Teaching Practice Test

               Curriculum and learning management in English is the practice subject for student teacher, so the most important part of this subject is teaching practice.  Our class has test about this on Saturday 5^th and Sunday 6^th 2013.  We have 10 participants on Saturday, from 9.00-15.30.

                All lesson plans are about local, for example, Tenth Lunar month, Loy Kratong, garbage, local food and location.  Student teachers should have more accuracy and fluency since we are all in year 4^th and nearly graduate.  Some Medias and rubrics aren’t relevant with the objective.  The good points are about instructional media and activities which are very various.

Inside Classroom Log for 17/06/13

Teacher has stressed us heavily to always write the reference for every piece of work that we research from other source, for there are 3 important reasons.  First, to show that we really have done some researched not write down by guessing or made up.  Second, to give the origin of our source for those who interest or want more information.  And the last one, most important, to refer to the owner of the information to show that we appreciate to use their research.

            There are 6 groups present this week, TBL, PBL, reading skill, speaking skill, listening skill, and writing skill.  TBL or task based learning is the teaching method that inverse from “PPP” because they start with “Pre-Task” section that will give students some task to do (It’s “production” section in PPP). Then “Circle Task” section that will let student to practice on the task (This is “practice” section, same as PPP).  And the last one is “Language Focus”, this section teacher will let the student conclude the pattern or structure of what they have learnt from the first two sections.  I have find some interesting article about disadvantages of TBL too, they are

1. The weaknesses of task-based learning lie not so much in the potential effectiveness of this type of instructional content but in problems of implementing the instruction.

2. Task-based learning requires a high level of creativity and initiative on the part of the teacher. If the teachers are limited to more traditional roles or do not have time and resources to implement task-based teaching; this type of teaching may be impossible.

3. Task-based learning requires resources beyond the textbooks and related materials usually found in language classrooms.

4. Because task-based learning is not what many students expect and want from a language class, they may, at least initially, resist or object to this type of instruction.

5. Task-based instruction is not teacher-centered; instead, it requires individual and group responsibility and commitment on the part of students. If students are notably lacking in these qualities, task-based instruction may indeed be difficult to implement.

6. Some learners revert to mother tongue when things get difficult or if the group feels impatient.

7. Some individuals develop excellent communication strategies, e.g. miming and using gestures, but get by using just odd words and phrases and let others supply the more challenging language they need. This may make those individuals fossilize before advancing very far in the syntax of the target language.

8. Some learners tend to get caught up in trying to find the right word, and do not worry over much about how it fits into the discourse.

9. There is naturally more concern for use of lexis and lexical chunks than for grammar and grammatical accuracy

10. There is a risk for learners to achieve fluency at the expense of accuracy.

11. Pressure of time will force learners to make use of language that can be readily accessed rather than to attempt to create language in real time. There may be a minimal concern with accuracy and no incentive for learners to extend their existing language system.

12. Evaluation of task-based learning can be difficult. The nature of task-based learning prevents it from being measurable by some of the more restricted and traditional tests.

            The second group present about PBL or project base learning.  Teacher said these groups are not get to the point yet, so I have to find more information about this teaching method but it really hard to find, not the PBL one but the PBL in English teaching. Now I find only one web-site that give example about it, which is http://project-work-in-english-teaching.blogspot.com

            Next group is about Reading Teaching, Listening Teaching, and Writing Teaching.  These three skill teaching have the same steps in teaching.  There are Pre/While/Post step, Pre is about guessing content from its topic, find vocab, etc.  While is about focus, or critical thinking about what you are reading, listening or writing.  And the last step is Post, where student summarize the whole story what they learnt.

            The last skill teaching is Speaking, which is different from the other.

NOT YET COMPLETED

Listening Practice 2: Learning Outdoors at a Natural History Museum.

          Learning outside the classroom is sound fantastic for every children, even for adult. It will more interesting when connect to living things or plant.
          Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has change the parking lot into an outdoors living exhibit. The children can learn about plant science and living animals in the real natural setting.  The museum scientists also come outside to describe the information about plants, insects, and animals to the visitors.
          Natural History Museum of Los Angeles build the outdoors museum to provide the opportunity for student to learning outdoor in the open air.
          This new change of the museum can cultivate students will to learn.  New place, new things, new feeling always good for adventure heart.

Listening Practice 1: School Offers Kenyan Girls Free Education

          In the past, children in a lot of countries are not equal in education, including Thailand.  The boys can study in the temple, but the girls are not. many countries have change this tradition now, but not every country.
          The children in Kenya are not equal in Education, the girls usually were withdrawn from school rather than the boy when their parents lack of money. So the school for girls was built for the first time. This school provide free education and equipments for students, in exchange, their parents have to work for the school 5 weeks a year.
          Shining Hope for Communities is the organization that established the school for girls in Kenya.
          So from now, one more country will have an equal education for everyone.

Reading Practice 1: Gung Ho: Beijing business battles to keep staff

         

      As urban China develops a taste for pizza, business is booming for the rapidly expanding delivery chain: three locations are already busy and another two will soon open.  There is just one hitch: a labour shortage in China's major cities makes it difficult to hire enough low-level workers to fullfil the daily rush of orders.  In a country of 1.3 billion people, you might think hiring entry-level employees would be the last problem companies might face.  But as the cost of living rises in China's wealthy eastern hubs, it is difficult for employers to lure young workers away from developing centres in the country's interior. 
read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22803132

 Summary
          Chinese used to be an important first choice of the labour market due to the low cost of wage.  Chinese government use "Go West" campaign to send Chinese people to work around the world, with their diligence and patience, it doesn't take too long before they become rich and powerful in many country.
          Now after the economic crisis, many Chinese head back home and find out the job near their home and wage not so cheap. Business are grow faster at the big cities of China, make people don't want to leave their homeland anymore.  The pizza company, for example, has grow rapidly with 200 staff already.  Each company has to hire and try to keep their staff working for them.  So a lot of Chinese now can live in their hometown and work with a generous boss.
          Chinese people now have a lot of opportunity to work in their homeland near their family.  Factory and company have to offer and pay a good price to save their staff.
          China has a lots of human resources, with their good development, their can lead the world in every aspect.

Inside Classroom Log for 03/06/13

This is the very first week, first day, and first class for this semester.  Our teacher speaks about the primary information of this subject and gives us some advices.  This subject, Curriculum and Learning Management in English, give us some serious homework to think about how are we going to handle this serious, homeworkful subject.

                Excitants of the new semester make us arrive early to the class and find out that we need to study with students from another class (English .03).  But teacher ask some students to move to study in the morning class instead to decrease numbers of student, the result is unknown yet.  Our teacher, Dr. Anirut Chumsawat, first mention about “Needs Analysis” (KWL) of what we known? (Schema), what we want to know?, and what we have learn?  He gives us advice about the expectation of the employer for the English teacher or student in the English program.  We, at least, need to pass the comprehensive test, and IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIL, if possible.  We are expected to have both accuracy and fluency, even we have a big gap between the exist and the expected ability, but we still have time to force our self to our goal.

                Then he gives us the long term assignment that is the learning log in the blog form.  We need to do the learning log for inside classroom content and our four skills that we need to practice outside the classroom by ourselves.  Teacher also gives us the sources and tools for the practicing.  Skype for speaking, writing on Facebook, Forum for reading, and listening on YouTube, VOA, or song.

                Just before the class dismiss, he asks us to write the curriculum of the subject, the learning contract for each week, and review the teaching theory and method for our next class we will present about the heart and teaching process of each method.

                Curriculum and Learning Management in English is the subject that we need to use everything we have learnt from the 1^st grade till now so we can graduate with the expected ability and succeed in our career.  To archive this goal we need more skill improvement with outside classroom practices.

                This semester comes up with the responsibility needed than ever.  I need to practice, practice, and practice. Not only me realize about this but most of the class also feel like me too (stress as “most of” not “all of”).   I will try to help my friends as much as I can because it also like a test and practice for me too. Because “W” I want to know are not only knowledge from the books and texts, but also the life and experience.

Learning Contract

Learning Contract

For 1st week (3-9 June 2013)