The Japanese Ministry of Education’s language policy, designed to foster the development of globa... more The Japanese Ministry of Education’s language policy, designed to foster the development of global citizens with communicative competency in English, requires all students to study foreign languages in the first two years of university. However, teachers are hard pressed to meet these expectations given that language courses are usually divided into reading/grammar classes, and listening/speaking classes, each taught by different teachers. This conceptual design, used nation-wide, fails to promote a holistic view of language. In response, one university has implemented the Four Skills course, with reading, writing, listening and speaking skills taught by one teacher who provides students with autonomy support within a linguistic framework that can offer them the tools needed to complete their social development and take charge of their own learning. For three years, the Four Skills curriculum has evolved to address the theoretical and practical implications using in-depth analysis from key angles: 1) teacher beliefs, through interviews and classroom observations; 2) student feedback and needs assessment, through surveys and interviews; 3) academic standing, through vocabulary and TOEICⓇ pre- and post-tests; 4) relevant theories, including the Hattie Feedback Model, the Structure and Autonomy Model, and Self Determination Theory. These approaches have allowed us to define an instructional model for our program with integrated language competency goals. In this theoretical paper, we will examine the socio-economic reasons for the implementation of this program, outline the methodology used to make the program evolve within its theoretical framework, and open the floor for discussion.
This paper responds to a satirical sketch on Saturday Night Live (SNL) (Kelly, Schneider, Tucker ... more This paper responds to a satirical sketch on Saturday Night Live (SNL) (Kelly, Schneider, Tucker & King, 2016) in which Lin-Manuel Miranda plays a substitute teacher who tries to inspire students using hip-hop pedagogy; however, the students think that his “innovative” methods are cliché. As teacher-researchers, we are interested in how student engagement and critical literacy happens in classroom settings impacted by popular culture. Backed by literature that encourages the implementation of culturally-responsive and sustaining pedagogies (Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2014; Paris, 2012), our own teaching philosophies draw on critical arts-informed pedagogies in the classroom. We wondered then, how, in a span of 5 minutes or less, an SNL parody might disparage our work and research. How did it connect with viewers and have them laugh with the “reality” of what they saw to be true in it? We did not want to dismiss it as a flippant critique and mockery of our work; we wanted to explore how we might glean meaning from it and what might be learned to improve upon our practice and research. What follows is a study that incorporates a critical arts-based (Barone & Eisner,1997) approach and a methodology informed by reader response theory (Rosenblatt, 1989; Tompkins, 1981). Using ourselves as test subjects with the hope that we can enact such critical literacy (Freebody et al., 2001) practices with our own students, we devised a series of questions that would gauge our reactions to what was being represented in the sketch. After responding to these questions individually, we came together to discuss our responses. We hoped that this process might allow us to understand the function of satire in popular culture as it represents teaching and research on inclusive and equitable teaching pedagogies, all the while embodying a critical reflective practice that invites it into the classroom. References Barone, T., & Eisner, E. (1997). Arts-based educational research. In G. C. J. Green, & P. Elimore (Eds.) (Ed.), Complementary methods for research in education (Vol. 2, pp. 75-116). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Freebody, P., Muspratt, S., & Dwyer, B. (2001). Difference, silence, and textual practice: Studies in critical literacy. Cresskill, N.J: Hampton Press. Kelly, C., Schneider, S., Tucker, B. (Writers), & King, D.R. (Director). (2016). Lin-Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots [Television series episode]. In Michaels, L. (Executive Producer), Saturday Night Live. New York, New York: National Broadcast Corporation. Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-91. Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84 (1), 74-84. Paris, D. (2012). Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: A needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational Researcher, 41(3), 93-97. Rosenblatt, L. M. (1989). “The transactional theory of the literary work: Implication for research.” In C.R. Cooper (Ed.), Researching response to literature and the teaching of literature: Points of departure. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Tompkins, J. P. (1981). Reader-response criticism: From formalism to post-structuralism. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
L’étude visait à recueillir des renseignements sur les sujets ci- après et à les explorer : •... more L’étude visait à recueillir des renseignements sur les sujets ci- après et à les explorer : • la nature et l’ampleur du problème d’offre et de demande d’enseignants en FLS et d’autres facteurs qui peuvent être liés aux difficultés d’accès à l’éducation en FLS; • les mesures en vigueur et les mesures potentielles que le gouvernement du Canada, de pair avec différents ministères de l’Éducation, des facultés d’éducation et des conseils scolaires, pourrait envisager pour aider à combler l’écart; • les facteurs qui empêchent les diplômés en enseignement en FLS des établissements postsecondaires canadiens d’occuper des postes d’enseignant en FLS là où leur spécialisation est demandée, ainsi que les éléments ou les initiatives qui pourraient les encourager ou les motiver à envisager d’enseigner dans un programme de FLS à la recherche d’enseignants. La présente étude comprend une série de recommandations et de suggestions à l’intention du ministre fédéral responsable des langues officielles, qui est tenu de collaborer avec les gouvernements des provinces et des territoires pour offrir aux Canadiens des occasions d’apprendre les deux langues officielles. Le ministre ferait ainsi preuve d’un leadership pancanadien à l’égard de ce dossier très important, un dossier qui dépasse les frontières des provinces et des territoires et qui nécessite une approche coordonnée à l’échelle nationale.
Integrated and multi-skills instruction are not common in Japan where language learning is usuall... more Integrated and multi-skills instruction are not common in Japan where language learning is usually divided into a grammar and reading portion and a listening and speaking portion, with these two parts taught by different teachers. The separation of the skills and the teachers fails to offer students with a holistic view of language and how it is used. To address this issue, one university has developed the Four Skills course which makes use of bottom-up and top-down skills in conjunction with very little focus-on-form instruction. Following the Hattie model for successful learning, students are given ample amounts of formative feedback, and learn to give it themselves. Teacher student interaction is a key component: students are encouraged to reciprocate with the teacher over classroom material until the students feel they have reached a satisfactory understanding. In helping students move away from a passive approach to learning, the teacher serves as a mirror to the students who must reflect on their knowledge, their use of it and how it can be expanded. In this presentation, we will outline the design for teacher student interaction in the Four Skills course, and how it is integrated into the main components of the course: vocabulary, reading, writing, listening and speaking. We will also elaborate on each these components by explaining how they are taught, in order to offer participants with a clear idea of how pedagogical material can be designed within a theoretical framework when building a new course.
Utilisant des procédures d'interprétation critique, les auteures passent en revue des études ... more Utilisant des procédures d'interprétation critique, les auteures passent en revue des études empiriques qualitatives et quantitatives ( N = 181) publiées entre 2000 et 2017 dans le contexte canadien du français langue seconde (FLS), de la maternelle à la 12e année. Elles examinent l'orientation thématique des résultats pertinents pour les principaux intervenants (c'est-à-dire les élèves, les enseignants, les candidats à l'enseignement, les parents et les administrateurs) dans différents programmes de FLS. Leurs observations révèlent que, même si ce n'est pas le cas pour les autres parties prenantes, des programmes de recherche distincts ont émergé chez les élèves et les enseignants (tout particulièrement chez les élèves en immersion française). Cependant, les pratiques de recherche qui regroupent des intervenants de différents programmes indiquent également un transfert potentiel de programmes et la possibilité que soient ainsi abordées des questions primordiales...
Reflective practice, often defined as a cognitive process which contributes to developing teacher... more Reflective practice, often defined as a cognitive process which contributes to developing teacher practice (Dewey, 1933; Loughran, 1996), is now a foundation of teacher professional development (Leitch & Day, 2000). Teacher reflections have become a staple of many teacher education programs (Mueller & Skamp, 2003). And yet, based on our own experiences, we have noticed that many teacher candidates struggle with this task, often wondering: What is the point of teacher reflections? Taking a sociocultural approach to human learning and development, which emphasizes the combination of cognition and emotion in the learning process (Mahn & John-Steiner, 2002), our research is an exploration into teacher reflections. We ask: What are the cognitive processes involved in teacher reflections? What is the role of emotion in reflective practice? Our data consists of weekly reflections collected from two undergraduate students and their course instructor in a French as a Second Language (FSL) teacher education program over one semester and post-hoc interviews. Drawing on critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2013), we place the instructor and the teacher candidates' reflections alongside each other to explore their complex and sometimes contradictory discourses about learning in the classroom, and how they position themselves as they negotiate their (emerging) practice. After a brief description of reflective practices in teacher education, we will provide an overview of FSL pre-service teacher education contexts. Next, we will outline our research methodology and submit our preliminary findings. In closing, we invite the audience to reflect on the research and the findings with us.
Whether French immersion (FI) is a suitable program for all students has been a topic of debate f... more Whether French immersion (FI) is a suitable program for all students has been a topic of debate for decades (e.g., Genesee, 1992; Mannavarayan, 2002; Trites & Price, 1976). Although much of the deliberations have centered around students with learning difficulties (e.g., Arnett, Mady, & Muilenburg, 2014), Swain and Lapkin (2005) highlighted the presence of English language learners (ELL) in FI as an area in need of examination. While some studies have revealed ELLs’ success in FI (e.g., Mady 2015), the same studies have shown ELLs to be underrepresented, giving rise to the question of access. Through a questionnaire and interviews with FI teachers, Mady (2011) revealed teachers not only questioned the suitability of FI for ELLs but also took steps to limit their access. This presentation explores the question of access to FI for immigrant ELLs from the perspective of kindergarten teachers and French immersion principals. In a context where FI starts in Grade 1, kindergarten teachers and principals are often sought out for advice regarding potential FI enrolment and thus have the potential to influence parental choice. Through questionnaires (N=81) and semistructured interviews (N=12), the participants revealed that while they thought ELLs should be included in FI there were several factors that they would consider and/or encourage immigrant parents to consider (e.g., level of English competency, need to focus on English). Although this presentation will not provide a definitive answer to the debate, it will examine gatekeepers’ perspectives with the view to improving information dissemination to parents.
Collaboration is important aspect of learning (Olofsson, 2010; Vygotsky, 1977). Forming a communi... more Collaboration is important aspect of learning (Olofsson, 2010; Vygotsky, 1977). Forming a community of learning can help promote better and faster learning among members of a community (Kooy, 2009; Wenger, 1998). Using the concept of languaging (Swain, 2000) through a sociocultural lens, we can examine how learners develop their understanding of course content and form bonds with others in a blended-learning course. In this study, a group of graduate students training to become language teachers languaged their understanding in written form online through a shared Dropbox folder. They discussed readings for the course online and commented on each others' posts The interactive nature of the online community led to an evolution to the approach to languaging and its functionality within the community. The data was collected from written online interactions and oral and written feedback given to the researchers at the end of the project. It was examined qualitatively using discourse analysis and thematic coding in Nvivo10. Our findings indicate that the participants used various forms of languaging to create a community of learning. The participants languaged requests for clarification and uptake, they languaged their own understanding and how their understanding came to be modified. We also examined how their reaction to each others' posts informed the interactions between the participants and helped the community evolve. Teachers in training need more practice developing their own understanding of the power of collaboration, reflection and languaging, specifically in an online environment. For some this was a first experience using an online tool, such as Dropbox, collaboratively to create and manage an online community. More investigations need to take into account the role that community plays in the learning process. Summary: We examined how a group of graduate students training to become language teachers languaged (Swain, 2000) their understanding of course content and formed bonds with each other online. Languaging collaboratively informed participants' use of this practice and the evolution of the community of learning they created.
A collaborative approach to Narrative Inquiry Interviews. The aim of this presentation is to outl... more A collaborative approach to Narrative Inquiry Interviews. The aim of this presentation is to outline the reasoning and approach to setting up a collaborative graduate student-led research project. The project itself is an narrative investigation into how international graduate students who are second-language users of English have negotiated English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS as part of the application procedure to graduate school. In this presentation, we will describe the origins of the project, and go into detail about the purpose of the project, which stems from our own reflections and observations as international and non-international students within our Department of graduate study. Introducing the reasoning behind the project, we will illustrate how we have woven ethical considerations of working with peers, as co-researchers and participants, into the methodology of the project, the interview process, our own researcher reflections. We will also provide the specifics of seeking faculty and/or departmental support, ethical approval, recruitment, the transcription process and using technology to collaborate. In conclusion, we will discuss some of the next steps we anticipate taking in order to complete such a project. While critical language testing scholarship has described the gatekeeping nature of high-stakes commercial English language tests and institutional language policies (Shohamy, 2001), research has yet to explore their human side. This project uses a Foucauldian (1982) framework, which provides a lens to understand the interaction between student agency and the techniques of power that are embodied in institutional language policies and high-stakes language assessments. Narratives gathered through interviews will be coded and analysed by emerging themes using NVIVO. We seek to uncover international students' perspectives on the testing process itself (from test preparation to test completion) as well as their initial time at the university. Specifically, what supports are available to them and what challenges do they face during test preparation? How does this process of negotiation-and the test itself-affect international students in their initial months at the university? This research raises important questions relating to social justice and the consequential validity (Messick, 1995) of high stakes language tests.
In recent years, researchers have increasingly adopted innovative techniques – such as slideshows... more In recent years, researchers have increasingly adopted innovative techniques – such as slideshows, animation, and infographics – to present their work in meaningful and impressive ways. But one informational medium remains gallingly neglected: sound. A single piece of music contains multiple vectors operating simultaneously (pitch, duration, instrumentation, etc.), upon each of which a specific parameter can be encoded. Because music is a temporal form, it can dramatically represent the dynamic changes and contrasts both between elements or of a single element over time. Drawing on Arts-based Education Research (ABER) methods, this presentation covers an experimental method of aural data analysis to investigate group interactions and participation. The data consist of over 30 videos of 2-hour group meetings collected during a 4-year SSHRC-funded study into a collaborative teacher professional learning network. Each speaker was assigned an instrumental “voice.” The word count of each speech event determined the voice’s rhythmic duration (one word corresponding to one eighth-note), while the speech event’s time in seconds determined the pitch (the longer the time, the lower the pitch). After a brief overview of ABER methods and their implications for data processing, the authors will provide a description of the methodology. The audience will then be invited to listen to the data to interpret the teachers' participation in the collaborative learning community over time. In closing, the floor will be open for discussion on this particular method of data analysis and dissemination.
This session presents the preliminary results of a study on the collaborative research process of... more This session presents the preliminary results of a study on the collaborative research process of three graduate student researchers at OISE. Specifically, the study explores the nature of collaborative work for early-career/graduate researchers and ways of attaining ‘researcher praxis’ – that is, negotiating theoretical aspirations with the practical side of conducting research in the field. Whether achieved through self-study (e.g., Pithouse-Morgan & Samaras, 2016), action-research (e.g., Goodnough, 2010), or reflective practice (e.g., Farrell, 2013), praxis, grounded in social and constructivist views of learning, usually involves some form of collaboration. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the three researchers conducted an inductive data analysis of their documented oral and written research interactions (e.g., face-to-face interactions, phone conversations, emails, Whatsapp exchanges, etc.) to identify the various collaborative features and functions of their interactions, for example, how they built rapport, negotiated ideas, set goals, made decisions, assigned and adopted roles, developed plans of actions, and shared responsibilities. After engaging in CDA, the researchers critically reflected on their analysis process to identify how their individual and collective researcher praxis was informed by their coding practices. The aim of the study is twofold: to suggest one potential method for conducting and reflecting on collaborative research through CDA, and to begin a dialogue on the inner-workings of collaborative research practices and methods for early-career/graduate researchers. The findings of this study will be presented as an invitation to the audience to reflect on the potential implications of collaborative research for developing researcher praxis among graduate students in Higher Education. References Farrell, T. S. C. (2013). Reflective writing for language teachers. Sheffield: Equinox. Goodnough, K. (2010). The role of action research in transforming teacher identity: Modes of belonging and ecological perspectives. Educational Action Research, 18(2), 167-182. Pithouse-Morgan, K., & Samaras, A. P. (2016). Polyvocal Professional Learning through Self-Study Research. Rotterdam: Springer.
This book disseminates practices shared at the annual event Every Teacher is a Language Teacher h... more This book disseminates practices shared at the annual event Every Teacher is a Language Teacher held at the Faculty of Education (uOttawa) for all first-year Bachelor of Education teacher candidates. For the past two years, the Second Language Education cohort (cL2c) has organized a day of workshops embodying both language learning theory and practical methods and strategies that teacher candidates can immediately implement in their classrooms. This resource responds directly to calls from attendees for a resource that synthesizes the content shared at each workshop, enabling them to access and implement the rich pedagogical knowledge shared. The book is meant to serve as a textbook for Teacher Education courses, graduate courses, as well as an ongoing promotion of research-based practices created by Faculty of Education partners (faculty and graduate students alike) that should be shared more widely with Canadian language educators, teachers and consultants, particularly in its bil...
The Japanese Ministry of Education’s language policy, designed to foster the development of globa... more The Japanese Ministry of Education’s language policy, designed to foster the development of global citizens with communicative competency in English, requires all students to study foreign languages in the first two years of university. However, teachers are hard pressed to meet these expectations given that language courses are usually divided into reading/grammar classes, and listening/speaking classes, each taught by different teachers. This conceptual design, used nation-wide, fails to promote a holistic view of language. In response, one university has implemented the Four Skills course, with reading, writing, listening and speaking skills taught by one teacher who provides students with autonomy support within a linguistic framework that can offer them the tools needed to complete their social development and take charge of their own learning. For three years, the Four Skills curriculum has evolved to address the theoretical and practical implications using in-depth analysis from key angles: 1) teacher beliefs, through interviews and classroom observations; 2) student feedback and needs assessment, through surveys and interviews; 3) academic standing, through vocabulary and TOEICⓇ pre- and post-tests; 4) relevant theories, including the Hattie Feedback Model, the Structure and Autonomy Model, and Self Determination Theory. These approaches have allowed us to define an instructional model for our program with integrated language competency goals. In this theoretical paper, we will examine the socio-economic reasons for the implementation of this program, outline the methodology used to make the program evolve within its theoretical framework, and open the floor for discussion.
This paper responds to a satirical sketch on Saturday Night Live (SNL) (Kelly, Schneider, Tucker ... more This paper responds to a satirical sketch on Saturday Night Live (SNL) (Kelly, Schneider, Tucker & King, 2016) in which Lin-Manuel Miranda plays a substitute teacher who tries to inspire students using hip-hop pedagogy; however, the students think that his “innovative” methods are cliché. As teacher-researchers, we are interested in how student engagement and critical literacy happens in classroom settings impacted by popular culture. Backed by literature that encourages the implementation of culturally-responsive and sustaining pedagogies (Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2014; Paris, 2012), our own teaching philosophies draw on critical arts-informed pedagogies in the classroom. We wondered then, how, in a span of 5 minutes or less, an SNL parody might disparage our work and research. How did it connect with viewers and have them laugh with the “reality” of what they saw to be true in it? We did not want to dismiss it as a flippant critique and mockery of our work; we wanted to explore how we might glean meaning from it and what might be learned to improve upon our practice and research. What follows is a study that incorporates a critical arts-based (Barone & Eisner,1997) approach and a methodology informed by reader response theory (Rosenblatt, 1989; Tompkins, 1981). Using ourselves as test subjects with the hope that we can enact such critical literacy (Freebody et al., 2001) practices with our own students, we devised a series of questions that would gauge our reactions to what was being represented in the sketch. After responding to these questions individually, we came together to discuss our responses. We hoped that this process might allow us to understand the function of satire in popular culture as it represents teaching and research on inclusive and equitable teaching pedagogies, all the while embodying a critical reflective practice that invites it into the classroom. References Barone, T., & Eisner, E. (1997). Arts-based educational research. In G. C. J. Green, & P. Elimore (Eds.) (Ed.), Complementary methods for research in education (Vol. 2, pp. 75-116). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Freebody, P., Muspratt, S., & Dwyer, B. (2001). Difference, silence, and textual practice: Studies in critical literacy. Cresskill, N.J: Hampton Press. Kelly, C., Schneider, S., Tucker, B. (Writers), & King, D.R. (Director). (2016). Lin-Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots [Television series episode]. In Michaels, L. (Executive Producer), Saturday Night Live. New York, New York: National Broadcast Corporation. Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-91. Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84 (1), 74-84. Paris, D. (2012). Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: A needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational Researcher, 41(3), 93-97. Rosenblatt, L. M. (1989). “The transactional theory of the literary work: Implication for research.” In C.R. Cooper (Ed.), Researching response to literature and the teaching of literature: Points of departure. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Tompkins, J. P. (1981). Reader-response criticism: From formalism to post-structuralism. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
L’étude visait à recueillir des renseignements sur les sujets ci- après et à les explorer : •... more L’étude visait à recueillir des renseignements sur les sujets ci- après et à les explorer : • la nature et l’ampleur du problème d’offre et de demande d’enseignants en FLS et d’autres facteurs qui peuvent être liés aux difficultés d’accès à l’éducation en FLS; • les mesures en vigueur et les mesures potentielles que le gouvernement du Canada, de pair avec différents ministères de l’Éducation, des facultés d’éducation et des conseils scolaires, pourrait envisager pour aider à combler l’écart; • les facteurs qui empêchent les diplômés en enseignement en FLS des établissements postsecondaires canadiens d’occuper des postes d’enseignant en FLS là où leur spécialisation est demandée, ainsi que les éléments ou les initiatives qui pourraient les encourager ou les motiver à envisager d’enseigner dans un programme de FLS à la recherche d’enseignants. La présente étude comprend une série de recommandations et de suggestions à l’intention du ministre fédéral responsable des langues officielles, qui est tenu de collaborer avec les gouvernements des provinces et des territoires pour offrir aux Canadiens des occasions d’apprendre les deux langues officielles. Le ministre ferait ainsi preuve d’un leadership pancanadien à l’égard de ce dossier très important, un dossier qui dépasse les frontières des provinces et des territoires et qui nécessite une approche coordonnée à l’échelle nationale.
Integrated and multi-skills instruction are not common in Japan where language learning is usuall... more Integrated and multi-skills instruction are not common in Japan where language learning is usually divided into a grammar and reading portion and a listening and speaking portion, with these two parts taught by different teachers. The separation of the skills and the teachers fails to offer students with a holistic view of language and how it is used. To address this issue, one university has developed the Four Skills course which makes use of bottom-up and top-down skills in conjunction with very little focus-on-form instruction. Following the Hattie model for successful learning, students are given ample amounts of formative feedback, and learn to give it themselves. Teacher student interaction is a key component: students are encouraged to reciprocate with the teacher over classroom material until the students feel they have reached a satisfactory understanding. In helping students move away from a passive approach to learning, the teacher serves as a mirror to the students who must reflect on their knowledge, their use of it and how it can be expanded. In this presentation, we will outline the design for teacher student interaction in the Four Skills course, and how it is integrated into the main components of the course: vocabulary, reading, writing, listening and speaking. We will also elaborate on each these components by explaining how they are taught, in order to offer participants with a clear idea of how pedagogical material can be designed within a theoretical framework when building a new course.
Utilisant des procédures d'interprétation critique, les auteures passent en revue des études ... more Utilisant des procédures d'interprétation critique, les auteures passent en revue des études empiriques qualitatives et quantitatives ( N = 181) publiées entre 2000 et 2017 dans le contexte canadien du français langue seconde (FLS), de la maternelle à la 12e année. Elles examinent l'orientation thématique des résultats pertinents pour les principaux intervenants (c'est-à-dire les élèves, les enseignants, les candidats à l'enseignement, les parents et les administrateurs) dans différents programmes de FLS. Leurs observations révèlent que, même si ce n'est pas le cas pour les autres parties prenantes, des programmes de recherche distincts ont émergé chez les élèves et les enseignants (tout particulièrement chez les élèves en immersion française). Cependant, les pratiques de recherche qui regroupent des intervenants de différents programmes indiquent également un transfert potentiel de programmes et la possibilité que soient ainsi abordées des questions primordiales...
Reflective practice, often defined as a cognitive process which contributes to developing teacher... more Reflective practice, often defined as a cognitive process which contributes to developing teacher practice (Dewey, 1933; Loughran, 1996), is now a foundation of teacher professional development (Leitch & Day, 2000). Teacher reflections have become a staple of many teacher education programs (Mueller & Skamp, 2003). And yet, based on our own experiences, we have noticed that many teacher candidates struggle with this task, often wondering: What is the point of teacher reflections? Taking a sociocultural approach to human learning and development, which emphasizes the combination of cognition and emotion in the learning process (Mahn & John-Steiner, 2002), our research is an exploration into teacher reflections. We ask: What are the cognitive processes involved in teacher reflections? What is the role of emotion in reflective practice? Our data consists of weekly reflections collected from two undergraduate students and their course instructor in a French as a Second Language (FSL) teacher education program over one semester and post-hoc interviews. Drawing on critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2013), we place the instructor and the teacher candidates' reflections alongside each other to explore their complex and sometimes contradictory discourses about learning in the classroom, and how they position themselves as they negotiate their (emerging) practice. After a brief description of reflective practices in teacher education, we will provide an overview of FSL pre-service teacher education contexts. Next, we will outline our research methodology and submit our preliminary findings. In closing, we invite the audience to reflect on the research and the findings with us.
Whether French immersion (FI) is a suitable program for all students has been a topic of debate f... more Whether French immersion (FI) is a suitable program for all students has been a topic of debate for decades (e.g., Genesee, 1992; Mannavarayan, 2002; Trites & Price, 1976). Although much of the deliberations have centered around students with learning difficulties (e.g., Arnett, Mady, & Muilenburg, 2014), Swain and Lapkin (2005) highlighted the presence of English language learners (ELL) in FI as an area in need of examination. While some studies have revealed ELLs’ success in FI (e.g., Mady 2015), the same studies have shown ELLs to be underrepresented, giving rise to the question of access. Through a questionnaire and interviews with FI teachers, Mady (2011) revealed teachers not only questioned the suitability of FI for ELLs but also took steps to limit their access. This presentation explores the question of access to FI for immigrant ELLs from the perspective of kindergarten teachers and French immersion principals. In a context where FI starts in Grade 1, kindergarten teachers and principals are often sought out for advice regarding potential FI enrolment and thus have the potential to influence parental choice. Through questionnaires (N=81) and semistructured interviews (N=12), the participants revealed that while they thought ELLs should be included in FI there were several factors that they would consider and/or encourage immigrant parents to consider (e.g., level of English competency, need to focus on English). Although this presentation will not provide a definitive answer to the debate, it will examine gatekeepers’ perspectives with the view to improving information dissemination to parents.
Collaboration is important aspect of learning (Olofsson, 2010; Vygotsky, 1977). Forming a communi... more Collaboration is important aspect of learning (Olofsson, 2010; Vygotsky, 1977). Forming a community of learning can help promote better and faster learning among members of a community (Kooy, 2009; Wenger, 1998). Using the concept of languaging (Swain, 2000) through a sociocultural lens, we can examine how learners develop their understanding of course content and form bonds with others in a blended-learning course. In this study, a group of graduate students training to become language teachers languaged their understanding in written form online through a shared Dropbox folder. They discussed readings for the course online and commented on each others' posts The interactive nature of the online community led to an evolution to the approach to languaging and its functionality within the community. The data was collected from written online interactions and oral and written feedback given to the researchers at the end of the project. It was examined qualitatively using discourse analysis and thematic coding in Nvivo10. Our findings indicate that the participants used various forms of languaging to create a community of learning. The participants languaged requests for clarification and uptake, they languaged their own understanding and how their understanding came to be modified. We also examined how their reaction to each others' posts informed the interactions between the participants and helped the community evolve. Teachers in training need more practice developing their own understanding of the power of collaboration, reflection and languaging, specifically in an online environment. For some this was a first experience using an online tool, such as Dropbox, collaboratively to create and manage an online community. More investigations need to take into account the role that community plays in the learning process. Summary: We examined how a group of graduate students training to become language teachers languaged (Swain, 2000) their understanding of course content and formed bonds with each other online. Languaging collaboratively informed participants' use of this practice and the evolution of the community of learning they created.
A collaborative approach to Narrative Inquiry Interviews. The aim of this presentation is to outl... more A collaborative approach to Narrative Inquiry Interviews. The aim of this presentation is to outline the reasoning and approach to setting up a collaborative graduate student-led research project. The project itself is an narrative investigation into how international graduate students who are second-language users of English have negotiated English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS as part of the application procedure to graduate school. In this presentation, we will describe the origins of the project, and go into detail about the purpose of the project, which stems from our own reflections and observations as international and non-international students within our Department of graduate study. Introducing the reasoning behind the project, we will illustrate how we have woven ethical considerations of working with peers, as co-researchers and participants, into the methodology of the project, the interview process, our own researcher reflections. We will also provide the specifics of seeking faculty and/or departmental support, ethical approval, recruitment, the transcription process and using technology to collaborate. In conclusion, we will discuss some of the next steps we anticipate taking in order to complete such a project. While critical language testing scholarship has described the gatekeeping nature of high-stakes commercial English language tests and institutional language policies (Shohamy, 2001), research has yet to explore their human side. This project uses a Foucauldian (1982) framework, which provides a lens to understand the interaction between student agency and the techniques of power that are embodied in institutional language policies and high-stakes language assessments. Narratives gathered through interviews will be coded and analysed by emerging themes using NVIVO. We seek to uncover international students' perspectives on the testing process itself (from test preparation to test completion) as well as their initial time at the university. Specifically, what supports are available to them and what challenges do they face during test preparation? How does this process of negotiation-and the test itself-affect international students in their initial months at the university? This research raises important questions relating to social justice and the consequential validity (Messick, 1995) of high stakes language tests.
In recent years, researchers have increasingly adopted innovative techniques – such as slideshows... more In recent years, researchers have increasingly adopted innovative techniques – such as slideshows, animation, and infographics – to present their work in meaningful and impressive ways. But one informational medium remains gallingly neglected: sound. A single piece of music contains multiple vectors operating simultaneously (pitch, duration, instrumentation, etc.), upon each of which a specific parameter can be encoded. Because music is a temporal form, it can dramatically represent the dynamic changes and contrasts both between elements or of a single element over time. Drawing on Arts-based Education Research (ABER) methods, this presentation covers an experimental method of aural data analysis to investigate group interactions and participation. The data consist of over 30 videos of 2-hour group meetings collected during a 4-year SSHRC-funded study into a collaborative teacher professional learning network. Each speaker was assigned an instrumental “voice.” The word count of each speech event determined the voice’s rhythmic duration (one word corresponding to one eighth-note), while the speech event’s time in seconds determined the pitch (the longer the time, the lower the pitch). After a brief overview of ABER methods and their implications for data processing, the authors will provide a description of the methodology. The audience will then be invited to listen to the data to interpret the teachers' participation in the collaborative learning community over time. In closing, the floor will be open for discussion on this particular method of data analysis and dissemination.
This session presents the preliminary results of a study on the collaborative research process of... more This session presents the preliminary results of a study on the collaborative research process of three graduate student researchers at OISE. Specifically, the study explores the nature of collaborative work for early-career/graduate researchers and ways of attaining ‘researcher praxis’ – that is, negotiating theoretical aspirations with the practical side of conducting research in the field. Whether achieved through self-study (e.g., Pithouse-Morgan & Samaras, 2016), action-research (e.g., Goodnough, 2010), or reflective practice (e.g., Farrell, 2013), praxis, grounded in social and constructivist views of learning, usually involves some form of collaboration. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the three researchers conducted an inductive data analysis of their documented oral and written research interactions (e.g., face-to-face interactions, phone conversations, emails, Whatsapp exchanges, etc.) to identify the various collaborative features and functions of their interactions, for example, how they built rapport, negotiated ideas, set goals, made decisions, assigned and adopted roles, developed plans of actions, and shared responsibilities. After engaging in CDA, the researchers critically reflected on their analysis process to identify how their individual and collective researcher praxis was informed by their coding practices. The aim of the study is twofold: to suggest one potential method for conducting and reflecting on collaborative research through CDA, and to begin a dialogue on the inner-workings of collaborative research practices and methods for early-career/graduate researchers. The findings of this study will be presented as an invitation to the audience to reflect on the potential implications of collaborative research for developing researcher praxis among graduate students in Higher Education. References Farrell, T. S. C. (2013). Reflective writing for language teachers. Sheffield: Equinox. Goodnough, K. (2010). The role of action research in transforming teacher identity: Modes of belonging and ecological perspectives. Educational Action Research, 18(2), 167-182. Pithouse-Morgan, K., & Samaras, A. P. (2016). Polyvocal Professional Learning through Self-Study Research. Rotterdam: Springer.
This book disseminates practices shared at the annual event Every Teacher is a Language Teacher h... more This book disseminates practices shared at the annual event Every Teacher is a Language Teacher held at the Faculty of Education (uOttawa) for all first-year Bachelor of Education teacher candidates. For the past two years, the Second Language Education cohort (cL2c) has organized a day of workshops embodying both language learning theory and practical methods and strategies that teacher candidates can immediately implement in their classrooms. This resource responds directly to calls from attendees for a resource that synthesizes the content shared at each workshop, enabling them to access and implement the rich pedagogical knowledge shared. The book is meant to serve as a textbook for Teacher Education courses, graduate courses, as well as an ongoing promotion of research-based practices created by Faculty of Education partners (faculty and graduate students alike) that should be shared more widely with Canadian language educators, teachers and consultants, particularly in its bil...
French as a second language (FSL) programs are facing increasing demand from parents and a shorta... more French as a second language (FSL) programs are facing increasing demand from parents and a shortage of FSL teachers. The ‘leaky pipeline’ effect puts a drain on FSL teacher retention and sees teachers leave the profession or transition to English-stream positions where they can have access to more professional support and resources. Offering professional learning opportunities to FSL teachers that re-position them as knowledgeable experts may be one way to address the ‘leaky pipeline’. This presentation reports on two FSL teachers who participated in a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) network for four years. Data collected include online forum posts, monthly video conference meetings, online chats, and surveys. Using a sociocultural perspective on learning, the data were analyzed using content and narrative analysis to uncover how the teachers felt about their professional learning experience in the CSCL network. Findings indicate the support teachers experienced in the CSCL network led to professional transformation, with increased confidence and risk-taking behaviour to advocate for FSL education. The teachers also expressed a renewed sense of commitment to their schools and their profession. The implications suggest taking such a direction in FSL teacher professional learning could lead to improved FSL teacher retention and leadership in schools.
Educational research over the years has argued for the importance of developing teacher praxis to... more Educational research over the years has argued for the importance of developing teacher praxis to improve practitioner performance in the classroom (e.g., Imbert & Ardonio, 1985; Justice & Tenore, 2018). Drawing from this research, we consider how similar ideas may be applied to developing ‘researcher praxis’, that is identifying ways of being (epistemological), ways of knowing (ontological) and ways of doing (methodological) researchers apply to their practice. This presentation outlines the methods and findings of a broader research project into the politics of collaboration (Chan & Clarke, 2014) and its impact on researcher identity in the realm of higher education research. In this presentation, three researchers discuss an artful inquiry they each undertook as a means of re-negotiating their understanding of the concept of “collaboration”, a focal point shared in their research practice. Each researcher created their own inquiry to explore the concept: one visual (painting), one tactile (creating a board game) and one gustatory (baking cupcakes). Situated within an arts-based educational research framework (Barone, 2008), narrative analysis (Wells, 2011) served to uncover conceptual overlap among the three researchers. Findings reveal that engaging in interactive negotiation, rotational leadership for the purpose of dismantling hierarchy, relational aspects, unpredictability, trust, and bringing the self to the group are key facets of collaboration for this group of researchers. The aim of this presentation is to outline one potential method for artful inquiry into key research concepts and practices among academics for the purpose of fostering researcher praxis.
The purpose of this narrative study (Connelly & Clandinin, 2000) is to describe how international... more The purpose of this narrative study (Connelly & Clandinin, 2000) is to describe how international graduate students who are L2 users of English have negotiated English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS in order to gain admission to one institution of higher education in Ontario, Canada. While critical language testing scholarship has described their gatekeeping nature (Shohamy, 2001), research has yet to explore the human side of high-stakes commercial English language tests. This project uses a Foucauldian framework (1982) which provides a theoretical lens to understand the power relations involved in this process. Our research sheds light on the interaction between student agency and the techniques of power that are embodied in institutional language policies and high-stakes language assessments. Narratives gathered through interviews will be coded and analysed thematically through NVIVO. We seek to uncover international students’ perspectives on the testing process itself (from test preparation to test completion) as well as their initial months at the university. Specifically, what supports are available to them and what challenges do they face during test preparation? How does this process of negotiation -- and the test itself -- affect international students in their initial months at the university? This research raises important questions relating to social justice and the consequential validity (Messick, 1995) of high stakes language tests.
REFERENCES
Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Foucault, M. (1982). The subject and power. Critical inquiry, 777-795.
Messick, S. (1995). Validity of psychological assessment: Validation of inferences from persons’ responses and performances as scientific inquiry into score meaning. American Psychologist, 50, 741–749.
Shohamy, E. (2001). The power of tests: A critical perspective on the uses of language tests. Taylor & Francis
Parental involvement is key to success in learning languages (CITE). A growing number of immigran... more Parental involvement is key to success in learning languages (CITE). A growing number of immigrant students, who speak neither French nor English upon arrival, attend French as a Second Language (FSL) programs in Canada (Canadian Parents for French, 2010). As English Language Learners (ELLs), these students must negotiate new ways of learning and sharing knowledge in the FSL classroom. What do we know about immigrant parents' parental involvement in their children's FSL education? How does parental involvement play out in their children's FSL education? This presentation answers these questions firstly by offering a systematic review of the literature on immigrant parental involvement in their children's language education, honing in on the FSL context, and reports data from two recently completed project in the GTA. After reviewing the literature, we will share data from one qualitative and one mixed-methods project, which show that immigrant parents are actively involved in their children's FSL learning, set high expectations, and see languages as a valuable resource. As a preliminary step to a broader investigation into the matter, we welcome insight from the audience and will open the floor for discussion to unpack the narratives that surround immigrant parental involvement in their children's language education. In closing, we will delve into the different ways in which parents can be involved in their children's language learning, with a particular focus on arts-based approaches to knowledge construction and sharing.
Reflective practice, often defined as a cognitive process which contributes to developing teache... more Reflective practice, often defined as a cognitive process which contributes to developing teacher practice (Dewey, 1933; Loughran, 1996), is now a foundation of teacher professional development (Leitch & Day, 2000). Teacher reflections have become a staple of many teacher education programs (Mueller & Skamp, 2003). And yet, based on our own experiences, we have noticed that many teacher candidates struggle with this task, often wondering: What is the point of teacher reflections? Taking a sociocultural approach to human learning and development, which emphasizes the combination of cognition and emotion in the learning process (Mahn & John-Steiner, 2002), our research is an exploration into teacher reflections. We ask: What are the cognitive processes involved in teacher reflections? What is the role of emotion in reflective practice? Our data consists of weekly reflections collected from two undergraduate students and their course instructor in a French as a Second Language (FSL) teacher education program over one semester and post-hoc interviews. Drawing on critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2013), we place the instructor and the teacher candidates' reflections alongside each other to explore their complex and sometimes contradictory discourses about learning in the classroom, and how they position themselves as they negotiate their (emerging) practice. After a brief description of reflective practices in teacher education, we will provide an overview of FSL pre-service teacher education contexts. Next, we will outline our research methodology and submit our preliminary findings. In closing, we invite the audience to reflect on the research and the findings with us.
This session presents the preliminary results of a study on the collaborative research process of... more This session presents the preliminary results of a study on the collaborative research process of three graduate student researchers at OISE. Specifically, the study explores the nature of collaborative work for early-career/graduate researchers and ways of attaining ‘researcher praxis’ – that is, negotiating theoretical aspirations with the practical side of conducting research in the field. Whether achieved through self-study (e.g., Pithouse-Morgan & Samaras, 2016), action-research (e.g., Goodnough, 2010), or reflective practice (e.g., Farrell, 2013), praxis, grounded in social and constructivist views of learning, usually involves some form of collaboration. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the three researchers conducted an inductive data analysis of their documented oral and written research interactions (e.g., face-to-face interactions, phone conversations, emails, Whatsapp exchanges, etc.) to identify the various collaborative features and functions of their interactions, for example, how they built rapport, negotiated ideas, set goals, made decisions, assigned and adopted roles, developed plans of actions, and shared responsibilities. After engaging in CDA, the researchers critically reflected on their analysis process to identify how their individual and collective researcher praxis was informed by their coding practices. The aim of the study is twofold: to suggest one potential method for conducting and reflecting on collaborative research through CDA, and to begin a dialogue on the inner-workings of collaborative research practices and methods for early-career/graduate researchers. The findings of this study will be presented as an invitation to the audience to reflect on the potential implications of collaborative research for developing researcher praxis among graduate students in Higher Education.
References
Farrell, T. S. C. (2013). Reflective writing for language teachers. Sheffield: Equinox.
Goodnough, K. (2010). The role of action research in transforming teacher identity: Modes of belonging and ecological perspectives. Educational Action Research, 18(2), 167-182.
Pithouse-Morgan, K., & Samaras, A. P. (2016). Polyvocal Professional Learning through Self-Study Research. Rotterdam: Springer.
In recent years, researchers have increasingly adopted innovative techniques – such as slideshows... more In recent years, researchers have increasingly adopted innovative techniques – such as slideshows, animation, and infographics – to present their work in meaningful and impressive ways. But one informational medium remains gallingly neglected: sound. A single piece of music contains multiple vectors operating simultaneously (pitch, duration, instrumentation, etc.), upon each of which a specific parameter can be encoded. Because music is a temporal form, it can dramatically represent the dynamic changes and contrasts both between elements or of a single element over time. Drawing on Arts-based Education Research (ABER) methods, this presentation covers an experimental method of aural data analysis to investigate group interactions and participation. The data consist of over 30 videos of 2-hour group meetings collected during a 4-year SSHRC-funded study into a collaborative teacher professional learning network. Each speaker was assigned an instrumental “voice.” The word count of each speech event determined the voice’s rhythmic duration (one word corresponding to one eighth-note), while the speech event’s time in seconds determined the pitch (the longer the time, the lower the pitch). After a brief overview of ABER methods and their implications for data processing, the authors will provide a description of the methodology. The audience will then be invited to listen to the data to interpret the teachers' participation in the collaborative learning community over time. In closing, the floor will be open for discussion on this particular method of data analysis and dissemination.
This paper responds to a satirical sketch on Saturday Night Live (SNL) (Kelly, Schneider, Tucker ... more This paper responds to a satirical sketch on Saturday Night Live (SNL) (Kelly, Schneider, Tucker & King, 2016) in which Lin-Manuel Miranda plays a substitute teacher who tries to inspire students using hip-hop pedagogy; however, the students think that his “innovative” methods are cliché. As teacher-researchers, we are interested in how student engagement and critical literacy happens in classroom settings impacted by popular culture. Backed by literature that encourages the implementation of culturally-responsive and sustaining pedagogies (Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2014; Paris, 2012), our own teaching philosophies draw on critical arts-informed pedagogies in the classroom. We wondered then, how, in a span of 5 minutes or less, an SNL parody might disparage our work and research. How did it connect with viewers and have them laugh with the “reality” of what they saw to be true in it? We did not want to dismiss it as a flippant critique and mockery of our work; we wanted to explore how we might glean meaning from it and what might be learned to improve upon our practice and research. What follows is a study that incorporates a critical arts-based (Barone & Eisner,1997) approach and a methodology informed by reader response theory (Rosenblatt, 1989; Tompkins, 1981). Using ourselves as test subjects with the hope that we can enact such critical literacy (Freebody et al., 2001) practices with our own students, we devised a series of questions that would gauge our reactions to what was being represented in the sketch. After responding to these questions individually, we came together to discuss our responses. We hoped that this process might allow us to understand the function of satire in popular culture as it represents teaching and research on inclusive and equitable teaching pedagogies, all the while embodying a critical reflective practice that invites it into the classroom.
References Barone, T., & Eisner, E. (1997). Arts-based educational research. In G. C. J. Green, & P. Elimore (Eds.) (Ed.), Complementary methods for research in education (Vol. 2, pp. 75-116). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Freebody, P., Muspratt, S., & Dwyer, B. (2001). Difference, silence, and textual practice: Studies in critical literacy. Cresskill, N.J: Hampton Press. Kelly, C., Schneider, S., Tucker, B. (Writers), & King, D.R. (Director). (2016). Lin-Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots [Television series episode]. In Michaels, L. (Executive Producer), Saturday Night Live. New York, New York: National Broadcast Corporation. Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-91. Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84 (1), 74-84. Paris, D. (2012). Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: A needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational Researcher, 41(3), 93-97. Rosenblatt, L. M. (1989). “The transactional theory of the literary work: Implication for research.” In C.R. Cooper (Ed.), Researching response to literature and the teaching of literature: Points of departure. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Tompkins, J. P. (1981). Reader-response criticism: From formalism to post-structuralism. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
This workshop will provide a variety of multimodal, hands-on activities (e.g., visual arts, text-... more This workshop will provide a variety of multimodal, hands-on activities (e.g., visual arts, text-based storytelling, drama, video) based on multilingual approaches that promote inclusive and equitable language education. Teachers will be invited to collaboratively develop their own activities, emphasizing critical and creative thinking, within their grade levels.
A collaborative approach to Narrative Inquiry Interviews. The aim of this presentation is to outl... more A collaborative approach to Narrative Inquiry Interviews. The aim of this presentation is to outline the reasoning and approach to setting up a collaborative graduate student-led research project. The project itself is an narrative investigation into how international graduate students who are second-language users of English have negotiated English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS as part of the application procedure to graduate school. In this presentation, we will describe the origins of the project, and go into detail about the purpose of the project, which stems from our own reflections and observations as international and non-international students within our Department of graduate study. Introducing the reasoning behind the project, we will illustrate how we have woven ethical considerations of working with peers, as co-researchers and participants, into the methodology of the project, the interview process, our own researcher reflections. We will also provide the specifics of seeking faculty and/or departmental support, ethical approval, recruitment, the transcription process and using technology to collaborate. In conclusion, we will discuss some of the next steps we anticipate taking in order to complete such a project. While critical language testing scholarship has described the gatekeeping nature of high-stakes commercial English language tests and institutional language policies (Shohamy, 2001), research has yet to explore their human side. This project uses a Foucauldian (1982) framework, which provides a lens to understand the interaction between student agency and the techniques of power that are embodied in institutional language policies and high-stakes language assessments. Narratives gathered through interviews will be coded and analysed by emerging themes using NVIVO. We seek to uncover international students' perspectives on the testing process itself (from test preparation to test completion) as well as their initial time at the university. Specifically, what supports are available to them and what challenges do they face during test preparation? How does this process of negotiation-and the test itself-affect international students in their initial months at the university? This research raises important questions relating to social justice and the consequential validity (Messick, 1995) of high stakes language tests.
Whether French immersion (FI) is a suitable program for all students has been a topic of debate f... more Whether French immersion (FI) is a suitable program for all students has been a topic of debate for decades (e.g., Genesee, 1992; Mannavarayan, 2002; Trites & Price, 1976). Although much of the deliberations have centered around students with learning difficulties (e.g., Arnett, Mady, & Muilenburg, 2014), Swain and Lapkin (2005) highlighted the presence of English language learners (ELL) in FI as an area in need of examination. While some studies have revealed ELLs’ success in FI (e.g., Mady 2015), the same studies have shown ELLs to be underrepresented, giving rise to the question of access. Through a questionnaire and interviews with FI teachers, Mady (2011) revealed teachers not only questioned the suitability of FI for ELLs but also took steps to limit their access. This presentation explores the question of access to FI for immigrant ELLs from the perspective of kindergarten teachers and French immersion principals. In a context where FI starts in Grade 1, kindergarten teachers and principals are often sought out for advice regarding potential FI enrolment and thus have the potential to influence parental choice. Through questionnaires (N=81) and semistructured interviews (N=12), the participants revealed that while they thought ELLs should be included in FI there were several factors that they would consider and/or encourage immigrant parents to consider (e.g., level of English competency, need to focus on English). Although this presentation will not provide a definitive answer to the debate, it will examine gatekeepers’ perspectives with the view to improving information dissemination to parents.
This narrative study describes the agency and resistance of international graduate This narrative... more This narrative study describes the agency and resistance of international graduate This narrative study describes the agency and resistance of international graduate students as they negotiated commercial, high-stakes English language proficiency students as they negotiated commercial, high-stakes English language proficiency tests to gain admission to one Canadian university. This interdisciplinary paper, which tests to gain admission to one Canadian university. This interdisciplinary paper, which is grounded in Foucault and critical language testing scholarship, addresses is grounded in Foucault and critical language testing scholarship, addresses questions of power, social justice, and consequential validity. questions of power, social justice, and consequential validity. Abstract Abstract The purpose of this narrative study (Connelly & Clandinin, 2000) is to describe how The purpose of this narrative study (Connelly & Clandinin, 2000) is to describe how international graduate students who are L2 users of English have negotiated English international graduate students who are L2 users of English have negotiated English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS in order to gain admission to language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS in order to gain admission to one institution of higher education in Ontario, Canada. one institution of higher education in Ontario, Canada. While critical language testing While critical language testing scholarship has described their gatekeeping nature (Shohamy, 2001), research has scholarship has described their gatekeeping nature (Shohamy, 2001), research has yet to explore the human side of high-stakes commercial English language tests. This yet to explore the human side of high-stakes commercial English language tests. This project uses a Foucauldian framework (1982) which provides a theoretical lens to project uses a Foucauldian framework (1982) which provides a theoretical lens to understand the power relations involved in this process. Our research sheds light on understand the power relations involved in this process. Our research sheds light on the interaction between student agency and the techniques of power that are the interaction between student agency and the techniques of power that are embodied in institutional language policies and high-stakes language assessments. embodied in institutional language policies and high-stakes language assessments. Narratives gathered through interviews will be coded and analysed thematically Narratives gathered through interviews will be coded and analysed thematically through NVIVO. We seek to uncover international students' perspectives on the through NVIVO. We seek to uncover international students' perspectives on the testing process itself (from test preparation to test completion) as well as their initial testing process itself (from test preparation to test completion) as well as their initial months at the university. Specifically, what supports are available to them and what months at the university. Specifically, what supports are available to them and what challenges do they face during test preparation? How does this process of negotiation challenges do they face during test preparation? How does this process of negotiation-and the test itself-affect international students in their initial months at the-and the test itself-affect international students in their initial months at the university? university? This research raises important questions relating to social justice and the This research raises important questions relating to social justice and the consequential validity (Messick, 1995) of high stakes language tests. consequential validity (Messick, 1995) of high stakes language tests.
Collaboration is important aspect of learning (Olofsson, 2010; Vygotsky, 1977). Forming a communi... more Collaboration is important aspect of learning (Olofsson, 2010; Vygotsky, 1977). Forming a community of learning can help promote better and faster learning among members of a community (Kooy, 2009; Wenger, 1998). Using the concept of languaging (Swain, 2000) through a sociocultural lens, we can examine how learners develop their understanding of course content and form bonds with others in a blended-learning course. In this study, a group of graduate students training to become language teachers languaged their understanding in written form online through a shared Dropbox folder. They discussed readings for the course online and commented on each others' posts The interactive nature of the online community led to an evolution to the approach to languaging and its functionality within the community. The data was collected from written online interactions and oral and written feedback given to the researchers at the end of the project. It was examined qualitatively using discourse analysis and thematic coding in Nvivo10. Our findings indicate that the participants used various forms of languaging to create a community of learning. The participants languaged requests for clarification and uptake, they languaged their own understanding and how their understanding came to be modified. We also examined how their reaction to each others' posts informed the interactions between the participants and helped the community evolve. Teachers in training need more practice developing their own understanding of the power of collaboration, reflection and languaging, specifically in an online environment. For some this was a first experience using an online tool, such as Dropbox, collaboratively to create and manage an online community. More investigations need to take into account the role that community plays in the learning process. Summary: We examined how a group of graduate students training to become language teachers languaged (Swain, 2000) their understanding of course content and formed bonds with each other online. Languaging collaboratively informed participants' use of this practice and the evolution of the community of learning they created.
Almost 50% of high-frequency English (L2) words have Japanese cognates in the form of loanwords, ... more Almost 50% of high-frequency English (L2) words have Japanese cognates in the form of loanwords, and depending on cognate type these are generally considered to be an excellent way to promote vocabulary retention. However, relatively unexplored is the impact loanword cognates have on word usage in sentences. This paper will describe the discrepancies between students’ perceived knowledge and actual knowl- edge of meaning and usage of English words with Japanese cognates. The results suggest that cognates which are usually more difficult for students to retain, such as distant false friends (because they have undergone a semantic shift), are not the only source of difficulty in terms of word usage. In addition to this, it appears loanword cognates that students consider themselves to know can create a false sense of familiarity with L2 meaning and usage. True cognates and convergent cognates, which are generally considered the easiest to recall meaning of, showed the most discrepancies in terms of accurate word usage.
Integrated and multi-skills instruction are not common in Japan where language learning is usuall... more Integrated and multi-skills instruction are not common in Japan where language learning is usually divided into a grammar and reading portion and a listening and speaking portion, with these two parts taught by different teachers. The separation of the skills and the teachers fails to offer students with a holistic view of language and how it is used.
To address this issue, one university has developed the Four Skills course which makes use of bottom-up and top-down skills in conjunction with very little focus-on-form instruction. Following the Hattie model for successful learning, students are given ample amounts of formative feedback, and learn to give it themselves. Teacher student interaction is a key component: students are encouraged to reciprocate with the teacher over classroom material until the students feel they have reached a satisfactory understanding. In helping students move away from a passive approach to learning, the teacher serves as a mirror to the students who must reflect on their knowledge, their use of it and how it can be expanded.
In this presentation, we will outline the design for teacher student interaction in the Four Skills course, and how it is integrated into the main components of the course: vocabulary, reading, writing, listening and speaking. We will also elaborate on each these components by explaining how they are taught, in order to offer participants with a clear idea of how pedagogical material can be designed within a theoretical framework when building a new course.
The Japanese Ministry of Education’s language policy, designed to foster the development of globa... more The Japanese Ministry of Education’s language policy, designed to foster the development of global citizens with communicative competency in English, requires all students to study foreign languages in the first two years of university. However, teachers are hard pressed to meet these expectations given that language courses are usually divided into reading/grammar classes, and listening/speaking classes, each taught by different teachers. This conceptual design, used nation-wide, fails to promote a holistic view of language. In response, one university has implemented the Four Skills course, with reading, writing, listening and speaking skills taught by one teacher who provides students with autonomy support within a linguistic framework that can offer them the tools needed to complete their social development and take charge of their own learning.
For three years, the Four Skills curriculum has evolved to address the theoretical and practical implications using in-depth analysis from key angles: 1) teacher beliefs, through interviews and classroom observations; 2) student feedback and needs assessment, through surveys and interviews; 3) academic standing, through vocabulary and TOEICⓇ pre- and post-tests; 4) relevant theories, including the Hattie Feedback Model, the Structure and Autonomy Model, and Self Determination Theory. These approaches have allowed us to define an instructional model for our program with integrated language competency goals.
In this theoretical paper, we will examine the socio-economic reasons for the implementation of this program, outline the methodology used to make the program evolve within its theoretical framework, and open the floor for discussion.
With the development of new software and internet-based networking resources available to teacher... more With the development of new software and internet-based networking resources available to teachers and students, we are given a rare opportunity to re-evaluate and re-design the nature of exchanges between teachers, students and institutions. As new technologies are transforming the classroom environment, teachers are well aware of the importance of transitioning vital traditional teaching approaches and methodologies into the current zeitgeist.
This presentation will examine these changes from four perspectives: teacher to student, with regard to evaluation, feedback and presenting course content; student to student, in terms of self-reflection, self-evaluation, peer evaluation and group collaboration; teacher to teacher, with regard to networking within the ESL community for pedagogical development and exchanging ideas; schools within their community, in terms of IT integration, customized feedback, marketability and class/school interconnectivity.
In each of these areas, technologies are bringing new possibilities. It is up to teachers and administrators to examine these possibilities in view of enriching their students’ learning experience inside and outside the classroom.
After a brief overview of the social, economic and pedagogical implications of the technological changes in the last ten years, this theoretical paper will examine how the current technologies are changing the classroom environment, what these changes mean for teachers, students and institutions and their teaching/learning approaches, and what will be the challenges in adapting courses to today’s technologically savvy learners. In conclusion, we will open the floor for discussion with participants.
Heba Elsherief & Mimi Masson go over Zygmunt Bauman's book Liquid Modernity and explore the main ... more Heba Elsherief & Mimi Masson go over Zygmunt Bauman's book Liquid Modernity and explore the main ideas Bauman draws out about the change in human interaction and exchanges in the last few centuries and how these changes have affect the individual and their self-perception.
Mimi & Heba review van Manen's (2014) Phenomenology of Practice - a great, albeit lengthy (400 p.... more Mimi & Heba review van Manen's (2014) Phenomenology of Practice - a great, albeit lengthy (400 p.!), intro into the philosophy of lived experiences.
Heba and Mimi start the year with a brief overview of Clandinin & Connelly's 2000 book, Narrative... more Heba and Mimi start the year with a brief overview of Clandinin & Connelly's 2000 book, Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in Qualitative Research which explores how we shape our understanding and draw out meaning through narrative
Listen to our latest podcast on Sara Ahmed's Willful Subjects (2014) in which she artfully troubl... more Listen to our latest podcast on Sara Ahmed's Willful Subjects (2014) in which she artfully troubles the patriarchal understanding of WILL with feminist theory, queer theory, and disability theory. A must read for literary and philosophy buffs.
Mimi & Heba discuss Tara Goldstein's book Teaching and Learning in a Multilingual School which sh... more Mimi & Heba discuss Tara Goldstein's book Teaching and Learning in a Multilingual School which showcases innovate project led in a Canadian school blending critical language theory with ethnographic research and theatre based practices. Find out more on Arts based research practices, language identity, hybridity and navigating the third space.
Heba & Mimi delve into James Wertsch's (1985) book Vygotsky and the Social Formation of Mind to l... more Heba & Mimi delve into James Wertsch's (1985) book Vygotsky and the Social Formation of Mind to learn more about Sociocultural Theory (SCT)and how it can be applied in Education research. The podcast concludes with a brief interview with Dr. Penny Kinnear who helps us expand on the role of emotion and cognition in learning.
Mimi & Heba explore Paulo Freire's book to learn more about the banking system, praxis, the dialo... more Mimi & Heba explore Paulo Freire's book to learn more about the banking system, praxis, the dialogical approach and consciousness raising (awareness) and the way these concepts shape learning.
Read SO Good is a podcast on foundational texts in Language and Education housed by Caesura Colle... more Read SO Good is a podcast on foundational texts in Language and Education housed by Caesura Collective. This month Mimi & Heba discuss the implications of bell hooks' ideas in Teaching to Transgress, particularly as they pertain to engaging in Critical Dialogue, the Use of Language and Methodological Approaches using Engaged Pedagogy.
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REFERENCES
Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (2000). Narrative inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Foucault, M. (1982). The subject and power. Critical inquiry, 777-795.
Messick, S. (1995). Validity of psychological assessment: Validation of inferences from persons’ responses and performances as scientific inquiry into score meaning. American Psychologist, 50, 741–749.
Shohamy, E. (2001). The power of tests: A critical perspective on the uses of language tests. Taylor & Francis
References
Farrell, T. S. C. (2013). Reflective writing for language teachers. Sheffield: Equinox.
Goodnough, K. (2010). The role of action research in transforming teacher identity: Modes of belonging and ecological perspectives. Educational Action Research, 18(2), 167-182.
Pithouse-Morgan, K., & Samaras, A. P. (2016). Polyvocal Professional Learning through Self-Study Research. Rotterdam: Springer.
Drawing on Arts-based Education Research (ABER) methods, this presentation covers an experimental method of aural data analysis to investigate group interactions and participation. The data consist of over 30 videos of 2-hour group meetings collected during a 4-year SSHRC-funded study into a collaborative teacher professional learning network.
Each speaker was assigned an instrumental “voice.” The word count of each speech event determined the voice’s rhythmic duration (one word corresponding to one eighth-note), while the speech event’s time in seconds determined the pitch (the longer the time, the lower the pitch).
After a brief overview of ABER methods and their implications for data processing, the authors will provide a description of the methodology. The audience will then be invited to listen to the data to interpret the teachers' participation in the collaborative learning community over time. In closing, the floor will be open for discussion on this particular method of data analysis and dissemination.
As teacher-researchers, we are interested in how student engagement and critical literacy happens in classroom settings impacted by popular culture. Backed by literature that encourages the implementation of culturally-responsive and sustaining pedagogies (Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2014; Paris, 2012), our own teaching philosophies draw on critical arts-informed pedagogies in the classroom. We wondered then, how, in a span of 5 minutes or less, an SNL parody might disparage our work and research. How did it connect with viewers and have them laugh with the “reality” of what they saw to be true in it? We did not want to dismiss it as a flippant critique and mockery of our work; we wanted to explore how we might glean meaning from it and what might be learned to improve upon our practice and research.
What follows is a study that incorporates a critical arts-based (Barone & Eisner,1997) approach and a methodology informed by reader response theory (Rosenblatt, 1989; Tompkins, 1981). Using ourselves as test subjects with the hope that we can enact such critical literacy (Freebody et al., 2001) practices with our own students, we devised a series of questions that would gauge our reactions to what was being represented in the sketch. After responding to these questions individually, we came together to discuss our responses. We hoped that this process might allow us to understand the function of satire in popular culture as it represents teaching and research on inclusive and equitable teaching pedagogies, all the while embodying a critical reflective practice that invites it into the classroom.
References
Barone, T., & Eisner, E. (1997). Arts-based educational research. In G. C. J. Green, & P. Elimore (Eds.) (Ed.), Complementary methods for research in education (Vol. 2, pp. 75-116). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Freebody, P., Muspratt, S., & Dwyer, B. (2001). Difference, silence, and textual practice: Studies in critical literacy. Cresskill, N.J: Hampton Press.
Kelly, C., Schneider, S., Tucker, B. (Writers), & King, D.R. (Director). (2016). Lin-Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots [Television series episode]. In Michaels, L. (Executive Producer), Saturday Night Live. New York, New York: National Broadcast Corporation.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-91.
Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84 (1), 74-84.
Paris, D. (2012). Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: A needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational Researcher, 41(3), 93-97.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1989). “The transactional theory of the literary work: Implication for research.” In C.R. Cooper (Ed.), Researching response to literature and the teaching of literature: Points of departure. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex
Tompkins, J. P. (1981). Reader-response criticism: From formalism to post-structuralism.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
While some studies have revealed ELLs’ success in FI (e.g., Mady 2015), the same studies have shown ELLs to be underrepresented, giving rise to the
question of access. Through a questionnaire and interviews with FI teachers, Mady (2011) revealed teachers not only questioned the suitability of FI for ELLs but also took steps to limit their access. This presentation explores the question of access to FI for immigrant ELLs from the perspective of kindergarten teachers and French immersion principals. In a context where FI starts in Grade 1, kindergarten teachers and principals are often sought out for advice regarding potential FI enrolment and thus have the potential to influence parental choice. Through questionnaires (N=81) and semistructured interviews (N=12), the participants revealed that while they thought ELLs should be included in FI there were several factors that they would consider and/or encourage immigrant parents to consider (e.g., level of English competency, need to focus on English). Although this presentation will not provide a definitive answer to the debate, it will examine gatekeepers’ perspectives with the view to improving information dissemination to parents.
To address this issue, one university has developed the Four Skills course which makes use of bottom-up and top-down skills in conjunction with very little focus-on-form instruction. Following the Hattie model for successful learning, students are given ample amounts of formative feedback, and learn to give it themselves. Teacher student interaction is a key component: students are encouraged to reciprocate with the teacher over classroom material until the students feel they have reached a satisfactory understanding. In helping students move away from a passive approach to learning, the teacher serves as a mirror to the students who must reflect on their knowledge, their use of it and how it can be expanded.
In this presentation, we will outline the design for teacher student interaction in the Four Skills course, and how it is integrated into the main components of the course: vocabulary, reading, writing, listening and speaking. We will also elaborate on each these components by explaining how they are taught, in order to offer participants with a clear idea of how pedagogical material can be designed within a theoretical framework when building a new course.
For three years, the Four Skills curriculum has evolved to address the theoretical and practical implications using in-depth analysis from key angles: 1) teacher beliefs, through interviews and classroom observations; 2) student feedback and needs assessment, through surveys and interviews; 3) academic standing, through vocabulary and TOEICⓇ pre- and post-tests; 4) relevant theories, including the Hattie Feedback Model, the Structure and Autonomy Model, and Self Determination Theory. These approaches have allowed us to define an instructional model for our program with integrated language competency goals.
In this theoretical paper, we will examine the socio-economic reasons for the implementation of this program, outline the methodology used to make the program evolve within its theoretical framework, and open the floor for discussion.
This presentation will examine these changes from four perspectives: teacher to student, with regard to evaluation, feedback and presenting course content; student to student, in terms of self-reflection, self-evaluation, peer evaluation and group collaboration; teacher to teacher, with regard to networking within the ESL community for pedagogical development and exchanging ideas; schools within their community, in terms of IT integration, customized feedback, marketability and class/school interconnectivity.
In each of these areas, technologies are bringing new possibilities. It is up to teachers and administrators to examine these possibilities in view of enriching their students’ learning experience inside and outside the classroom.
After a brief overview of the social, economic and pedagogical implications of the technological changes in the last ten years, this theoretical paper will examine how the current technologies are changing the classroom environment, what these changes mean for teachers, students and institutions and their teaching/learning approaches, and what will be the challenges in adapting courses to today’s technologically savvy learners. In conclusion, we will open the floor for discussion with participants.