Learning & Teaching

Resume my blog

2007-06-12T17:50:00.000+08:00

Haven't updated my blog for quite a long time.
Test, test, test.
This is gonna be my private place for my private stuff.

Reflection on Interactive Drama

2005-08-11T13:40:00.000+08:00

After trying my hand at ID, I knew I’ve found another teaching alternative for my students to have fun with. In class, when we were busy being somebody else, we forgot the language forms and spoke faster to get our message across to the other interlocutors. ID took full advantage of the features of unscripted play and the curiosity of human beings. We were all too eager to solve the mystery in class so we created our own line and speech. According to Livingstone (1938), unlike the traditional play-acting, students can determine what they want to say and simulation is fully developed.
In my own language classroom, I would use problem-solving format to highlight the playfulness of ID and I would design different functions of the language, including greeting, persuading, complaining, agreeing, disagreeing, expressing an opinion, etc. What’s more important, due to the lack of sufficient vocabulary and background knowledge, I would try to supply my students with necessary vocabulary and phrases prior to the ID, so that they may feel more empowered and a sense of achievement during the activity.
I think ID is really workable as long as necessary modification is made to fit into the actual language level of the students. If we have to teach a language efficiently, why not do it interestingly and interactively? I guess ID is one of the shortcuts we can take to bring our students both effect and fun.

On Influence: Be a better man for a good cause

2005-07-22T16:47:00.000+08:00

http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,,2-7-0-7813,00.html
From this website, we can see The Motivated Sequence quite clearly.
From the very beginning, the titile, Helping others can help you, catches your attention because you can barely associate others' benefit with yours.
Right after reading this paragraph, you are naturally led to the next paragraph, your special need to be admitted to the future college, if you happen to be one of the eager college-student-wanna-bes. If your need isn't limited to being accepted by your college, you have every reason to read the content of the next catchy titile, Reasons to volunteer. The needs mentioned above belong to the social, self-esteem, and self-actualization needs according to Maslow. While between the lines of explanation of reasons to volunteer, the message sent by the reading is "Be a volunteer and you can reach these goals." Such message is the solution/satisfaction of your doubt or need.
The next title, How to get involved, belongs to the visualization step, which tries to tell you explicitly how to be a volunteer.
After that, you are presented some websites which you can opt freely to be a volunteer. This is the action step.
What I like about this article is that it doesn't seem too advertising-oriented because it gives you good cause to do charity and it doesn't represent any organization. After reading this ariticle, you, as a reader, don't feel being fooled into donating to a certain organization.
The motivated sequence by Alan Monroe and Douglas Ehninger gives me a chance to become smarter and more rational and I believe you feel the same, too.

Welcome to my Blog!!

2005-07-22T16:43:00.000+08:00

Hi,
This is my very first blog.
I'd love to comment on the stuff I learn from Dr. Phillip's communication course in ETMA.
Hope you can join me in this blog.