Writing Syllabus Dec 2010 Final
Writing Syllabus Dec 2010 Final
Writing Syllabus Dec 2010 Final
Welcome to GIFLE Writing! The primary goal of this module is to introduce you to the four-
step writing process to improve your English academic writing skills. We recognize that,
although many of you have already been teaching high school English for a number of years,
few of you have had sufficient opportunities to develop your own writing proficiency. This
course intends to address this by having you write, write, and write!
Secondly, you will be encouraged to reflect on your motivation and development as a Korean high
school English teacher. We believe that any sincere attempt to answer the all-important “Why?” and “What?”
questions are always a fruitful experience, especially when it comes to teaching. As teacher trainers, we have
observed that when a teacher can thoughtfully answer, “Why do I teach?” and “What must I do to become a
great teacher?” their perceptions of themselves and their students become more hopeful. When a teacher is
confident in their purpose in the classroom, not surprisingly, the “How can I actually achieve this?” question
also becomes a lot easier to answer. Thus in this module, we will be spending a lot of time challenging you to
think more deeply about your own teaching practice and giving you ample opportunities to write about it
through periodic written reflections.
Finally, having explored some of your motivations and philosophies behind your teaching, you will be
introduced to various practical lesson strategies that you can use in your own high school context. The main
way we’ll be doing this is through the “Writing Teacher Test Drive” , a chance for you to experiment and analyze
different writing activities before sharing them with your students. In addition, throughout the course we will
be introducing many other writing activities that you can adapt in your own English classroom.
In our brief month together, we hope you will experience the unique joy that comes from the best kind
of writing, true expressions of the mind and heart. Indeed, writing of this soulful nature is one crucial step to
becoming a better English teacher, both for your students and yourself.
1. Contact Information
Your Instructors
Christian Poon
Office 031-680-3657
Email gifle.writing.christian@gmail.com
Darren Ng
Office 031-680-3656
Email darren.gifle@gmail.com
Need…
Website
http://giflewriting.pbworks.com
OPEN
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to you!
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Scheduled
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2. Course Objectives
1. We will help you improve your writing skills.
Trainees will improve their proficiency in English essay writing through various individual and group writing
activities, and an optional consultation session with their instructor (Sessions 1-6). By the end of the course,
trainees should be able to independently produce a 3-5 paragraph essay, comparable to a paper written by a
first year native English university student.
3. Evaluation
Section Marks Description
Final Draft 7
Teacher Test Drive 8
Web Publishing 9
5. Course Schedule
Session 1: Welcome to GIFLE Writing!
Aims
• Trainees will be introduced to the course and their instructor.
• Through the Pile Game, trainees will reflect upon,“What are my motivations for being an English teacher?”,
“Why is teaching writing important?”, “What fears do I have about writing and how do I overcome them?”
• Trainees will read letters from previous trainees and think about how they can make this module a more purposeful
and practical learning experience.
*Assignments are always due the class after they were given, unless stated otherwise by the syllabus or your instructor.
• Trainees will learn how to identify and correct common EFL writing errors through the Do’s and Don’ts activity.
• Trainees will be introduced to error logs and how they can use them during their in-class editing and sharing time.
• Trainees will reflect on how they can adapt error logs for use in their own writing classes.
Trainees will review the components of an effective introduction and how to use these to engage their readers.
Trainees will learn how to construct their own thesis statements using the Thesis formula to give focus to their writing.
Trainees will learn how to web-publish their completed essays on the course website.
writing
• Trainees will reflect on the importance of planning lessons that appeal to different learning styles.
• Trainees will identify their own learning preferences and learn how this can create “blind spots” in their lesson
planning.
6. Recommended Reading
For a complete list, please go to the “Resources” section on our Writing website:
http://giflewriting.pbworks.com