Edu-Buffet 中台灣課程流動心饗宴

https://youtu.be/uFFEejurs-g

The Education Bureau held this major event of curriculum development to help better equip teachers for the new challenges brought by the 2019 national curriculum guidelines this Christmas weekend. Many accomplished lecturers shared their teaching innovations at various workshops. Hundreds of participants actually attended dozens of different workshops of their own choice.

The Quality Development Collaboration Project

http://chingchyuan.blogspot.tw/

The purpose of this project is to develop school-based and custom-made curriculum to best suit the unique needs of the host school. The Education Bureau subsidizes the cost of this project, including hiring an expert to have workshops, and then send out inspectors to make sure the budget is well executed. 

The principal of Chung Chyuan Junior High School kindly invited me to help with the project after that sharing on International Education at the Education Bureau last semester. Under the obligation as a homeroom teacher, I have turned down many offers but this one because I just love anything and everything about this topic.

1. International Video Conferencing, AIESEC Volunteers, and English Speaking Video Making

These three are all I've been so into these years to build a series of courses. I

Virtual Reality Course Design Made Easy

With a smartphone, a few apps, and a pair of VR glasses, we're working towards building a virtual campus online, with my students' English language guide to different characteristics. The goal is to enhance the use of English with VR by providing an immersive experience.

A Skype Session with Japanese Professors' Class Participation

The fourth Skype session with Azuchi Junior High School in Japan today was quite an experience. Team Takashima, a group of Japanese professors who specialize in global English education, came to my school and actually participated in the class.

Three Skype Sessions with Omihachiman Shiritsu Azuchi Junior High School

Two of my colleges came aboard and generously rearranged their schedules quite a few times to finally make this happen. To my surprise, their students absolutely loved it and some even felt sorry they didn't get to do the presentation because of time constraints. It was worth all the time and effort, especially when reading their genuine positive feedback in the communication books.

The Most Precious Gift

It was already eight years ago, but I can still remember the day vividly. When I saw her through the glass window /for the very first time, I thought to myself: "Wow, she is SO adorable. She is just like a little angel from heaven" When I held her gently in my arms, I believe there was nothing sweeter than her eyes, her voice, and her smiles. I told myself/ that I would always love her.

Learning English with Harry Potter

My daughter enjoyed discussing the Sorting Hat with her Turkish counterpart via International Video Conferencing

My family and I have been huge fans of Harry Potter. Ever since my wife and I went on a date and saw the first Harry Potter movie, we've finished watching the whole series one by one in ten years. Following that, I've also read each one of the books, complete with all the audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale, and discussed the storylines and characters with my one-on-one online English teacher. My two daughters also grew interested in all the HP movies and have watched the whole series many, many times.

Two Skype Sessions with a Korean High School: Self-introduction and the Beauty of Taichung

For the very first time, we got to have two Skype sessions with a Korean junior high school this Tuesday and Friday. Students from both sides introduced themselves and talked about the beauty of Taichung and Seoul, complete with some follow-up questions regarding each other's presentations.

Interacting with a Japanese AIESEC Volunteer: Japanese School Life and Taiwanese Sports Day

My homeroom class, gifted students, the International Cultural Exchange Club and even some colleges that are learning Japanese all enjoyed this language and cultural exchange experience with Fuka's introduction to Japanese school life and appreciated the opportunity to practice speaking Japanese. Thanks to Alicia's generosity and help, I got to invite this kind and wonderful AIESEC volunteer to come to my school and benefit so many students the whole afternoon.

British Council TaiwanTask-Based Learning Certificate: Lesson Planning and Microteaching

Lesson Planning

"This is actually the third TBL workshops I've attended. Ever since the first one, I started putting what I learned into practice and did many teaching demonstrations within and outside of my school. On top of that, I'm an English teacher who loves to create an authentic environment for my students to really use the language. I've conducted several Skype exchange projects with my partners outside of Taiwan. As shown this morning, we began making English videos to introduce the beauty of Taichung with this lesson plan and its tasks. It works like magic."       

Final reflection at the workshop by Guo-jhen

2017 MOE Principal Instructional Leadership Workshop

Developing interdisciplinary and custom-made learning materials aiming for reading comprehension and real application

It was completely my honor to be assigned and take on this huge task, with a group of principals and professors observing throughout the entire class. On top of that,
in order to demonstrate interdisciplinary collaborations for future workshops, I also worked closely with the students' homeroom teacher, who teaches Scouting Activity, and developed custom-made reading materials to depict the host school's camping trip next month.  

Let's Go Camping: Reading and Lesson Plan

Learning English with Augmented Reality

Thanks to Live ABC and the Education Bureau, we got to experience one of the latest innovative teaching trends, learning English with Augmented Reality. My students, two other teachers and I actually went to the Martial Arts Compound and used the smartphones to explore and interact with the renowned historic site.

A Successful Meetup with a Korean English Teacher and a Japanese AIESEC Volunteer

Today, we really had a productive international gathering at the school, with a Korean English teacher and a Japanese AIESEC volunteer interacting with my students in the gifted class. On top of that, we went to a historic site nearby, and I proudly shared quite a few interesting views about how I love my country with such a diverse culture.

International Video Conferencing with a Turkish English Teacher

I was lucky to get accepted into an exchange program that only two slots were available in every EFL country. On top of that, I was able to be with the best group, with amazing English teachers from many countries. To create more opportunities for Skype sessions, I actively kept on expressing my sincerity to invite them to talk about themselves and their cultures with my students through Skype.

Having Fun Learning English in Taichung: How to describe a tourist spot in English

Getting students to describe a popular tourist spot in English through a series of tasks of scaffolding

Forming a partnership with the renowned Live ABC, we're entitled to have access to the book and APP, using augmented reality to make learning English so a lot more fun. As the main content facilitator, my goal is to promote the product by developing a full package of lesson plans, worksheets, activities, complete with feedback and reflections.  

4 Writing Tools That I Can't Live Without

Not having studied abroad or earned a master's in English, I still enjoy writing and blogging in the language even though I'm far from being perfect. However, you don't want to wait till you're absolutely excellent because that day will never come. That being said, you also don't want to make too many mistakes when posting openly online. We ARE English teachers after all. Now I want to share four free yet very useful online resources that I've been using for quite a while. 

Teaching Gifted Students Creativity Workshop

Some useful techniques to promote creativity through curriculum design

Image: 李國禎的英語教學/http://guojhen.blogspot.tw/2016/05/a-quantum-leap.html
Mandala thinking method?

Image: Marissa Martinez/StoryboardThat/http://www.storyboardthat.com/articles/b/six-thinking-hats-examples

Having been teaching gifted students for two years though, for the very first time I attended this two-day workshop that specifically targeted gifted education and creativity. I gained a clear picture of what exactly makes up the curriculum design and some practical techniques to bolster gifted students' creativity. As always, I enjoyed exchanging ideas with teachers from different regions about lesson planning.

Task Based Learning Workshop

Getting Inspired Once Again towards TBL and its Lesson Planning

I attended the Task-Based Learning workshop held by the Ministry of Education and British Council Taiwan for the first time over two years ago and already have done many teaching demonstrations, English camps, and Skype exchange projects with principles and techniques learned from this brilliant English teaching approach since then. However, as soon as I learned about there would be a five-day TBL workshop this week by the very same lecturer, I immediately decided to sign up for the THIRD time and enjoyed every class of it.  

2017 Intensive Sessions/Camps Exchange Program: Summary and Reflections

Expanding my horizons on teaching and cultural awareness with camp site visits in the U.S. with AE E-Teacher Program

Sponsered by the U.S. State Department for EFL teachers to create and implement short-term intensive English language immersion programs, I was so honored to get accepted into this 10-day exchange program with participants all around the world by observing and participating in some of the most inspirational camps. Being immersed in this all English environment, I got to experience using the language to take in so much content, interact with camp directors and volunteers, and express my thoughts and feelings.

Teaching Demonstration Filming Project: Describing What Technology Products Can Do

I was so thrilled that today's two teaching demonstrations with Class 912 panned out the way I planned. All the desired activities kept the students engaged throughout the whole filming process. Though I only met them twice for the two classes that I sat in for, their performances were much better than I expected, especially given the fact that it has been over two weeks after they took the CAP exam. Now, let's relish some memorable moments:

Teaching Demonstration Filming Project: English reading activities

I always search for ideas and techniques from Task Based Learning and Backward Design when planning my lessons for teaching demonstrations. With a series of reading activities, students actively and collaboratively experienced how their comprehension of the reading passage can be improved by completing the pre, main and post tasks based on TBL.

On top of that, Backward Design focuses beginning with the end, meaning you start lesson planning by determining the desired outcomes first. Following that, you then look for activities to help equip students with what they need to perform the next one. In other words, Because my students have effective scaffolding beforehand, I want them to run out of excuses not to be able to complete the tasks.

Mind Mapping and Gallery Walk by Class 702

Gallery Walk has been my favorite teaching activity in class and workshops since I attended the Global English seminar at Seoul back in 2014 because it’s so intriguing and engaging that can involve all students to speak English regardless of their mixed abilities.

Taking One-on-one Online English Course for 10 Years

How it made all the difference

I can't believe that it has already been TEN YEARS since I started to practice speaking English with one-on-one online class, which helped me a lot more than anything become a better English speaker, and that has made all the difference.

A personal story

Growing up in a rural area with parents who knew nothing about English, I still don’t why I’ve become so enamored with the idea that being able to speak the language fluently is so cool. I kept telling myself some day I wanted to be just like that. However, the problem is that you don’t really have many opportunities to practice your spoken English in such a test-driven setting even though we all started learning English at a very young age. One day, I enrolled in an English institution that specializes in helping adult learners in 2007 but quickly realized that it was not what I wanted because from time to time you had to wait for your turn to speak. Therefore, I started looking for one-on-one online English course and have been steadily improving my speaking skills since then.

Fun with speaking: making milkshake and English-speaking videos

An excellent combination of reading comprehension, rewriting the text and oral presentation

There's a reading passage about how to make milkshake in the textbook, which provides an excellent opportunity for the students as well as I to have fun using English with a series of activities. They practiced skills of reading, writing and speaking all at once, which also paved the way for building that scenario simulation classroom. 

Talking about Some Aussie Culture and Career Path to be a Vet

For today's International Cultural Exchange, I invited a very special guest, Steven Yang, a student I taught the very first year I started teaching here in Kuang-Ming back in 2004, to talk about Australia, his career path, and how he overcame language barriers when moving to New Zealand all by himself at a very young age with his Aussie accent.

Developing Critical Thinking: Duterte's War on Drugs

A Killer or a Savior?

It is said that President Duterte's War on Drugs has already led more than seven thousand people to be killed by police or some sort of vigilantes, according to lots of mainstream media reports. However, Duterte has also enjoyed a very high approval rating among the Philipino people since then, which got me wondering whether the human right violation should be the only concern here.

Building a Scenario Simulation Classroom

With the 100 thousand TWD grant for winning the International School Award from the Education Bureau and British Council Taiwan, I purchased two portable projectors and screens, six tablet computers and Bluetooth speakers, a high-end webcam and microphone, complete with a PC, a scanner, a dongle and so on.