Presentational language

Learn how to make a formal presentation

Task Description:

Prior to this project, learners will practice how to make a formal presentation in Japanese.

Task Type:
scaffolding
Task Focus:
grammar

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Interview language

Learn greetings and language that are used in interview

Task Description:

In order to conduct interviews with the target audience, learners will learn how to conduct interviews in Japanese

Task Type:
scaffolding
Task Focus:
grammar
Task Time:
Before the project time
Technology Tips:

How to record a conversation

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Formal e-mail writing

Learn how to write formal e-mail

Task Description:

In order to communicate with the principle of the Saturday Japanese School, learners will learn how to write formal e-mail.

Task Focus:
grammar
Task Time:
Before the project time
Technology Tips:

Typing Japanese

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Different orthographies in the world

Categorize orthographies in the world.

Task Description:

Learners will learn different contemporary orthographies in the world and how they are categorized (logophraphic, syllabic, alphabetic).

Task Focus:
content
Task Time:
Before the project time

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Introduction to the project

Overview of the project

Task Description:

Give the overview of the project and clarify what the learners are expected to do and what choices they have.

Product Task Map

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Experience simulated dyslexia world

Entry event to launch the project

Task Description:

Using the dyslexia similation video clips in the link below, learners will experience what it is like to read with dyslexia. After that, they will hear what it is like to have dyxlexia from two students in the second video (beginning to 2:30). Learners will watch the videos with the worksheet below (scaffolding).

Dyslexia simulation video (Video A)

Student experience video (Video B)

Dyslexia simulation worksheet (Deliverable)

Task Type:
need to know
Task Focus:
content

Files

Mechanism of reading

Find out how human reads

Task Description:

Prior to dealing with issues of dyslexia, learners will learn how "reading" happens in brain with focus on the relationship between letters and sounds.

Reading candidate 1: "Train your brain" by R. Kawashima (from a 6th Grade textbook)

Task Type:
need to know
Task Focus:
content

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What is going on? Why do we care?

Find out what kinds of issues people with dyslexia are dealing with

Task Description:

Discuss what learners know about dyslexia.

Watch 3:15 - 8:53 of the following video. Using the knowledge from the reading (Mechanism of reading) and this video, discuss what can be the problems, what we want to know about dyslexia and whether there is anything we can do about it.

Video of a student with dyslexia (Video C)

Task Type:
driving question
Task Focus:
interaction

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What style of language should be used for our video?

Analyze different language styles used in professionally made video clips

Task Description:

Learners will discuss who (e.g. elementary school children? Adults?) should be the main target of the video that they will create (learners' choice) and what style of the language they should use for the video. Watch several video clips and hold group (project group) discussion on what language style is appropriate for educational/informational video clips.

Learners have already watched three different video clips (A,B,C) that are different in terms of the language style.

Career Pathway:

ESS01.02.02 adapting language for audience, purpose, and situation

Task Type:
scaffolding

Files

Japanese orthography experience (individual video)

Creating a video clip to share one's own experience

Task Description:

Learners will test out some popular video creating soft and choose one that they want to use for this assignment "sharing Japanese learning experience." Learners will create (including editing) a short video clip (for the audience of their choice) to talk about his/her Japanese learning experience focusing on its writing system (in their choice of language style). The video should explain the similarities and differences among the orthographies of their native language, Japanese, and other language(s) that they have learned, using the knowledge from the previous readings and classes.

Deliverable: Video Clip (Assessment 1)

Task Type:
scaffolding
Task Focus:
technology

Files

Common symptoms of dyslexia

Find out common symptoms of dyslexia and share what you have found with classmates

Task Description:

Learners will select what to read about dyslexia based on their reading level and share what they have found out by giving a short informal presentation. The candidates for readings include children's books, manga, informational website (e.g. the Dyslexia Association of Japan).

Reading candidate 1

Reading candidate 2

Reading candidate 3

Task Type:
need to know

Files

Orthographies and dyslexia

Analyze the relationships between orthographies and dyslexia

Task Description:

Learners will read a short article on how phonological dyslexia happens and analyze why it is more visible in English than Japanese.

Reading candidate 1

Task Type:
need to know
Task Focus:
content
Technology Tips:

Rikaichan or Reading Tutor

Potential Hurdles:

Readings can be too difficult for some learners. Encourage learners to use the above web-based reading support software applications. I would like to have reading materials with a little more explanation than the above candidates. There are some books that I would like to examine.

Files

Preparation for interviews with the audience

Prepare to conduct interviews with students/parents of the Saturday Japanese School

Task Description:

Learners will consider what information from the audience helps them to create a video clip and prepare for the interviews with the audience. They will also decide how they will conduct interviews (e.g. individual, pair, group).  The questions include what information the audience wants from a local expert whom the learners will meet before they start creating a video script. The representatives of the group will write to the principal of the Saturday Japanese school a week before the meeting and after the meeting.

SLO:  Learners will be able to prepare for Japanese interviews about school-related issues, using the appropriate politeness level and school-related vocabulary. 

Deliverable: Interview questions (Assessment 2)

Learners will practice "active listening" (Career pathway ESS 02.08).

Learners will be instructed to pay attention to non-verbal behavior of the interviewees (Career pathway ESS02.07)

Career Pathway:

ESS02.07 Interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues/behaviors to enhance communication with client/participants

ESS 02.08 applying active listening skills to obtain and clarify information

Task Type:
driving question
Task Focus:
content

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Interview: Get to know the audience

Meet the audience (students/parents of the Saturday Japanese school)

Task Description:

Interview students and/or parents of the Saturday Japanese school, using the prepared quesitons.  They will find out what they know about dyslexia and its support system and whether they have any misconceptions or concerns regarding dyslexia. The purpose of this activity includes getting to know the audience for the final product. If allowed, learners will record (video) the interview for further analysis, including non-verbal behavior of native speakers.

After the interview, the learners will discuss who (e.g. children, parents) they want to be the main audience for their video.

SLO: Learners will be able to conduct Japanese interviews about school-related issues by applying active listening (e.g. confirming and clarifying important issues) and interpreting non-verbal behavior of the interviewees.

 

Deliverable: Live interview; What they found out from the interview (content and verbal and non-verbal behavior)

Discussion on self-assessment and reflection on interview to follow

Task Type:
driving question
Task Focus:
interaction

Files

Dyslexia support in American schools

Meet a local expert to find out what is available

Task Description:

Learners will meet a local expert and find out what types of support are available in American schools for students with dyslexia and what is the best way to start getting such support for the audience. It is likely that the local expert does not speak Japanese. Therefore, learners must convert the information they have got into Japanese.

Deliverable: Dyslexia support information in Japanese (Assessment 3)

The assessment of this activity is not only how well they can convert the information into Japanese but also whether they can utilize available resources and technology to conduct translation and check its accuracy.

 

Task Type:
need to know
Task Focus:
technology

Files

Organize ideas and timelines for the video

Discuss what contents should be including in the video

Task Description:

Learners will hold group discussion on the contents and organization of the video. Learners will make a list of individual responsibilities and the project timelines (who do what by when) for the final product.

Deliverable:  The project proposal and timelines

Task Type:
driving question
Task Focus:
content

Files

Scripts of the video

Write the scripts of the video and Power Point slides to be used in the video

Task Description:

Learners will present the scripts of the video with the Power Point slides in class to get feedback for revision

SLO: Leaners will be able to plan a professional quaility video that promotes understanding of a social issue by critically analyzing and organizing the information that they gathered from many different sources.

Deliverable:  Video scripts (Assessment 4)

Task Type:
scaffolding
Task Focus:
feedback and/or revision

Files

Create a video clip

Shoot video

Task Description:

Learners will create a video clip to promote the understanding of dyslexia and to advise how to get/give support for children with dyslexia.

SLO: Learners will be able to create a good quality video to promote understanding of a social issue by using appropriate technology and language.

Task Type:
driving question

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Screening of the video with the live audience

Show the final product to the live audience

Task Description:

Learners will visit the Saturday Japanese School to show their final product. They will get questions and feedback from the audience.

Deliverable: Presentation with a video clip that they created (Assessment 5)

Task Type:
driving question
Task Focus:
feedback and/or revision

Files

Finalize the project

Self-reflect the screening with the audience and the process of the project

Task Description:

Learners will reflect on their project by considering feedback from the audience. Make the final editing of the video, if necessary, for the web version.

SLO: Learners will be able to productively reflect on their own work to prepare for the future project.

Deliverable:  Video clip to be uploaded on Web (Assessment 6)

At the end, learners will assess and reflect on the work of their teammates.

Teamwork Assessment

 

Task Focus:
reflection

Files

Assessment 1 : Individual video

Teacher's assessment and peer assessment of the individual video assignment

Task Description:

Each learner will receive assessment from the teacher and one of the classmate on his/her video that introduces how he/she learned Japanese orthography and what he/she thinks of dyslexia.

Rubric 1

Task Focus:
feedback and/or revision

Files

Assessment 2: Interview preparation

Assess the relevancy and language accuracy of the interview questions and organization of the interview

Task Description:

Learners get feedbacks on the prepared questions for the interviews before they meet the interviewees for their peer (on content relevancy and language use including politeness) and instructor (language accuracy). Learners will also get feedback from their peer regarding how they are doing as a group project member.

Rubric 2

Task Type:
scaffolding
Task Focus:
feedback and/or revision

Files

Assessment 3: Information conversion

Assess how well learners can utilize dictionaries and help from native speakers

Task Description:

Learners will convert the important information that they acquire from the local expert in English into Japanese with help from native speakers of Japanese. This assessment is not only on the translated texts but also on how well learners could utilize resources (e.g. dictionaries, google translate, native speakers).

Rubric 3

Task Focus:
grammar

Files

Assessment 4: Video scripts

Assess the scripts for the video

Task Description:

The scripts for the video will be assesed in terms of its effectiveness communication, and accuracy of the information and language by peer and instructor.

Rubric 4

Task Focus:
feedback and/or revision

Files

Assessment 5: Video creation and presentation

The video clip and its presentation assessment

Task Description:

The video clip and the way that was presented to the live audience, including introduction, will be assessed by the target audience and self.

Rubric 5

Task Focus:
feedback and/or revision

Files

Assessment 6: The final product

The web version will be assessed by peer and instructor

Task Description:

After the presentation of the video clip, learners may revise the video. The final version will be assessed by peer and instructor. The peer assessment includes the process of this project such as how cooperative this individual was for the project.

Rubric 6

Task Focus:
feedback and/or revision

Files

Teamwork Assessment

Reflect the project by giving peer assessment on Team work

Task Description:

Learners will assess their project groupmates reflecting the project proposal and timelines that they submitted earlier.

Rubric 7

Task Focus:
reflection

Files