I started back to work this week. I'm teaching a double-block writing course and also taking over a entry-level Listening/Speaking class. Although the L/S class is mostly about learning English language survival phrases and vocabulary, I am actually enjoying the Level 4 writing course.
I say "actually enjoying" because I had always avoided Level 4 writing. Some Level 4 students can get fairly jaded about learning English (especially if they have already been here for a few semesters) and writing is the class that they dislike the most. However, last semester I had to take on a W4 class in order to help train a new teacher, and it went... not awful. But this semester, the group I am teaching is much more motivated, hard-working, and friendly.
I'm also doing my best to make the class more enjoyable AND more learnable (for example, starting off the semester with a survey and interview writing project). In addition, I'm reading about writing and trying to apply the guidelines and principles to my own class. I have begun reading Academic Writing for Graduate Students by Swales and Feak (for a course that I am teaching this fall), and although the concepts of this text are too complex for the students that I am currently teaching, there are a few methodological ideas that will hopefully help me to make this summer's writing course more valuable for my students.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
620 - Introduction to Learning Theory
Looks like I am back to school again this term, with the remaining course to the PhD work (only project, internship, and dissertation credits will be left).
This last course is about Learning Theory which should help me as I read more of the psychology-based articles in the instructional psychology field. In order to help me better understand the course concepts, I will be posting my assignments here on the blog. If you are not interested in this topic, then just pass over any future posts with the 620 (the course number) prefix.
======================
Assignment 1
1. What is theory?
*This mess should be a table.
Definition Strengths Weaknesses
Abstract thought; speculation allows for evolving or not-yet-sure ideas very general
a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena allows for a set of connected or related ideas limited to defining a “provable” concept
a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation does not necessarily require empirical evidence; rather allows for application to psychological or metaphysical concepts limited to a temporary idea that should later be rejected or confirmed
the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art allows for a set of connected ideas that form a discipline or related way of thinking appears to describe a standardized (maybe even canonized) set of ideas
the body of rules, ideas, principles, and techniques that applies to a subject, especially when seen as distinct from actual practice allows for variation between practical matters and proposed rules about the practice may over-emphasize the distinction between practice and theory
2. What is learning?
*This mess should also be a table.
Definition Strengths Weaknesses
the acquisition of knowledge or skill Describe learning as a active gain of something acquisition is a vague term
a relatively permanent change in, or acquisition of, knowledge, understanding, or behavior Provides more than just acquisition, and allows for affective learning Relatively permanent is vague
the goal of education, and the product of experience Adds the idea of experience as part of learning Assumes that all experience is then learning; is this true?
development of memories and behaviors Allows for a broader meaning of learning to include observable and non-observable traits Again, does this mean that all memories and behaviors are learning? What about dreams?
memorization A basic, commonly held definition Not very useful, and may in fact not be the kind of learning that we can use
the gaining of experience Again, is allows for the idea of learning through experience Is that all that learning is, just experience?
modification through exposure Agains allows for the idea of learning as a form of change Are there other kinds of change that do not require exposure (and to what)?
wisdom acquired through instruction or study Places emphasis on learners and teachers; also defines wisdom (knowledge plus judgment and use) Limits learning to situations of instruction and study
3. Explanatory and Interpretive Theories
http://www.uvm.edu/~egeczi/dissertationblog/?p=34
This link is a blog post that discusses how interpretive and explanatory approaches relate.
http://www.hku.hk/philodep/ch/L&L1.htm
This link explains how interpretation and explanation relate to ancient Chinese philosophy.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/m/moraldev.htm
This link explains the difference between the two theory types as they relate to moral development and the work of moral philosophers.
http://www.mathcs.duq.edu/~packer/IR/IntMeth4.html
This link attempts to contrast and relate interpretive and explanatory theories using charts.
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:C1iKYNkRgdIJ:www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/INF5220/h05/undervisningsmateriale/Slides/InterpretiveGrounded27102005.ppt+explanatory+interpretive+theory&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=21&gl=us
This pdf file is a series of ppt slides that introduce interpretative theory and briefly discusses how it differs from explanatory models.
4. Nomological-deductive theories is a way of explanation that relies on initial premises and universal laws to predict or hypothesize outcomes. For example, in order to predict the earth’s location in the future, physicists take its current location, gravitational and other physical laws, and then make theorize its future location. This can be helpful when attempting to understand future outcomes.
However, this kind of theory can have some problems. First, it ignores minor variations that are not central to the outcome, and, as such, the prediction is only approximate and not exact. Second, this mode of theorizing requires that the phenomena be something that acts under predictable, consistent laws. If the object of study is highly volatile or influenced by a number of factors cannot be predicted, controlled, or accounted for, then this mode of theorizing cannot reliably be used.
(reference: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolphil/predict.html)
5. Das Verstehen means “the understanding” or “the deep appreciation” (Dilthey). It is used in social science, especially in phenomenology and hermeneutics, to explain how an outsider enters and then understands a foreign culture. Critics of this concept claim that no foreigner can truly understand an outside culture, and that attempts to do so invariably taint the subject culture with the norms or expectations of the foreigner’s culture. There was very little detailed information about this movement available through internet search engines, even when a variety of keyword searches were performed.
(reference: http://www.answers.com/topic/verstehen)
6.
Notion: an individual's conception or impression of something known, experienced, or imagined (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
Theory: an unproved assumption (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
Model: a description or analogy used to help visualize something that cannot be directly observed (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
Law: a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
7. Criteria for evaluating a theory
a. universally (or almost universally) applicable to its context
b. simple enough to be learned or taught
c. complex enough to account for its context
d. does not conflict with existing, well-grounded theories
e. extends and supports existing, well-grounded theories
f. leaves room for future revision and extension
This last course is about Learning Theory which should help me as I read more of the psychology-based articles in the instructional psychology field. In order to help me better understand the course concepts, I will be posting my assignments here on the blog. If you are not interested in this topic, then just pass over any future posts with the 620 (the course number) prefix.
======================
Assignment 1
1. What is theory?
*This mess should be a table.
Definition Strengths Weaknesses
Abstract thought; speculation allows for evolving or not-yet-sure ideas very general
a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena allows for a set of connected or related ideas limited to defining a “provable” concept
a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation does not necessarily require empirical evidence; rather allows for application to psychological or metaphysical concepts limited to a temporary idea that should later be rejected or confirmed
the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art allows for a set of connected ideas that form a discipline or related way of thinking appears to describe a standardized (maybe even canonized) set of ideas
the body of rules, ideas, principles, and techniques that applies to a subject, especially when seen as distinct from actual practice allows for variation between practical matters and proposed rules about the practice may over-emphasize the distinction between practice and theory
2. What is learning?
*This mess should also be a table.
Definition Strengths Weaknesses
the acquisition of knowledge or skill Describe learning as a active gain of something acquisition is a vague term
a relatively permanent change in, or acquisition of, knowledge, understanding, or behavior Provides more than just acquisition, and allows for affective learning Relatively permanent is vague
the goal of education, and the product of experience Adds the idea of experience as part of learning Assumes that all experience is then learning; is this true?
development of memories and behaviors Allows for a broader meaning of learning to include observable and non-observable traits Again, does this mean that all memories and behaviors are learning? What about dreams?
memorization A basic, commonly held definition Not very useful, and may in fact not be the kind of learning that we can use
the gaining of experience Again, is allows for the idea of learning through experience Is that all that learning is, just experience?
modification through exposure Agains allows for the idea of learning as a form of change Are there other kinds of change that do not require exposure (and to what)?
wisdom acquired through instruction or study Places emphasis on learners and teachers; also defines wisdom (knowledge plus judgment and use) Limits learning to situations of instruction and study
3. Explanatory and Interpretive Theories
http://www.uvm.edu/~egeczi/dissertationblog/?p=34
This link is a blog post that discusses how interpretive and explanatory approaches relate.
http://www.hku.hk/philodep/ch/L&L1.htm
This link explains how interpretation and explanation relate to ancient Chinese philosophy.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/m/moraldev.htm
This link explains the difference between the two theory types as they relate to moral development and the work of moral philosophers.
http://www.mathcs.duq.edu/~packer/IR/IntMeth4.html
This link attempts to contrast and relate interpretive and explanatory theories using charts.
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:C1iKYNkRgdIJ:www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/INF5220/h05/undervisningsmateriale/Slides/InterpretiveGrounded27102005.ppt+explanatory+interpretive+theory&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=21&gl=us
This pdf file is a series of ppt slides that introduce interpretative theory and briefly discusses how it differs from explanatory models.
4. Nomological-deductive theories is a way of explanation that relies on initial premises and universal laws to predict or hypothesize outcomes. For example, in order to predict the earth’s location in the future, physicists take its current location, gravitational and other physical laws, and then make theorize its future location. This can be helpful when attempting to understand future outcomes.
However, this kind of theory can have some problems. First, it ignores minor variations that are not central to the outcome, and, as such, the prediction is only approximate and not exact. Second, this mode of theorizing requires that the phenomena be something that acts under predictable, consistent laws. If the object of study is highly volatile or influenced by a number of factors cannot be predicted, controlled, or accounted for, then this mode of theorizing cannot reliably be used.
(reference: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolphil/predict.html)
5. Das Verstehen means “the understanding” or “the deep appreciation” (Dilthey). It is used in social science, especially in phenomenology and hermeneutics, to explain how an outsider enters and then understands a foreign culture. Critics of this concept claim that no foreigner can truly understand an outside culture, and that attempts to do so invariably taint the subject culture with the norms or expectations of the foreigner’s culture. There was very little detailed information about this movement available through internet search engines, even when a variety of keyword searches were performed.
(reference: http://www.answers.com/topic/verstehen)
6.
Notion: an individual's conception or impression of something known, experienced, or imagined (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
Theory: an unproved assumption (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
Model: a description or analogy used to help visualize something that cannot be directly observed (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
Law: a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
7. Criteria for evaluating a theory
a. universally (or almost universally) applicable to its context
b. simple enough to be learned or taught
c. complex enough to account for its context
d. does not conflict with existing, well-grounded theories
e. extends and supports existing, well-grounded theories
f. leaves room for future revision and extension
Thursday, June 7, 2007
ACT FULL
This week I have been attending ACTFL (american council for the teaching of foreign languages) training to become certified to conduct OPIs (oral proficiency interviews). The week-long training is only the start of the process; certification takes nearly a year after the week of training finishes.
It's been an valuable experience for many reasons:
It's been an valuable experience for many reasons:
- I've connected with a few friends from the Arabic department that are doing certification for their department
- I've met with language teachers from across the United States including New England, the Midwest, Great Lakes, and those who are internationals
- I've made connections between this training and my courses this semester such as evaluation and qualitative research
- I'm getting to know four of my coworkers better as we participate in training together
Monday, June 4, 2007
A day's grace
The term is winding up - next week is the end, and being in grad school, I don't really have to worry about finals since professors dislike administering them as much as we dislike taking them.
Yet, there are still some assignments let to complete - wait, let me rephrase that: There are a LOT of assignments let to complete. I haven't been falling behind, so at least I am saved by that, but given that this week I am participating in some language testing training, my homework time will be severely reduced. Thankfully, I screwed up.
See, I thought that my training started today and ran all week, but as it turns out, we start tomorrow, thereby giving me one extra day of full homework to get a headstart on the end of the term. And as much as there are a lot of things to do, it's been a useful semester:
Yet, there are still some assignments let to complete - wait, let me rephrase that: There are a LOT of assignments let to complete. I haven't been falling behind, so at least I am saved by that, but given that this week I am participating in some language testing training, my homework time will be severely reduced. Thankfully, I screwed up.
See, I thought that my training started today and ran all week, but as it turns out, we start tomorrow, thereby giving me one extra day of full homework to get a headstart on the end of the term. And as much as there are a lot of things to do, it's been a useful semester:
- I researched and developed a revised teacher observation program for my job
- I prepared an evaluation plan for our rater training program
- I jumped back into my proposed dissertation researched and learned better ways to collect and analyze qualitative data
- I started writing a condensed version of my thesis for submission to an academic journal
- I submitted two chapter proposals to teacher-in-action book
- I have completed all of the course work for my doctoral program aside from one course that I hope to take in the summer
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