ELT Journal Article: Affordance, learning opportunities and the lesson plan pro forma

My recent article for ELT Journal is available free online, here, as it was selected as Editor’s Choice article for July 2015. Oxford University Press also asked me to record a short introductory video, now posted on YouTube, where I can be seen doing my Tommy Cooper impression (not discussed in the article):

If you don’t have time to read it, or to watch the video, but paradoxically do have time to read this, it basically explores my concern that the lesson plan pro formas (templates) we use for observed lessons are ill-equipped for describing the practices of experienced teachers, and also make it difficult to account for unplanned / unplannable learning (affordance) in advance.

I suggest a number of changes to the standard pro formas used in ELT, Most importantly, replacing ‘Objectives/Aims/Learning outcomes’ with ‘Learning opportunities’, and replacing ‘Anticipated problems’ with ‘Possible occurrences’.

I’ve had some very interesting feedback on the article so far. I’m interested to hear from individuals or organisations who make changes to the pro formas they use, whether this be in assessed teacher training (CELTA, Delta, Dip. TESOL, etc.), quality assurance or CPD as a result of reading the article.

Enjoy reading it!

 

 

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