COURSE SUMMARIES 1

In C&T 709: Foundations of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Heidi Hallman guided us
through an overview of several influential theorists in the history of Western education. Our text,
The Curriculum Studies Reader​ by Flinders and Thorton (2004) provided a sample of articles
from those said theorists. Besides the theorists I’ve already mentioned in learning outcome 1A,
many others provided fundamental knowledge to my repertoire. Maria Montessori’s methods
were utilized in Japanese preschools, but I did not fully grasp that fact until this course. Reading
Wayne Au’s criticism of standardized testing has continued to force me to view such tests with
an observant eye in my daily practice. Elliot Eisner’s arguments for artistic thinking in general
curriculum resonated with me greatly because of my background in the arts. His idea that “[T]he
outcomes of instruction are far more numerous and complex for educational objectives to
encompass” (Eisner, 1983, p. 111) align with my idea that language is much like the visual arts,
in that there is an infinite amount of possibility that cannot be limited by a letter grade.

In C&T 820: Teaching English as a Second Language/Bilingual Education, Dr. Junfu

Gao guided us through ESL teaching fundamentals based on a course authored by Dr. Hyesun
Cho. Through the course material and the text, ​Strategies for teaching English learners​ by
Diaz-Rico (2013), we we introduced to concepts such as communicative language teaching
(CLT), task-based language teaching (TBLT), specially designed academic instruction in English
(SDAIE), and the sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP). I was able to apply these
concepts in my own context to varying extents in opposition to the grammar-translation method
and rote learning still popular in Asia. Luis C. Moll’s “funds of knowledge” concept was
particularly influential, as we were taught to take into consideration aspects of students’
backgrounds to enhance learning. Through an interview project with a Taiwanese student about
his culture and learning context, I was able to learn more about my own heritage through his
eyes.

In C&T 826: Linguistic Analysis for TESOL Educators, Dr. Manuela Gonzalez-Bueno
assessed our understanding of English grammar with the help of the text - ​Linguistics for
non-linguists​ by Parker & Riley (2010). Each module and chapter was broken down into the
elements of linguistics: pragmatics, semantics, syntax, morphology, and phonology. This course
was extremely influential to my teaching practice, as I gained a deep understanding of English
grammar that I was previously only vaguely competent with. In my undergraduate program, I
had previously taken a 4000 level course called Grammar and Usage that I did extremely poorly
in. I saw this as redemption after over half a decade of teaching experience. While I do not go
through the linguistic concepts on such a deep level in my daily teaching, I apply the concepts
through sentence structures that break down information into digestible sections for students.
This form of comprehensible input seems highly beneficial to them. I also became more
interested in Professor Steven Pinker’s linguistics work after this course, having previously been
introduced to him through his mass market work ​The Better Angels of Our Nature​ (2011).
COURSE SUMMARIES 2

In C&T 822: Second Language Acquisition for TESOL Educators, Dr. Lonna Rocha
guided us through several theories and concepts on language acquisition, based on the authoring
of Dr. Paul Markham. The text was ​Principles of Language Learning and Teaching​ (2014).
Concepts such as the silent period, critical period hypothesis, and Noam Chomsky’s universal
grammar had me reflect on my own language learning experiences. While many of the theories
presented have been highly debated throughout the years, having knowledge of them is quite
useful in guiding students through various stages of their education. For example, Krashen’s
(1983) affective filter hypothesis explains situations where students will not be able to learn:
“...acquirers in a less than optimal affective state will have a filter, or mental block, preventing
them from utilizing input fully for further language acquisition. If they are anxious, on the
defensive, or not motivated, they may understand the input, but the input will not enter the
‘language acquisition device’” (p. 5).We were introduced to tools such as Kaplan’s theory
evaluation tool, which helped us to dispel language learning myths and look at research with a
critical eye.

In C&T 824: Problems in Second Language Instruction, Dr. Lonna Rocha provided a
survey of various problems in ESL education based on the authoring of Dr. Karen Jorgensen.
The texts, ​Reading, writing, and learning in ESL​ by Peregoy & Boyle (2017) and ​Academic
conversations​ by Zwiers & Crawford (2011) provided us with techniques that could be used in
the classroom. I continue to utilize some of these tools, such as sentence frames and builders. We
were also introduced to civil rights and social justice issues. Dr. Sonia Nieto’s culturally
responsive pedagogy was influential in a similar way that Moll’s funds of knowledge was, in that
it led me to build upon student-focused teaching in the classroom. We were assigned to evaluate
our schools’ curriculums and textbooks, which led me to question a lot of the culturally
insensitive material in my program. My analysis of textbooks and the images used within them in
particular connected to my individual research of picture books and the text-image interaction.

In C&T 807, Dr. John Muchira guided us through an overview of multicultural education
based on material authored by Dr. Bobby Nichols and Dr. Mary Lynn Hamilton. This was
supplemented by the text, ​Multicultural education: issues and perspectives​ by Banks & Banks
(2013). Richert’s ​What should I do? (​ 2012) provided case studies of teachers’ experiences with
dealing with multicultural issues in the classroom. We were introduced to culturally responsive
and sustainable pedagogy, before studying specifically about discrimination based on gender,
sexual orientation, religion, race, etc. Jane Elliott’s blue eyes and brown eyes experiment was
particularly memorable. Students under this experiment became discriminated against based on
their eye color alone, with social effects occurring alarmingly quickly after the experiment’s
start. Having taught abroad for most of my career, I believe that a similar effect happens when
teachers do decide to teach in a foreign country; experiencing discrimination for the first time in
COURSE SUMMARIES 3

their lives. Such studies reaffirmed my responsibility as an educator, in being able to have that
sort of empathy that is so hard to obtain. Discussions on exceptionality, profiling, and deficit
thinking had me reflect on my own education as an Asian-American minority in the U.S.
education system. I learned the “model minority” term for the first time, despite being all too
familiar with its effects throughout my life. The concept of the pygmalion effect has remained
influential in my practice.

In EPSY 715: Understanding Research Methods in Education, Dr. Vicki Peyton showed
us how to critically evaluate published research as well as understand the design of scholarly
articles. The text, ​Research and evaluation in educational psychology​ by Mertens (2014), aided
in this. We were introduced to the major research paradigms: postpositivism, constructivism,
transformative, and pragmatism; as well as mixed methods. We were taught the difference
between qualitative and quantitative research designs, and shown procedural versus theoretical
sampling. We were taught how to analyze scholarly articles for reliability and validity. While I
do not do research regularly in my practice, this course helped me to understand the
fundamentals. It has also helped me to view scholarly articles with a critical eye, especially when
they are cited by news and media outlets for example.

In C&T 745: Reading and the English Language Learner, Dr. Dian Prestwich guided us
through reading instruction for English language learners based on the authoring of Dr. Karen
Jorgensen. The texts were ​Literacy development with English leaders ​by Helman (2016) and
Writing between languages ​by Fu (2009). The second book was particularly influential to me in
convincing me of the benefits of bilingual education, and allowing students to continue using
their first language in composing. We were offered other tools such as the ReadWriteThink
lesson plan structure, which have been helpful in my tutoring instruction with advanced learners.
Individual research conducted in this course allowed me to further explore picture books’ role in
ESL.

In C&T 821: Assessment in TESOL, Dr. Lonna Rocha guided us through the principles
of assessment. We explored validity and reliability in testing, as well as bias, before specifically
observing and creating tests for the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and
writing. The text, ​Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices​ by Brown and
Abeywickrama (2010) provided numerous examples of assessment in English education. With
first hand experience in creating “pure” assessments, only testing on skill at a time, this course
has advanced my ability to look at standardized testing with a critical eye. It has also allowed me
to create formative and summative assessments for my learners with validity in mind.
COURSE SUMMARIES 4

C&T 898: Master’s Project marks the capstone of the program, allowing us to reflect on
all that we have learned by collecting artifacts into an online portfolio. Dr. Carrie La Voy
provided extensive feedback on our work, helping to transform the portfolio into a presentable
professional product.
COURSE SUMMARIES 5

Bibliography

Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. (2013). Multicultural education: issues and perspectives. Hoboken,
NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Brown, H. D. (2014). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. 6th. ed. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall

Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2010). Language assessment: Principles and classroom
practices(2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education

Díaz-Rico, L. T. (2013). Strategies for teaching English learners. Boston: Pearson.

Eisner, E. (1983). " Educational Objectives: Help or Hindrance?" Elliott Eisner [1967]. ​American
Journal of Education,​ ​91​(4), 549-560. Retrieved July 11, 2020, from
www.jstor.org/stable/1085243

Flinders, D. J. & Thornton, S. J. (2017). The curriculum studies reader (5th edition). New York,
NY: Routledge.

Fu, Danling. (2009). Writing between languages: How English language learners make the
transition to fluency. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishers.

Helman, L. (Ed.) (2016). Literacy development with English learners: Research-based

instruction in grades K-6 (2nd ed.). New York, NY; The Guilford Press.

Krashen, S. D. (1983). Practical applications of research. Psycholinguistic Research ACTFL

Yearbook . National Textbook. P. 54-65

Mertens, D. M. (2014, 4th edition). Research and evaluation in educational psychology:

Integrating
diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Parker, F., & Riley, K. L. (2010).Linguistics for non-linguists: A primer with exercises(5th ed.).
Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Peregoy, S. F., & Boyle, O. G. (2017). Reading, writing, and learning in ESL: A resource book
for teaching K-12 English learners. Boston, MA: Pearson.
COURSE SUMMARIES 6

Richert, A. E. (2012). What should I do?: confronting dilemmas of teaching in urban schools.
New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Zwiers, J., & Crawford, Marie. (2011). Academic conversations : Classroom talk that fosters
critical thinking and content understandings. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse.