Outcome 10
Language Course Design
Demonstrated an ability to evaluate language teaching materials and design a course of language instruction based upon an articulated working philosophy of language learning and teaching.
Outcome 10
Language Course Design
Demonstrated an ability to evaluate language teaching materials and design a course of language instruction based upon an articulated working philosophy of language learning and teaching.
Description
The descriptions of the Creative Writing Course were written for Dr. Bleistein’s Language Program Design (TESL 560) in the Fall of 2018. This submission is a testament to the collaborative effort that went into creating a writing course that assists high-intermediate ESL students in exploring their creative skills through written expression. The invaluable input from students and teaching peers was instrumental in my creative writing course's thorough development and implementation.
Reflection
I haven’t created a language program from scratch before. I am accustomed to being provided with a curriculum and having the option to teach it verbatim or modify lesson(s) to meet the students' diverse learning needs. Initially, when presented with this assignment, I firmly believed the process would not be extensive. However, I faced countless challenges. For example, the number of textbooks for creative writing (for ESL students) is minimal, and I could not find creative writing textbooks for the L2 learner. Also, I now understand that funding for the program is essential, and creating a budget and getting approval is very important. You can’t teach without an approved budget from the board. Developing a concise syllabus and overview of the program highlights what you will teach and how you will teach it. Importantly, creating a concise curriculum is not a one-person show. Feedback from the board, teaching peers, and students is vital to the effectiveness of the language program.
Application
If my administrative team asked me to create a language program, I would first ask the board what would benefit our TESOL program and budget. If a Creative Writing course is needed, I would ask my peers to assist me in brainstorming goals, objectives, topics to teach, lesson plans, developing an agenda, etc. I would delegate each task to ensure the teachers focus on their tasks. We would meet once a week to share our progress and continue to bounce ideas off each other. I would communicate with the board via email or in person regarding our weekly progress and agree on a tentative deadline to present our curriculum. The above-mentioned reminds me of an African proverb. It takes a village. This application would require a collaborative effort. One teacher can only authentically create and teach a meaningful curriculum with the assistance of their peers.