Intercultural Horizons Conference: Intercultural Strategies in Civic Engagement

As promised, I am finally posting about my experience at the Intercultural Strategies in Civic Engagement conference at the SUNY Global Center in New York City. I have posted the abstract and how excited I was to go, but now I would like to share what happened and what I’ve learned.

(On left: Dr. Thelen, me. On right: Dr. Cameron, Ms. Ritz)

At the beginning of October I had the privilege to attend and present at the Intercultural Strategies in Civic Engagement conference. A few months before the conference I spoke with Dr. Peggy Thelen of Alma College* about her plans to speak at this conference about the work she has done promoting service learning at Alma College (both on and off campus) with two of her colleagues. After chatting, I asked if I could go along and present with them. I was interested in presenting because I had participated in a service learning experience at Alma College while studying for my bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan. My role would be to present about service learning from the perspective of a student and its impact on my learning and career.

I was also looking forward to attending other sessions, as I have become interested in finding ways to incorporate volunteerism into the courses that I am teaching at the English Language Institute at Central Michigan University. I am also the Conversation Partners Program coordinator, so I am also looking for opportunities for international students and their conversation buddies to get involved in the community together. At this conference I hoped to learn more about how service learning can help students, and how I can implement effective service learning opportunities into my courses and  in the CMU ELI Conversation Partner Program. And just as importantly, this was my first international conference and presentation. Previously, I had only attended and presented at events in Michigan, so I was excited to meet people from around the country and discuss with them what they have implemented in their programs and universities.

(Below: Times Square)

We arrived on Wednesday evening so that we could get checked into our hotel ad check out the location before the conference started on Thursday. Our hotel was near Times Square; the lights were an awesome welcome to Manhattan. On Thursday morning we got up and went to the SUNY Global Center, which is deceptively large! From the outside it looks like a small venue, but the inside is expansive and modern. We presented in the afternoon, so we got to spend the morning attending other sessions, including the keynote address.

 (Below: Dr. Cameron, me, Ms. Ritz 

in front of the SUNY Global Center)

The keynote speaker, Kwame Anthony Appiah of Princeton University, spoke first. He discussed honor and the honor code. I attended a few sessions given by community college and university instructors who integrated service learning into their curricula both at home and abroad. One presenter took her students to Kenya and another had her students act as volunteers yielding immigration questions for members of the local community. Another speaker was a coordinator and English teacher for an international program in rural, mono-cultural Utah, a community that seems similar to Mt. Pleasant. He discussed the importance of integrating international students with the local community for mutual benefit. This resounded with me because the CMU Conversation Partner Program also strives to integrate our international students with the American students and surrounding community. I believe this helps students better understand not only the target language but also the target culture. All three presenters discussed the importance of reflection through journals, discussion, and blogs to promote, monitor, and evaluate learning.

Finally, after lunch we presented. A lot of people strolled into the session late, which I think this made me even more nervous than I had been! First, the Alma College Service Learning Coordinator, Anne Ritz, introduced the college’s commitment to service learning through curriculum, integrating courses with volunteer opportunities, as well as month-long courses devoted to service learning. Next, Dr. Elizabeth Cameron, a professor of business and law, presented how she integrates service learning with her business classes. Her focus is getting students actual experience and encouraging community engagement. Then Dr. Thelen discussed the different ways she has required her students of education to learn through service. She has also taken students abroad to Argentina, to teach elementary classes. Both Drs. Cameron and Thelen talked about the importance of reflection for student learning.

One interesting point that came up was how to evaluate learning. The consensus was that it can be challenging to evaluate learning based on service, especially because learning from service is often delayed. Dr. Cameron mentioned an instance where a student didn’t fully appreciate the value in what he had done until years later when finding a job. Both professors stressed the importance of using reflection, observation by a supervisor, and outcome of project as a basis of evaluation. Dr. Thelen said, with a laugh, “They still have to do the work!” This is a strong point because so often (in my experience) students don’t do the work, or they only do the bare minimum. To prove how effective service learning can be, Dr. Cameron provided an excellent example. She had two sections of the same class, and only one section took part in the service-learning component. The students in the service learning section had higher overall grades on the tests, quizzes, and papers because they had the actual experience of using the concepts from class.  Dr. Cameron also mentioned a student who found their career path because of a service learning opportunity. Although there are challenges, I learned from the ladies that I presented with that the benefits abound.

I was last to present. I discussed my experience as an undergraduate when I traveled to Quito, Ecuador to volunteer at an after school program. During the two months I was there, I learned how to speak Spanish, communicate with few words, and adapt to any situation. Because of this opportunity, I decided to become an English language teacher. My experience as a student in a service-learning course helped shape my career path. Without that, I don’t know if I would ever have known how much I would enjoy working with diverse populations. Furthermore, that experience has helped me stand out from other students. When I was applying to student teach at local high schools in Ann Arbor, I was chosen by a well-respected teacher in a prominent high school because of my service-learning experience. Finally, I discussed my experience with conversation partner programs, both at the University of Michigan and a Central Michigan University. I believe that all four of us had such unique experiences, which centered on service learning that we were able to provide a distinctive look at service learning in Mid-Michigan colleges and universities.

(Mid-town Manhattan from the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

I am excited to get a chance to teach a course in which I can implement service learning.  I am planning to require volunteer hours and reflection in the next integrated skills (speaking and listening) course that I teach. After attending this conference, I now realize how valuable it is for students to get out of the classroom and apply what they are learning in it.

Be on the lookout for more posts pertaining to service learning and volunteering. If you’re affiliated with CMU, check out the CMU Volunteer Center; they do great things!

*Dr. Thelen is my mom, if you couldn't tell from the photo

(All photos taken by me)

Rhetorical Analysis Assignment

I am working on the post about my presentation the Intercultural Strategies in Civic Engagement Conference at which I presented about two weeks ago. Our presentation was called "A Collaboration in the Pursuit of Civic Engagement through Service Learning." I won't give away too much, but we discussed some of what Alma College does in terms of service learning. I posted the abstract in August, if you'd like a little bit more information before my full post about the experience.

In the mean time, I have been busy planning for, grading for, and teaching my three grammar classes and one freshman composition class. I have posted a bit for grammar, but I thought I would share what my composition class is up to.

We are now working on rhetoric, and their current assignment is a rhetorical analysis. I believe most English 101 teachers provide options for their students for the essay which will be analyzed; however, I took a different approach. I decided to let the student choose an editorial they were interested in. I guided them toward good options (posted links on Blackboard, showed examples in class, etc.) and let them decide. They are required to send me three options for approval. The first few fell flat (i.e. they weren't editorials), but  they are finally sending me true opinion articles. It has been fun and informative to read the editorials because it gives me a glimps into what they're interested in, and what they'd like to write about. I will write more later about the writing process of the rhetorical analysis and resulting student critical thinking. Stay tuned!

In-class games: Line Ups

I think there are two kinds of grammar teachers: those who love Azar and those who don't. While the importance of language learning in context cannot be overemphasized, and I use books which use readings for grammar learning, I LOVE Azar. The explanations, charts, and examples are clear and abundant. There is so much to teach in grammar, and Azar has as many explanations and lessons as one could ever need. That said, sometimes Azar can be rather bland, of not supplemented correctly. There are some interactive activities and listening exercises, but they mostly discreet activities, rather than interconnected by a theme.

 

HOWEVER, the Azar Grammar Games book is amazing. There are lots of fun, interactive activities that get students up and moving and using the target grammar.



One of my favorite activities is called "Line Ups." Each student gets a slip of paper with a question or prompt, depending on the target grammar. (The slips pictured above are for modals.) You divide the class in half and line the students up across from each other. I like to use different colored slips of paper... it just makes dividing and lining up a smoother process. The students then read their slips to each other, and the person across from him/her responds appropriately. After each student has asked and answered for the pairing, they wait for the teacher to indicate it's time to move. Usually I give students a couple of minutes then I say "switch" or "rotate" or some easy cue. Then one group of students moves while the other group stays (this is also where the colors come in handy, i.e. yellow stays and blue rotates). Each student will get to ask and answer a question for half of the class (everybody in the other group).

This activity can really be done with anything, with a little imagination. I think you could use vocabulary words and definitions in a reading or listening/speaking class or main ideas and examples in a writing class.  I have had good luck with this activity, especially at higher levels. The only downside is that it can get loud and difficult to monitor what the students are saying. A follow up writing activity, which asks students to report the answers they received, may be worth while. I would also encourage them to actually remember what their classmates said!

If you're an Azar fan (or not but are looking for resources), I would recommend checking out www.azargrammar.com. Here teachers publish their own classroom materials, including worksheets, handouts, powerpoints, and my favorite song lessons.  

Do you have any sure-fire activities or websites with quality lessons and activities which can be adapted or adopted? I'm always looking for fun ways to engage students!

How Children Learn: A World Tour of Class Portraits

This is a beautiful piece, with amazing images, on classrooms around the world.

 

I love seeing where people learn. Just a snapshot gives such insight into educational systems.

 

 

Thanks for the link, Jeanine!



Living Language English

For anyone interested in learning (and teaching) English, Living Language has an account on Twitter for ESL. They're@LL_English. Follow them and learn fun, new phrases!

Students Leading Lessons

This semester, I am teaching three grammar classes! I have been thinking of new ways to teach the same old material, and I have been implementing (more and more, as of late) student-led grammar lessons. This is a great way to review grammar forms students have already learned but need a refresher on. 

First, I require students to study the grammar in the book (level 4 is studying perfect and perfect progressive; level 2 just finished present simple and present perfect), and I give them lots of practice and exercises. Then, I put them into groups to present their form to the class. They present the form (i.e. Subject + have/has+ been +verb-ing) and when to use it. They also provide examples to the class from the textbook, as well as from their own lives. Each group presents the lesson to the class, and the rest of the class asks questions, which the lead group must answer. I believe in the old teaching adage, "Who does the work does the learning," so I design lessons where students do most of the work. Usually this takes more work on my end in the planning and evaluation stages; however, the students are doing most of the "in-class" work, thus learning more through teaching. 

I also like this strategy because it reduced teacher-talk-time dramatically. I monitor the groups by walking around, asking and answering questions, guiding them in the right direction, and giving suggestions and clarification during the presentation, but students are talking way more than I am, especially compared to traditional grammar note-taking.  It also encourages them to think more analytically about the grammar, rather than passive taking it in (or in most cases, NOT taking it in). 

Word Puzzle Lesson

This is a fun and easy lesson to get students making sentences using words as puzzle pieces.  And it promotes kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learning. I use this activity for lots of different grammar forms, but in this example, I am using them for adverb clauses for a level 4 grammar class.

First, I developed a list of words that I want the students to use, depending on the lesson and level. Because this course was EAP (English for Academic Purposes) I used academic nouns and verbs, along with the adverbs which make the dependent clauses for our objective: Adverb Clauses. I made four sets for this class, which had about 12 students. That put three people in a group to create sentences using adverb clauses.




The students then lay out the words to take a look at what they're working with. I usually let the students add their own words, if they want to, in which case, they would need to make their own scraps of paper. For example, if they want another noun or verb to fit their sentence, they can make their own "puzzle piece."
Sometimes students have a hard time getting started, but once they get the hang of it, they can usually make quite a few sentences in the time allotted. I gave the student about 15 minutes in this class.

Because the verbs aren't conjugated (and I didn't provide nots), I asked the students to write out the sentences they created using the puzzle pieces. They then shared what they made with the class.

This is a fun and quick-to-assemble activity that can be used for almost any type of grammar lesson. Try it out and see students succeed!