I like closing the gap. Giving students enough scaffolding to reach the other side, but also enough space to be creative with the language that they are using.
I like functional objectives, but also fluency based activities with time to link ideas together.
The content has to be relevant towards their interests & needs, but not too in depth that it’s boring.
I also prefer contextualized language, rather than discrete phrases or vocab. and of course, level appropriate.
Can they negotiate meaning, understand relationships and deepen their understanding of themselves? Can they make their own stories, their own memories, and be in control of their own development?
I think that having a clear vision for the materials is important, but also the flexibility to adapt them for different student groupings, pace and abilities.
Finally, I think my materials are far from perfect, so having the opportunity to try them out, reflect and redesign, is probably the most important principle.
Hi Alan, I agree with all your points. I like functional objectives too. I also like to include critical thinking and soft skills.
ReplyDeleteHi Alan, I love your post and agree with everything you say, especially the last point you make about reflecting and redesigning materials after using them. All too often we don't do this. But even if we aren't going to use the materials ever again we can learn valuable lessons from this practice.
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