Reader’s Theater & Drama to ACTivate your Classroom
Abstract: The purpose of this workshop/presentation will be to demonstrate some practical dramatic techniques and ideas that can be incorporated into your English lessons and classroom whether you teach K-12 or University level. Both well known and original techniques designed for the Korean context will be mentioned/discussed with resources and participant involvement will be appreciated and encouraged for part of the workshop/presentation.
Bio: Tory S. Thorkelson (BA, B.Ed., M.Ed. in TESL/TEFL), Ph. D (Language Studies/Curriculum Development) is a proud Canadian who has been an active KOTESOL member since 1998 and has presented at or worked on many local and international conferences. He is a Past-President for Seoul Chapter, a Past-President of KOTESOL (2008-2009) and an active KTT member. His 9-5 job is as an Associate Professor for Hanyang University’s English Language and Literature Program. He has co-authored research studies (see ALAK Journal, December 2001& June, 2003 as well as Education International September 2004 V1-2 & the KOTESOL Journal/TEC) and various textbooks/E books. Currently, he is a regular contributor to EFL Magazine. Email: thorkor@hotmail.com
A Picture of Your Practice: Techniques for Holistic Reflection
Abstract: Reflective practice among language teachers is becoming increasingly recognized as a powerful means of discovering and evaluating what we do in the classroom. However, because teachers’ beliefs about what happens in their classrooms are often very distant from the reality, teachers’ reflections often risk being wholly subjective and unreliable. While reflective practitioners yearn to be more objective in their reflections, frameworks have only recently been developed which give teachers the evidence-based techniques they need to gain a full picture of their practice. Using examples from my recently published research (Farrell & Kennedy, 2019), this workshop will introduce one such framework for reflective practice. Farrell’s (2015) framework for reflecting on practice provides TESOL professionals of all backgrounds with a thorough and easy-to-follow guide for data-driven reflection by establishing five stages of the reflection process. Firstly, this workshop will explain and demonstrate each of Farrell’s five stages in detail using examples from my own research. This workshop will then give attendees opportunities to try some of the techniques discussed in each stage in the hopes that they may reveal something about their own practice, or at the very least, discover a new way of thinking and reflecting on their practice. While my own research demonstrated that following such a framework can reveal deep connections between the teacher-as-person and actual classroom practice, the principle goal of this workshop is to share tools for objective, and holistic reflection that attendees can test for themselves in their own educational contexts.
Bio: Brennand Kennedy is from Calgary, Canada. He is currently an assistant professor at Dongshin University in Naju, Jeollanam-do and also taught in rural Elementary schools in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do. Before starting at Dongshin University, Brennand completed his Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics (TESL) at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. As part of his graduate program, Brennand conducted research in the area of reflective practice under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Farrell. Brennand continues to be interested in reflective practice as well as issues of social and environmental justice in language teaching.
