Re: “Speaking at MI World Symposium” Contest Forum [by MovieMagic]

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:55:22 +1500

Speaking at the MI World Symposium::“Speaking at MI World Symposium” Contest Forum
As a MovieMagic EFL teacher in China since 1999, I have been using movie-based role play and project-based learning, within the spirit of MI. Also within this spirit was my recent presentation at the Jan 4--6 International Civic Education Conference at Beijing Normal U.:"Morphing China's English Corners for Wikinomics Generations." (http://citizen-09.nmsu.edu/) My 5-minute presentation will: *emphasize the great opportunity in China for linking MI with EFL (and MFL) and PBL (Project-based Learning) *suggest the tremendous potential for linking Wikinomics dynamics with MI-inspired learning materials, using Web-based peer production of materials for English learners and for Mandarin learners *give video clips from my classes at Shanghai Industry and Commerce Foreign Languages College. Those in my classes are 1st year students, 90% female, coming from Shanghai as well as the poorer provinces, without high scores on the national exam. Particularly important--and effective--for my students is the MI motto: "Nurture the learner, know the learner, trust the learner." The video will demonstrate the movie-based MI dynamics of my classes. BELOW is a general outline of the classes. Learners (Ls) view brief movie segments---usually 5 minutes or less Teacher (T) usually then summarizes what was SEEN and HEARD, in a sequential fashion. Ls then work in pairs, in 2 lines of chairs facing each other: AND (occasionally) *(when volume/subtitles are turned OFF, and T does not summarize) Ls guess the nature of the interaction/emotions AND/OR *tell the story...with one student speaking in Chinese and the other translating simultaneously into English AND/OR *both L pairs tell the story...taking turns AND/OR *L pairs do role plays from the movie sequence AND/OR *L pairs discuss the movie, based upon their homework>>reading movie reviews from www.imdb.com and/or www.metacritic.com and their translations of difficult/interesting words into Chinese Ls circulate systematically around the lines of chairs...moving one or more chairs to their right...then perform ABOVE with new partners. When appropriate, Ls also relate movie-based story/role plays/discussions to distributed class materials relating to topics such as: *Customer Service *Dealing with Difficult People *Problem-solving *Brain-storming *Creativity *Leadership *Success In each class: * Ls listen to Ls' PBL assignments from www.voxopop.com * T mentions positive elements of their assignment, and offers suggestions for improvement * Ls read aloud/discuss one or more movie reviews (with translated difficult/interesting words) done by Ls for homework * circulating L pairs quiz each other on new vocabulary words, from the movies and/or from the movie reviews For Homework: *(As described ABOVE)Ls do different Movie Reviews for the assigned movie *L then read their list of English--Mandarin words into the MovieMagic page at www.voxopop.com, and list these words in the page. (So these materials are suitable for both English as well as Mandarin learning.) (My Blog of several years, from www.eslcafe.com is available at: http://tinyurl.com/ChinaMovieMagic )

An entry to the competition [by Deborah.Bilgil]

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:50:07 +1500

Speaking at the MI World Symposium::An entry to the competition

Dear Members of the Committee for the MI World Symposium,

If MI is the seed of a new approach to Education for our Time, I would like to draw attention to the potential of ESL, in particular, preschool ESL, for its propagation.

The unique benefits of an early start in language learning, long since advocated by educators, are now enjoying unprecedented acknowledgement among parents, as well as an increasing number of governmental bodies, worldwide. As a pedagogic field in its own right, however, preschool ESL, is as one awaiting cultivation. Perhaps fortunately so. For the terrain it occupies seems just perfect for MI. It was with this view, at any rate, that it was decided to develop an MI-based ESL program at the preschool section of the Jewish School in Istanbul.

The school was at something of a crisis point. Despite English being spoken to and around them, by their ‘native’ and ‘non-native-speaker’ teachers, children after two or three years there were barely putting two words together of their own. Dissatisfied parents were gathering forces, while the school continually sought for more ‘native speakers’ to fortify the ranks. But was it really ‘native speaker’ teachers that were needed? After all, ‘native speakers’ are only rarely ‘native ESL teachers’. On the other hand, a certain, rather helpful in-tune-ness with the experience of the second-language learner might be said to be ‘innate’, so to speak, to ‘non-native speakers’. Indications, further, were not altogether lacking in children’s responses that some conditions and approaches could bring the desired results whatever the nationality of the teacher. Perhaps then, given improvements in the ESL teaching culture, our own local teachers could play a more significant part in the enterprise than had been thought.

A proposal to this effect was accepted by the School Administration. Pre-Sessional workshops took place at the start of the following school year, during which old-world nursery-rhyme and workbook-based kindergarten ‘themes’ were replaced with ESL-learner-centred ‘topics’. Pedagogic activities, incorporating specific ESL targets, were developed with attention to MI balances, and interconnected on a ‘map’ for each topic. ESL teaching guides and materials packs were prepared to match. Briefing sessions, held on the completion of each new map in preparation for its application in the classroom, were occasions for the hands-on exploration of principles of early-learner ESL pedagogy and MI. The year 2008-9 saw a total of 23 topics mapped, and applied in 8 classes of age groups 3-5, by 12 teachers in two schools.

This year is dedicated to evaluation and refinement of all aspects of the program, through a scheme of classroom observations and teacher feedback. An organisational framework is also in place that co-ordinates, parallel with each pedagogic plan, elements such as child- progress monitoring, in-service teacher development, home involvement and photo-documentation for the website bulletin. From this central source, information pertinent to their own roles flows to the each of the stakeholders, with negligible demand on teacher time and energy.

The program has already brought about tangible linguistic and pedagogic coherence. Three and four- year-olds are showing linguistic competences and learning behaviours we used to be excited to see in our five-year-olds. This trend, together with accumulating positive feedback from parents, is not without impact on teacher motivation and performance.

It would give me great pleasure, therefore, to present an outline of this enterprise, its developmental apparatus and materials, along with brief but representative audio, visual and video illustrations from the classroom. My aim is to realise the implications of this experience, by encouraging preschool outfits of all descriptions and locations worldwide to participate in the cultivation of MI-based ESL. The challenges of our era are inviting us, with an ever stronger appeal, to nurture, each in the young generations our own cultures, the global perspectives, linguistic skills and creative spirit needed to come out and meet them.

Yours sincerely,

Deborah Bilgil.

Multiple Intelligence Institute :: Forum

Re: “Speaking at MI World Symposium” Contest Forum [by MovieMagic]

An entry to the competition [by Deborah.Bilgil]