Friday, January 17, 2014

Using ESL training to help Native Speakers learn new concepts

I want to give an update about analyzing the whale-oriented websites.

Yesterday in class, we watched two short YouTube clips to practice analyzing rhetoric in a multimedia way. I divided the class into three groups so that I could assign each group a specific focus point during the video clips. For example, during the first viewing, one group of students was assigned to look for clues about the author, and the other two groups were focusing on audience and purpose, respectively. During the second viewing, students were watching for appeals to ethos, pathos, or logos, respectively. After each viewing, we discussed the clips and elements of rhetoric as a class. Then, we repeated the process with the other clip.

Whale Wars Intro http://youtu.be/MvfXjeA0Q9M
Round one: watch for content, what’s going on?
  1. Author:
  2. Audience:
  3. Purpose:
Round two: watch for appeals
  1. Ethos:
  2. Pathos:
  3. Logos:
Blackfish Trailer: (A little disturbing--step out if needed) http://youtu.be/fLOeH-Oq_1Y
Round one: watch for content, what’s going on?
  1. Author:
  2. Audience:
  3. Purpose:
Round two: watch for appeals
  1. Ethos:
  2. Pathos:
  3. Logos:
_______________________________________________________________
Students were very engaged in the clips, and our discussion yielded me a lot of insight into how students were grappling with these new terms involved in rhetorical analysis. For example, students had a difficult time identifying who the author of the Whale Wars clip was. I would not have anticipated this difficulty because it seemed straightforward to me that a director/producer from Animal Planet would be behind the clip. However, as student after student struggled to find the author, I was able to explain piece by piece what I was actually looking for when they identify an author--and why the author matters in a rhetorical analysis. Controlled chaos is sometimes a great environment for students to test out hypotheses. My ESL training informed how I included multiple viewings with specific points to listen and watch for. I find that ESL-informed teaching usually benefits all students, regardless of native language, because of its emphasis on clear instructions, purposeful listening/reading, and negotiation of meaning.

In addition to the learning outcomes related to rhetorical analysis, I saw students' thinking critically about their own beliefs, especially when we watched the Blackfish trailer. Many of them had never considered the ramifications of keeping whales in captivity, and some of my students told me that they planned to go home and watch the rest of the film. After the lesson, I felt very proud of the day's instruction. My students definitely thought critically about two issues related to whales, but they also worked together in a discussion to figure out what rhetorical analysis means. 

I look forward to seeing how they analyze the websites for their project. I hope that yesterday's practice proves fruitful for them.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Writing as global citizens--a hopeful reflection on my goals for this semester

As a teacher, I'm always looking for ways to increase student engagement in the material. In a required freshman-level writing course, it is essential that I create assignments that are relevant to their lives and more important, interesting.

This semester, I am trying to bring out global citizens in my students. I hope for them to gain an appreciation for other countries, cultures, and languages as they practice valuable reading and writing skills.

One way that my students are getting exposure to another culture is through pen pals at Far East University. I was contacted by a teacher looking to set up an exchange between her Korean (and other nationalities) students and students studying here at Northern Arizona University.

From the outset, I faced a challenge: the classes at Far East were smaller than expected, and my classes often overflow during the first week until everything settles out. Due to the short English camp at Far East, I wanted to get our project going right away--on the second day of class. Having 50 students to pair with the 30 or so from Far East, I assigned students to work in pairs to write their pals. Although I was concerned that my students would have trouble navigating a letter with more than one author, the pair work was a huge success. Students were collaborating in the truest sense by asking each other content and language-based questions. What do you think about this word? Would our pal understand it? Should we ask this question? How do you think I say say that? What I saw as they composed together was amazing in terms of communication and revision, and it was only the second day of class! I was so proud of my students, and I hope that their pals enjoy the letters. I can't wait to see what these students learn from each other and how their worldviews might change.

In addition to the pen pals, students in my class begin the semester doing rhetorical analysis. They write an essay in which they deconstruct a text and analyze the effectiveness of the author for a particular audience and purpose. In the past, I've given students a few choices of essays from our textbook to analyze. This assignment has worked in the past, but the main complaint from students is that it's boring. What a buzz-kill in a required class. The main reason that I chose essays from the book was that I wanted students to get their money's worth from the book--something I'd call: "on principle" rather than because I'm passionate about it. While I still think students should get their money's worth out of the book (they will!), I don't think it should be at the expense of fuller engagement with an important assignment that has so many interesting applications.

In order to capitalize on the flexibility of the assignment, my students will be analyzing the rhetoric of text- and media-rich websites. Digital literacy, including the ability to evaluate and analyze the wealth of information on the internet is one of the skills that university students must have. Not only for college, but also for life! Therefore, I want to help them see how the concept of rhetoric is applicable not only to essays, speeches, and more traditional modes of rhetoric, but how it plays out on the web and all around us. I also happen to be very interested in the rhetoric surrounding whales right now. The documentary Blackfish exposes the dark side of whales held in captivity, but the SeaWorld website makes an attempt to counter the claims made by Blackfish. On a related note, the Sea Shepherd organization, who are often called "eco-terrorists", have campaigns waged both on the ocean and on the web against the killing and mistreatment of sea animals. Students can choose between the Sea Shepherd website or the SeaWorld website to analyze for their essays, and we will watch and analyze the Blackfish trailer in class to get students interested. Because I read so many of these essays, it is certainly to my benefit to select topics for students that interest me. However, a side benefit of assigning a choice between these two topics is that it encourages students to think critically about a real world issue.  Examining the rhetoric around these issues becomes a natural extension of reading and thinking about the interesting (and often conflicting!) information on the websites. Thus, student engagement is up, and I hope to see that engagement reflected in thoughtful rhetorical analysis essays.

The dual focus on content about whales and writing instruction is reminiscent of a popular ESL teaching approach known as Content-Based Instruction (CBI). As my teaching career has included both ESL instruction (mostly English for Academic Purposes, EAP) and freshman composition, I have begun to realize the symbiotic relationship between these two seemingly very different types of teaching. My training in both areas often build on each other as a hybrid teaching style with a sensitivity to language use, international perspectives, and expectations in "the academy". In the coming months, I hope to reflect more about how ESL and freshman composition compliment each other, and how (and why!) I approach my non-native-speaker-only section of freshman composition differently from my sections made up mostly of native speakers.


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Student Testimonials

I compiled this list of student testimonials and evaluations because these comments reflect my teaching philosophy. I absolutely love when students respond to the activities, atmosphere, and philosophy in my classes. Helping students improve a skill, develop a strategy, or just enjoy learning are some of the most important reasons why I teach.

Fall 2013 Students, ENG 105 Critical Reading and Writing for the University Community

“This course was very well done. The assignments were not overwhelming. They helped me become a better writer. The instructor ran a structured and organized class that
put all of the emphasis on learning the material rather than trying to figure out what the instructor wanted.”

“I think you created a great friendly atmosphere in the classroom and adapted well to the students' different skill levels and methods for writing.”

“I liked that we worked in groups a lot and that we all had a chance to speak our mind and ask questions. Every assignment was explained well and the working
environment was always positive.”

“I feel there was nothing major that could impede me from learning in this particular class. She does an exceptional job working with students. I hope my future teachers are
like her.”

Spring 2013 Students, Program in Intensive English Level 5 Listening and Speaking

“Her activities are really good, and we learn new things. Thank you, Jena. “

“She is a best teacher in level 5 for me because she has a good activities in class

Spring 2012 Student, ENG 105 Program in Intensive English Section

“In my experience, the teacher did very well to deliver the information in many ways to us.”

Fall 2011 Students, ENG 105

“I really appreciated the fact that the instructor took all measures to ensure that all the students understood each assignment. She always sought out ways to better teach the material and always provided challenging and positive feedback for all of our writing assignments.”

“I think that she showed genuine interest in her students. She gave modern day media and actual examples that connected us back to the topic we were discussing. Allowing us to choose our topics (for the most part) motivated me to write the assignments.”

“She used many different strategies and it helped us learn. She made it fun too.”

“The teacher was aware of the practical applications for writing rather than just what a textbook says writing is for.”