool-for-teacher_26.html">here</a>).<br />
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Development versus Measurement?</h3>
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Well, for now, these are just initial thoughts. Hopefully in my next post I can explain in more detail why I believe that the analysis of knowledge development through teachers’ narrative studies is more appropriate than adopting any form of numerical measurements when examining the acquisition of TPACK and its relationships with classroom practices.</div>
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Till the next post! -ccj, 7.13am, Cambridge</div>
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<b>References:</b></div>
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Abbitt, J. T. (2011). Measuring Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Preservice Teacher Education: A Review of Current Methods and Instruments. J<i>ournal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(4)</i>, 281–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2011.10782573<br />
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Borg, S. (2015). <i>Teacher Cognition and Language Education</i>. London New Dehli New Xork Sydney: Bloomsbury Academic.<br />
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Brantley-Dias, L., & Ertmer, P. A. (2013). Goldilocks and TPACK: Is the Construct ‘Just Right?’ <i>Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 46(2),</i> 103–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2013.10782615<br />
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Cavanagh, R. F., & Koehler, M. J. (2013). A Turn toward Specifying Validity Criteria in the Measurement of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). J<i>ournal of Research on Technology in Education, 46(2)</i>, 129–148. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2013.10782616<br />
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Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). <i>Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in Qualitative Research</i>. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey Bass.<br />
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Measuring and Assessing Tpack (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge). (2015). In J. M. Spector, <i>The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational Technology</i>. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, California 91320: SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483346397.n205 <br />
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Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. <i>Teachers College Record, 108(6)</i>, 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x<br />
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cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-61456683351094054852019-02-26T08:53:00.000+00:002019-02-26T09:48:59.543+00:00Narrative Inquiry as a Tool for Teacher Professional Development: "How do we get here?"This post is a continuation of <a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/02/narrative-inquiry-as-tool-for-teacher.html">my previous post</a> where I shared some of my initial thoughts on narrative inquiry as a tool for teacher professional development.<br />
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In the <a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/02/narrative-inquiry-as-tool-for-teacher.html">previous post</a>, I summarised the 'tensions' between narrative thinking and the 'grand narrative', as described by Clandinin & Connelly (2000), and offered my views on how most evaluations of teacher professional development seem to subscribe more to the 'grand narrative' ideal. It seems to me that all these whiles, we've been concerned too much about the direct outcomes of a training model. The questions that we're more inclined to ask is: does it work? Why? What can we do to improve? And with this, we bring onto the table the idea of causality, i.e. X is a result of Y - which has an "ensuing certainty" to it, as described by Clandinin & Connelly. (Note: I acknowledge the need for me to widen my reading on the area of evaluations of teacher professional development programmes so I can affirm this with more confidence (haha). But for now, I'll just share my thoughts based on what I've read so far, and largely on my own personal experience as a teacher and teacher trainer).<br />
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This is of course fine, but my contention is that a teacher's learning development should be evaluated in a more tentative manner. The idea that underlies the concept of personalisation, differentiation and customisation which are strongly advocated by many proponents of transformative model of professional development for teachers (e.g. Gerstein, Kennedy, Borko & Putnam among others) stem from the concept of contextualisation. In teacher's learning - or any learning for that matter - context is most essential (Borko, 2004).<br />
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I would propose that we do away with causality and correlation. Instead of focusing on "what is the outcome?", I propose we shift our attention to "how do we get here?"<br />
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So, how do we get here? </h3>
Clandinin & Connelly's (2000) thinking about narrative inquiry is associated with John Dewey's theory of experience. They came up with a metaphorical 'three-dimensional narrative inquiry space', which encapsulates the terms personal and social (interactions); past, present and future (continuity / temporal); and place (situation). In Clandinin & Connelly's words: "studies have temporal dimensions and address temporal matters; they focus on the personal and the social balance appropriate to the inquiry; and they occur in specific places or sequences of places" (p. 50).<br />
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In addition to the three-dimensional narrative inquiry space, Clandinin & Connelly also referred to their earlier work (Clandinin & Connelly, 1994) where they proposed four directions of inquiry: inward and outward; backward and forward. 'Inward' refers to "internal conditions", such as "feelings, hopes, aesthetic reactions, and moral dispositions", while 'outward' refers to "existential conditions, that is the environment" (p. 50). 'Backward' and 'forward' refer to the idea of temporality, i.e. past, present and future.<br />
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Using this inquiry space framework, an inquirer can capture the essence of her experiences in order to make sense of it. How does it look like in practice? One embarking on a narrative inquiry journey would ask questions, collect field notes, derive interpretations, and write a text that addresses both personal and social issues. This would be done by looking inward and outward, and by referring not only to the current event but also by thinking about the past and the future (p. 50).<br />
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Clandinin & Connelly's (2000) work concerned with narrative inquiry as a research tool, but as I mentioned in my previous post, I see lots of value in this line of thinking with regard to teacher professional development. I believe that 'inquiry' is a valuable tool for continuous professional development - and for the past few years, there are many methods of inquiries being proposed as innovative and transformative models of continuous professional development for teachers. For example, there have been active movements to engage teachers and practitioners in action research, exploratory practice and exploratory action research, just to name a few. All of these movements have at their core the elements of continuous reflections, and of one constantly inquiring about and pondering upon one's professional practice. Besides, professional development as inquiry into practice is not a new idea. It can be traced back to as early as John Dewey's works in 1910 and 1933 (Crockett, 2002).<br />
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I believe in the potential of narrative inquiry which adopts Clandinin & Connelly's three-dimensional narrative inquiry space as another tool that can be used by teachers who are interested in embarking upon a journey of inquiry to develop themselves professionally.<br />
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<h3>
But how does it <i>really</i> look like in practice? </h3>
Johnson & Golombek's (2002) compilation of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paula_Golombek/publication/254739847_Teachers%27_Narrative_Inquiry_as_Professional_Development/links/0a85e5399e4aba3376000000/Teachers-Narrative-Inquiry-as-Professional-Development.pdf">teachers' narrative inquiries published by Cambridge University Press</a> provides excellent examples of how narrative inquiry can be adopted as a way for teachers to reflect upon their professional practices. Johnson & Golombek posited that "In order to make an experience educative, teachers need to approach narrative inquiry not as a set of prescriptive skills or task to be carried out but rather as a mind-set" (p. 5). This mind-set is defined by Johnson & Golombek as "a set of attitudes", referring to Dewey's (1933) notions of open-mindedness (seeking alternatives), responsibility (recognising consequences) and whole-heartedness (continual self-examination). Johnson & Golombek argued that when teachers use this mind-set in their inquiries, they will be able to "question their own assumptions as they uncover who they are, where they have come from, what their students know, and what their students need to know" (p. 5).<br />
<br />
From 2011 to 2013, I was involved in a project called the English Language Teacher Development Project (ELTDP) conducted by the British Council in collaboration with the Malaysia Ministry of Education. It was a two-year teacher-mentoring project where "mentors were assigned to teachers not as trainers but as experienced professionals who could work with teachers in schools and support them in implementing, via reflective practice, changes in their teaching" (Borg, 2013, p. 2). Towards the end of the project, a three-volume publication called the <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.my/sites/default/files/narratives_of_teacher_development_vol.1.pdf">Narratives of Teacher Development</a> was published, which captured the essence of the professional development experiences of the teachers involved. The publication, as Borg described in the introduction, "provide insights into the range of impacts the project has achieved" (p. 2). I believe this is one good example of how providers of teacher development employs teachers' narrative accounts as a way of evaluating the impacts of the training provided.<br />
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Similar approach was adopted by the <a href="http://resig.weebly.com/">IATEFL Research Special Interest Group (Research SIG)</a>, which I'm a member of since 2013. Following the Research SIG's pre-conference event at Harrogate in 2014, a publication called <a href="http://resig.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/3/6/26368747/teachers_research__online_version.pdf">Teachers Research! </a>which captured the research stories of the participants were published. In explaining the 'principles' behind the format of the event's execution and the subsequent publication, Smith (2015) mentioned that the emphasis on "research by teachers for teachers" was "intended to push back an increasingly dominant idea that academic quality criteria should necessarily be applied to teacher research - instead, the quality of teacher and learner development involved might be just as important" (p. 3).<br />
<br />
What the three publications on teacher narratives that I've shared here have in common is the main focus and the importance they all give to teachers' personal experiences. Each publication provides the participating teachers with the spaces and opportunities to reflect upon and to make sense of their professional development experiences. And these narratives are not treated as arbitrary testimonies or mere anecdotes - they are rich qualitative data and sources of insights both for the teachers, and also for the providers of the teacher development programmes. I think Johnson & Golombek (2002) encapsulated it the best when they stated that "teachers' stories of inquiries are not only <i>about</i> professional development; they <i>are</i> professional development" (p. 6, emphasis in original).<br />
<br />
These are just three examples - and I believe there are more good ones out there. If you know of any other such sources, I would really appreciate it if you can direct me to them. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDuTJihmp3v8j4PO7D7UkoF83y-a2y_2bKRnk6ikLbis8VPVNcjigycEeprrZjJjeslGposSCV6AoO8u-1f6DoS-0rEXR2B-qsMWKrwSW4NAjq2hHoB4srdH9iC4MjW5r-A2OdzxjPBIg/s1600/GD3-19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDuTJihmp3v8j4PO7D7UkoF83y-a2y_2bKRnk6ikLbis8VPVNcjigycEeprrZjJjeslGposSCV6AoO8u-1f6DoS-0rEXR2B-qsMWKrwSW4NAjq2hHoB4srdH9iC4MjW5r-A2OdzxjPBIg/s640/GD3-19.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teachers' stories are not only <i><b>about</b></i> professional development, they <b><i>are</i> </b>professional development</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
What now?</h3>
If I were to push this idea further, I would need to envision how Clandinin & Connelly's (2000) three-dimensional narrative inquiry space can be translated into practice. To date, we can find quite a lot of examples of how teachers' narratives are used as a way to reflect upon classroom practices. But what I would be more interested in exploring is how narrative inquiry can be used to evaluate teachers' learning through a professional development activity that they participate in. And I would like to see the three-dimensional narrative inquiry space be more explicitly adopted in this line of inquiries.<br />
<br />
I think I should stop here for now so I can do more readings ha ha...I'll get back with a continuation of this post as soon as I have new reflections to share.<br />
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Till the next post! -ccj, 8.19am, Cambridge.<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>References:</b><br />
<br />
Borg, S. (2013). <i>Narratives of Teacher Development (Vol. 1)</i>. British Council.<br />
<br />
Borko, H. (2004). Professional Development and Teacher Learning: Mapping the Terrain. <i>Educational Researcher, 33(8)</i>, 3–15. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X033008003<br />
<br />
Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2004). <i>Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in Qualitative Research</i>. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey Bass.<br />
<br />
Crockett, M. D. (2002). Inquiry as professional development: creating dilemmas through teachers’ work. <i>Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(5)</i>, 609–624. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(02)00019-7<br />
<br />
Johnson, K. E., & Golombek, P. R. (Eds.). (2002). <i>Teachers’ narrative inquiry as professional development</i>. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.<br />
<br />
Smith, R., & Bullock, D. (2015). <i>Teachers Research! </i>IATEFL Research SIG.<br />
<br />
<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-21102061710249634452019-02-25T04:43:00.001+00:002019-02-25T05:36:08.878+00:00Narrative Inquiry as a Tool for Teacher Professional Development: Initial ThoughtsI'm halfway through 'Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in Qualitative Research' by D. Jean Clandinin and F. Michael Connelly (2000). I was directed to this book by studies adopting narrative inquiry as a strategy of inquiry for their research designs. In this book, Clandinin & Connelly explained the journey that has led them to pioneer 'narrative inquiry' as an inquiry strategy. They explained that their excitement and interest in narrative has its origin in their interest in experience (Prologue, p. xxvi).<br />
<br />
Borg (2015), while reviewing Clandinin & Connelly's works from 1986 to 1997, mentioned that they are both leading figures in the study of teacher knowledge, particularly in the "distinct orientation" of "practical knowledge." Though not explicitly addressed in this book, I believe that narrative inquiry is rooted in Clandinin & Connelly's studies on teachers' practical knowledge. This book focuses on narrative inquiry as a research approach, yet what I'm drawn to is its potential as a tool for self-reflective professional development for teachers. In this post, I'm sharing some of my initial thoughts on how this potential can possibly be explored.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbZagqjDHCiAh9hsLw0eIDdOQo5_I3eWAaRTaP_G640I4l0z-9jHiuJ-KriBTD5EBlVBhpp4nmtFl-2ISXobxBOFl22DzEpBLeSdNcQhwDfyYI3GmGY0xbCM9AhuyH2YLb1i1iJuIuLpa/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbZagqjDHCiAh9hsLw0eIDdOQo5_I3eWAaRTaP_G640I4l0z-9jHiuJ-KriBTD5EBlVBhpp4nmtFl-2ISXobxBOFl22DzEpBLeSdNcQhwDfyYI3GmGY0xbCM9AhuyH2YLb1i1iJuIuLpa/s640/Picture1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teacher professional development: Change is a clear sign that learning is taking place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<b><br /></b></h3>
<h3>
<b>Why Narrative?</b></h3>
That's the title of the book's Chapter 1, which addresses the reasons for using narratives in research. Clandinin & Connelly drew examples from the fields of anthropology, psychiatry and organisational science and cited some of the leading figures in those fields, such as John Dewey, Mark Johnson, and Alasdair Macintyre. They also provided examples of how narratives were used by researchers such as Clifford Geertz (anthropology), Mary Catherine Bateson (anthropology), Barbara Czarniawska (organisational research), Robert Coles (psychiatry), and Donald Polkinghorne (human sciences). According to Clandinin & Connelly, narrative is defined as "a way of understanding experience" (p. 20). Narrative is essential in research about human because human experiences are narrative in nature.<br />
<br />
There are some interesting points highlighted in Chapter 1. Clandinin & Connelly made it clear that different disciplines have different ways of interpreting the relationship between the inquirer / researcher and the participant/s. Despite the many differences, what every field has in common with one another with regard to narrative is this: that change is central to a narrative, and certainty is not a goal (p. 9). Hence, narrative inquiry is not a quest to find a definite answer, but rather an attempt at understanding change. Clandinin & Connelly pointed to an example in psychiatry given by Robert Coles where narrative is not the outcome of change but the origin of it (p. 12).<br />
<br />
Why is change so important in narrative? It's because change is what leads to continuity. Narrative inquiry is interested not just in what's happening at the present moment, but also in the past and most importantly, in the future. Clandinin & Connelly asserted that continuity results because people improvise and adapt, i.e. they learn (p. 7). In other words, change is a clear sign that learning is taking place.<br />
<h3>
<b><br /></b></h3>
<h3>
<b>Making Sense of Experience</b></h3>
Narrative inquiry is making sense of experience. It's all about personal experiences and individual contexts. I think this strikes a resonance with sociocultural theory, i.e. drawing inspirations from social contexts to mediate learning. Before I discuss the possible applications of narrative inquiry in teacher professional development, let's look at some of the tensions between narrative inquiry and the 'grand narrative' as demonstrated by Clandinin & Connelly in Chapter 2 of the book.<br />
<br />
The 'grand narrative' refers to Thorndike's "measurement-oriented" idea of "a science of education based on observation and numerical representation of behaviour" (p. 22). Clandinin & Connelly remarked on how this idea has become 'the' way in educational research, i.e. "an unquestioned way of looking at things" (p. 22). When they proposed an alternative way of looking at things through narrative inquiry, Clandinin & Connelly's contentions were met with responses that seemed to devalue the essence of meaning-making through experience. The following described this 'tension' between Clandinin & Connelly and those who subscribe so strongly to the idea of the 'grand narrative':<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We thought they were slightly intransigent and unwilling to change, whereas they, with the weight of opinion on their side, probably saw us as esoteric and unwilling to compromise. (p. 29)</blockquote>
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What could have been the factors for this opposing views? Clandinin & Connelly listed five main 'tensions' between narrative inquiry and the 'grand narrative', i.e. <i>temporality, people, action, certainty </i>and<i> context</i>. The following is my summary of the whole narrative inquiry versus the 'grand narrative' tug-of-war:<br />
<br />
<b>Narrative Inquiry</b> <b>The Grand Narrative </b><br />
<b>Temporality</b> <i>time-bound timeless</i><br />
<b>People </b> <i>essential irrelevant</i><br />
<b>Action </b><i>interpretive</i> <i>evidential</i><br />
<b>Certainty</b> <i>tentative causal</i><br />
<b>Context </b> <i>personal universal</i><br />
<br />
<h4>
Temporality</h4>
According to Clandinin & Connelly, "When we see an event, we think of it not as a thing happening at that moment but as an expression of something happening over time. Any event, or thing, has a past, a present as it appears to us, and an implied future" (p. 29). This is the idea which narrative inquiry is rooted from. The 'grand narrative', on the other hand, characterises events and things "in and of themselves", and appear to have "a timeless sense about them" (p. 30).<br />
<h4>
People</h4>
Clandinin & Connelly emphasised that "people, at any point in time, are in a process of personal change" (p. 30). Histories and experiences of people are important in narrative inquiry. The 'grand narrative', on the other hand, seems to be constructed from "essentially people-free notions" (p. 30). Narrative histories and personal experiences are seen as irrelevant or impractical.<br />
<h4>
Action</h4>
In narrative inquiry, action is understood as a "narrative sign" (p. 30). Any action should be interpreted as expressions of narrative histories (p. 31). Interpretations of narrative histories give significant meaning to an action. From the 'grand narrative' point of view, an action is treated as a direct evidence of something. For example, performance is a direct evidence of cognitive level.<br />
<h4>
Certainty</h4>
In narrative inquiry, certainty is always approached with tentativeness. It all depends on the contexts - there are many possible answers, there's no right or wrong. From the 'grand narrative' perspective, "causality, with its ensuing certainty, is the hallmark" (p. 31). X is the result of Y. Factors are relationships that can be explained by equations.<br />
<h4>
Context</h4>
In narrative inquiry, context is personal and individual. This personalisation and individualisation of experiences are at the core of narrative inquiry. In contrast, the 'grand narrative', adopts a universal view of context. In Clandinin & Connelly's words: "In the grand narrative...context can be analysed into variables and measures of certainty attached to the importance of various contextual factors" (p. 32). To sum it up, "In the grand narrative, <i>the</i> <i>universal case</i> is of prime interest. In narrative thinking, <i>the person</i> in context is of prime interest" (p. 32, emphasis in original).<br />
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<h3>
Narrative Inquiry as a Professional Development Tool</h3>
One of the statements in the book that strikes me as the most profound is this: "According to a narrative construction, the teacher is not merely a filtering variable or a factor to be considered as either an impediment or a catalyst for the achievement of objectives. Rather, the teacher is part of the curriculum and therefore part of the establishment of the goals in the first place and part of the ensuing achievement" (pp. 28 - 29).<br />
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When we talk about teacher professional development design, I believe there's a slight tendency towards evaluating the outcomes from the 'grand narrative' point of view. The teacher is often just a variable or a factor in the grander scheme of things. This shouldn't be so, especially when the central focus of any professional development model should be none other than the teachers themselves.<br />
<br />
Throughout the years, we see some developments in the form of efforts to make teacher professional development more 'bottom-up' than 'top-down' in nature, i.e. more teacher-oriented than authority-oriented, more descriptive than prescriptive, more differentiated than 'one-size-fits-all'. And I honestly think this is a good sign. More and more people in the administrative roles are starting to be more proactive and innovative in designing and implementing professional development activities for teachers.<br />
<br />
However, I would like to propose that we go deeper. Differentiation is good, but let's take a step inward and go inside each and everyone of the individual teacher to elicit professional development from a more intra-personal level. We often make the mistake of observing teacher's knowledge construction from the 'grand narrative' perspective, i.e. by looking at it as something that's "in and of themselves." Some teachers know, some teachers don't. Some believes in something, some not so much. There are good teachers, there are bad teachers. Experienced. Inexperienced. Boxes. Categorisations. Labels. Everything's devoid of context. There's no continuum, no spectrum. No room to go forward or backward.<br />
<br />
But we know that it's never as simple as that. Knowledge construction is something that's happening over time. There's an attached past knowledge that influences the present knowledge, and an ensuing future knowledge that results from change through knowledge construction. A teacher's knowledge is time-bound and ever-changing. It is fleeting and temporal. Knowledge is not a stable trait. It's dynamic and progressive.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMFB-tUx5joTc-Yy-JhLactLT5QmJD9DNIsBg_SMBiSN1UAQ1EDe3alTGlp5hYsj4RntPx6fdeqP8RqXhMHhHh1TmWEI9w_OFjZH3DamxupaO_d7-NJ7q6F_zgqQMpKAbil9iLrzxB4jo/s1600/Screenshot+2019-02-25+at+04.30.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="904" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMFB-tUx5joTc-Yy-JhLactLT5QmJD9DNIsBg_SMBiSN1UAQ1EDe3alTGlp5hYsj4RntPx6fdeqP8RqXhMHhHh1TmWEI9w_OFjZH3DamxupaO_d7-NJ7q6F_zgqQMpKAbil9iLrzxB4jo/s640/Screenshot+2019-02-25+at+04.30.31.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teacher knowledge is not a stable trait. It's dynamic and progressive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The central core of every teacher professional development should be the teachers themselves. And I don't mean just by making professional development teacher-oriented. I propose that we go deeper by looking at teachers as individuals with individual contexts and histories. These contexts and histories shouldn't be treated merely as anecdotal evidences. Narratives and stories are artifacts that mean something.<br />
<br />
For example, why do teachers know what they know? How do they choose to put what they know into practice, and why? The answers to these questions have nothing to do with a teacher's level of competence. I mean, competence might be a factor, but not the only factor. And I propose that we stop thinking of these factors in terms of variables or mathematical equations. Let's forget about correlation or causality. Instead, let's start examining the choices that teachers make based on the contexts of their personal, individual histories.<br />
<br />
In short, what I really want to do is to propose a model of teacher professional development where <i>the individual teacher is the prime interest</i>. A model that gives the teacher a chance to look deep within herself and examine her trajectory of learning at a more intra-personal level. And I aim to do this by letting the teacher tells her story - a story that's constructed through a series of inquiries on a "three-dimensional narrative inquiry space" which involves interaction, continuity and situation (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) - more on this in my next post.<br />
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<h3>
Conclusion (for now)</h3>
The common practice in the office where I used to work is this: right after a professional development session, everyone would be expected to show results. Trainers would need to come up with evidence that the trainings / workshops achieve their objectives. And everyone expects to see the new approaches being adopted, new curriculum implemented, policy translated into practice. No one talks about tentativeness. Contexts are purely dismissed as irrelevant anecdotal evidences. And teacher's learning and knowledge construction? Those are arbitrary variables - we can deal with that later, when we have the time. Hmm.<br />
<br />
To recapitulate, we seem to be inclined towards the 'grand narrative' way of doing things, as far as teacher professional development is concerned. But is this the best way to approach it? What if we can propose an alternative way?<br />
<br />
I acknowledge that I haven't addressed the practical implications of this epistemological stance he he :D. Like stated in the title of the post, these are merely my initial thoughts and reflections on the matter. Putting all these ponderings into writing is an attempt to organise my thoughts in a more structured manner (I hope hehe). I also hope I can get some feedback that may help me further explore and develop this idea.<br />
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Don't hesitate to let me know what you think. Till the next post! -ccj, 4.24a.m., Cambridge.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidT0aEWf7_v_8o2oWkeYvgXoTdhuXyEthRlnCky6SvTMoEqEdhIl1swpvItejyts1jvk0Fh99WVGbKQ9Np54FBFQ5VAa7D5P8he07qPk5sorvCLrXKTWTF-rn8PsCz8sjGXl6t6GI0Dqg/s1600/Screenshot+2019-02-25+at+04.29.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="900" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidT0aEWf7_v_8o2oWkeYvgXoTdhuXyEthRlnCky6SvTMoEqEdhIl1swpvItejyts1jvk0Fh99WVGbKQ9Np54FBFQ5VAa7D5P8he07qPk5sorvCLrXKTWTF-rn8PsCz8sjGXl6t6GI0Dqg/s640/Screenshot+2019-02-25+at+04.29.37.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narrative inquiry as a tool for teacher professional development?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
<br />
Borg, S. (2015). <i>Teacher Cognition and Language Education</i>. London New Dehli New Xork Sydney: Bloomsbury Academic.<br />
<br />
Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). <i>Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in Qualitative Research</i>. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey Bass.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-3518985056372057412019-01-11T21:21:00.000+00:002019-01-11T21:28:19.068+00:00Holiday Memories & Language Lessons: Part 2 (People & Culture)Hi friends! This is Part 2 of my series of blog post on the topic Holiday Memories & Language Lessons. As I've stated in my <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/01/holiday-memories-language-lessons-part.html">previous post</a>, there are three parts in this series:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/01/holiday-memories-language-lessons-part.html">Part 1: Landmarks & Historical Places</a><br />
Part 2: People & Culture<br />
Part 3: Landscapes & Sceneries<br />
<br />
Just like my previous post, I don't intend to write a full lesson plan for the photos and videos that I'm sharing in this post. Instead, I would list down some possible activities that we can do with them. The activities can be done in a single lesson, or in a series of lessons. A lesson can focus on one skill at a time, or it can also be a mixture of different skills. By sharing this with you, I hope we can brainstorm ideas on how we can use our own collection of photos and videos in our language lessons. If you like, you can share your ideas with me in the comment box. We can make this a platform to inspire one another :)<br />
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<b>Street Musicians</b><br />
<br />
Some of us like to take photos and videos of people and the culture of the places that we visit. I know I do. This is one of my favourites:<br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="495" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbeyondchalkandtalk%2Fvideos%2F341808173285709%2F&show_text=1&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmNn6OXvFQCCuPHYClNO-ZvMLYSgtmb2MIXzxn0EQJ1duifw4Xg-lCdqlPStqYKjgTsCj2A_EzodlPy0Wf-yQ7Y_nUyERCDm0yzootIF2eY1dB9erSJIOhOhq-8pyqEBzRt3NDQMG94Sv/s1600/Street+Musicians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmNn6OXvFQCCuPHYClNO-ZvMLYSgtmb2MIXzxn0EQJ1duifw4Xg-lCdqlPStqYKjgTsCj2A_EzodlPy0Wf-yQ7Y_nUyERCDm0yzootIF2eY1dB9erSJIOhOhq-8pyqEBzRt3NDQMG94Sv/s400/Street+Musicians.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
I took the video and photo at the Market Square in Cambridge, UK. I just love watching performances by street musicians. This band is called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thetrialsofcato/">The Trials of Cato</a> - check them out, they're awesome.<br />
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Now how can we use these as stimuli for language lessons? These are some of my ideas:<br />
<br />
<i>Listening, Speaking, Vocabulary & Grammar</i><br />
1. Introduce the words 'street musicians', 'performers', 'buskers'<br />
2. Talk about the musical instruments - introduce vocabulary for different types of musical instruments<br />
3. Adjectives - get students to use adjectives to describe the video. What do they think about the music? How do they feel when they hear the music?<br />
4. Talk about the video. Ask pupils what they can see. How many people are there? What are they doing? How do they look? What do they feel? What objects can the students see? Get students to describe the people and objects that they see in the video.<br />
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<i>Reading Comprehension</i><br />
1. We can get more advanced students to do their own Internet research on 'buskers' or 'street musicians/performers.' Get students to find an article on the topic and create several questions based on the article. The article and the questions can then be shared with the rest of the class.<br />
2. For beginners / less proficient students, teacher can provide a reading passage on the topic, and get students to answer comprehension questions based on the passage. Here are two newspaper articles that I found on Malaysian buskers: <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/12/16/459776622/malaysia-gives-buskers-a-stage-of-their-own">Malaysia Gives Buskers a Stage of Their Own</a> and <a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2012/12/16/busking-in-the-limelight/">Busking in the Limelight</a><br />
<br />
<i>Writing</i><br />
1. Descriptive writing: students can write a paragraph or a short essay describing everything that they see in the video.<br />
2. Expository writing: get students to write an essay about buskers or street musicians/performers based on the information that they've gathered through their Internet research.<br />
3. Debate/discussion (can also be done as a speaking activity): is busking good or bad?<br />
<br />
<b>Barrel Race </b><br />
<br />
Here's another fun video that I'd like to share with you:<br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="625" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbeyondchalkandtalk%2Fvideos%2F232280607672150%2F&show_text=1&width=476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="476"></iframe><br />
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It was taken at Grantchester on Boxing Day. Here's an article to explain what it's all about: <a href="https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/grantchester-barrel-race-2018-boxingday-15592405">Grantchester Boxing Day Barrel Race 2018</a><br />
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Using this video as a stimulus, we can do all of the activities listed for the Street Musicians - just change the context to barrel race. But I have one additional activity for this video, which I think would be nice if done as a group project:<br />
<br />
1. Get students into small groups of four or five.<br />
2. Assign random objects in the classroom to each group, e.g. a broom, a wastepaper basket, a marker pen, a chair, a desk etc.<br />
3. Each group would need to design a game using the object that they are assigned with.<br />
4. Each group has to write down the instructions and the rules for the game, as well as the Important Health & Safety Information - refer to <a href="https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/grantchester-barrel-race-2018-boxingday-15592405">this article</a> for an example.<br />
5. Each group presents their ideas to the class. The class can vote for their favourite game.<br />
<br />
The class can play the game that gets the highest number of votes, or even all the games if time and circumstances permit.<br />
<br />
<b>Stay tuned for Part 3!</b><br />
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That's all for now. See you in the next post, and happy teaching! -ccj<br />
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-54768752359235321632019-01-06T00:24:00.001+00:002019-01-11T21:22:50.065+00:00Holiday Memories & Language Lessons: Part 1 (Landmarks & Historical Places)Hello teachers! How's 2019 been treating you so far? I'm sure things are starting to get busy, and memories from our December holidays are gradually sinking into oblivion and fading away. But they needn't be! Have you ever thought about sharing your holiday fun experiences with your students?<br />
<br />
I know many of my friends have been visiting some exciting places during the holidays. And I'm very sure that many of them have taken lots of pictures, maybe even some videos. I have some ideas on how we can use our holiday pictures and videos to make interesting language lesson activities. Instead of assigning the usual 'write what you did during the holidays essay' to your students, why not do something different by first sharing with the students what we did during the holidays?<br />
<br />
The reason why I believe this would work is because I always find that students are more interested in a stimulus if they know that it comes from something personal, from 'real-life' experiences. My students love personal stories more than something that I grab from the textbook. More than that, I find that students are more excited and motivated to share their own experiences if I'm the one who start the ball rolling.<br />
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I'm sharing here some examples from my previous posts on how I 'spiced up' otherwise 'ordinary' lessons simply by using stimuli from the students' lives or my own life and surroundings:<br />
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<a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2014/05/lesson-share-trip-to-beach-using-story.html" target="_blank">A Trip to the Beach: Using Story Mountain to Teach Narrative Writing</a><br />
<a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2013/08/i-would-choose-part-2-guitar-versus.html" target="_blank">Guitar versus Ukulele: Teaching Students to Express Opinions</a><br />
<br />
Okay, now let's get back to this post. I've decided to make this a series of posts, that I'll divide into three parts:<br />
<br />
Part 1: Landmarks & Historical Places<br />
<a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2019/01/holiday-memories-language-lessons-part_12.html">Part 2: People & Culture</a><br />
Part 3: Landscapes & Sceneries<br />
<br />
Maybe you've visited some famous landmarks or historical places during the holidays. If you've taken some snapshots or videos of the places, you can use them to make your language lessons more interesting. In this post (Part 1), I'll share a sample lesson using a video clip and a picture of a famous landmark.<br />
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<b>The Corpus Clock</b><br />
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The Corpus Clock is a famous landmark in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Here's a video that I've taken:<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BrpfGw3nBEE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">The Corpus Clock Watch this space for my upcoming blog post on how to use holiday photos and videos for language lesson activities. Season's Greetings, everyone! 😊☁☁☁🌟☁☁☁ ☁☁☁🎄☁☁☁ ☁☁🎄🎄🎄☁☁ ☁☁☁🎄✨☁☁ ☁☁🎄🎄🎄☁☁ ☁🎄✨🎄🎄🎄☁ ☁☁🎄🎄🎄☁☁ ☁🎄🎄✨🎄🎄☁ 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 ☁☁🎁🎁🎁☁☁</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beyond.chalk.and.talk/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Beyond Chalk & Talk</a> (@beyond.chalk.and.talk) on <time datetime="2018-12-21T11:53:52+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 21, 2018 at 3:53am PST</time></div>
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Here's a link to a slightly better-quality version on YouTube: <a href="https://youtu.be/8mVW8YI2PXM" target="_blank">Corpus Clock on YouTube</a><br />
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And here's a snapshot:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivETNHuvZ6xYn5BWQNTTbS1UjqH3qJjEGJDJziFSalqdbciQNHkvQF7c4Jt-e1vuQFgpl8WAiaBP5l28LJrR_KBAksp3x2whLnlZKYFN0Kg9o0wt2u6ZOUWukfr663G5QY1p4cBlziLkWP/s1600/TheCorpusClock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivETNHuvZ6xYn5BWQNTTbS1UjqH3qJjEGJDJziFSalqdbciQNHkvQF7c4Jt-e1vuQFgpl8WAiaBP5l28LJrR_KBAksp3x2whLnlZKYFN0Kg9o0wt2u6ZOUWukfr663G5QY1p4cBlziLkWP/s640/TheCorpusClock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a link to a Wikipedia article on the Corpus Clock: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Clock" target="_blank">The Corpus Clock</a><br />
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Suggested lesson activities<br />
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<i>Listening & speaking</i><br />
1. Show the video and the picture and talk about it. Ask the students what they see. Ask them what they think it is. Talk about the shape, colour, appearance (e.g. old, shiny, strange etc.).<br />
2. Introduce the word 'landmark'. Talk about the meaning of the word. Give some examples. E.g. local landmarks that students are familiar with<br />
3. Dictation: read the Wikipedia article aloud and ask students to write what they hear (the text can be simplified for less advanced students). Variation: Dictation + gap-filling activity. Students listen to teacher reading the text and fill in the missing words. This can be followed by some vocabulary work.<br />
4. Ask questions about the Corpus Clock based on the article.<br />
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<i>Reading</i><br />
1. Read the Wikipedia article and ask questions based on it. For less advanced students, the text can be simplified.<br />
2. Ask students to read the article and create questions based on it. This can be done as a group work. Each group posts the questions on the board / writes them on a piece of mahjong paper. Do gallery walk. Each group provides the answers to other groups' questions - they can write their answers on post-its and paste them on the board / mahjong paper. The answers can then be compared and discussed with the whole class.<br />
3. Jigsaw reading: provide sections of the articles to different groups. Each group explains what they have read to other groups.<br />
4. Get students to find information about other famous landmarks (overseas or local) from the library or the Internet. This can be done either as an individual task or a group work. Ask the students to share what they find with the class.<br />
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<i>Writing</i><br />
1. Students write a description of the Corpus Clock, based on what they see and read.<br />
2. Students write a comparison between the Corpus Clock with another landmark, e.g. the location, the appearance, which one they prefer to visit and why etc.<br />
3. Students create an imaginary landmark - make a drawing of the landmark, write an imaginary description and history of the landmark they have created.<br />
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<b>Extended activity (enrichment)</b><br />
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When <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2014/05/my-uk-trip-harrogate-day-1.html" target="_blank">I visited Harrogate a few years ago</a>, I had the chance to join a coach tour to Castle Howard at York, Yorkshire. My group was accompanied by a fantastic tour guide providing explanations as we walked around the different parts of the castle. I asked for permission to record the tour on my video-cam, and the guide permitted as long as her face wasn't in the video. What resulted was a very nice documentary-like video where I captured the different sections of the castle with the voice of the tour guide on the background.<br />
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I brought the video to my classroom upon my return and my students were delighted. I used the video in one of the listening tasks that I gave the students. I played the video and asked the students to write what they heard. I have unfortunately lost the video :( But if you have taken a video like that during your holidays, you can do the same activity if you like.<br />
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Another enrichment activity that can be done for more advanced students is an activity that I would call the <b>Tour Guide Project</b>:<br />
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1. Get students into small groups of four or five. Ask the group to choose a place / room / building in the school as their 'landmark.'<br />
2. The group work together to create a tour guide script for their 'landmark'.<br />
3. Groups take turn to bring the rest of the class (who play the role as 'tourists') to their 'landmarks', and describe the 'landmarks' as a tour guide would. The 'tourists' can ask the 'tour guides' questions about the 'landmarks'.<br />
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If you have recorded a tour guide video during your travel, you can show it to your students to give them an example and inspiration. If you don't have any, there are some videos on YouTube that you can use. I have found some that I quite like, and I'm sharing them here with you:<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6NK9xwn4QUc" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qr6O2qtLrok" width="560"></iframe><br />
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You can find a lot others on YouTube. Just type 'tour guide' in the search box and browse away! :)<br />
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<b>Till the next post!</b><br />
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Okay, I think that's all for now. If you like, you can share your feedback, or your own lesson ideas in the comment box below.<br />
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See you in the next post, and happy teaching! -ccj<br />
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-30325715463638141182018-12-31T21:05:00.001+00:002019-01-06T21:44:14.914+00:00Making 2019 the Best Year for TeachersThe new year is here! - and everyone on social media is posting reminiscence, reflections and memories of 2018 as well as hopes, resolutions and ambitions for 2019. For many Malaysian teachers, I know it's a mixture of feelings. Many are sad because the holidays has ended, but at the same time are also excited for what 2019 may bring. Staff meetings have started since last week for most schools, classrooms decorated, lesson plans prepared, yearly plans printed and bound etc etc. Regardless of what some people say, I believe with all my heart that Malaysia has some of the best teachers in the world.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciOwEZwxrIKCshDmfkWS_t2TL_hz5GRBMGASDn3I5eIx7PtlE26-OJxbg18t1sa_4c30npyRimz0AsTHYrKwhrFuitYQZItf122yz2At7apKOx3m4uQeSrp-Wpo7_6050kMlnSIs216S_/s1600/Global_education_survey_1542797274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="900" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciOwEZwxrIKCshDmfkWS_t2TL_hz5GRBMGASDn3I5eIx7PtlE26-OJxbg18t1sa_4c30npyRimz0AsTHYrKwhrFuitYQZItf122yz2At7apKOx3m4uQeSrp-Wpo7_6050kMlnSIs216S_/s320/Global_education_survey_1542797274.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Global Education Census, published on <a href="https://www.nst.com.my/education/2018/11/433265/malaysian-teachers-amongst-worlds-most-dedicated" target="_blank">New Straits Times</a></td></tr>
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I'm sharing here the links to a few articles on Malaysian teachers:<br />
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<a href="https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/news/news-details/view/malaysian-teachers-are-amongst-the-most-dedicated-in-the-world-for-ensuring-students-achieve-academic-success-28-nov2018/" target="_blank">Malaysian teachers among the most dedicated in the world - Cambridge Assessment International Education</a><br />
<a href="https://www.malaymail.com/s/1531589/malaysian-among-50-finalists-for-global-teacher-prize-2018" target="_blank">Malaysian among 50 finalist for Global Teacher Prize 2018 - Malay Mail</a><br />
<a href="https://www.malaymail.com/s/1703560/malaysias-2019-global-teacher-candidate-talks-about-learning-disabilities-a" target="_blank">Malaysia's 2019 Global Teacher candidate talks about learning disabilities, and his hope - Malay Mail</a><br />
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<b>We don't hate the burdens</b><br />
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I saw some making cynical comments about the <a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/12/30/teachers-can-look-forward-to-lighter-workload-ministry-to-unveil-nine-interventions/?fbclid=IwAR3t8okKPn65woYj3CEshFjSr4iGXYdpiTU3XVliv4WUg6Azy5S3OlKhljQ#UgrixcDuMPsqWY6M.99" target="_blank">Minister's announcement on reducing the burdens of teachers</a>. As a response, this is all I want to say: teachers NEVER want their burdens to be reduced. We actually love our burdens (yes, I'm serious).<br />
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We love all the burdens related to teaching. We love decorating our classrooms till the wee hours of the night. We find cutting coloured papers, or drawing with markers, or laminating A4 print-outs, or meddling with Adobe Photoshop to create our teaching materials therapeutic. Regardless of what we say (or how often we actually do it. Haha!), we actually love writing lesson plans (for ourselves and our classrooms, not for anyone else!). And despite our constant complaints about how our students are driving us crazy, we actually love them with all our heart and can't imagine our lives without all the craziness. Let me explain this: we are just sick of all 'burdens' related to non-teaching stuffs.<br />
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We would rather use the time when we stay up all night keying in meaningless data into a portal (that we doubt anyone would ever use for anything) to prepare our lessons. We would rather use the time we spend to 'screen' students to no end to do some actual teaching - to teach the children how to read, and write and count - not to 'diagnose' whether they can do it or not (of course they can't do it, we have no time to teach them with all those 'diagnostic' work). We would rather spend the time that we do to prepare for the school's 'big programmes' (to impress I-don't-know-who) to connect with our students, to communicate with them personally and individually, to understand them better so we can teach them better. We would rather use the time we are forced to spend on preparing 12 or 24 or 36 files to prove how efficient the management of our schools are to finish our marking, to give individual feedback to our students, to make an impact on their learning. We would rather be in the classroom all day than to use our precious time to do work just so some people can have something to brag about on Facebook and WhatsApp groups.<br />
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So let me say it again. Teachers never want their burdens to be reduced. What we want is this: for people to just let us teach. No more nonsense. We are teachers. Our job is to teach, and we'll embrace the job - burdens and all. Don't reduce our burdens. Just get out of our way and let us teach.<br />
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Well...I can rant endlessly about this, but this is not what this post is about.<br />
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<b>Looking back</b><br />
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I know I haven't posted much since I joined PPD KK three years ago. Working as a District English Language Officer (DELO) has been an adventure. I remember receiving a mixture of reactions for my decision to join PPD.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Avv7YSyn1k9UYHhyphenhyphenRtWIDYsb7qoqbNUUrqG2o9FpKnrFDqpGHfIboInFsQmxDeVAoJ6yrkX0HkdMRygQI0BfZOHRQaE7g52_a3QAH9eddd1ZNJp9K1HPVhdFDLTw6qDnAZV-gTmDZ27o/s1600/Screenshot+2018-12-31+at+09.52.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="598" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Avv7YSyn1k9UYHhyphenhyphenRtWIDYsb7qoqbNUUrqG2o9FpKnrFDqpGHfIboInFsQmxDeVAoJ6yrkX0HkdMRygQI0BfZOHRQaE7g52_a3QAH9eddd1ZNJp9K1HPVhdFDLTw6qDnAZV-gTmDZ27o/s400/Screenshot+2018-12-31+at+09.52.14.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2016/05/confession-of-addict-some-thoughts.html" target="_blank">Confession of an Addict: Some thoughts about Teachers PD (Part 2)</a></td></tr>
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It wasn't an easy decision to make, but I did explain in that <a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2016/05/confession-of-addict-some-thoughts.html" target="_blank">embarrassingly long post </a>the justification for my actions - why I did what I did. In sum, this is what it was actually about:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImJYvKsr_PcCRIxdmpKescrFIQcc92HXOUixh6drVH9mtxjvy9muTRwUNrH3Yd6mzCAkIkEImhT076jYjFLbm6SjtZYtkmuytxr7mU1g1NifH8_Kf2zp77hv360B059O6yfq-bxp2PRfQ/s1600/Screenshot+2018-12-31+at+09.47.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="592" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImJYvKsr_PcCRIxdmpKescrFIQcc92HXOUixh6drVH9mtxjvy9muTRwUNrH3Yd6mzCAkIkEImhT076jYjFLbm6SjtZYtkmuytxr7mU1g1NifH8_Kf2zp77hv360B059O6yfq-bxp2PRfQ/s400/Screenshot+2018-12-31+at+09.47.31.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="https://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2016/05/confession-of-addict-some-thoughts.html" target="_blank">Confession of an Addict: Some thoughts about Teachers PD (Part 2)</a></td></tr>
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I did experiment with a few ideas during my short term as a DELO, but I guess I'll reserve the sharing for another post. What I do want to share in this post is what I've learned through the three years of tumultuous yet rewarding experience.<br />
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<b>What teachers want</b><br />
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When I tell people that I never actually left teaching, in my mind I was thinking about going back to school after I've 'satisfied my curiosity'. But after doing what I've been doing for quite some time, I realise that working with teachers is not that different from working with students. The experience is similar, in so many ways. What do teachers want? The same things that all students want.<br />
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<i>Validation</i><br />
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When you're put in a position where people see you as someone in charge - either as a classroom teacher, or an education officer, or a school leader or anyone in similar capacity - it's natural to have those whom you're supposed to be in charge of to want some form of validation from you. The need to be acknowledged - it's human nature. Students want to be acknowledged by their teachers. Good teachers always brag about their best students. And 'best' students are not limited to those who have done well - most of the times 'best' would mean those who have put in their best efforts no matter what the result. Why do teachers do this? There are many reasons, but the main ones are to motivate that particular student, and also to inspire others.<br />
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Being a teacher myself, I know I do want some form of validation from those in charge. Most teachers I know want that as well. It's not because we crave compliments. We don't do what we do because we want to be recognised. Students want validation from teachers because they want to know whether they're on the right track, whether they're doing what they're supposed to do, and to give themselves the motivation to keep going. Teachers want validation from their superiors and those in charge for exactly the same reasons.<br />
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Even without the appreciation they deserve, most teachers I know would persevere nonetheless. But let's face it. Teachers are humans. Some teachers are closer to being saints than others, but they're still humans. How long can you go on without burning out? As a DELO, I have seen otherwise good teachers fade away when put in an environment that offers very little encouragement. On the other hand, less motivated teachers can bloom and prosper under great leadership and when surrounded by inspiring work culture. We know students learn best when the environment, culture and leadership allow them to be their best. Why shouldn't it be the same for teachers?<br />
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<i>Trust</i><br />
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Good teachers know that when they trust their students enough to give them ample spaces to grow, the students will often blossom. For many teachers, teaching is all about the ultimate Montessori goal - for the students to work as if the teachers don't exist. Guidance is necessary, but there's a fine line between scaffolding and controlling. Students want you to hold their hands, but when they're ready to go - you've got to let them go.<br />
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With teachers, it's no different. Why do some people think it's necessary for teachers to write reports that no one will ever read just to make sure that teachers are doing what they're supposed to do? Evidence, we need evidence, some people say. Sorry to disappoint, but reports are not very good 'evidence.' I can produce a report in less than 20 minutes as a 'proof' that I've done something - but whether or not I've done the job (and have done it well) is a totally different matter. And if nobody is going to read it, why should I bother? Let me tell you something. The amount of time and energy spent by some teachers to post what they've done on Facebook, Instagram or blog are almost the same as what they normally spend on reports. But ask any teacher which one he or she prefers: post what you've done on social media. or write a report that no one reads. Which one is more authentic? Which one more likely tells the real story? I don't have to announce the answer - everyone knows better.<br />
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I know some people think it's risky to assign teachers with a task and then let them go about it their own way, with little monitoring, with limited form of control. Monitoring and control are often necessary, but there are times when we just have to let go. We've got to trust our teachers. As teachers, we often take this risk with our students, because we know that it's human nature to want to do better if we feel that we're trusted. Why should it be any different with teachers? It might be a risk, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. I can provide plenty of evidence that trusting people works better than constantly hovering over them like an unwanted CCTV - but let's keep those for my next post.<br />
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<i>Opportunities to grow</i><br />
<br />
I often say this and I've repeated this many times. As a teacher, it is a sin for me to not teach my students. But a greater sin than that would be to deny my students the opportunities to learn. I would argue that it's exactly the same for teachers.<br />
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Someone who's in charge of teachers can choose whether or not they want to appreciate the teachers working under them. A simple thank you is usually already more than enough. But if even the smallest display of gratitude is perceived as being too much, then the least we can do for teachers is to allow them the spaces to grow.<br />
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If we can't provide teachers with quality teacher professional development that they thirst for, then don't hinder them from looking for it themselves. Teachers who don't mind spending their own money to attend courses, seminars, and conferences to develop themselves should be encouraged to do so. If someone in charge thinks attending too many conferences and seminars can make a teacher neglect his or her duties in school, look deep within and ask why this is happening. Whose job is it to provide teachers with professional development opportunities? Why are these teachers looking elsewhere? Have we done enough?<br />
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<i>Connection</i><br />
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Teaching is one of the few professions where the maxim "it's nothing personal, it's just business" doesn't apply. We all know it's personal. We're moulding humans, for goodness sake. How can it not be personal?<br />
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Good teachers know how important personal connection with their students is. Listen to testimonies and sharing from great teachers, award-winning teachers, teachers who have touched people's hearts and changed lives. What do they have in common? It's the extent to which they've gone to establish a meaningful connection with their students, the extra miles they've walked to get to know their students at a deep, personal level.<br />
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Of course, we can still be a reasonably functional teacher without going through all the troubles of establishing personal connections. There's no sin in that. We can go into the classroom, teach, then go home. We still teach, students still learn. We can do that if we want to, and there's nothing wrong with that. But I know many teachers who don't want to do just that. They want to do more. They think it's important that they do more.<br />
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A DELO, or a coach, or a school admin also have that choice. We can still be a reasonably functional DELO, or a coach, or a school admin without going through all the troubles of establishing personal connections with the teachers we work with. There's no sin in that. We do our work, they do theirs.<br />
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But I know some people in those positions who don't want to do just that. They want to do more, They think it's important that they do more. I know I do.<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Let's make 2019 the best year for teachers</b><br />
<br />
We can make 2019 and all the years after that the best years for teachers - not by reducing the so-called 'burdens', but by doing our parts the best we can, and letting teachers do their parts the best they can. My suggestions:<br />
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1. Validate teachers, Acknowledge them. Appreciate their efforts. Validation, acknowledgment and appreciation should be given to those who have worked hard all the time - not just when the number of straight A's or percentage of passes in national examination reach our KPI. We're no longer ranking students and schools. We should stop attaching teachers' commitment and competence to the school's performance in national examination.<br />
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2. Trust teachers. Give them spaces. Allow them the autonomy to do their job. For anyone who has difficulty believing that teachers can do their work without the need to produce a written 'evidence', a better way to ensure no slacking off is to join the teachers and do the work with them. Try to be more useful by lending some helping hands. That way, we can see with our very own eyes whether or not the teachers are doing work. E.g. instead of asking for a report to 'prove' that a school has conducted its PLC, drop by and do the PLC with them.<br />
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3. Provide teachers with ample opportunities to develop themselves. Ask teachers what they need. Organise trainings based on the teachers' needs. If we can't do that, don't stop the teachers from seeking the knowledge elsewhere. Encourage teachers to grow, and provide opportunities for the teachers to use the knowledge and skills they have gained to contribute to the school. If teachers feel lifted, they'll lift others. It's a ripple effect.<br />
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4. Get to know the teachers. Connect with them. Talk to them, be their friend. I've been directed to a few allegedly 'problematic' teachers during my years as a DELO, only to discover that these teachers are actually great teachers who are just burned out. Some almost wither because they're being put in an environment that doesn't nourish their growth. We know that no two students are the same, and that we should differentiate instructions to suit individual needs. Why shouldn't it be the same for teachers? Often all a teacher needs is someone who cares, who understands how hard it is, who doesn't mind giving the teacher a second chance.<br />
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I have a lot more suggestions, but these four are top on my list. Many would say that some of these suggestions require too much work, we don't have enough people in our department, they're too idealistic to be pragmatic.<br />
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And I wouldn't disagree with that. I'm a teacher. A teacher is someone who has hundreds of children under her care, knowing that she might not be able to help them all but she tries anyway. One child at a time, every hour, every day. If I'm more concerned about being pragmatic than being idealistic, I would have quit this job a long time ago.<br />
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<b>One final thought...</b><br />
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Years ago, a young lady who was training to become a teacher asked me how she can be a good teacher. I told her to never forget that she was once a student.<br />
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And once you become a teacher, don't ever forget that you're one - no matter what department you're being posted to, what position you have to handle or what responsibilities you have to shoulder.<br />
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Happy New Year, everyone! Have a blessed one! -ccj<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UcMVO1ITbT6OW5t-dCmttf-wclkZ7qUgvLqJwosCAOc5g_8obCHEn6qOrJ0Xm7K4tgNLl0eF1JZ5EVdqbnCOP4aqHMYSrS_wjZv0FPzZ1-xBDe6hQX-oLFgB4R7LD-5lASlm84sf3Id2/s1600/all+things+to+all+students.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="593" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UcMVO1ITbT6OW5t-dCmttf-wclkZ7qUgvLqJwosCAOc5g_8obCHEn6qOrJ0Xm7K4tgNLl0eF1JZ5EVdqbnCOP4aqHMYSrS_wjZv0FPzZ1-xBDe6hQX-oLFgB4R7LD-5lASlm84sf3Id2/s320/all+things+to+all+students.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You cannot be all things to all teachers. But sometimes, just sometimes, you will be the right colleague, friend, mentor, counselor, servant, shoulder-to-cry-on, listening-ear at the right time. You will be the exact person that one teacher needed more than anything.</span></td></tr>
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-59866521557371397372018-10-26T12:35:00.000+01:002019-10-07T02:05:16.292+01:00I'm on Study Leave! (Sticky Post)Hi friends! Just a quick post to let everyone know that I'm currently on a one-year study leave to pursue my postgraduate study - MPhil in Education (Research in Second Language Education) - at University of Cambridge. I truly apologise for all the unanswered e-mails and messages in my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beyondchalkandtalk/" target="_blank">Beyond Chalk & Talk FB</a> inbox. A lot of things are happening at the same time - and I'm still trying to find my feet. Not an acceptable excuse to ignore you all, I know. I sincerely apologise from the bottom of my heart, and I promise I'll try my very best to make up for that in every way I can.<br />
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There are requests and inquiries about new books and modules - I'm sorry I won't be able to do all those at the moment. But feel free to check out my latest book in the <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/2018/03/latest-edition-of-my-book.html" target="_blank">Genius DSKP series published by Penerbit Ilmu Bakti here</a>. I have posted a few worksheets and materials on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/beyondchalkandtalk/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1752599875001209" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, you can check them out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/beyondchalkandtalk/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1752599875001209" target="_blank">here</a>. You might want to check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beyond.chalk.and.talk/" target="_blank">Instagram page</a>, too. :) That's all I can offer for now. I'll try to post updates from time to time whenever I have the chance.<br />
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I also received a couple of requests for teachers training / workshop. Believe me, I really really wish I can do that. But at the moment I would need to postpone all such activities for very obvious reasons. I promise I'll get in touch with everyone as soon as I finish my studies. We'll plan something, you have my words for that. :)<br />
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If everything goes well, I should be back in Malaysia around August or September next year. Thank you so much for your continuous support. Please pray for me, and do keep in touch!<br />
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Take care, -ccj<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurlF_cFZOwpSuAfwXSafse08om6W0y3oGbwqIJd1DKD6e6NCpohU93f5a_bAoveUVfSgb5jeZhzuv90WGSpA5oP1Z_rQN37BVj4pH_udWolJEdjqJ4YVmRLI_McM1hNJ1lOpw2a2mTAYi/s1600/42643566_166140167641538_6501156549866553344_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1224" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurlF_cFZOwpSuAfwXSafse08om6W0y3oGbwqIJd1DKD6e6NCpohU93f5a_bAoveUVfSgb5jeZhzuv90WGSpA5oP1Z_rQN37BVj4pH_udWolJEdjqJ4YVmRLI_McM1hNJ1lOpw2a2mTAYi/s320/42643566_166140167641538_6501156549866553344_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge</td></tr>
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com2Cambridge, UK52.205337 0.1218169999999645452.1274775 -0.039544500000035454 52.2831965 0.28317849999996453tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-14907632795992224082018-03-05T04:57:00.001+00:002018-03-06T00:42:57.986+00:00Latest Edition of My Book <div dir="ltr">
Just a quick post to announce the latest edition of my book for Year 6 English Language in the Genius DSKP KSSR series, published by Penerbit Ilmu Bakti. Comes with a booklet containing extra UPSR format practices. Available in most local bookstores. </div>
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To order online, visit: </div>
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<a href="https://mehrajbooks.com.my/genius-dskp-bahasa-inggeris-kssr-year-6" target="_blank">Mehraj Books Online</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mphonline.com/books/nsearchdetails.aspx?&pcode=9789674547035" target="_blank">MPH Online</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.topbooks.my/products/ilmu-bakti-genius-dskp-bahasa-inggeris-year-8" target="_blank">Top Books</a><br />
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cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-15136404756191984402018-02-19T00:16:00.002+00:002018-10-26T22:04:12.232+01:00Using Audiobooks to Engage Reluctant Readers: Articles and PublicationHi! I hope it's still not too late to wish every one a Happy Lunar New Year! May the Year of the Dog brings you good health, prosperity and happiness! :)<br />
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I made this post as a follow-up to my <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2018/02/audiobooks-for-classroom-websites.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> on the websites, YouTube channels and mobile apps where teachers can find good audiobooks for their classrooms.<br />
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Following that <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2018/02/audiobooks-for-classroom-websites.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, a lot of teachers have contacted me expressing their interests to try out audiobooks in their classrooms and their desire to find out more about it. I have promised to work on a post specifically dedicated to classroom activities using audiobooks. But before I come out with a new post, I think it would be a good idea to first share some of my previous works on the topic.<br />
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I have previously shared some of my materials on audiobooks on this blog and a few other platforms. To help make it easier for my friends who are interested in this topic, I have decided to compile everything in this single post for easy access.<br />
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<b>Getting Started</b><br />
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If you've been following this topic from this blog and my <a href="https://web.facebook.com/beyondchalkandtalk/?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, you might have already come across <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2018/01/16/engaging-reluctant-readers/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=fblink&utm_campaign=content" target="_blank">my article on World of Better Learning</a> on how I used audiobooks to help my students to be more motivated to read. If you haven't, I think the article would be a good place to start if you're interested in knowing more about how to utilise audiobooks' potentials in reading instructions.<br />
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Link to the article: <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2018/01/16/engaging-reluctant-readers/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=fblink&utm_campaign=content" target="_blank">Engaging Reluctant Readers</a><br />
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<b>Sources of Audiobooks</b><br />
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In order to get started, you would of course need some audiobooks. I have created a post where I have compiled some of my favourite websites, YouTube channels and mobile apps where teachers can get good audiobooks for their classrooms.<br />
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Link to the blog post: <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2018/02/audiobooks-for-classroom-websites.html" target="_blank">Audiobooks for the Classroom: Websites, YouTube and Mobile Apps</a><br />
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<b>Projects and Research</b><br />
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A lot of teachers I know would like to see how it's actually done in practice. In this post I've decided to share what I have done in my own school and with my own students.<br />
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I have published an article on the topic in the <a href="http://jurcon.ums.edu.my/ojums/index.php/ijelp/article/view/695" target="_blank">International Journal on e-Learning Practice (IJELP), Volume 2, 2015</a>. Here's the abstract:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Audiobooks are valuable tools that have a lot of untapped potentials and benefits. This research explores the two different roles that audiobooks can play in helping reluctant readers to improve their reading skills and to get them to be more interested in reading. The research is conducted in a Malaysian primary school in a small village. It is targeted on 20 children who have been identified as reluctant readers. In the first cycle of this research, the role of audiobooks is as an input for learning. Audiobooks accessed through the Internet and mobile devices are used to assist children in their reading. In the second cycle, the role of audiobooks is as an output or product of learning. The respondents are engaged in the Audiobook Project, where they are given the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers to create audiobooks and share their works on a blog. The quantitative data in this research is gathered through pre and post tests as well as a survey, while the qualitative data is derived from pre and post interviews. The findings of this research suggest that audiobooks are able to improve the respondents’ reading comprehension skills, engage reluctant readers and help develop their self-perception as readers. The findings also suggest that the potentials of audiobooks can be optimised to the fullest when they are used in combination with effective strategies such as collaborative learning, ICT integration and communicative approach.</span><br />
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The full text is available to download from this link: <a href="http://jurcon.ums.edu.my/ojums/index.php/ijelp/article/view/695" target="_blank">Engaging Reluctant Readers through Audiobook Project</a><br />
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I have also presented my Audiobook Project at the 25th MELTA International conference in 2015. The presentation has won the Basil Wijasuriya Silver Award for Outstanding Conference Presentation.<br />
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Link my presentation slides: <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/the-use-of-audiobooks-in-improving-reading-comprehension-and-changing-perception-of-reading-among-reluctant-readers" target="_blank">The Use of Audiobooks in Improving Reading Comprehension and Changing Perception of Reading among Reluctant Readers</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/81g8wEHzjm3AMY" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/the-use-of-audiobooks-in-improving-reading-comprehension-and-changing-perception-of-reading-among-reluctant-readers" target="_blank" title="The Use of Audiobooks in Improving Reading Comprehension and Changing Perception of Reading among Reluctant Readers">The Use of Audiobooks in Improving Reading Comprehension and Changing Perception of Reading among Reluctant Readers</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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<b>Reaching Beyond the Classroom: Bringing it Further</b><br />
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In 2014, I have conducted a project in my former school in SK Kunak 2 where I incorporated audiobooks in our book club activities and parental involvement initiatives. I'm sharing here the link to my blog post on the project for those who are interested to find out how audiobooks can be used as tools to reach beyond the classroom.<br />
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Link to the blog post: <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2014/12/reaching-beyond-classroom-reading.html" target="_blank">Reaching Beyond the Classroom - The Reading Family Book Club</a><br />
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Link to the project blog where you can find some samples of my students' works: <a href="http://skk2readingfamily.blogspot.my/" target="_blank">The Reading Family - Reading is Awesome!</a><br />
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Some pictures from the project:<br />
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<b>Let me know what you think</b><br />
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In my next post, I'll share with you more ideas on how audiobooks can be used in the classroom. In the mean time, feel free to contact me if you have any ideas, suggestions, recommendations, links to resources and etc.<br />
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Till the next post! -ccj<br />
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-90886845996192954942018-02-15T09:42:00.002+00:002018-08-23T04:07:01.554+01:00Audiobooks for the Classroom: Websites, YouTube and Mobile AppsI am 99% recovered from a nasty eye infection which had made it very difficult for me to perform tasks that would require me to strain my eyes; and that would, of course, include reading. If it wasn't because of audiobooks, I think I would have gone crazy. I spent my two-week sick leave listening to three Shakespeare plays and Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities' on LibriVox, and am currently half-way through the award-winning 'Evicted ' by Matthew Desmond on Audible. My audiobooks have been my life-saver during those difficult times when I couldn't use my eyes to the fullest capacity to read properly :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/" target="_blank">Cambridge University Press ELT</a> has recently published <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2018/01/16/engaging-reluctant-readers/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=fblink&utm_campaign=content" target="_blank">my article</a> on their website <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2018/01/16/engaging-reluctant-readers/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=fblink&utm_campaign=content" target="_blank">World of Better Learning </a>on t<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2018/01/16/engaging-reluctant-readers/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=fblink&utm_campaign=content" target="_blank">he use of audiobooks to engage reluctant readers</a>. I have since then received a few messages from teachers who are interested in trying out audiobooks in their reading lessons. One of the most common questions is on the sources of audiobooks, i.e. where teachers can get them.<br />
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In this post, I will share my sources of audiobooks for use in my reading lessons in the classroom (and also for my own pleasure reading/listening).<br />
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<b>WEBSITES</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.storynory.com/" target="_blank">Storynory</a><br />
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If you are teaching young children and primary school students, you will love this site. It has a wide range of choices of audio stories for children. The categories include original stories, classics, fairy tales, poems and music.<br />
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In order to use <a href="http://www.storynory.com/" target="_blank">Storynory</a> in the classroom, you would have to have Internet connection as the stories can only be accessed online. Here are some screenshots of the site:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuDIva1zMhZojzkL1QZv6U6PpY3Styb2MDWiXK113Npc1l54-3tvIqLPMCJO2wSGWTvIhCkBBQ3kIHQMqzXVZc5XuVf9WGtEm0cMerUqQ3zkR3455s1pBLk4RlU20pbOG5_IXmMMp9g4p/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+2.44.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="729" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuDIva1zMhZojzkL1QZv6U6PpY3Styb2MDWiXK113Npc1l54-3tvIqLPMCJO2wSGWTvIhCkBBQ3kIHQMqzXVZc5XuVf9WGtEm0cMerUqQ3zkR3455s1pBLk4RlU20pbOG5_IXmMMp9g4p/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+2.44.48+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en" target="_blank">LearnEnglish Kids</a><br />
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This is one of my favourite sites. It has tonnes of free teaching materials that teachers can use not just for reading lessons, but also for listening, writing and grammar. If you are looking for stories with visuals and audio to be used with young learners, have a look at the <a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories" target="_blank">Short Stories section</a>. It offers wide selections of stories that children can watch and listen to. The best part is that each story comes with interactive games, printable version of the story, downloadable worksheets and teaching materials, pictures and flash cards! And these are all available for free!<br />
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Just like Storynory, the stories are only accessible online. Here are some screenshots:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QyQrwkyRwAqjasfzTIGhWeqnF8d5do7qqLr3dfXFhyphenhyphenuqYkktrblRntpOe4Xsyt4fHLkS_hIah5I3NI804yrXV_YGW_rAQkcdoh7GC8ivRDD6J0ZTnFMuDOuPp0CA-4Fq3BBr_Ae58lrF/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+2.54.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="655" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QyQrwkyRwAqjasfzTIGhWeqnF8d5do7qqLr3dfXFhyphenhyphenuqYkktrblRntpOe4Xsyt4fHLkS_hIah5I3NI804yrXV_YGW_rAQkcdoh7GC8ivRDD6J0ZTnFMuDOuPp0CA-4Fq3BBr_Ae58lrF/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+2.54.15+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>YOUTUBE CHANNELS</b><br />
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There are many kind souls out there who have been generous enough to upload teaching materials on the World Wide Web for teachers all over the world to download and use - and audiobooks are no exception. Internet search can easily bring you to a list of hundreds of audiobooks that are available online. Teachers would need to use their own discretions and professional judgements - as not all the audiobooks available on the Net are suitable or appropriate for our students. I would share here some YouTube channels that I think offer quite good-quality audiobooks that are generally suitable for primary and secondary classrooms.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF_08wMbjrpyl52dWN77Txg" target="_blank">Audio Book Learning English</a><br />
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This channel has lots of audiobooks that are suitable for upper-primary levels and young teenagers. I'm sharing here one of the stories so you can have an idea of how the stories on the channel generally look/sound like:<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lEGFZ7bCxmw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNPLXJXH4MIB0t09xpmbkw" target="_blank">Pick Up English</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNPLXJXH4MIB0t09xpmbkw" target="_blank">Pick Up English</a> is a good channel to get audiobooks for teenagers / secondary school students. What I like about this channel is that it provides categorisations for the levels of the audiobooks, i.e. beginner's, intermediate and advanced levels. I believe this will certainly be useful in helping teachers choose the right kind of audiobooks for their students. Here's a sample from the channel:<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pJVL9p7FQwQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf099SXtegD4kv9-M3GIgnw" target="_blank">Great AudioBooks</a><br />
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For more matured or advanced learners, this channel offers some quite good selections of audiobooks. I notice that most of the audiobooks on this channel actually come from LibriVox. Accessing audiobooks through this channel is perhaps a good alternative if you prefer not to download the LibriVox app on your device. Here's a sample of an audiobook from the channel:<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DC1IP6dqIzY" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>MOBILE APPS</b><br />
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I love listening to my audiobooks using my mobile device. I think it's very convenient. I would usually listen to audiobooks while I'm driving (it makes being stuck in a bad traffic jam more bearable), while cleaning my front porch in the morning, while doing my gardening or when I'm down with an eye infection so bad that it makes it impossible for me to read printed words. I'm sharing here two of my favourite mobile apps for audiobooks.<br />
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<a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a><br />
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<a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a> is of course my ultimate favourite. All <a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a>'s audiobooks are available for free because they only record works that are in the public domain, i.e. works with copyrights that had expired (published before 1923). Therefore, if you're looking for books published after 1923, <a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a> wouldn't have them. If your students (and you) love classics like Dickens, Austen, Wilde, Shakespeare etc., <a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a> is the perfect place to find great audiobooks.<br />
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Another important thing to point out is that the recordings are all done by volunteers. So, there's no guarantee that you would like the quality of the recordings. However, <a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a> has its own quality-control standard and from my own experience of listening to some 50++ audiobooks so far, <a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a> has been nothing short of amazing. I can say with absolute confidence that the quality of many <a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a> recordings are on par with (if not better than) some commercially produced audiobooks.<br />
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You can access <a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">LibriVox</a>'s audiobooks through their <a href="https://librivox.org/" target="_blank">website</a>, or by downloading the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=biz.bookdesign.librivox" target="_blank">mobile app</a>. Here are some screenshots of <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=biz.bookdesign.librivox" target="_blank">LibriVox's mobile app</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GB5i3FDNJhIJidW-5w9yipNY9VLYE-Yuk46uMElk7AXMknnecxj3MRSrfZzaEoZU-xGkxeCz_5RqSIv1QI4s8LjP20WkETLCtIV6CoaycadPQDWd8TpoBZC23vix3PtwvXgRuS42o7Cq/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+4.50.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="429" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GB5i3FDNJhIJidW-5w9yipNY9VLYE-Yuk46uMElk7AXMknnecxj3MRSrfZzaEoZU-xGkxeCz_5RqSIv1QI4s8LjP20WkETLCtIV6CoaycadPQDWd8TpoBZC23vix3PtwvXgRuS42o7Cq/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+4.50.53+PM.png" width="231" /></a></div>
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Go <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=biz.bookdesign.librivox" target="_blank">here</a> to download <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=biz.bookdesign.librivox" target="_blank">LibriVox mobile app through Google Play Store</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.audible.com/?ref=a_ep_kids-a_t1_nav_header_logo&pf_rd_p=de479d37-5b05-43ea-aeac-894ed2c417e2&pf_rd_r=639CRV8YXDVDKZ7K1XQE&" target="_blank">Audible</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.audible.com/?ref=a_a_cat_Tee_t1_nav_header_logo&pf_rd_p=de479d37-5b05-43ea-aeac-894ed2c417e2&pf_rd_r=V9DPSTZ3KAEZBMRMFFQS&" target="_blank">Audible </a>is another audiobooks app that I love to use. According to <a href="https://www.audible.com/?ref=a_a_cat_Tee_t1_nav_header_logo&pf_rd_p=de479d37-5b05-43ea-aeac-894ed2c417e2&pf_rd_r=V9DPSTZ3KAEZBMRMFFQS&" target="_blank">Audible</a>, "Listening is the new Reading" :) I love this app very much, and I think teachers can get quite a number of good audiobooks for the classroom. However, <a href="https://www.audible.com/?ref=a_a_cat_Tee_t1_nav_header_logo&pf_rd_p=de479d37-5b05-43ea-aeac-894ed2c417e2&pf_rd_r=V9DPSTZ3KAEZBMRMFFQS&" target="_blank">Audible</a> is not free. It costs $14.95 per month (about MYR58.22). Each month, subscribers will be given one credit that can be used to download one audiobook for free (regardless of price). Subscribers get 30% discount on purchase of additional audiobooks. The greatest thing about <a href="https://www.audible.com/?ref=a_a_cat_Tee_t1_nav_header_logo&pf_rd_p=de479d37-5b05-43ea-aeac-894ed2c417e2&pf_rd_r=V9DPSTZ3KAEZBMRMFFQS&" target="_blank">Audible</a> is that it has most of the bestsellers and latest titles in its selections.<br />
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<a href="https://www.audible.com/?ref=a_a_cat_Tee_t1_nav_header_logo&pf_rd_p=de479d37-5b05-43ea-aeac-894ed2c417e2&pf_rd_r=V9DPSTZ3KAEZBMRMFFQS&" target="_blank">Audible</a> also offers great selections of <a href="https://www.audible.com/ep/kids-audiobooks?ref=a_home-page_t1_navTop_pl0cg0c0r6&pf_rd_p=a98422cb-8d45-4cdf-89b0-5b2ee77b5b22&pf_rd_r=14T0D3QD0TQHSMNXQS07&" target="_blank">audiobooks for kids</a>. It has audiobooks for kids aged <a href="https://www.audible.com/cat/Kids/Ages-0-4-Audiobooks/2239697011?ref=a_kids_nav_bab&pf_rd_p=23a6d229-2e83-41bb-8f6a-62dc67cf2b72&pf_rd_r=DX9FR73XWXMEH0SAARTG&" target="_blank">0 - 4 years old</a>, <a href="https://audible.com/cat/Kids/Ages-5-7-Audiobooks/2239698011?ref=a_kids_nav_5-7&pf_rd_p=23a6d229-2e83-41bb-8f6a-62dc67cf2b72&pf_rd_r=DX9FR73XWXMEH0SAARTG&" target="_blank">5 - 7 years old</a>, <a href="https://www.audible.com/cat/Kids/Ages-8-10-Audiobooks/2239699011?ref=a_kids_nav_8-10&pf_rd_p=23a6d229-2e83-41bb-8f6a-62dc67cf2b72&pf_rd_r=DX9FR73XWXMEH0SAARTG&" target="_blank">8 - 10 years old</a>, and <a href="https://www.audible.com/cat/Teens/Ages-11-13-Audiobooks/2239711011?ref=a_kids_nav_11-12&pf_rd_p=23a6d229-2e83-41bb-8f6a-62dc67cf2b72&pf_rd_r=DX9FR73XWXMEH0SAARTG&" target="_blank">11 - 13 years old</a>. If you are teaching secondary school level, Audible has over 15, 000 titles under its category of <a href="https://www.audible.com/cat/Teens-Audiobooks/2239710011?ref=a_home-page_t1_navTop_pl0cg0c0r5&pf_rd_p=a98422cb-8d45-4cdf-89b0-5b2ee77b5b22&pf_rd_r=F8D45WMX2WA79H9AKF0B&" target="_blank">audiobooks for teens</a>.<br />
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Here are some screenshots from the <a href="https://www.audible.com/" target="_blank">website</a> and the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audible.application" target="_blank">mobile app</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLib_ar-ILDSQpp5ttLKgDmqqtbP4zihYSLxDUZaegaRzbwjTjnMzOYttXccPeYSvzNKEZwB6hALashXerDxw4xXBN7uRZbswoJqhULPA6e02BihmnlvpYM6GDeAFGGiDV-v4QHUjG5Em/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+5.38.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="451" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLib_ar-ILDSQpp5ttLKgDmqqtbP4zihYSLxDUZaegaRzbwjTjnMzOYttXccPeYSvzNKEZwB6hALashXerDxw4xXBN7uRZbswoJqhULPA6e02BihmnlvpYM6GDeAFGGiDV-v4QHUjG5Em/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+5.38.53+PM.png" width="215" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-n06j-Mf5X279l1D4UoSm0yEEEymA0vkqiTcXaVi8p7SWUOttpVG-MdjSxts_0Qey6ofAWaigPW4UC4_l3Lht1gJmBimueXH764SrOFK2hRR4VSUuMn-1nEnNPnNPhM40pm-TVxCxSMR/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+5.39.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="429" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-n06j-Mf5X279l1D4UoSm0yEEEymA0vkqiTcXaVi8p7SWUOttpVG-MdjSxts_0Qey6ofAWaigPW4UC4_l3Lht1gJmBimueXH764SrOFK2hRR4VSUuMn-1nEnNPnNPhM40pm-TVxCxSMR/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-15+at+5.39.08+PM.png" width="233" /></a></div>
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Go <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audible.application" target="_blank">here</a> to download <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audible.application" target="_blank">Audible mobile app through Google Play Store</a>.<br />
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<b>I would love to hear from you</b><br />
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There are plenty of great sources of audiobooks out there that I haven't got the chance to explore yet. In this post, I can only share the ones that I have personally used and can confidently recommend to every one. Do you know of any other great sources of audiobooks? Please share with me. I would love to hear from you, and I'm sure many other teachers would love to know about the sources, too :)<br />
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<b>Next post</b><br />
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Today, I have downloaded a few more mobile apps that claim to offer good audiobooks for children. I can't include them here yet in this post since I haven't tried them :) But I intend to try out a few within these few days and write reviews for the apps. I'll share the reviews in my next post.<br />
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The next post will also discuss some classroom activities that can be used with audiobooks, and a few audiobook-related projects that teachers can do with their students.<br />
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Till then, thanks for reading! -ccj<br />
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cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-49415280538935395022018-01-31T04:05:00.000+00:002018-01-31T06:32:14.883+00:00Using Technology to Engage Reluctant WritersIn 2015, I conducted a project with my students at <a href="https://web.facebook.com/SK-Gudon-Kota-Kinabalu-277151412621772/" target="_blank">Gudon National Primary School, Kota Kinabalu Sabah</a> where I used technology such as blog and WhatsApp to engage reluctant writers. The project won the <a href="http://languageresearch.cambridge.org/trp/" target="_blank">Cambridge University Press' Teacher Research Programme</a> and I was given the opportunity to present the project at the <a href="https://www.iatefl.org/birmingham-2016" target="_blank">2016 IATEFL Conference in Birmingham, United Kingdom</a>.<br />
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I have received e-mails and messages from a few colleagues, requesting for the materials from the project. I decided to compile everything here in this single post for easy access.<br />
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<b>My IATEFL talk</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/" target="_blank">Cambridge University Press</a> has shared <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2017/03/02/improving-childrens-writing-skills/" target="_blank">my IATEFL talk</a> on its website, <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/" target="_blank">World of Better Learning</a>. Here's an extract from the article:<br />
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<i>This popular talk, filmed at IATEFL in Birmingham, centres around a project in a Malaysian school where digital resources were exploited to make writing activities more personalised and interactive.<br /><br />Cindy noticed that her students spent a lot of time using technology, in particular their mobiles, and wanted to explore how she could use this to make writing a more positive experience for them.</i><br />
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(Go <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2017/03/02/improving-childrens-writing-skills/" target="_blank">here</a> to view the <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2017/03/02/improving-childrens-writing-skills/" target="_blank">original post on World of Better Learning</a>).<br />
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Here's the <a href="https://youtu.be/PrkO6GO3w-g" target="_blank">video</a> of my presentation:</div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PrkO6GO3w-g" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Link to Youtube video: <a href="https://youtu.be/PrkO6GO3w-g">https://youtu.be/PrkO6GO3w-g</a></div>
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<b>Teacher Research Programme (TRP)</b></div>
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I have also written three blog posts on my experience in conducting the project with my students - also published on <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/" target="_blank">World of Better Learning</a>. Here are some snippets, and the link to the full article.</div>
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<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/01/06/teacher-research-2015-part-one-getting-started/" target="_blank">Part 1: Getting Started</a></div>
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<i>My students loved smart phones, computers and the internet. Technology made them excited. The examination writing paper requires the students to be good story-writers. I planned to start a project that revolves around using technology to engage my students in story-creating activities...Through this project, I hoped to be able to change my students’ attitudes towards writing and learning...</i><br />
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(Go <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/01/06/teacher-research-2015-part-one-getting-started/" target="_blank">here</a> to read the f<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/01/06/teacher-research-2015-part-one-getting-started/" target="_blank">ull article on World of Better Learning</a>).</div>
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<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/01/27/teacher-research-2015-part-two-middle/" target="_blank">Part 2: The Middle</a></div>
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<i>This project aimed to determine to what extent the use of technology tools can improve my students’ story-writing skills. To do this, I planned to use tools that my students were already familiar with. My students loved smart phones and they used WhatsApp as well as photo and video-editing software a lot. My intervention strategies included using these tools to create prompts for story-writing. I also wanted to see whether technology tools can be used effectively as a platform for students to share their works and receive interactive feedback from their peers.</i><br />
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(Go <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/01/27/teacher-research-2015-part-two-middle/" target="_blank">here</a> to read the f<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/01/27/teacher-research-2015-part-two-middle/" target="_blank">ull article on World of Better Learning</a>).</div>
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<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/03/07/teacher-research-2015-part-three-end/" target="_blank">Part 3: The End...or is it?</a></div>
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<i>Through the research, I learned that the most meaningful and effective learning can happen when students’ engagement is at its optimum level. Anything and everything that a teacher wants to achieve in her classroom can be achieved if students are engaged. I can bring all the latest pedagogical approaches, teaching strategies and sophisticated tools into the classroom, but if I fail to find out what engages my students and use it effectively to help them learn, I am going nowhere. As one of my students puts it, “Teacher, you’ve helped me learn what I need to learn by making me believe that I really want to learn it.”</i><br />
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(Go <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/03/07/teacher-research-2015-part-three-end/" target="_blank">here</a> to read the <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2016/03/07/teacher-research-2015-part-three-end/" target="_blank">full article on World of Better Learning</a>).</div>
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<b>The Project Report</b></div>
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The report for this project has been published by <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/" target="_blank">Cambridge University Press</a>. It is available for download from this link:</div>
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<a href="http://languageresearch.cambridge.org/images/pdf/2015-16_James_CUP_TRP_final_report.pdf" target="_blank">Improving Children's Writing Skills through Digital Story Prompts and Feedback (TRP 2015 Final Report)</a></div>
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The report has also been published in the form of a journal article, in the <a href="http://jurcon.ums.edu.my/ojums/index.php/ijelp/issue/view/108/showToc" target="_blank">International Journal of e-Learning Practices, Volume 3, 2016</a>, published by <a href="http://www.ums.edu.my/" target="_blank">Universiti Malaysia Sabah</a>. Here's the abstract:</div>
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<b>Engaging Children in Story-writing Activities through Kidblog and WhatsApp</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>Narrative writing is any kind of writing that recounts a story. While the love of stories among children is innate, getting them to put the stories down in writing can be perceived as a daunting task, especially when the task is associated with a high-stake test. The use of story prompts through the integration of technology and writing pedagogy can make this task less daunting for children. This paper aims to present findings based on a project involving 31 Year 6 students in one suburban primary school. The strategy was to engage digital-native children in story-creating process through the use of blog and mobile apps like WhatsApp and editing software for images, videos and sounds. Students used mobile devices to create a story prompt (an image, a video or a sound clip) for writing a story. The students used the story prompt to stimulate ideas about the setting, the characters, the mood and the plot of a story. The stories and the story prompts were shared on the class blog and the class WhatsApp group. The students’ personal reflections in their reflective journals demonstrate the positive effects story prompts have on reluctant writers’ attitudes towards narrative writing. The students’ scores in pre-test, progress test and post-test also suggest that story prompts have a role to play in improving the students’ performance in narrative writing tests.</i></span></div>
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Here's the link to the journal article:</div>
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<a href="http://jurcon.ums.edu.my/ojums/index.php/ijelp/article/view/711" target="_blank">Engaging Children in Story-writing Activities through Kidblog and WhatsApp</a></div>
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I'm also sharing here the Powerpoint slides from my talk at the <a href="https://www.iatefl.org/birmingham-2016" target="_blank">2016 IATEFL Conference, Birmingham, UK</a>.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/hFphE3SeHmMUkY" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/improving-childrens-writing-skills-through-digital-story-prompts-and-feedback" target="_blank" title="Improving Children's Writing Skills through Digital Story Prompts and Feedback">Improving Children's Writing Skills through Digital Story Prompts and Feedback</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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Link to Slideshare: <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/improving-childrens-writing-skills-through-digital-story-prompts-and-feedback">https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/improving-childrens-writing-skills-through-digital-story-prompts-and-feedback</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XPOshq0QbAU_Rp9BVjnokOh5qsZIvDfnFwfeKco5pmZkMfZxcWoqrCbfvWTPJsq13EPo5hXiz418wgccMaCz5i2ZAdg9voD1Wfo0d6qSucj9q8n_cwrGjGKagrAxVDSDw36TJbvOfFwR/s1600/Kidblog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XPOshq0QbAU_Rp9BVjnokOh5qsZIvDfnFwfeKco5pmZkMfZxcWoqrCbfvWTPJsq13EPo5hXiz418wgccMaCz5i2ZAdg9voD1Wfo0d6qSucj9q8n_cwrGjGKagrAxVDSDw36TJbvOfFwR/s320/Kidblog1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My students working on their blog post at the school's computer lab</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOxNCk1aQq-Pt4yvBhUSSHcsCoKtyzPUa9rWmHv4JDRYhaZx7w723_83eLjOf19SuHil5CxvD4GYHApI3bQwwLUGRVzdDLAxDNRua2F_p9DjbUqIzQlqv4wo4Amb0WqK7dX6_MvPbacv5/s1600/Kidblog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOxNCk1aQq-Pt4yvBhUSSHcsCoKtyzPUa9rWmHv4JDRYhaZx7w723_83eLjOf19SuHil5CxvD4GYHApI3bQwwLUGRVzdDLAxDNRua2F_p9DjbUqIzQlqv4wo4Amb0WqK7dX6_MvPbacv5/s320/Kidblog2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My students working on their blog post at the school's computer lab</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBTHv1ppSY8JKXSYYZPImVHqOecaxtUYs-itA8WAHVCNOJrPuuu1LqzliUptQ1SFPeMSP2on6ScnJ_uQPciXpSMMXwxWNLHSMYb8MtwfTt-9EbhXDPL8MisCmWtCxyTXTsZmYSBBwHDWP/s1600/Gudon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBTHv1ppSY8JKXSYYZPImVHqOecaxtUYs-itA8WAHVCNOJrPuuu1LqzliUptQ1SFPeMSP2on6ScnJ_uQPciXpSMMXwxWNLHSMYb8MtwfTt-9EbhXDPL8MisCmWtCxyTXTsZmYSBBwHDWP/s320/Gudon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My school where the project was conducted - <a href="https://web.facebook.com/SK-Gudon-Kota-Kinabalu-277151412621772/" target="_blank">Gudon National Primary School</a></td></tr>
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cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-18239885149898541942017-01-11T02:12:00.000+00:002018-08-23T04:11:46.863+01:00Things I'm Grateful For (Happy New Year 2017!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's the second week of 2017...and I hope it's still not too late to wish everyone a happy new year. So, any new year resolutions? I aim to make 2017 a better year by giving myself more time to read for pleasure, to travel for pleasure and to write for pleasure :)<br />
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Under 'write for pleasure' is doing this blog...so I aim to blog more often than last year. I realised that 2016 had not been very productive for Beyond Chalk & Talk - only two posts published for the whole year. So 2017 is the year to do more blogging. So, this is my first blog post in 2017, and I want to start by counting my blessings.<br />
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2016 was tumultuous, filled with ups and downs - but overall it had been a great year. Here's a list of the things that I'm grateful for:<br />
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<b>Friends and family - near and far</b><br />
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I don't think I have the words to describe how grateful I am for my beloved family and for all the wonderful friends that I have in my life. 2016 had not been a very good year for me health wise. I was in and out of the hospital a dozen times. I had been unwell, I had been depressed - during those times I could be horrible and it wasn't easy to be around me, I know. But my dear family and friends were never far from me. They might not be close to me physically but they were always there for me and with me. I'm beyond blessed. Oh, and I have to mention this: God had blessed my brother and his wife with a baby girl. My beautiful niece Jordan Nicole was born on the 9th of September last year, and I'm officially a #proudaunty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb6FB3qrF19VqIa6HYbgsPC_6ZFdWGPU_Uvk45pN8Tk6DlzL2Gzl1oR6S5oX8FdGSlb62rjGWqWhrW7H000vZJ7cpQnFHMrrZApDEfNvkoVbQG8oNiT9RyrtcjJUfHMGAp3Kx-CM1Jc4y/s1600/Christmas+with+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb6FB3qrF19VqIa6HYbgsPC_6ZFdWGPU_Uvk45pN8Tk6DlzL2Gzl1oR6S5oX8FdGSlb62rjGWqWhrW7H000vZJ7cpQnFHMrrZApDEfNvkoVbQG8oNiT9RyrtcjJUfHMGAp3Kx-CM1Jc4y/s320/Christmas+with+family.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas with family, 2016</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOW5f_wBadWiYBU1sA6CCQ89IsyvQRz7uyharo0g_3Ku7R3hcwj3MQ-uo4Du3BU9vftEdWwlyN0gtawUKE1h1anLbtlXhvYBSeIBbMqD1PEaiU4xY4cbG-ziKVq0d6Ou3YAurzuKJZHZpq/s1600/Crazy+Shoba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOW5f_wBadWiYBU1sA6CCQ89IsyvQRz7uyharo0g_3Ku7R3hcwj3MQ-uo4Du3BU9vftEdWwlyN0gtawUKE1h1anLbtlXhvYBSeIBbMqD1PEaiU4xY4cbG-ziKVq0d6Ou3YAurzuKJZHZpq/s320/Crazy+Shoba.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't actually want to post this at first (I look super terrible), but I need to give credit to that crazy lady who took this wefie. She's Shoba Macintyre, my good friend, an SISC+ from PPD Papar. She postponed her trip back to Sabah just so she could be with me when I was admitted to the hospital at Seremban.<br />
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Shoba, you're crazy. Love ya.</td></tr>
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<b>The opportunities to learn new things and work with great people</b><br />
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This would be my second year working in PPD Kota Kinabalu as district English language officer. It had been an interesting year, a year filled with learning experiences. Early last year I had written <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2016/05/confession-of-addict-some-thoughts.html" target="_blank">a post</a> about how much I missed my classroom and my kids - but after one year here's what I can say: I'm a teacher, and I always will be no matter where you put me. This new responsibility has given me the chance to gain new perspectives, but it doesn't in any way affect my passion for teaching. If anything, it only makes me love being a teacher even more. I had the opportunities to see many schools, meet many teachers and spoken to quite a number of great leaders in this field. I had been inspired, I had been rejuvenated. I had learned a lot. A LOT.<br />
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And as far as learning is concerned, I would have to say that I'm so grateful for the opportunity to embark upon my postgraduate study in 2016. My academic supervisor and mentor, AP Dr. Lee Kean Wah is the greatest ever and I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to learn from him.<br />
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Work trip to Sepanggar Island:<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="727" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmedia%2Fset%2F%3Fset%3Da.10208298852181452.1073741851.1608263108%26type%3D3&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfvuRAIFTWIeGWzoMmSNlgYsUasgdCbY3iPdX7vRbAIQZGagxouZYwFYA5gI8sLQ96EmaRJB-Yp7-0cQuuweQrTJRce-SAGTGTVTbhmVWd-7XkQJThrFXrHAlvdcNGokV6jjFAmkh184a/s1600/Great+leaders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfvuRAIFTWIeGWzoMmSNlgYsUasgdCbY3iPdX7vRbAIQZGagxouZYwFYA5gI8sLQ96EmaRJB-Yp7-0cQuuweQrTJRce-SAGTGTVTbhmVWd-7XkQJThrFXrHAlvdcNGokV6jjFAmkh184a/s320/Great+leaders.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great leaders - Ms Julia Jock (former Excellent Principal of SM La Salle), Ms Gertrude Jock (Director of IPGM Kampus Gaya), Ms Juliana Johari (Head of English Unit, IPGM Kampus Gaya)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDb2I0wEv1jOHgZE9j45Gqppn8DpCSZNHcnrs14VgJ25xAM81y4iadQI8qkdQ14NYUVebbyYfRSiG6c1-raMUA30OC__0MpqvvCziUqA3_xEiJg-BTzV5WRSlH6y2CwZJKsVqkUhQ0xPy/s1600/GD3-46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDb2I0wEv1jOHgZE9j45Gqppn8DpCSZNHcnrs14VgJ25xAM81y4iadQI8qkdQ14NYUVebbyYfRSiG6c1-raMUA30OC__0MpqvvCziUqA3_xEiJg-BTzV5WRSlH6y2CwZJKsVqkUhQ0xPy/s320/GD3-46.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my 'Going Digital' team</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARM9FNTDg7H4KNBHiDFHUWDTZehGlFpjwLqb9evJR0rBN6Jc5bonBv3vHXMwIGwzOYRp8ToyXqdNLkuxKMpkbjjN4h6XwoJ9QDtfI78BGZNmI_OdVjn6imFU30-I0eOFWiCdQzZ3xJYAl/s1600/MELTA+KK+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARM9FNTDg7H4KNBHiDFHUWDTZehGlFpjwLqb9evJR0rBN6Jc5bonBv3vHXMwIGwzOYRp8ToyXqdNLkuxKMpkbjjN4h6XwoJ9QDtfI78BGZNmI_OdVjn6imFU30-I0eOFWiCdQzZ3xJYAl/s320/MELTA+KK+family.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my MELTA KK family - Ease, Shuba, Aishah, Nigel and Ian. With Dr Sivabala Naidu from University of Nottingham, KL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsGGzxlYb428gQ7qEDqfx64u0iSFfO1p2XNj8B1283oPkCFXni_K9S-PV4r0ei0dYz4Aq2w3y68uWz89n6_33TNFHpEdWzAsTXnTrKY4WN6VkpoCCVf82qdVFQIddW8WNBp45-Pb3mhXT/s1600/With+KK+teachers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsGGzxlYb428gQ7qEDqfx64u0iSFfO1p2XNj8B1283oPkCFXni_K9S-PV4r0ei0dYz4Aq2w3y68uWz89n6_33TNFHpEdWzAsTXnTrKY4WN6VkpoCCVf82qdVFQIddW8WNBp45-Pb3mhXT/s320/With+KK+teachers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With awesome KK teachers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32Tda95cgDkqLvIrN4y0At6FwaYjTzlf_TzxM-l9ba0xi1iQaJTYrViVuhRa7SVI1lV6V_W7zk4VQy0AqQfGzSguRB7qEK0AFlAqzat16qMcKo9MWDYmfjzXQZhLcTfJonSWO9OX_z95J/s1600/With+Dr+Tan+and+Dr+Lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32Tda95cgDkqLvIrN4y0At6FwaYjTzlf_TzxM-l9ba0xi1iQaJTYrViVuhRa7SVI1lV6V_W7zk4VQy0AqQfGzSguRB7qEK0AFlAqzat16qMcKo9MWDYmfjzXQZhLcTfJonSWO9OX_z95J/s320/With+Dr+Tan+and+Dr+Lee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With awesome educators and scholars: Associate Professor Dr Lee Kean Wah and Associate Professor Dr Tan Choon Keong (Universiti Malaysia Sabah) in Miri, Sarawak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqeJax23oeW2A8uV24WdryGctYjBcCdagWnQW5aYP4hmqWsu2urNyYwa5LbFN_H8YkkdFXq41xzm5KkOnjKPO1YTwf2eSU1woe-D3HrJVFB9Cf0s111ERCbejVvvJXfneVyi6gG8-zNGW/s1600/With+my+cool+Head+of+Unit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqeJax23oeW2A8uV24WdryGctYjBcCdagWnQW5aYP4hmqWsu2urNyYwa5LbFN_H8YkkdFXq41xzm5KkOnjKPO1YTwf2eSU1woe-D3HrJVFB9Cf0s111ERCbejVvvJXfneVyi6gG8-zNGW/s320/With+my+cool+Head+of+Unit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my super cool Head of Academic Unit at PPD KK - Ms Doreen Peter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>More opportunities to share</b></div>
<br />
I love sharing with other teachers, and being the English language officer has given me more opportunities to do that. Since I'm no longer attached to any school, I'm free to go to around - within my district and beyond - to help my fellow teachers. I ran workshops, sharing sessions and seminars (most memorable was a two-day workshop with English teachers in Beaufort and a one-and-a-half day PLC-based sharing session with English teachers and students in Kota Marudu). My favourite was the Ed-Camps for UPSR teachers that I organised with my SISC+ colleagues in Kota Kinabalu. Another great one is when I collaborated with Universiti Malaysia Sabah for a <a href="http://goingdigitalkotakinabalu.weebly.com/store/c1/Home" target="_blank">PLC-based project to promote technology integration</a> among 'digital immigrant' English language teachers in my district. And we finally set up a MELTA chapter for Kota Kinabalu! And organised the first-ever symposium specifically for Sabah English teachers! Looking back, I find it hard to believe that I was able to do all these in a single year. More on this in my next post.<br />
<br />
Some snapshots from last year's MELTA KK Symposium:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZkTmckIw3GEFwugfM8sI3ApS5kZCrifZV4a1bgkUAEachMPppqB_xBIXIimViDswWPPI_DLnxGGaExak22-u4vbWgjKi6apdpuPKdtTjpQKT4uX-TBqZn2woW7ps-v-ab6k7-qieQVeO/s1600/Sharing+Your+Research.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZkTmckIw3GEFwugfM8sI3ApS5kZCrifZV4a1bgkUAEachMPppqB_xBIXIimViDswWPPI_DLnxGGaExak22-u4vbWgjKi6apdpuPKdtTjpQKT4uX-TBqZn2woW7ps-v-ab6k7-qieQVeO/s320/Sharing+Your+Research.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Sharing Your Research' Seminar at SM St. Francis Convent, Kota Kinabalu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa26RS5Y2mDZ2lsymaP3FPA_aBDpu9ewSRBNZfpWW14VSgnz43aqV67BlW8GMFNlod1kJD8-de5TSeuDNJCeW4Hhd2S_bbDI8CUoBl0Ld6QGdXP9Rp-eYFI-TCy8fPyuVAbo9brSuTkQ1/s1600/Sharing+UMS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa26RS5Y2mDZ2lsymaP3FPA_aBDpu9ewSRBNZfpWW14VSgnz43aqV67BlW8GMFNlod1kJD8-de5TSeuDNJCeW4Hhd2S_bbDI8CUoBl0Ld6QGdXP9Rp-eYFI-TCy8fPyuVAbo9brSuTkQ1/s320/Sharing+UMS.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing session with UMS TESL students</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
Sharing session with English Unit of PPD Seremban:<br />
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<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="683" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcynthia.c.james%2Fposts%2F10209684945312914&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>I still teach!</b><br />
<br />
That's right! Like I said, I haven't left teaching, and it's true! I no longer have a classroom and students I can call my own, of course. But I can still meet students on quite regular basis and conduct some lessons. I went to Tawau to visit my good friend Rukiya Saidali and she let me conduct a few lessons with her students at SK Melodi. SK Kunak 2, my former beloved school invited me to spend time with my former students for two days and one night. I did a writing workshop at SK Kuala Papar with my good friend Soumie Ahmin and her lovely, lovely students. I got to visit beautiful SK Lohan in Ranau and conduct a one-day workshop with students from three schools - thanks to my friend Rujarlynce Mapanggil. My most unforgettable one would be the trip to SK Jabang, a lovely little school in rural Beaufort. And of course there was the programme sponsored by YaPEIM, where I had the chance to meet 300 students from all over Kota Kinabalu at the auditorium in Mini Putrajaya. We talked, we did story-telling, we learned, we sang songs, we had fun. It was amazing.<br />
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Story-telling and singing session with students in SK Kunak 2:<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="652" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D10209076717387596%26set%3Da.10203609911360862.1073741834.1608263108%26type%3D3&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe><br /></div>
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Trip to SK Jabang, Beaufort:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPITafoZogvP2fcGpyz2UYceI2R8bGB0TANAp-YLU5BmKCUFo_yOD1lI1j6ABZ_G-JTvTbVFNLInHOyOJxlRfIGGf-Quve_poiWK14Ny0sumtnw9pJbmvfxLdLK4ldbl6O_VGfDWSAhO7H/s1600/SK+Kuala+Papar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPITafoZogvP2fcGpyz2UYceI2R8bGB0TANAp-YLU5BmKCUFo_yOD1lI1j6ABZ_G-JTvTbVFNLInHOyOJxlRfIGGf-Quve_poiWK14Ny0sumtnw9pJbmvfxLdLK4ldbl6O_VGfDWSAhO7H/s320/SK+Kuala+Papar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Story-writing workshop at SK Kuala Papar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>The opportunities to travel</b><br />
<br />
Despite my health issues, I'm grateful to God that I was still able to travel to a few wonderful places in 2016. I went to Ipoh for the annual MELTA international conference. I went to Seremban for HIP colloquium, though I need to say I only managed to participate in the opening - I got sick on the first day and had to spend the rest of the week on a hospital bed at Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban. What drama! The sickness wasn't nice at all, but the experience (albeit traumatic) and the encounters with the people there were something worth sharing :D (in future post maybe?) I went to Johor Bahru with the UMS e-Learning team for International University Carnival on e-Learning (IUCEL), to Miri Sarawak for International Conference on Education (ICE). And saving the best for last: to Birmingham, United Kingdom for International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) conference! I won a sponsored trip to attend the conference under <a href="http://languageresearch.cambridge.org/trp" target="_blank">Cambridge University Press Teacher Research Programme</a>. I did my first <a href="http://iatefltalks.org/talk/improving-childrens-writing-skills-digital-story-prompts-feedback" target="_blank">IATEFL presentation</a>. Nerve-wracking, but nice (I wish I could do it again). And I met David Crystal! And bought his autographed book! And then lost it at the airport :( :( :(<br />
<br />
I'm sharing here my album of IATEFL photos:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="588" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D10208026373129646%26set%3Da.10208026253686660.1073741850.1608263108%26type%3D3&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe><br /></div>
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Birmingham:<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="518" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmedia%2Fset%2F%3Fset%3Da.10208012278817297.1073741849.1608263108%26type%3D3&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe><br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_p-I82qX0awNTZMiIZWMM_9xXa59u7UnnfZaAfDgijd1YqV2qZmHFxJw3XMLRq6VhY1Gj9Pc0u4ok8V9fHmHiQNvRwA_cZ-VU07UQ2-qDF226CcUyvd2P24uKgqjICCES4rpaaR6Pt15/s1600/UMS+team+at+IUCEL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_p-I82qX0awNTZMiIZWMM_9xXa59u7UnnfZaAfDgijd1YqV2qZmHFxJw3XMLRq6VhY1Gj9Pc0u4ok8V9fHmHiQNvRwA_cZ-VU07UQ2-qDF226CcUyvd2P24uKgqjICCES4rpaaR6Pt15/s320/UMS+team+at+IUCEL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UMS team at IUCEL 2016</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74yK2QUx6TQUBYnoYq67Wv0mPmCew_jiNxL1UMipq8L0uLmFd0SpuuZ7yQMIkZ2-OzGGGKxxHU0b3vQ9bMR6gA_p47B39DaDnWTuvTuMbCY4rSaY0kFJ1BBq7p8i-kNmHCX29ZnoB4Xdg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-11+at+10.05.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74yK2QUx6TQUBYnoYq67Wv0mPmCew_jiNxL1UMipq8L0uLmFd0SpuuZ7yQMIkZ2-OzGGGKxxHU0b3vQ9bMR6gA_p47B39DaDnWTuvTuMbCY4rSaY0kFJ1BBq7p8i-kNmHCX29ZnoB4Xdg/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-01-11+at+10.05.30+AM.png" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My workshop at MELTA conference in Ipoh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My friend Jen Renita Mappah won the Basil Wijasuriya Gold Award at MELTA 2016. Congratulations buddy!</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>The opportunities to do the things I love</b></div>
<div>
<br />
Although this blog had been quite silent, 2016 had been quite a productive year in terms of writing. I had published four <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/p/books.html" target="_blank">books</a> - two work books for Primary 6 and two general reference books for schools. I had written three radio scripts for BTPN's school offline radio programme (to be published this year). I had written <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/author/cindy-james/" target="_blank">three blog posts</a> for Cambridge Conversation. My <a href="http://languageresearch.cambridge.org/images/pdf/2015-16_James_CUP_TRP_final_report.pdf" target="_blank">final report</a> on creating digital story prompts had been published on Cambridge University Press' website. I had my first <a href="http://www.edututorial.net/ijelp/accessijelp.asp" target="_blank">journal article</a> published in International Journal of e-Learning Practices (IJELP). One of the teaching guides that I've written for Scholastics Asia had been published in their November catalogue, two more will be published some time this year. It didn't seem like a lot when I was doing all these last year, but listing them down like this makes me want to give myself a pat on the back.<br />
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The two work books published last year:<br />
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There are so many more things that I'm grateful for - it's just impossible to list them all down in a single blog post. As for 2017, I don't want to aim for a lot. I just want to continue doing the things that make me happy and make those around me happy as well :)<br />
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All the best, people!<br />
-ccj<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMLiOHsbV39kq3kWJAovUXXawzhyphenhyphenRMY4Ra93pNPCNkFYGlgldatI06V9HhCu9AvmX9ahh5rnlfNlNJSyOXr_E7yjpxwuj5GRPCPIlDPrMSv5qzpifmTg4I0rqFyFyY6FWQ7t4qLtjneWZ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-10+at+4.20.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMLiOHsbV39kq3kWJAovUXXawzhyphenhyphenRMY4Ra93pNPCNkFYGlgldatI06V9HhCu9AvmX9ahh5rnlfNlNJSyOXr_E7yjpxwuj5GRPCPIlDPrMSv5qzpifmTg4I0rqFyFyY6FWQ7t4qLtjneWZ/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-01-10+at+4.20.00+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-86989304466091955502016-05-03T16:24:00.000+01:002016-05-03T16:24:59.142+01:00Confession of an Addict: Some thoughts about Teachers PD (Part 2)This is my first blog post in 2016.<br />
<br />
My <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2015/09/confession-of-addict-some-thoughts.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> was published in September last year. It has been a while, hasn't it? A few people have contacted me requesting that I write posts or share modules about the new UPSR format. Some friends are expecting blog posts about my recent trip to Birmingham. I'm supposed to be spending this Labour Day break to prepare materials for a workshop that I have to conduct on the 5th, or complete my Literature Review for my masters proposal. I'd like to sit down and get all those things done, but the urge to write this post is very persistent and I don't think I can ignore it any longer.<br />
<br />
<b>My new role</b><br />
<br />
Some of you might have already known that I've moved to a new role since November last year. I left my last school for a post in the district education office. I am now in charge of supervising and coordinating English language activities for primary schools in Kota Kinabalu. To some people, this means that I have left the teaching job. Accepting this role means I would no longer be in the classroom, and my work would mostly revolve around administrative tasks. I received variety of reactions for this decision, ranging from...<br />
<br />
<i>You're the perfect person for this job!</i><br />
<i>KK teachers are so lucky to have you!</i><br />
<i>Finally!</i><br />
<i>You've gotta CHANGE the system!</i><br />
<br />
...to<br />
<br />
<i>How could you leave us? </i><br />
<i>The best teachers should stay in the classroom.</i><br />
<i>Anybody can do office works, but not everybody can teach! </i><br />
<i>Why would you want to waste your talent?</i><br />
<br />
People who know me know how much I love teaching and how much I love my students. They can't imagine how I can NOT find it heartbreaking to leave the classroom that I love so much for a job that mostly requires me to do clerical stuffs and attend endless meetings. Do I miss teaching? Of course I do. There was one time in my first week at the new office when I locked myself in the wash room so I could cry a bit without anyone seeing. It was during this time when a few close friends received text messages from me, telling them that I had probably made a mistake. I felt like I had made the wrong choice.<br />
<br />
I've been thinking about it, and decided to embrace this new role any way. And although I still find myself struggling to find fulfillment (confession: it's my fifth month, but I'm still adjusting) I've made up my mind to stay on for at least a couple of years.<br />
<br />
Why? I'll tell you why - but first please read on.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 2</b><br />
<br />
In my <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2015/09/confession-of-addict-some-thoughts.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I wrote about why I like attending conferences, and how I wish that Malaysian teachers are provided more support to attend conferences. I wrote about the need for teachers professional development to be given more importance. I shared how teachers can do it for themselves. And I also wrote a little bit about what kind of professional development that inspires me and what kind that turns me off.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
I've chosen to make this post a continuation of that <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2015/09/confession-of-addict-some-thoughts.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>. In addition to teaching, I'm also deeply passionate about teachers professional development. One of the reasons why I decided to accept this role as the district English language officer is because it gives me the chance to play a more direct role on teachers professional development in my area. I'm curious about what I can do about it.<br />
<br />
<b>Good quality teaching?</b><br />
<br />
The Malaysia Ministry of Education has decided to include this famous quote from 'How the World's Best Performing Systems Come out on Top' (Barbara and Mourshed, 2007) in its <a href="http://www.moe.gov.my/userfiles/file/PPP/Preliminary-Blueprint-Eng.pdf" target="_blank">2013-2025 Malaysian Education Blueprint</a>:<br />
<br />
<i>"The quality of a school system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers."</i><br />
<br />
I read through the Blueprint and learned about how the Ministry is making a commitment towards improving the quality of Malaysian teachers. I read about how the Ministry aims to do this - how a large sum of money will be spent on teachers upskilling programmes, how in-service trainings will be more school-based, how the pre-service training will be revamped. And apparently the Ministry also believes that by transforming teaching into a 'profession of choice', i.e. by raising the minimum academic requirements for entry into teachers training institutes, the profession will attract applicants among the best performing students and hence, the system will have more 'good quality' teachers as a result.<br />
<br />
What attracts my attention is this statement:<br />
<br />
<i>There also appears to be differences in perceptions of what constitutes good quality teaching and learning between schools and the JNJK. </i>(chapter 5, page 5-3)<br />
<br />
According to the Blueprint, there seems to be a disagreement between schools and the inspectorates on how 'good quality teaching' should be defined. However, the Blueprint does not provide any definition for 'good quality teaching' or how it aims to measure the 'quality of teachers,' though it does imply that 'lessons delivered at high standards' are those that 'utilise many best-practice pedagogies', 'sufficiently engage students' and 'cultivate higher-order thinking skills.'<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirRqteboyGz6TBFTpr5a9Atuww55iA9svP7YjxseZnb6d_dcNeN-TtRvhNt7E0TCBLy2JRunqRxW1cW5PZWphmgxXqYcmCCw2TZPF2CUZ5SRAIpBDC-qqo0FM5JYJqNczb6Jhhi4XSjTV/s1600/blueprint.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirRqteboyGz6TBFTpr5a9Atuww55iA9svP7YjxseZnb6d_dcNeN-TtRvhNt7E0TCBLy2JRunqRxW1cW5PZWphmgxXqYcmCCw2TZPF2CUZ5SRAIpBDC-qqo0FM5JYJqNczb6Jhhi4XSjTV/s400/blueprint.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image source: <a href="http://www.moe.gov.my/userfiles/file/PPP/Preliminary-Blueprint-Eng.pdf" target="_blank">Malaysia National Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Malaysia Education Quality Standard or <a href="http://www.moe.gov.my/cms/upload_files/files/jnjk/SKPM2010_versi_DISEMBER_2012.pdf" target="_blank">Standard Kualiti Pendidikan Malaysia (SKPM)</a> is introduced by the JNJK (inspectorates) to monitor the quality of our education system. There are five standards in all, and teaching quality is put under Standard 4. There are 12 aspects under SKPM Standard 4, and these aspects are used to evaluate the quality of teaching:<br />
<br />
Aspect 4.1 Students' Involvement<br />
Aspect 4.2 Students' Learning Outcomes<br />
Aspect 4.3 Students' Works<br />
Aspect 4.4 Lesson Plan and Preparation<br />
Aspect 4.5 Method of Delivery<br />
Aspect 4.6 Communication Skill<br />
Aspect 4.7 The Use of Educational Resources<br />
Aspect 4.8 Evaluation / Assessment<br />
Aspect 4.9 Questioning Technique<br />
Aspect 4.10 Mastery of Content<br />
Aspect 4.11 Classroom Management<br />
Aspect 4.12 Professionalism<br />
<br />
(<a href="http://www.moe.gov.my/cms/upload_files/files/jnjk/SKPM2010_versi_DISEMBER_2012.pdf" target="_blank">Standard Kualiti Pendidikan Malaysia 2010, Edisi Disember 2012</a>)<br />
<br />
Coe, Aloisi, Higgins and Major (2014) list the following as the six components of great teaching:<br />
<br />
1. (Pedagogical) content knowledge (Strong evidence of impact on student outcomes)<br />
2. Quality of instruction (Strong evidence of impact on student outcomes)<br />
3. Classroom climate (Moderate evidence of impact on student outcomes)<br />
4. Classroom management (Moderate evidence of impact on student outcomes)<br />
5. Teacher beliefs (Some evidence of impact on student outcomes)<br />
6. Professional behaviours (Some evidence of impact on student outcomes)<br />
<br />
(In <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi_8Pek8LvMAhUiOKYKHTZBAXsQFgg4MAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.suttontrust.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F10%2FWhat-makes-great-teaching-FINAL-4.11.14.pdf&usg=AFQjCNF8DAhMflZYT67eEQ4ebjWOpGCTPw&sig2=obaD7P-kSvNahnMci6_c3w" target="_blank">'What Makes Great Teaching? Review of the Underpinning Research'</a>)<br />
<br />
Goldberg (2003) offers the following as the key characteristics of great teachers:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Willingness to Put in the Necessary Time</li>
<li>Love for the Age Group They Teach</li>
<li>An Effective Classroom Management Style</li>
<li>Positive Relationships with Other Adults</li>
<li>Consistent Excellence</li>
<li>Expert Use of Instructional Methods</li>
<li>In-Depth Content Knowledge</li>
<li>Capacity for Growth</li>
<li>Steadiness of Purpose and Teaching Personality</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
(From Chapter 26: The Qualities of Great Teachers in <a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104138/chapters/The-Qualities-of-Great-Teachers.aspx" target="_blank">'Keeping Good Teachers,'</a> edited by Marge Scherer)<br />
<br />
The lists above are certainly not exhaustive. Try googling 'good quality teaching' and you'll surely find uncountable sources offering definitions, criteria and explanations on the topic. Some definitions or criteria will pop up more than once and in more than one sources. And although different people have different ways of explaining what constitutes great teaching, I believe most of us have more or less the same idea. What makes it different is each person's focus and what he or she chooses to prioritise. At the end of the day, I believe that the ultimate goal is to optimise learning and maximise the students outcomes.<br />
<br />
<b>Best practices</b><br />
<br />
Throughout my years of teaching, I've had the privilege to meet and know a lot of great teachers whom I think display teaching quality of the highest degree. These teachers are creative, innovative and inspiring, and they blow my mind. Allow me to list down just a few examples.<br />
<br />
I'm lucky and blessed to have Jen Renita Mappah, an Excellent Teacher in Tawau, as one of my closest friends. Like me, she is crazy about conferences. She attends every conference she can afford, and she has won a lot of awards for innovative teaching. She has unique approaches to teaching and has produced a lot of classroom innovations. She is also a teacher-researcher - she strongly believes in action research and its positive impact on her pedagogical practices and her students' learning. You can see examples of her work by following her Facebook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeachingEnglishCreativeInnovative/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Teaching English: Creative and Innovative</a>.<br />
<br />
Jainah Sulaiman is another example of a great teacher. Have a look at her Facebook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Teaching-English-Fun-Learning-406456402802825/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Teaching English: Fun Learning</a> and you'll know what I mean. Her passion is in teaching very young learners, and she produces some of the most beautiful teaching aids. Her classroom is like heaven for children. She also believes in sharing - she has presented her work in a few conferences and has conducted seminars and workshops in her district to inspire teachers. And yes, she is also an Excellent Teacher.<br />
<br />
Another example is Dilla Kamal. I bumped into her at ICELT in Malacca last year. Like my friends Jen and Jainah, Dilla is also an avid social media user and she does a lot of lessons and materials sharing on her Facebook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/teacherdilla/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Teacher Dilla's English Lessons</a>. She has also presented in a lot of conferences and has won awards.<br />
<br />
Nazira Roslee is one of a kind. I met her for the first time at the MELTA conference in Kuala Lumpur last year, where she won the Malachi Edwin Gold Award for Creative Teacher Showcase. Nazira loves technology and she loves experimenting with technology to enhance collaboration in her classroom. You can watch a recording of her session on Collaboration in the ESL Class at the Education on Air conference <a href="https://educationonair.withgoogle.com/live/2015-nov/t2/1040teacher2" target="_blank">here</a>. She loves doing projects, and some of her lesson ideas are really mind-blowing. She doesn't confine her teaching to whatever that is on the textbook. For example, to teach one of the topics in the Year 3 textbook (A Walk in the Safari Park), she started a crowd-funding effort so she can bring her kids to the zoo. You can read all about it <a href="https://simplygiving.com/safari" target="_blank">here</a>. She has a lot of other achievements - if I were to list them down it would surely take up the whole page!<br />
<br />
Rahmah Sayuti is my idol. She has done it all - present in conferences, win awards, publish books, publish journal articles, write as a columnist for newspapers, manage a blog, conduct workshops and seminars. She is an Excellent Teacher, an Innovative Teacher, a Researcher, an inspiration. You can find out more about her by visiting her blog, <a href="http://engoasis.blogspot.my/" target="_blank">English Oasis</a>.<br />
<br />
There are a lot others - Adibah Khalid (fondly known as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mommydeeba/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Mommy Deeba</a>) a teacher and headmaster in Johor with her innovative approaches to teaching writing; the award-winning teacher who also happens to be my good friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/audreykohenglish/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Audrey Koh-Wiles</a> - MUET specialist (her blog <a href="http://muetmyway.blogspot.my/" target="_blank">MUET My Way</a> has over 3 million visitors), motivator, philanthropist, entrepreneur (and a lot of other wonderful things) - and many, many more. There are lots of great teachers out there it's just impossible to list them all down.<br />
<br />
<b>Great teachers inspire</b><br />
<br />
Now, what do these teachers have in common? Apart from being creative, innovative, mind-blowing, and winning a lot of awards - what else do they have that makes them great teachers in my eyes (and the eyes of many others)?<br />
<br />
The Blueprint talks a lot about students outcomes and how to maximise them. It discusses programmes and plans that the Ministry decides to undertake in order to achieve this. I believe those programmes and plans are beneficial and will impact students outcomes positively.<br />
<br />
But let's imagine an education system filled with teachers like Jen Renita Mappah, Jainah Sulaiman, Dilla Kamal, Nazira Roslee, Rahmah Sayuti, Adibah Khalid, Audrey Koh-Wiles and others who are like them (let's call them Super Teachers). Let's imagine what would happen if every teacher in every school in Malaysia is just like these Super Teachers. Do we still have to worry about students outcomes? Despite the constant transformation in curriculum, the pressures of workloads, the ever-changing demands from stakeholders - these Super Teachers bloom and thrive. They stand out. The beat the odds and they inspire. Don't we want more teachers like them?<br />
<br />
A lot of teachers can be creative and innovative and deliver mind-blowing lessons, but what sets these teachers apart is their autonomy as teachers. These Super Teachers are all autonomous teachers. They don't let the curriculum define their teaching, they define the curriculum with their teaching.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I don't know whether all these Super Teachers will get the full score 6 when evaluated against the 12 aspects in SKPM Standard 4, or if my admiration towards them match the inspectorates perception of what constitutes good quality teaching.<br />
<br />
But I know this one thing: Great teachers inspire. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2u4NiHyHvIWIgJek2REarSd44iIjCE-kOtIHP1O-oCdSIxGsxqKnjbSKTs_Tgwoto3I_5R8CohcllKCjzGQFtba5-f8w689gkyetoYE3kbVFKfBsZkcQacl_wvchYRvps7Yn3w0tOCTrn/s1600/super+teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2u4NiHyHvIWIgJek2REarSd44iIjCE-kOtIHP1O-oCdSIxGsxqKnjbSKTs_Tgwoto3I_5R8CohcllKCjzGQFtba5-f8w689gkyetoYE3kbVFKfBsZkcQacl_wvchYRvps7Yn3w0tOCTrn/s320/super+teacher.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image source: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiqi86Zl77MAhUmJaYKHaVFDtMQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fjuf_rini%2Fteacher-appreciation%2F&bvm=bv.121070826,bs.1,d.dGo&psig=AFQjCNGFpc8vr1M28Dp0T1urDnfTeR4mpA&ust=1462374263991167" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>The kind of teachers we aspire to produce</b><br />
<br />
So okay. We have recruited the best of the best trainees (read: high achievers in national exams) for our teacher training institutes. We have also revamped the pre-service training programmes. We have provided more opportunities for in-service teachers to receive personalised trainings through school-based coachings. What kind of teachers do we aspire to produce through all these initiatives?<br />
<br />
Teachers who get the full score 6 in all the 12 aspects in SKPM Standard 4?<br />
Teachers who fulfill the criteria of 'good quality teaching' as perceived by the inspectorates?<br />
<br />
Maybe. We can set those as our aims, of course. And there's nothing wrong with that.<br />
<br />
But I also believe that it is important for us to produce great teachers who inspire.<br />
<br />
Now let's go back to what the Super Teachers have in common. I've mentioned that they're all autonomous, and they define the curriculum through their teaching. Another thing that these Super Teachers have in common is their passion for continuous professional development.<br />
<br />
I believe in this with all my heart: you can't inspire others if you yourself are not inspired. These Super Teachers are able to inspire others because they are constantly inspired through professional development programmes that they participate in. And these professional development programmes are not limited to courses and workshops organised by the district education office or the state education department or the Ministry of Education. These Super Teachers read books and articles, participate in webinars, subscribe to newsletters, share lesson ideas through social media, write articles and blogs, do projects, conduct research and present in conferences. In other words: they take charge of their own continuous professional development.<br />
<br />
As a teacher, I aspire to help my students become autonomous, independent learners who have deep love for life-long learning. As a district English language officer, I aspire to help teachers become autonomous, independent professionals who have deep love for continuous professional development.<br />
<br />
<b>"She does EVERYTHING I ask her to do"</b><br />
<br />
Last year, I had the privilege to be the mentor for a teacher trainee who was doing internship in my school. One day, when we were discussing her lesson preparation, the trainee described the challenge that she was facing. She had difficulty incorporating a particular teaching methodology into her classroom activities. "I'm not able to make it fit," she sighed.<br />
<br />
"Because it doesn't fit," I responded. "It doesn't make sense. It's not suitable."<br />
"Yeah, but..."<br />
"Why don't you try to do other things? There are a lot of other..."<br />
"But Miss Cindy," she interjected, exasperatedly. "My supervisor likes it."<br />
"Oh. Does he?"<br />
"Yeah. In order to get good marks, I need to use the methodology in ALL my lessons."<br />
"ALL your lessons?"<br />
"Well, maybe not all." She winked at me. "Only when he's observing."<br />
<br />
Earlier this year, I had a drink with a group of educators. One of them, a teacher trainer, happily announced, "I'm so proud of my coachee today."<br />
<br />
"Did you observe her lesson today?" I asked.<br />
"Yes, and she did extremely well." He grinned proudly. "She did everything that I told her to do. EVERYTHING."<br />
"Was she happy about the lesson?"<br />
"Happy? He looked at me in disbelief. "Of course she's happy! I gave her an A+!"<br />
<br />
I don't want to claim that all teacher professional development and training programmes in Malaysia are like these. But I've seen these happen a lot. A LOT. Trainers telling trainees what to do. Coaches telling coachees what to do. And the trainees and coachees would have to do it exactly in the way that the trainers and coaches would want them to do it.<br />
<br />
It's like this. If I'm a trainer and I like group work, I'll expect that my trainee would do group work in her lessons too. If I love to use technology in my classroom, I'll force my trainee to use technology in the classroom even if she has insisted that technology is just not her cup of tea.<br />
<br />
We can't produce great teachers who inspire by training them to please their trainers.<br />
<br />
Great teachers who inspire are produced through training programmes that give them empowerment to choose the kind of teachers that they want to be. Training and professional development programmes should be designed to help teachers and teachers-to-be find their own strengths, and to use those strengths to deliver effective lessons. It is not about fulfilling a prescribed criteria, or applying a prescribed methodology.<br />
<br />
Professional development should never be prescriptive. It should be inspiring. And empowering.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-cSp7jqxcvPRoXS47dPvcUAuVdYi7FLQBpK0Af3WzhTsQrc5BAN0ikDYairLPDxyDVkbjpWe9pi3BN6rTOS7AfbVV4kJXJUibaTx5JW_VywGQDgiyjzac4Ntuebv4yqvdGikmY2UzqJE/s1600/teach+thought.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-cSp7jqxcvPRoXS47dPvcUAuVdYi7FLQBpK0Af3WzhTsQrc5BAN0ikDYairLPDxyDVkbjpWe9pi3BN6rTOS7AfbVV4kJXJUibaTx5JW_VywGQDgiyjzac4Ntuebv4yqvdGikmY2UzqJE/s320/teach+thought.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image source: TeachThought (http://www.wegrowteachers.com/)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Why I 'left' teaching</b><br />
<br />
Haha. I don't know what gives people this idea, but I have never left teaching. I'm a teacher and I always will be, no matter where you put me.<br />
<br />
I decided to learn how to embrace this new role given to me because I'm curious about what I can do for teacher professional development in my area.<br />
<br />
I have a few ideas that I want to experiment with.<br />
<br />
I don't know if they'll work, but I still want to give them a try.<br />
<br />
I'll write about those new ideas when I have the chance. Or as soon as I have executed them.<br />
<br />
Till then. -ccj<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVBu83gwVQgIIad8EvdyXdJsFnkFlLCDss5sQlS7BOjzrX6dDJVQYtiAcWJxVY6uilxhsPdv-hauCcAWI2zJpg2PJF8ww_ptnrjW5_by0nRDlueodhtVdwGDRd9dw1LrUOmgZwuVv9XrR/s1600/Richard+Branson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVBu83gwVQgIIad8EvdyXdJsFnkFlLCDss5sQlS7BOjzrX6dDJVQYtiAcWJxVY6uilxhsPdv-hauCcAWI2zJpg2PJF8ww_ptnrjW5_by0nRDlueodhtVdwGDRd9dw1LrUOmgZwuVv9XrR/s320/Richard+Branson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F236x%2F7c%2F9b%2F8f%2F7c9b8f2e2f72a2a1875fe662079cf691.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fexplore%2Frichard-branson%2F&docid=yxdSvAvYhIsX-M&tbnid=5V7bGzg6eOR_mM%3A&w=236&h=419&bih=599&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwir1OOolL7MAhXDoZQKHdVCBfIQMwgqKA0wDQ&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<br />cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-18798444847484309932015-09-26T16:46:00.000+01:002016-05-03T16:24:34.513+01:00Confession of An Addict: Some Thoughts about Teachers PD<div>
A great teacher inspires, so they say. So if you're a teacher and you want to be a great teacher, I think it means that what you really want is to be someone who inspires. The problem is that sometimes the teachers themselves are the ones who are in need of inspiration.<br />
<br />
This is normal. Teachers are humans.<br />
<br />
As much as I love teaching, I'm human and I have my bad days too. There are days when I find myself literally dragging my feet to go to work. There are mornings when getting out of bed seems the hardest thing. Sometimes I'm tired. Sometimes I'm sick. I'm human.</div>
<div>
<br />
On days and mornings like that, I would find myself desperately in need of something, anything that can inspire me. It is very hard, even almost impossible, to be a great teacher who inspires when you yourself are uninspired, burned out and unmotivated.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>It's an addiction?</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have friends and relatives who love to run. I know a few people who travel all over the world to participate in as many running events as they can. In one gathering, a close friend of mine explains that it's like an addiction. Once you try it, you would want more. And more. And then she adds:<br />
<br />
"It's not that much different from your teacher conferences, Cindy. You're addicted to it."</div>
<div>
"I am?"</div>
<div>
"Of course you are," she chuckles. "You subscribe to conferences updates in the same way that I subscribe to running events. We constantly check out where and when the next conference or the next running event is going to be. We don't mind spending our own money to pay for the fee, the flight ticket, the accommodation. Other people would mind, you know." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Maybe it's true. I'm hopelessly addicted to conferences in the same way that my friend is addicted to running.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>So what is it all about?</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Actually, attending conferences and other professional development events for teachers is one of the ways I keep myself inspired and motivated.<br />
<br />
By participating in conferences and other professional development events for teachers, I can...<br />
<br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>...listen to talks or participate in workshops given by some of the biggest names in the ELT industry;</li>
<li>...build network with teachers and educators from all over Malaysia and all over the world;</li>
<li>...gain new knowledge, information, ideas, resources and materials;</li>
<li>...be inspired by the sharing of other teachers, and sometimes if I'm lucky, I can get the chance to inspire others through my sharing too;</li>
<li>...keep myself motivated. </li>
</ul>
<div>
For me, conferences give me the chance to rejuvenate. I can give myself a break from the classroom for a few days, fill my brains with new ideas and inspirations, and refresh my memory of all the things that I may have already known and learned but have forgotten. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the end, it's all about getting myself in the best shape as a teacher so I can give the best to my students.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>It IS fun!</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Attending conferences gives me the excuse to travel. Travelling costs a lot, and knowing that I can kill two birds with one stone (professional development and going for a vacation) often makes me feel less guilty about spending all those money. I remember when I was attending the MELTA conference in Johor Bahru in 2013. I hadn't had any break for God knows how long. I travelled a lot for meetings and courses and work-related stuffs, but never for leisure. Right after the conference ended, I took a bus from JB to Malacca where I met a friend. We spent two nights visiting museums, art galleries and historical places in Malacca. Then, we took a bus to Penang where we spent another two nights. Since Penang is Malaysia's food heaven, we spent our whole time there stuffing ourselves with food (with little or no guilt at all). We stopped by at Kuala Lumpur before taking our flight back to Sabah - 100% guilt-free. Heheh!.</div>
<div>
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<div>
The furthest that I had travelled to for a conference was in 2014 for the IATEFL conference in Harrogate, United Kingdom. I got to see David Crystal, Scott Thornbury, Jeremy Harmer and Carol Read in person. I attended Sugata Mitra's inspiring (and controversial) talk. I chatted with Dick Allwright (the Exploratory Practise expert - I read his book!) I attended Macmillan's awesome Dance Party, and took a coach trip to Castle Howard in north England. I listened to Jackie Kay reciting her poems and reading from her book. And I got my first author-signed book after the event. It was the most memorable moment in my life so far. Best of all - it was all for free! I was the winner of <a href="http://www.onestopenglish.com/iatefl-scholarship-winner/553207.article" target="_blank">Onestopenglish's Creativity in the Classroom IATEFL scholarship </a>and they sponsored the trip for me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
(You can read about my experiences in Harrogate <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2014/05/my-uk-trip-beginning.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2014/05/my-uk-trip-harrogate-day-1.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.my/2014/05/my-uk-trip-harrogate-day-2-teacher.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
(You can also read my report on <a href="http://www.onestopenglish.com/community/elt-events/conference-reports/iatefl-2014/iatefl-2014-report/553581.article" target="_blank">IATEFL 2014</a> in Harrogate, published on <a href="http://www.onestopenglish.com/community/elt-events/conference-reports/iatefl-2014/iatefl-2014-report/553581.article" target="_blank">Onestopenglish's website</a> here: <a href="http://www.onestopenglish.com/community/elt-events/conference-reports/iatefl-2014/iatefl-2014-report/553581.article" target="_blank">My IATEFL 2014 report</a>)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbp8nEqH7lpPmrrrrjcSWr_mJqwGsPwhC5ZSkUL5vzQdUfWYlf5XrG1xMjXhVD_sBNx30T9Fyx2j9XdtGfZqUe_QijqpQ61953SYG5fctWGXBZqmjPrCA9icmOO5vyoGWiVd0Ep67VAl_c/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbp8nEqH7lpPmrrrrjcSWr_mJqwGsPwhC5ZSkUL5vzQdUfWYlf5XrG1xMjXhVD_sBNx30T9Fyx2j9XdtGfZqUe_QijqpQ61953SYG5fctWGXBZqmjPrCA9icmOO5vyoGWiVd0Ep67VAl_c/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presenting at MELTA conference 2013 in Johor Bahru</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAKzpHzEikoS1tBJDSRSWZ4QRGrfksXGBch2ZGdZ8gWVPJPe8XHn4w6tc_c0XE3GPDxmrjzHyWgOHhW9UcRjSIZFo-HLx7kxEv2_l-yasRvMla925yfHJJ4hMV5G3Xiq2YGcmWi9MIK7R/s1600/118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAKzpHzEikoS1tBJDSRSWZ4QRGrfksXGBch2ZGdZ8gWVPJPe8XHn4w6tc_c0XE3GPDxmrjzHyWgOHhW9UcRjSIZFo-HLx7kxEv2_l-yasRvMla925yfHJJ4hMV5G3Xiq2YGcmWi9MIK7R/s320/118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding on a trishaw with my friend Felicity in Malacca, right after the conference</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnhFCm9q3gMdrpH8_km4sgPdHZIwwyTxKUGsGqRwwILPgrYVdqZRdtJCqMMD8_3YGRSo5UQKZW92A4WjuiNm-GJqwttNstti3tvjHo5LAZiuCMeqeXYfQ8WHxUQCXcWU2gBugojH-Kxfx/s1600/P1012769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnhFCm9q3gMdrpH8_km4sgPdHZIwwyTxKUGsGqRwwILPgrYVdqZRdtJCqMMD8_3YGRSo5UQKZW92A4WjuiNm-GJqwttNstti3tvjHo5LAZiuCMeqeXYfQ8WHxUQCXcWU2gBugojH-Kxfx/s320/P1012769.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of Castle Howard, Yorkshire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaO1cu8eoLmu-Z1SyYsfnKxQ8CXpzB9MK5NZxaBt7F7_Uu5rTrHjsiwjosgDk6A-1FAy_PLbFUm9BGDLkeZBQHmU8jLV_zWcZCaNuUDuN4zjZxCC9DjqptsqiqGvEXS6V7SMwyRS8XUw8D/s1600/P1012794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaO1cu8eoLmu-Z1SyYsfnKxQ8CXpzB9MK5NZxaBt7F7_Uu5rTrHjsiwjosgDk6A-1FAy_PLbFUm9BGDLkeZBQHmU8jLV_zWcZCaNuUDuN4zjZxCC9DjqptsqiqGvEXS6V7SMwyRS8XUw8D/s320/P1012794.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Jackie Kay at her book signing</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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<b>You can do this at home</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I don't always have to travel and pay a lot of money to do all these. There are a lot of free online professional development events that I can participate in without having to spend a single cent, and I can do it in the comfort of my own home. All I need is a good Internet connection, my laptop, and a nice hot cup of tea.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's a list of some ELT organisations / associations that offer free online conferences or webinars on a regular basis:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/" target="_blank">British Council</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.cambridge.org/" target="_blank">Cambridge University Press</a></li>
<li><a href="http://global.oup.com/?cc=my" target="_blank">Oxford University Press</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.macmillanenglish.com/" target="_blank">Macmillan English</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.iatefl.org/" target="_blank">IATEFL</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
For longer courses and programs, I think these two websites are the best:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.coursera.org/" target="_blank">Coursera</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/" target="_blank">FutureLearn</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
There are a lot others, but these are the ones that I follow. In order not to miss any updates on webinars and conferences, here's what I do:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Follow their Facebook and Twitter</li>
<li>Subscribe to their e-newsletters</li>
<li>Register as a member on their websites </li>
</ul>
<div>
I've mentioned that I won the <a href="http://www.onestopenglish.com/iatefl-scholarship-winner/553207.article" target="_blank">Onestopenglish Creativity in the Classroom IATEFL scholarship</a>. How did I do it? I participated in a competition organised by <a href="http://www.onestopenglish.com/" target="_blank">Onestopenglish</a> (under <a href="http://www.macmillanenglish.com/" target="_blank">Macmillan Education</a>). Very few teachers in Malaysia (well, in my area at least) knew about the competition. I knew about it because I read about it in their e-newsletters, on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/onestopenglish?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, on their <a href="https://twitter.com/onestopenglish" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</div>
<div>
I subscribe to a lot of e-newsletters from a lot of ELT associations, organisations, publications and websites. It's true, they fill my inbox to the brim and I know that many people wouldn't like it when this happens. But I don't mind it at all. I read each and everyone of the e-newsletter (I do!). Checking my e-mails often takes hours. Because of this, I think, I often get to know about opportunities that a lot of teachers might not know. And miss.</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Professional Development?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
If you're a Malaysian teacher, you'll know the rule: at least 7 days of professional development in a year, or you would have to read an academic book and write a book report. I'm sorry, but this makes me laugh. (Hahaha!)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Well, I think it's funny and sad at the same time. I often feel that Malaysian teachers are not given enough support and encouragement to attend professional development events. <a href="http://www.melta.org.my/home/" target="_blank">MELTA conferences</a> are always held during the semester break, so I don't have to apply for leave to attend them. However, last year it coincided with <a href="http://www.asiatefl.org/" target="_blank">AsiaTEFL</a> so they had to do it in August (not a school holiday). I was lucky to have a very supportive headmaster, but a few of my friends couldn't attend it - they were not allowed by their school admins (and this was despite there was a letter of endorsement from the Ministry, encouraging teachers to participate).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Everyone knows attending conferences can be costly, but very little support are provided for teachers to attend them. A great and inspiring headmaster (who also happens to be the chairperson of one of <a href="http://www.melta.org.my/home/" target="_blank">MELTA</a>'s chapters in Sabah) managed to get sponsorship for five teachers in her district to attend <a href="http://www.melta.org.my/home/" target="_blank">MELTA conference</a> last year. With the help of my wonderful DELO in Kunak, I was able to submit a claim to my district education office to cover more than half of my conference expenses last year. The five teachers and I were lucky because we had people on our back, supporting us and helping us. </div>
<br />
<br />
But there are also a lot of Malaysian teachers out there who have never heard of <a href="http://www.melta.org.my/home/" target="_blank">MELTA</a>, who don't know that there are conferences for English teachers, who might want to attend events like this but have no idea where to start. The <a href="https://proelt-malaysia.britishcouncil.org/auth/saml/login.php" target="_blank">Pro-ELT online conference</a> was held in April this year - it was a great online event for English teachers and supposedly endorsed by the Ministry. And it was free! But I didn't see a lot of fuss being made about it from our side. The British Council (the organiser) was the one who did most of the advertising.<br />
<br />
Every school and every district has an official Whatsapp group, or a Telegram group, or a Facebook group for teachers. Every once in a while I would see events like these being announced by someone through these channels. But most of the time people would focus on sending reminders about the deadlines for submitting a report or the final date for keying-in some data. This seems to be the main purpose for these groups to be set up. Just a few weeks ago I had to struggle to fight the temptation to leave one Telegram group because it was so annoying. Someone felt the need to post over ten reminders a day about how some teachers still had not completed their online data. I think she was at the verge of panicking. "I've just checked - some teachers still haven't completed it! Teachers, remember! The deadline is approaching! It's your duty!" She posted this once in every few hours. It was two days before the deadline. Two days. 48 hours. I took just five minutes to complete mine.<br />
<br />
Let's imagine for a minute how it would be if professional developments for teachers are elevated to the same level of importance as deadlines for reports and keying-in of data on some websites. What do you think would happen to all these Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook groups?<br />
<br />
You can disagree with me of course, but I still want to say what I think.<br />
<br />
I think right now, our focus is distorted a bit.<br />
<br />
<b></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But teachers attend a lot of courses</b><br />
<br />
Yep, it's true. A lot. Now, if you will, allow me to do this simple experiment with you. Just think about all the courses that you have attended this year. List them down on a piece of paper if you will.<br />
<br />
Done? Now tick all of the courses that you think are inspiring and rejuvenating.<br />
<br />
Done? Now tell yourself why those courses are inspiring and rejuvenating for you.<br />
<br />
Done? Now look at the ones you don't tick. Now tell yourself why they are not ticked.<br />
<br />
Done? Now make your own conclusion.<br />
<br />
If you like, you can share the conclusion with me too. Just leave a comment below this post.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>"Make sure..." speech</b><br />
<br />
Sometime in the middle of this year, I attended a workshop for teachers. It was an interesting and informative workshop. I applauded the trainers for a job well done - it was inspiring, it was rejuvenating, it made me want to go back to school as soon as possible and do all those things they talked about right away.<br />
<br />
Then we reached the end of the workshop and someone very important (not one of the trainers) was invited to give the closing speech. It was a long speech. He started with how much money the Ministry had spent to organise the workshop. Then he went on and on about how if things still don't change, we (the teachers) are the ones who should be held responsible. How it had always been like that in the past. A waste of Ministry's money. So remember teachers, when you go back, make sure you do this. Make sure you do that. Blah blah blah. My stomach was growling (it was way past lunch time) and I totally lost him after he uttered his first "Make sure..."<br />
<br />
When you're having one of those 'bad days' and are desperately in need of some inspiration, the last thing you would want to hear is someone putting ALL the blame on you.<br />
<br />
I think it was a bad idea making him wrap up such an inspiring and rejuvenating workshop with his "Make sure..." speech.<br />
<br />
It just ruined everything.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>We're on our own</b><br />
<br />
Once in a while, there would be someone from up above who would care about teachers' well-being, teachers' motivations and teachers' need for inspiration. These wonderful people would organise talks, workshops and events that would inspire and rejuvenate us and help us get back on track again, especially during one of those 'bad days.'<br />
<br />
These wonderful people would remember that teachers are humans.<br />
<br />
They would remember that in order to be great teachers who inspire, teachers need to be inspired first.<br />
<br />
But most of the time, we're on our own.<br />
<br />
The good news is, we don't have to suffer alone.<br />
<br />
We can find like-minded teachers. We can build network. We can talk to each other. We can lift each other up.<br />
<br />
We can motivate and inspire one another.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>They will be worth it</b><br />
<br />
If you haven't already, you can start checking out those free online webinars and conferences.<br />
<br />
(These pages are good places to start: <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/my/cambridgeenglish/events" target="_blank">Cambridge English Online Events</a> , <a href="http://www.macmillanenglish.com/training-and-events/" target="_blank">Macmillan English</a>, <a href="https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/events/webinars" target="_blank">TeachingEnglish British Council</a> )<br />
<br />
And if you haven't already, perhaps it's time to start saving some money to attend one of those conferences for English teachers.<br />
<br />
(Here's an awesome one, coming up in October. And it's in beautiful Malacca! Check it out: <a href="http://icelt.com.my/" target="_blank">International Conference on English Language Teaching (ICELT 2015)</a>)<br />
<br />
(If October is too soon for you, keep an eye on updates from <a href="http://www.melta.org.my/home/" target="_blank">MELTA</a>. Try joining their conference next year!)<br />
<br />
Do these for yourself. Do these for your students.<br />
<br />
They will be worth it, I promise.<br />
<br />
<br />
Till the next post! -ccj<br />
<br /></div>
cindyjbjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16048944804974747974noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4495155579930131251.post-60612221875085745462015-07-16T07:46:00.002+01:002015-07-16T15:16:07.076+01:00Downloadable Materials for 'Proud to be Malaysians' (KBSR Year 6)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwl0nrqZmzIALyUHjNEsKrlbhrH_dk8DZokUJCQtqD6TLFB9HK7STMyltWziguA8Akd669kCgG-Mc5REblQXJXGHVg_eCY-pET8KkxAYEww9nhCjrKKiFzE5J5ufr83Bs0oKRvcscP9H8/s1600/proud+to+be+malaysians.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwl0nrqZmzIALyUHjNEsKrlbhrH_dk8DZokUJCQtqD6TLFB9HK7STMyltWziguA8Akd669kCgG-Mc5REblQXJXGHVg_eCY-pET8KkxAYEww9nhCjrKKiFzE5J5ufr83Bs0oKRvcscP9H8/s320/proud+to+be+malaysians.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In this post, I'm sharing some of the materials that I've used to teach Unit 2 of the KBSR Year 6 textbook. The unit title is 'Proud to be Malaysians'. You may have already covered the unit earlier this year, but these might still be usable for revision purposes.<br />
<br />
So, here you go.<br />
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<br />
<b>Sub-topic: Describing Malaysia </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Vocabulary, gap-filling and paragraph writing exercises. You can use this worksheet to accompany the activity on page 24 of the textbook.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/nw4K1H1I23e4gr" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="477"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/proud-to-be-malaysiansdescribing-malaysia-worksheets" target="_blank" title="Year 6, Unit 2: Proud to be malaysians_describing malaysia (worksheets)">Year 6, Unit 2: Proud to be malaysians_describing malaysia (worksheets)</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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<br />
<b>Sub-topic: Fun at School</b><br />
<br />
Information transfer, paragraph writing. These materials can be used to get students to practise Section B of UPSR Paper 2. <br />
<br />
Big text - you can print these out, paste them on larger sheets of paper (manila cards or mahjong paper) and put it on the board for whole-class reading activity.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/auJDL4pElYwuUU" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="425"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/fun-at-school-big-text" target="_blank" title="Fun at School (big text)">Fun at School (big text)</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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<br />
<br />
Here's a worksheet for parallel writing exercise that students can use to practise Section B, Part 2 of the UPSR English Paper 2.<br />
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<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/BaH0t4Xb0z2rOg" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="477"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/fun-at-school-i-would-choose" target="_blank" title="Fun at school (I would choose...)">Fun at school (I would choose...)</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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<br />
Word cards / phrase cards for whole-class information transfer activity.<br />
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<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/lB5tziZKEU2wOy" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="425"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/fun-at-school-word-cards" target="_blank" title="Fun at School (word cards)">Fun at School (word cards)</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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<br />
The picture below is from another unit's lesson, but it demonstrates how you can use these word / phrase cards in your lesson activity.<br />
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After doing the whole-class information transfer activity on the board, students can do the task individually using this worksheet below.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/L7IFRRr6Npwmoz" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="477"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/fun-at-school-worksheets" target="_blank" title="Fun at School (worksheets)">Fun at School (worksheets)</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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<b>Sub-topic: Synonyms</b><br />
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I made these word cards based on the word list provided in the textbook.<br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/proud-to-be-malaysians-synonyms-word-cards" target="_blank" title="Synonyms (word cards)">Synonyms (word cards)</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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Here's the worksheet for the word list:<br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/proud-to-be-malaysians-synonyms-vocabulary-sheet" target="_blank" title="Synonyms (vocabulary sheet)">Synonyms (vocabulary sheet)</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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Here's a song that I made up (heheh!). I put together the lyrics using the word list provided in the textbook.<br />
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<a href="http://yourlisten.com/Cynthia.C..James/the-synonyms-song" id="yl17375461">Download Music - Audio Hosting - The Synonyms Song</a><script async="" src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17375461" type="text/javascript"></script>
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Haha. It's a silly song I know, but it does its job.<br />
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Here's how I did it in my class. I gave the worksheet below to my students (the song lyrics with some missing words). I let them read it first for a minute or two. I asked them to guess the missing words. Then, I played the song. The students listened and tried to fill in the gap.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/hSmhfWDPD0Z43s" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="477"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79/synonyms-song-lyrics" target="_blank" title="Synonyms (song lyrics)">Synonyms (song lyrics)</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cindyjbj79" target="_blank">Cynthia James</a></strong> </div>
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That's it for now. I'll be uploading more materials for KBSR Year 6 soon, so stay tuned! -ccj<br />
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