Introduction:
Recently a big debate has been aroused on the issue of teaching methods and their usefulness to the actual practice in classroom. Some writers start to claim that methods are dead and are no longer considered in the teaching/learning process such as Brown(2002) . Whereas some others like Bell (2007) think that method still play a vital role in the teaching learning process. This essay will examine both views with relation to my own experience as a teacher and teacher trainer. First I will give a summary of both points of view then will review the usefulness of methods in relation to my profession and context.
Summary of the two points of views:
Brown (2002) claims the death of methods signaling the post-method era where there is no place for formulas in the second language teaching. Basing his literature in the linguists' findings about the failure of methods to solve the learning/teaching problems. The main attack over the methods is that: Methods are too prescriptive, they are 'laden with interested knowledge' and they can't be empirically proved to work in real classroom. He goes towards the Principles Approach to language teaching with its twelve principles and the three stages of the 'crafted process' of diagnosis, treatment and assessment' to match the different contexts and situations.
However, the fact of the uselessness of methods seem to be just in the theoretical phase of it, and as a debate among the linguists according to Bell (2005). David Bells conducted a survey study to measure the extent to which methods are/are not considered in practice in classrooms as an attempt to investigate Block's claim that "Whereas the notion of method no longer plays a significant role in the thinking of applied...
... middle of paper ...
...ot depart from the books they were typed in. How can I - as a teacher- develop certain 'unknown' techniques based on unclear principles? Approaches are always ambiguous specially to the less trained or experienced teachers Richards & Rodgers (2001). We as teachers will always need prescribed methods, not to follow rigidly, but to have more choices. It is always a fact that "there is never was and probably never will be a method for all" Nunan(1991 :228). And there are always " aspects of all methods which might usefully be incorporated into one's classroom practice"( Ibid:248).
Conclusion:
To conclude, Though methods do not give one-one solution to the problems of teaching and learning, they always give us a rich source of solutions to adapt, modify and develop in our own contexts. We may not be able to claim their death, neither now, nor in the near future.
...simply reuses the same approach and methodology each year, his class is likely to become boring and ineffective. In order to properly educate students, a teacher must always be looking for ways to improve his course—methods of making the knowledge seem more interesting and relevant to students. Originality and innovation not only maintain students’ attention, but also help keep teachers interested. Any subject matter will seem boring if an instructor teaches it the same way for twenty years. In order to maximize the effectiveness of their teaching, educators constantly must be in search of new methods of presenting content. Complacency, after all, is the first step on the road to ineffective instruction. Teachers, like their students, must always remain motivated by the desire to improve. Without this desire, the process of education becomes stagnant and empty.
This paper aims to discuss the different learning styles that people use, and the way in which to apply new teaching methods, in which to expand the learning strategies of students. Here are two quotes from P Honey which explains the purpose of this paper
Teaching methods are based upon notions about learning. Second language learning theories teaching methods are closely related to concepts about learning a first language. It is important for a teacher to be aware of the theories available in order to make informed practical choices.
When get involved in a class room as a teacher or a practitioner you will see many different instructional strategies that teachers may use. These strategies may change from teacher to teacher and grade level to grade level because not all strategies work for everyone. That is one that that Mrs. Franzmeier told me was that I need to find instructional strategies that work for me and for the way I teach. She told me that it is something that sitting in a classroom listening to a professor all day can teach you. She said that you need to be in the classroom getting hands on experience to gain the knowledge. During this time I saw three different instructional strategies used. She had the use of whole group instruction, co teaching, and cooperative learning.
Teaching Methods can be categorised in to basically two groups which are Teacher Centred and Learner Centred methods, and can take the form of Experiential, Trainer Guided, Cooperative, Interactive Instruction and independent study. However in this task three will be discussed which are Experiential Learning, Cooperative and Trainer Guided Methods in terms of key elements, classroom arrangements, roles, rules as well as considering the pros and cons of each method. COOPERATIVE LEARNING
Everyone has a different way of teaching, but in the end, the method should help the students learn. In the
The way teachers administer the teaching learning process will definitely be influenced by their belief of a particular teaching methodology. It has the same meaning with Gage’s (1964 as cited in Brown, 2001) statement that teachers’ understanding of how the learners learn will determine their philosophy of education, teaching style, approach, methods and classroom techniques. As a matter of fact, the teachers who belong to essentialists run the teaching process following four beliefs which one of them deals with the subject matter. Essentialists stand for the reinstatement of subject matter at the center of the educational process (Kneller, 1971). However, this paper presents the opposite viewpoint. Precisely, due to the attention span, involvement, and inability to learn abstract things, in teaching children, this paper shall disagree with the importance of subject matter at the center of educational process.
Some of them include: to know the students’ learning styles and think of them as individuals with different needs. This is something teachers may take for granted, thinking that it is not necessary to identify each student’s learning style or preference. Furthermore, it is important to teach students how and when to use these strategies and to help them orchestrate their use in relation to their own learning preferences. In other words, this effectiveness depends on how well can the language learners select and/or combine the use of strategies according to a particular task and other variables, such as their learning styles, maturity and previous experiences. And finally, educators should consider the variables that may influence strategy use and that are controlled by teachers, such as the language
A teacher’s responsibilities are to ensure that every student gets the education that they deserve from a well-structured curriculum and materials. Within the teacher’s responsibilities a strong foundation of instruction has to be implemented, this is why instructional strategies are significant in a teacher’s career. The strategies for instruction vary from teacher to teacher; as a result there are no specific ways to employ strategies within instruction. The main purpose of this essay is to display knowledge of methods that are involved in teaching second language instruction for various ages and levels of students. This essay will also develop from the following components that methods and techniques are important to encourage tactical instructional strategies. These components are comprehensible input, feedback that is on-going, specific and immediate, grouping structures and techniques, building background and vocabulary development along with student engagement.
We have learned in our educational courses there are several styles of learning that each of us use one or more of. This is a challenge to the teacher, because it means we can't con- struct all our lessons based on only one style (which is usually our own learning style). We, as teachers, must be willing to expand our own realm of thinking and try new approaches. I love this concept, since I would get bored if I had to teach the same way every day.
I realize that not all students learn at the same rate or the same mode so I will vary my teaching techniques so that all my students can learn. It is crucial to not leave students behind or learn...
It is evident that methodologies in education, including Math, have in their crude forms existed long before theorist began coining catch phrases and terminologies. With the onset of higher learning and the desire to explore their world men have lived and learned by many of the teaching/learning methodologies that are being adapted today. What men have discovered through natural learning long ago is now being refined in order to support and strengthen modern day educational practices across academia.
Teachers teaching method choices are influenced by different factors including the levels of student interest and the topic that is being taught. Practical areas need practical application methods that will show students the way the concept is to be applied. Teachers will therefore have different factors that determine how the lesson is taught.
Over the course of observations, I learned that there is no one way to do anything in teaching. After a few weeks of observing, I was relieved because I thought that I could stop worrying so much about doing the “right” thing with the students. I saw a successful teacher doing, or neglecting to do things that went against what I had been taught. I incorrectly assumed that the choices the teacher made about how to organize the day, approach a lesson, or manage the classroom were mostly a matter of personal preference and that several approaches would produce equally desirable results.
In this course I experienced an important change in my beliefs about teaching; I came to understand that there are many different theories and methods that can be tailored to suit the teacher and the needs of the student. The readings, especially those from Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2011), Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2007), and Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010), have helped me to understand this in particular. In composing my essay about teaching methods and other themes, my learning was solidified, my knowledge deepened by my research and my writing skills honed.