Wayne Malcolm, President of Akita-JALT, will conduct and facilitate two presentations - one real presentation, and one workshop. The first one will take a look inside his university classroom and how he uses debate to promote learner autonomy and critical thinking. In the second one he will show you a few activities he does to promote student-to-student interaction in all sorts of classrooms. His idea is to use the time to provide opportunities for all sorts of language teachers to gain something. See the following descriptions for further details about each session.
Presentation #1:
"Gradual Release of Responsibility in the Classroom: Using Debate to Bring About Learner Autonomy and Critical Thinking"
I firmly believe that learners need to experience a sense of autonomy, and be pushed to think critically. This presentation will show what I have been doing in my university classes to promote this. Using debate as a central tool I try to place the responsibility for learning in the hands of my students. Throughout the semester I gradually step back and release them from my control. I have found that the students rise to the challenge, take control of their environment, and push themselves in demanding ways. I'll share with you my textual inspiration for this as well as a guided tour of my class. I would like to gain your insights. All voices are welcome and appreciated.
Presentation #2:
"Tricks of the Trade: Interactive Activities for All Levels"
This will be mostly a workshop oriented session where I will share with you some things I do in my classrooms that places a focus on student-to-student interaction. Many of these activities can be adapted for all levels, and in some cases ages. Being blessed to have classes that range from kindergarten to seniors I have tested many of these things. Some were hits, others were.....well, let's say in need of refinement. In any case, I will share and I expect you to share as well. Bring your ideas and let's see how we can adapt them for all learners.
