Meeting 02 • 1 April 2010 • Thursday

Version:
4/6/10

People: √Fischer; √Ireton; √Konrad; -Moore; -Pease; √Salinas

Today

(X') = anticipated time in minutes
(0001) etc.=item in document collection (will be explained in class)
Key to notes added AFTER the class meets:
√ = topic / activity that was adequately dealt with during the class
+ = topic needs more attention & will be resumed at next / subsequent meeting(s)
- = a topic / activity that was proposed but not carried out - will be taken up later
Struckthrough text like this = a topic / activity that was proposed but not included is not going to be taken up after all
Italic text like this = comments after the meeting

Week 1: Main Topic(s): Introduction to the Course, of course; our group; What is 'CBI'? Adjusting this year's version to SpeakEasy

materials:
Chapter 1 of Stryker/Leaver (photocopy in first meeting, 0410b in course collection, for use until books arrive);
examples from my courses:
German 320 / 415 / 515 Business Simulation Course and its related "SpeakEasy Company Website"; also my ACTFL Conference presentation (November 2008);
GER 399 "Science Fiction Radio Drama Production" and its earlier version, the "Papa Joe" Project;
the "Humboldt Project", and its earlier versions, FLL 399 (2006W) and GER 427/527 (2006F); also my PSU SINQ presentation (October 2008);
examples of other courses and projects elsewhere: Levine's second-year simulation courses (0172, 0705); Ryan-Scheutz & Colangelo's beginner-level (!) drama production (0019); the "Big Book" activity for middle-schooler FLES (0407); Rice University business Spanish course, and a faculty profile of someone (German prof Rick Spuler) who would probably take quite naturally to CBI; new efforts to teach reading better in PPS, and local business-support meetings for Hispanic would-be entrepreneurs (see handout from previous meeting)

(10') So what IS 'CBI', in greater detail? Stryker/Leaver's initial chapter (0410b). Have we ourselves encountered/ done CBI in FL/ESL - as teachers? as learners (adult, child)? as parents? How does this relate to the "standard" pedagogies of language teaching? ••0120

(20') Some examples of CBI - see above, "materials", especially "SpeakEasy". What does it "take" to "do" CBI? (materials, environments, traits)

+

(20') What (will) this class (will) do? Reading, reflection, discussion, reports, writing, small & large project(s) (individual, ?group?), field trips and outreach, grant-seeking? Problem in previous versions of the course: the one-meeting CBI lesson, the first major assignment, was particularly troublesome. People felt they needed more context (at the course level). But maybe we can use SpeakEasy as that initial context.

+

(45') SpeakEasy maintenance, discussion to include Brett Condron (doing by-arrangement SE maintenance). Possible initial module: arranging to supply cards to the PSU University Place (motel) Gift Shop. But how DO you say "smudge-resistant environmentally friendly transparent card sleeves with tabs so the cards can be hung on a rotating display caroussel"? And what about the business agreement - consignment? Pre-purchase with vendor discount?

(10') upcoming: see section immediately below; check: 1) where stuff is on the course website; 2) visits to websites for SpeakEasy and Humboldt Project; 3) your access to professional journals, especially FLA; if time: group drafts the scoring guide for the reflection. The reflections should reach me by the end of the weekend. Samples of reflections about Levine and Scheutz/ Colangelo


Upcoming class meeting(s): #3 & #4 (6 & 8 April)

1) Implications of the (a?) CBI pedagogy: simulation or real thing? explicit grammar instruction? extent of learner consciousness of the pedagogy? how to get them to "get it"? use of L1? getting the focus away from the instructor? assessment?
2) Pedagogical foundations: language and content standards; standards for other subject areas;
3) details of the Humboldt Project (Earth Week soon!)
4) Project 1, with work samples from previous groups.

Upcoming assignment(s)

This section offers a PREVIEW, not activated assignments. Assignments are made, with announcement of their deadlines, both in class and on the "schedule" page.
CBI Project 1: An instructional module for a single classroom meeting (but WAIT until the assignment is officially activated).

Announcements

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Misc.

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