Enhancing Your Reading Strategies and Teaching Skills

The JOINT online professional development program of the Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ) offered "Enhancing Your Reading Strategies and Teaching Skills" in Spring 2010. This 6-week online course was designed for non-native-speaking Japanese language teachers who wish to advance their reading skills in Japanese by becoming independent, autonomous, life-long learners of Japanese. Specifically, the course aims to help participants (a) deepen their understanding of reading strategies and (b) better implement reading strategies in their own teaching. The course, which features the use of interactive technologies and collaborative work by participants, will be offered again on a rotating schedule; please check back for updates.

Description: The course utilizes background readings and some existing materials as examples, but hands-on experience is emphasized, and course participants will create their own sets of reading activities to be used in their classes. Participants will work on assigned readings and lectures independently, hold online video conference discussions in small groups, keep a reflection journal, and work collaboratively in pairs to develop materials. Assignments and evaluations are designed to accommodate the differing needs of those who are enrolled in the course. Participants will be asked for permission to share the materials they create (via the Alliance website) with the broader Japanese language education community after the end of the course.

Faculty: Hisae Fujiwara (University of California, San Diego); Etsuko Takahashi (Wesleyan University).

Schedule: This course is delivered entirely online. Participants will be expected to spend about five hours a week on average on coursework: one hour for reading on reading strategies, one hour for reading Japanese texts, 0.5 hour listening to an online lecture, one hour in real-time group discussion, and one hour working on assignments and projects.

Materials: Selected reading materials will be made available online.

Credit and Grading: Graduate credit is made available for those who wish it, at a reasonable cost (usually $50-$60 per credit). Those participants who elect to receive credit will receive grades for the course; grades will be based on participation, materials development projects, completion of assigned readings, and self/peer evaluation. All participants who complete the course will receive certificates of completion from AATJ/JOINT.

Fees: The fee for the course is $75*, payable after enrollment is confirmed. (This fee is separate from the cost of registering to earn credit, which is optional.) There is a limit on the number of participants who can be accommodated, and you will be notified after sending your enrollment request.

Cancellation Policy: Participation in this course requires a commitment to devote several hours a week to real-time online collaborative work with classmates and instructors. Time will be devoted at the beginning to making sure that participants are familiar with interactive technology and can use it comfortably. If a participant is forced to withdraw for unavoidable reasons once the course has begun, his or her enrollment fees cannot be refunded.

Required Language Background for Participants: Applicants will be asked to take an online Japanese proficiency level self-assessment test, and acceptance into the course will be based in part on the results of the assessment.

Required Technical Background for Participants: Participants should be familiar with basic Internet features such as looking for information, reading online materials, downloading materials, sending and receiving emails, and online chatting. Experience with using Skype (voice and/or webcam) and a collaborative writing tool such as Google Docs or wiki would be a plus. A fast Internet connection (Ethernet or wireless) will be needed to work on various online activities; dial-up modem connection is not recommended. Participants who do not have a webcam and microphone built into their computers will need to purchase one for course participation (the cost for this equipment is usually about $25).

* JOINT program courses can be offered at a low fee thanks to the support of several organizations: the Japan Foundation, the Toshiba International Foundation, the Shoyu Club, and the US-Japan Foundation.