语言、思维

语言是人的思维的外现、载体。语言反映了一个人的理解与思考。这里的语言专指遣词用字。这几年,可能是读书的后遗症,我对于个人的遣词用字,尤其是在其他华文老师面前,更是非常谨慎。不仅如此,只要有机会,我也会尝试唤起其他华文老师对他们个人的遣词用字的意识。

过去三天一共开了四门课(三门玩转科技、一门Clinic)。昨天的Clinic来了四位有缘人(少了一位临时被校方指派带学生出国)。课上当然少不了上述的动作。从几位新朋友的反馈中,看得出他们对于科技在华文教学中的定位开始有了新的思考,即由ICT是辅助教学,过渡到ICT是促成教学的那么一个定位。

“辅助”在我们一般非学术性的理解,即可有可无(cf. 辅助读本、读物、刊物)。
“促成”即若不存在了,则无戏可唱也。当然,ICT的定位若是促成教学,则必得从ICT的affordance出发作思考。

今天打开早报网,就看到了《为激发学生对华文兴趣费尽心思 ,十一教师获颁全国模范华文教师奖》。非常恭喜这11位教师,以及许多没有获奖的教师朋友们辛苦了。

zaobao.com report

(acknowledgement: SPH/zaobao.com)

当然,熟悉我的朋友都知道我看了这一组标题会有什么”反应”。

这一组标题中有一个令我非常反应大的词,即“兴趣”。而且还出现了7次。“反应”之大大至我的论文研究所做就是拜其所赐(下载后看一看第5页的中文摘要)。

一个人学习的原因种种,“兴趣”只是百般原因之一。一个人之所以学(或不学),应该归咎于“动机 motivation”。学生学任何学科学得如何,是动机所致。简单地把学习和“兴趣”挂钩,第一、我会反问“没有兴趣就不能学了吗?”;第二、这或许无意识地泄漏了个人认知的有限。语言反映思维,如果认知中有上述的理解,为什么舍“动机”而用“兴趣”呢?第三、这反映了华文老师的不够专业。“兴趣”一词,大多数非教育工作者都说得出。“动机motivation”却是一个相对专业的名词。要提升华文老师的专业身份,反映我们对于教学的认识与思考,我们得在用语上求专业化。

语言反映思维,思维则影响教学设计。从专业的思考出发,一套引起“兴趣”的教学设计 vs. 一套引起“学习动机”的教学设计,你认为会有不同吗?为什么? (:

再说回上面ICT的话题,一个ICT作辅助的教学设计 vs. 一个ICT促成学习的教学设计,你认为会有不同吗?为什么? (:

language learning – motivation, discipline

saw this post on fb that caught my eyes:

160415-violinist_motivation_discipline

ignore, or look beyond the first paragraph.

the writer of this little piece was talking about practising music/violin #ipresume. 我们当中有玩乐器的就会知道,“练习”这一回事可以是奇闷无比的,但是不练又难以达到所需的(成熟)技术,尤其是手指的灵活度、身体对节奏的敏感与反映。@PS 不知道打羽球是不是也这样?

语文学习何尝不是有这般成分?有吗?还是没有?应该有吧?有哪些呢?:P

motivation (cf. 兴趣) 是我们热衷的话题。这一小段文字不禁提醒了我——或许我们在维系学生的学习动机的当儿,不可忽略的是discipline——纪律这一块。纪律,从“教”的角度出发较常关联的是课室管理classroom mgmt “CM”. 若从“学习”的角度出发呢?语文学习可以培养哪些纪律呢?换句话说,学习的语文的当儿其实也在“学习”纪律。

写到这儿,不禁又联想到,“学习”一词,引起开始的“学”或许是motivation;接下来能不能持之以恒地“习”,discipline就占主导了?当然,这里我想的是主次的关系,不是二分; it’s not a dichotomy.

motivation – discipline is an inseparable duo. @斯安 Skilful Teacher 中是这样阐释的吗? 😛

confidence, where does it belong?

was discussing interpretation of data with yanni this morning, and we came upon a quote that touches on 信心 confidence. but where does it belong? a quick search placed it under beliefs, specifically self-beliefs.

and how is confidence related to learning? chanced upon Saga Briggs’ article, where she cited Kansas State U’s Professor Candice Shoemaker:

“Confidence is a measure of one’s belief in one’s own abilities and is considered a psychological trait that is related to, but distinct from, both personality and ability traits,” she says. “An interrelated construct is ‘self-efficacy,’ which refers to a person’s belief in one’s capabilities to learn or perform behaviors. Research shows that self-efficacy influences academic motivation, learning, and achievement. “

Briggs added, “Although confidence and self-efficacy are interrelated, she says, a defining aspect of self-efficacy, which distinguishes it from the more general construct of confidence, is its domain-specific nature.”

so in summary, confidence is a one’s belief in oneself without a specific domain, and self-efficacy treats confidence in the learning domain. and since self-efficacy may affect learner’s motivation, the act of learning, and achievement in learning, it shows how important a learner gains confidence 信心 while s/he learn. yes, a related qn would be how do we build/increase confidence of a learner? this is something important to explore, next (:

confidence photo(acknowledgement: geralt)