Re: Its meaning and its implications

Thanks for sharing the new Shift Happens, Owen.  I've incorporated some of your ideas in the C3 meeting notes that I just sent out.  I doubt that I have reflected them as you would have though, so I look forward to your changes and additions as well as everyone else's comments.

Cheers,

Bill

On Dec 17, 2007 6:25 PM, Owen James <okokoj@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear C3ers,

My suggestion for Jan 22 is for C3 to lead a discovery session on the message and ideas/issues raised in Shift Happens and the possible implications for teaching and learning in the ELP now (and in the future). This would lead the ELP to establishing its own understanding of the need for small, but fundamental changes to how we work and teach to help ensure a vital, viable, an exciting future for the programme.

As a side note, as my own understanding of the scope and importance of current changes (some of which are included in Shift Happens) developed and what they meant to me as a contract teacher, they did create a fear inside me; a fear of becoming redundant. Unless I updated how I learned, how I worked, I feared ending up unwanted in the global market for teachers.

However, as a strategy to encourage change I would never recommend using fear as persuasion. It is true though, that for certain teachers at certain stages of their career and in certain positions, the world has become much scarier. If I had tenure or was better qualified, that fear would probably not exist. However, as a one-person business, fear of being unemployable is a reality for me. I hope I really do not sound melodramatic, but do hope that this helps you to understand some of my commitment to the importance of what we are attempting.

Best,

Owen.

--
Bill Harshbarger, Ph.D.
Director, English Language Program
International Christian University
3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka-shi
Tokyo 181-8585
+ (81) 422-33-3219
billh@icu.ac.jp
http://indirector.blogspot.com
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