- My reflections on the MATERIALS module and MY MATERIALS BLOG
Becoming a Blogger has been an interesting journey and to be honest, I don’t think I would have done it if it wasn’t for the Materials Module I am taking as part of my master’s in TESOL. Taking advantage of the available internet tools and opening myself to the world as a young English teacher and a postgraduate student was probably my duty anyway. Making use of what is out there and keeping up to date with the latest improvements in technology should become part of our professional (if not personal) lives. Being a Blogger helps you look back, think, evaluate and reflect because writing is actually a really deep process, but it is not only the contributing that feeds you, it is being on this platform and looking at what others are doing, that makes the biggest difference because once you step into this world, you start exploring for real.
I have always been a believer in giving teachers responsibilities and as I have explained in my earlier posts, designing materials is one of the greatest things that can make teachers more responsible and motivated. It can provide you with a sense of ownership and satisfaction in being a teacher. After all, one of the crucial things that I have learned thanks to this module is to pay great attention to learner needs and the context. As Holliday claims, language classes are small cultures, locally constituted, with local needs and concerns (in Thornbury, 2002). Therefore, we need to take our context and learners into consideration when planning and designing anything really.
I have tried to do this when designing the worksheet, producing Bubblr tasks, and shooting a video. In addition to the context and the learner needs, I have also tried to think of the procedure of using these materials in the classroom and when designing I was always pictured the lessons on my mind step by step. It is because I have realized the importance of having a purpose and doing something not just for the sake of having produced something, but to have created something that can serve a real purpose by being useful and addressing needs. With all the materials I have put up on this blog, I tried to explain in my posts why I chose to do these and how these can be used in my context. I also tried to include the production process in detail because I think it can be more helpful than the materials, to those who are reading. Jolly and Bolitho’s framework has been a useful source and it helped me see that the design process has to be handled with care.
Thanks to the input we received in the sessions, the reading we have done at home, and the discussions we had with our classmates who are from different parts of the world and teaching contexts, I have learnt so much about on what big names in ELT and other teachers like me think on materials. I have developed a critical eye and I think this was the biggest achievement. I have realized that before all this input and information, I was shallow and superficial on the matter. Now, I now how to look at both my work and at others’ work with a critical eye. I am aware that needs and what works can be different in each context. Therefore, we need to look closely, and evaluate things.
Coursebooks have been important parts of my teaching so far and thanks to the materials module I have developed consciousness on this matter as well. Most importantly I now know that if I am ever the decision maker in choosing a coursebook, I can refer to frameworks and evaluate materials much more professionally based on solid ground. I am also aware that I should be objective and critical when it comes to the materials I have produced myself. Development is an endless process and each time you use your materials you can learn something new about them. Thus, I know that I should always aim to make things better by learning from my mistakes and by not being afraid to explore things and expand my teaching and designing repertoire by trial and error.
As I have explored technology more in depth for ELT and materials design purposes, I became aware that there is so much it can offer to both teachers and learners. I now believe that we must include students in the production and design process as well. I have tried something new by creating this blog and I have learned so much when doing this. Due to this experience I think putting learners in the centre by giving them a say can change so much. With each material and lesson we design, we can be examples and set tasks for learners which involves making them produce something.
There is so much out there that I think it is impossible to explore everything, but we can learn how to use the internet to find out about the tools that work best in the ELT classrooms and for designing materials. We can share our experiences, beliefs, problems, ideas and work. After all, what is the use of doing all these in isolation? Teaching is probably one of the most challenging jobs and I wrote about this in my posts. Thanks to the Language Teacher Education module I took, I have learned so much about the pitfalls and the risks this job includes, but I see professional development as a way to avoid all these and we need to take more responsibility and invest in ourselves to avoid all the bad stuff waiting ahead. If we choose to pursue a career in teaching, we need allies and why don’t we use the teachers all around the world to be on our side, to help us keep going?
Thornbury S. (2002), Don’t mention the war! Taboo topics and the alternative textbook, It’s for Teachers, Issue 3. February 2002, 35-37.
My Materials Blog 