Designing Virtual Learning Environments for Academic Language Development

Skourtou, Eleni; Kourtis-Kazoullis, Vasilia; Cummins, Jim

doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-3803-7_18

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Transformative pedagogies can be better understood when it is framed within orientations to pedagogy. Cummins (2009Cummins ( , 2004Skourtou et al, 2006;Cummins et al, 2011) presents three broad orientations to pedagogy: transmission, social constructivist, and transformative. As depicted in Figure 1, in this formulation, the three pedagogies are nested within each other in such a way that they are understood as interconnected and codependent rather than isolated from one another.…”

Section: Theoretical Framework: Transformative Pedagogiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complexity and Fear of Teaching the “Other”: The Role of Teachers in a Larger Process of Social Cohesion and Peace

Herath

2019

OUSL Jnl

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Based on a narrative case study conducted in two in-service teacher preparation programs for English language teachers in Sri Lanka, this paper explores the role of English language teachers in promoting social cohesion and peace. Set against Sri Lanka's National Policy on Social Cohesion and Peace (2008), which recognizes teacher agency and teacher education in actively working towards bridging the estranged Sri Lankan communities, this paper critically analyzes what it takes for teacher education to prepare prospective teachers to be cultural brokers who are willing and able take an active role in promoting social cohesion and peace. The paper argues that national and program level policies and curricula changes are insufficient if micro level and more personal efforts are not made to assist new teachers to develop more inclusive mindsets. Conceptually this paper is grounded on transformative approaches to pedagogy that highlight the agency of teachers and the need for teacher preparation programs to support new teachers to shape and craft their emergent transformative practices. Such approaches to teacher education identify teachers as transformative intellectuals whose role is recognized as being in tune with their social, political

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Section: Theoretical Framework: Transformative Pedagogiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complexity and Fear of Teaching the “Other”: The Role of Teachers in a Larger Process of Social Cohesion and Peace

Herath

2019

OUSL Jnl

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“…Furthermore, the students seem to enjoy engaging in playful and exploratory learning activities, and they emphasize learning in authentic communication contexts through interaction with Greek speakers outside the classroom. This preference calls for the interaction of the classes with the broader Greek community either in face-to-face contact with members of Greek organizations, or in online learning environments, such as sister class networks (see Skourtou et al 2006; Kourtis-Kazoullis 2011)…”

Section: Course Organization and Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heritage Language Learners in Mixed University Classes: Language Skills, Attitudes, and Implications for Curriculum Development

Oikonomakou¹,

Aravossitas²,

Skourtou³

2016

Handbook of Comparative Studies on Community Colleges and Global Counterparts

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Heritage languages are often taught in mixed classrooms attended by both heritage language learners (HLLs) and foreign language learners (FLLs). This coexistence can be problematic for one of the two groups of students, or both, if their various learning needs are not identified and reflected in the course curriculum. Our research follows a modular approach focusing on (a) the effects of individual social and cultural characteristics in the development and assessment of language skills in the teaching of Greek as a heritage language, and (b) the necessity of elaborating a teaching framework that meets specific and individual needs of learners. Using questionnaires for our data collection, we investigated the structure and organization of two Modern Greek university programs in Toronto (University of Toronto and York University) comprised of both HL and FL learners. Our study explores several social, cultural, and teaching aspects to illustrate a comprehensive mapping of this educational challenge. We intend to use the findings toward restructuring the curricula by adopting more realistic and effective teaching approaches that take into consideration the negotiation of identities in the teaching of heritage languages.

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“…Apart from the risk of indulging in teaching to tests (Au, 2011;Tanner, 2013), objectives curricula can also be criticized for ignoring that the relationship between content and behavioural objectives is neither a direct nor a simple one; that, even when the teaching of contents actually leads to the learning of contents, this process may not necessarily result in the expected set of behaviours. That Tyler was so quick to obliterate this distinction -that different kinds of learning processes are required for each outcome -betrays the main risk of this curricular model: favouring teacher-centred, transmission forms of pedagogy (Skourtou, Kourtis-Kazoullis, & Cummins, 2006) …”

Section: Process Versus Objectives Curriculamentioning

confidence: 99%

Formulating ‘principles of procedure’ for the foreign language classroom: a framework for process model language curricula

Castro

2015

Journal of Curriculum Studies

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Designing Virtual Learning Environments for Academic Language Development

Cited by 18 publications

References 12 publications

The Complexity and Fear of Teaching the “Other”: The Role of Teachers in a Larger Process of Social Cohesion and Peace

The Complexity and Fear of Teaching the “Other”: The Role of Teachers in a Larger Process of Social Cohesion and Peace

Heritage Language Learners in Mixed University Classes: Language Skills, Attitudes, and Implications for Curriculum Development

Formulating ‘principles of procedure’ for the foreign language classroom: a framework for process model language curricula

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