Microsoft Powerpoint Brawn

Beyond the course books:
Thinking tasks for
Intermediate ESL learners
AMEP National Conference
Charles Darwin University
July 9,2004
Presenter: Pornsawan Brawn
NSW AMES
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The four dimensions of productive
pedagogies are:
intellectual quality
relevance
a supportive classroom environment
recognition of difference
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1
Intellectual Quality
A hierarchy of levels of thinking, (James Moffett, 1968 - Teaching the
Universe of Discourse, Houghton Mifflin, Boston)
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higher levels of thinking
theorise
hypothesise
generalise
report
record
low level of thinking
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2
Relevance
= what we do, materials
we use to connect
classroom events to what
is happening outside
classroom. Students
learn best if their
intention to learn is
aroused.
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2 Relevance
Materials we select should:
have a clear sense of direction and purpose
can build upon what they already know
involve the students in active participation,
using their own language and cultural images
to help them understand
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3
A supportive classroom
environment
This stages and scaffolds students learning so
that they are able to build on what they already
know.
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4
Recognition of difference
As teachers we must plan to ensure that our
different students are being able to bring their
own funds of knowledge to bear on classroom
learning tasks.
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Adapted from WIR Industry Research: Media Literacy (No authors indicated)
Cultural Domains
Cultural Domains
Cultural Domains
Everyday
Reflexive
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Everyday
Reflexive
Constructions of activities and things
Field
Commonsense knowledge Critical knowledge
(relevant to everyday life)
(relevant to reflexive
learning)
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Everyday
Reflexive
Constructions of self and others
Tenor
Community roles
Multiple roles
(characterised by
(characterised by
familiarity, solidarity,
opposition and difference)
shared perspectives)
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Everyday
Reflexive
Constructions of texts
Mode
Language as part of reality Language for challenging
(as in face to face
constructions
conversation, language in
(understanding of reality)
action)
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This handout is from the work by Carol Numrich and John Beaumont
American Language Program, Columbia University
Title: Critical Thinking Tasks for Low-Proficiency ESOL students
TYPES OF INFERENCE
1. Inferencing attitudes, feelings, points of view
2. Inferencing information not explicit in the text
3. Inferencing situational context
4. Inferencing word meaning from context
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PITFALLS IN WRITING
INFERENCE QUESTIONS
1. Question is really “literal level”
2. Question is really “applied level”
3. Question is "low-level” inference
4. Question can be answered with visual support
5. Questions are poorly designed
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1. Question is really "literal level"
vocabulary repeated - literal
paraphrase of text - literal
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2. Question is really "applied level"
no information in the text to answer the
question (relies on student's background
knowledge)
asks students opinion rather than
comprehension of the text
asks for interpretation of the text that is beyond
comprehension
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3. Question is "low-level” inference
requires putting two pieces of information
together from the text
answer can be determined by paraphrasing
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4. Question can be answered with
visual support
pictures or drawings make the question literal
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5. Questions are poorly designed
illogical answers
language issues
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A SEQUENCE OF CRITICAL
THINKING TASKS
1.OBSERVING
Looking at subject
matter from the
students' world.
Look at…
Listen to
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2 IDENTIFYING
Sharing background
ASSUMPTIONS
experiences and
knowledge.
Expressing opinions
Recognising attitudes and
values
Tell why/ what….?
What do you know
about….?
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3. ORAGANIZING
Classifying /ordering
DATA
information
Categorizing
information
Comparing and
contrasting information
Categorize….
Compare/contrast……
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4. INTERPRETING
Making inferences
DATA
Interpreting meaning from
text
Predicting from the
title/predicting outcomes
Hypothesizing/theorising
Why/What do you think ..
Based on the text, why….?
Do you think the author would
agree or disagree…?
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5 INQUIRING
Surveying the public
FURTHER
Identifying a specialist
and interviewing
Conducting research in a
library or on the Internet
Conduct a survey of…
report… Interview….
Investigate/Research.. and
report
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Synthesizing two or more
6. ANALYSING
pieces of information
&EVALUATING
Critiquing
Reflecting on new ideas
Making logical conclusions
Re-evaluating assumptions
Critique ….
Look back at what you …
and re-evaluate…
Which is more interesting?
Why?
On a scale of 1-6, rate the
following
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7. DECISION
Prosing solutions/
MAKING
problem solving
Volunteering in the
community
Participating in
workshops/events
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