Onward and Upward in Education!

Some exciting things have been happening in my life as an educator since last I posted here.  First, I applied for and was accepted to an education Doctoral program at USC, my alma mater in Los Angeles.  I will be traveling to USA in January for the big welcome/orientation/education doctor conference.  I am very excited about this now actually.  I will have the chance to meet in person with my cohort of students in my program and do some hands-on training about software and platforms, etc., as well as listen to some influential speaking, and participate in some discussions and brainstorming sessions.  I believe this will be a wonderful beginning for my new endeavor as an Education Doctorate candidate.  I will keep you updated as things progress and definitely will be shooting a lot of pictures at the conference next month!!

Yours in Education,

Zoe

My New School 2014 -- Üsküdar University, Istanbul

Well, it's that time here in Istanbul, Turkey.  The new school year 2015-15 is upon us folks!  I just spent the last two weeks getting to know some wonderful new teachers I will be working with at my new school here in my home city of Uskudar, Istanbul.  I am really excited!! The Administration are serious people about English Language education.  My fellow teachers here are so nice.  We have been having fun and also learning some valuable information, and participating in the process of getting ready the placement exam materials, plus analyzing our textbooks we will use this year.  So far I am very, very impressed with the level of education and enthusiasm...

 

Above I am pictured next to our excellent speaker from Oxford University Press, Mr. Turgut Turunc.  Also in the picture some of my lovely Turkish EFL teacher friends: Burcu, Seval, and Goksenin.

Achievement Gap in US Schools...Some Shocking Statistics

Check out the link below, some astonishing claims about teaching and learning in the USA...

Achievement Gap in USA Education

The Hardest Part of Teaching - What a great article!

Check out the link below from Peter Greene, it really says so much that teachers would love to say but don't, most of the time...

The Hardest Part of Teaching

The Three Ls of Teaching ELLs

I am working on my own educational model or theory.  I call it The Three Ls of Teaching ELLs.  ELLs being English Language Learners.  It is a work-in-progress, but here is what I have so far to hash out here on public my forum!


1.  Listening - English language learners (ELLs) can't learn without hearing some content first.  Our voices are what they hear first, so we need to allow time for the students to get used to our sound, how we pronounce words, and so on.

2.  Learning - This encompasses two interrelated components:  a) Students learn vocabulary we teach them, while b) we learn about their personalities and interests.  Learning is a two way exchange.

3.  Linguistic exchange, assimilation, and crystallization (fossilization).  For this to occur, some repetition is good, and to make lessons interesting and engaging is the essential key here because students will remember things that interest them.

Note:  In item 2, we must include our tools and ideas such as my own research using Krashen, Gardner, and Jenkins (plus a myriad of other theorists and practitioners). This model can be modified for any teacher's individual ideas and/or needs for their particular classroom situation.  This merely functions as a guideline for consideration of teachers who want to begin to think critically of their own teaching methodologies...what works, what doesn't work?  What's hot and what's not?

Education for All: Looking into the Syrian Issues

Living and working as an English teacher here in Istanbul, Turkey, raised my awareness of the terrible killing and fighting going on just one hour past our southeastern border in Aleppo, Syria.  This is not a pleasant thought for any of us, and definitely not for the poor refugees who are escaping as much as possible and coming over into Turkey.  Some have managed to get as far as Istanbul, and we see a few refugees in our streets with their small children, begging for food and money.  They are the poorest of the poor.  I see them living in small tent cities in forest clearings, and some are just using blankets as tents in different parts of our huge city.  Some Syrians are living in abandoned buildings in the "old city" areas near the famous mosques in Sultanahmet area, and near Suleymaniye Mosque.  The abandoned buildings have no running water or electricity and no sanitation areas.  The Syrians are in constant turmoil and forced to move because of their poverty.  I think about the children, they are homeless and have no chance for an education because of being uprooted from their home country and forced by fear of being killed or enslaved, into another country. I would love to find a way to help those kids, maybe get something going here in Istanbul, get some help from local businesses and education facilities. If we can gather some supplies for the kids like books, pencils, crayons, things like normal school kids would have, maybe they could at least feel like they are learning or creating.  I don't know the answer to this yet, but I am definitely looking around and asking questions at this point...

Words English Language Learners Confuse...

Here's a good one shared on Facebook by my fellow student at USC, Laurie Hamilton. You can right click on the picture and download it and save it, then you will see it in a larger size that is easier to read!

What Did I Do For Education Today?

Well, for starters, I had a wonderful conversation with one of my professors from USC, which was interesting and enlightening as always, about the non-profit organizations in the world and possibly getting some English classes going in them!  I also sent an email to my sister about her work with TED Northwest, which is a learning program she is implementing in parts of northwestern England, so exciting! And, finally, I am getting ready to spend some time with a new-ish teacher here in Istanbul, helping her to put her ideas together for a 'sample lesson' she is going to teach at a school tomorrow, which will be part of a job interview process for her. So, as you can tell, I am not sitting around 'idle' after my graduation from USC's MA TESOL program!! Well, maybe I am being a bit idle for a few minutes sitting with my adorable Turkish Van cat :-)

About the Globalization of English (Englishes)

Foreign influence is piling up...this is the key, and all nations speaking English are turning it...

Zoe Marlowe
May 31, 2014 (Yes, I came up with that after reading David Crystal)

English Tips for TESOL Students...Never Too Much

I shared this from my friend and fellow student of MA TESOL program at USC, Laurie Hamilton.  I thought this was a 'short and sweet' list for people who might get these often confusing words confused!

Please feel free to comment and/or send me more little pieces of grammar like this, all people can benefit thank you!

Change Up Your Lessons - Location Location Location!

Take your university English students to Starbuck's or anywhere near that you can sit like a group and chat.  This improves their mood, it improves their ability, lowers their affective filter, makes them feel like talking more!! Hey, anything to change up your lessons and get those students speaking, writing, chatting, in ENGLISH!! 

Here's a shot of one of my classes enjoying an afternoon lesson on campus at Starbuck's.  Lots of discussion ensued... Just do it!!

Updates and New Content!

Well I have just finished my amazing two year program at USC's MA TESOL program...

I have learned so much these last two years, and I have to thank my wonderful instructors, including but not limited to Dr. Melanie Calvert, Dr. Candace Kelly-Hodge, Dr. Emmy Min, Dr. Todd Kolberg.  I was not able to walk with my classmates at the commencement exercises, but I was there in my heart and spirit with my fellow Trojans...love you guys!!

What is next?  Well, I am looking for a really academically committed and strong English program to become a teacher for here in Istanbul.  I want to be able to put much of what I learned in the MA TESOL program into practice.  I have studied Gardner, Jenkins, Richards, and Nunan, and really I just want to become the new and improved TESOL teacher that USC taught me to be.

I also have some great material to share on this blog with all TESOL teachers worldwide.  If we can engage in fellowship and help our peers, keep the conversations about English teaching to foreign students open, we can make a difference as influential, dynamic English teachers in foreign countries.  We are needed out here in the world!

In the next few days I plan to post some links to specific educational sources, some dynamic software that will help us teach better, and, maybe most importantly, I will be posting some video footage of interviews I conducted with my peer group here in Istanbul, in which I speak with seasoned veterans of English teaching here in Turkey.  I always want to have that connection with my peer group because it is so important that we TESOL teachers fellowship with each other and SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE that will enable us to be better, more engaging instructors!  So, please keep reading my blog and feel free to comment! 

My Findings From Research So Far...

Of course, this is a culmination of a two-year process beginning when I became a full-time EFL teacher in Izmir, Turkey nearly two years ago.  Now I am in Istanbul at a university where I teach Preparatory English to first year students.  It is a big challenge to teach a
multilevel classroom, and knowing how to serve everyone so that they can improve their English is my objective and goal.  I have produced some preliminary findings which may be of interest to readers and other educators.  I have attached only what I feel are important components of these findings here, so there may be some breaks in the continuity of the slides.

 

 

 

 

I administered a grammar and vocabulary quiz which resembled part of a midterm exam we give here at my university.  Above gives a rough idea of what levels I am dealing with in the classroom.

Shortly afterward, an actual midterm exam was scheduled, so I analyzed the data from this exam and it showed that my initial findings were fairly accurate regarding the differing levels of English in my classroom.

To further study the levels of English in my classroom I thought it would be a good idea to survey the students themselves, and get an idea or feel for how they personally view their own learning experience at our university.  Some of the survey results were rather surprising.  Perhaps this is the most telling component of my study so far...

I believe it is important as a teacher to listen to what the student's needs are. It is one thing to analyze and study what I think are important factors about their learning, but what about how they feel?  I think this has been an area that is ignored in some of the data which is out there for us to read.  I wanted to give the students a voice in this process as well.

This survey question result, Question 7, said a lot to me.  If only half the students feel as though they are learning enough English, how do I proceed?  I am very concerned about this subject matter because I want all of the students to have a good learning experience, not just HALF of them!

I love my Turkish students who are learning English from me, but how do I effectively teach them all if they are at different levels of comprehension? This question has been asked, I am sure so many times...

The Challenges of Teaching a Foreign Language

English is difficult enough for native speaking students, but teaching in a foreign country, and teaching it as a foreign language is a totally different ball of wax. I teach English preparatory classes to A level students in Istanbul, Turkey.  My classes are mixed level, meaning not every student is at the same level of English speaking/reading/writing/listening.  This is not always a remarkable or a huge problem during class, although it can be challenging to maintain the level of enthusiasm at times.  What does bother me, among other things as caring and conscientious teacher, are the results of the midterm examinations.  There it is plain to see what the comprehension levels of English really are in my classes. 

My question to myself and also addressed to other teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is "How do I teach English effectively in a multilevel classroom?"  I want to serve every level, not just cater to the higher students. How do we reach everyone?  It sounds impossible...

This in mind, my research project for the MAT TESOL program at USC deals with just this issue.  Hopefully you will enjoy my research, findings, data, and solutions/conclusions.