Let's Create Your Own Stories

English picture books are quite popular in recent years. Some English teachers in elementary schools or junior high schools are even trying to integrate English picture books into their lesson plans. In my opinion, it's a nice way for teachers to enhance their students' learning interest. 

Teachers can search for some online English picture books as their teaching material. However, it would be greater if teachers can create their own English picture books for their students. The much cooler thing is that their students can even create their picture books; or they collaborate with each other or with teachers to invent the picture books.  If you are wondering "where can I find this kind of website", then now you are in the right place!

The website for making your picture books is called "Storybird". Actually, you can both read and create stories here. And it's totally free for you to apply for an account. When you apply for an account, you can choose the type of your account. There are 3 types: regular account, teacher account and kid account (under 13).

Book Recommendation -- Big Nate in a Class by Himself

Book:  Big Nate in a Class by Himself

Author: Lincoln Peirce

Level : suitable for 9 graders (or above)

中英對照版

英文版

英語扎根 北市首創評量手冊

中央社 – 2011年10月6日 下午7:32   （中央社記者許雅筑台北6日電）

台北市政府教育局今天表示，今年首創英語聽說評量手冊，並發送給國小一到六年級學生，希望以生活化、趣味化及多元化的內容，提升學生的英語聽說能力，並落實多元評量。

 
教育局表示，100學年度首度研發印製「台北市國民小學英語聽說評量手冊」，發送給國小一到六年級學生，搭配教學，鼓勵教師以生動、無壓力的方式評量學生的英語聽、說能力，讓學生透過多元學習活動奠定基礎。

教育局邀請中國文化大學教授張武昌指導，由國小英語輔導團老師依據課程綱要及能力指標編寫。內容分為「單字」、「生活用語」及「簡易句型」3部分，分別以320個口語應用字詞、69句生活用語及30句簡易句型作依據，依年級、主題分類編排，並設計成口袋書方便攜帶。

藉由師長與孩子「問答」，評量手冊能評量學生辨音、辨字、了解及回應等能力，並記錄下孩子英語學習歷程，供教師作為個別輔導教學依據。

英語教學小一開始 親師:不切實際

 台灣立報 – 2011年4月21日 上午12:00  【記者張舒涵台北報導】

教育部20日發布教育報告書，在十大發展中因應全球化的教育方案──「中小學國際教育白皮書」，結合地方、民間將國際教育向下延伸，預計10年內將英語教育向下延伸至國小1年級。家長、教師團體卻不以為然，強調現階段應全力推動12年國教，英語課程缺乏妥善規劃，恐將增加學習壓力，教育部將被迫「蠟燭兩頭燒」。

「中小學國際教育白皮書」將朝4個面向實施國際教育，教育部國際文教處專員邱玉蟾表示，台灣中小學國際教育大多集中跨國校際交流，缺乏融入課程、教師專業及學校師資、經費整合。未來10年將從「融入課程」「國際交流」「教師專業成長」及「學校國際化」策劃，預計以每年2.4億元經費與地方政府合作，結合大專院校指導，透過明確、系統政策規劃加強實施。

教育部長吳清基表示，受限於課綱，目前英語教學從小學3年級開始，部分縣市衡量需求從1或2年級開始，部份學校以專案處理，籌備校務基金或對外募款聘請英文老師。吳清基認為，只要師資符合標準、教材課綱規劃妥善，便鼓勵縣市提出英語教學向下延伸計劃，希望未來10年能全面延伸到小1開始實施英語教學。

需要準備更多資源
但台南市教育局副局長王水文表示，就目前狀況來看，小1剛進入學校就要學習英文，又要顧及中文、母語可能無法負荷。他觀察台南市10年來從小2起步學英文成效不錯，由市政府統一聘雇約10位外籍老師到國小教英語，若要從小一開始學英語，政府勢必要有更多資源做準備。

屏東縣教育處處長顏慶祥表示，學好英語的重點是專業優秀的英語老師，但目前許多學校缺乏合格老師，而少子化使非英語專業的老師面臨失業，教育部應針對超額老師拿出對策和資源，讓各校招考新進老師，解決超額老師的困境。他認為，追求國際化教育、推動英語教學，同時更要注重人文素養，才能做到全人發展。

中華民國各級學校家長協會理事長李秀貞不反對教育部的做法，但擔心小一生要兼顧英語和母語，恐怕手忙腳亂，又缺少妥善學習環境，只是蜻蜓點水；此外，若無補強偏鄉的師資及教學設備，對弱勢地區的師生反而是殘忍的政策；她憂心，教育部12年國教是否順利推動已成問題，如今還要分散資源恐怕會兩頭空」

莫讓學生徒增壓力
全國教師會理事長劉欽旭建議教育部仔細考量。他表示，許多專家認為國小5年級開始學英語即可，英語教學向下延伸若非排擠其他課程，就是得額外加課，教育部因考慮地方壓力，多年前曾將英語教育從5年級向下延伸到3年級，如今又向1年級推進，未來恐怕又有縣市會往幼稚園「偷跑」。

劉欽旭認為，學好英語不等同具有良好國際觀，建議教育部要以新北市英語活化課程的諸多問題為前車之鑑。目前台灣學習時數已排名世界前端，再加重學生負擔恐會造成學習反效果。他認為，教育部應將焦點放在12年國教實施後，國中英語教育如何從競爭模式回歸常態，況且12年國教經費已快「難產」，教育部應該量力而為，不該繼續不切實際下去！

台中市英語教學 聘歐美外師

台中市落實英語教學 外師不足分配難

更新日期:2011/08/31 17:08(記者 林文豪採訪報導)

台中市為了落實市長胡志強英語教學向下延伸的政策，今年度一共聘僱20位歐美外籍英語教師，不過，合併前原台中市就有12位教師，合併後卻只增加8位，大台中幅員更廣，突顯教師資源明顯不足，教育局表示將再爭取經費來強化教學品質。

台中市每年編列預算落實聘僱外籍英語教師教學，在縣市合併前，以每名教師一年100萬經費來看，每年編列12名教師要1200萬預算，但縣市合併後，幅員跟人口變更多，卻只有增聘8名教師，還要分配到台中226所學校，外籍教師人數明顯不足，教育局長賴清標表示，外籍教師的確不足，而原臺中市聘僱外籍英語教師10名，原臺中縣聘僱2名；縣市合併後市府編列充裕的經費，再增聘8位外師，以分配至偏鄉及英語中心學校優先，包含海線與山線地區學校，未來也會再爭取預算加強師資。


另外，依照教育部課程綱要規定國小三年級開始上英語課並有一定節數，但教育局表示台中市個別校可自行決定彈性課程，以致於各國小都在一、二年級就提前開始上英語課，也增加英語課程節數，台中市要落實英語教學向下延伸，其實更突顯外籍教師不足的問題。

台中聘20歐美澳英語教師

更新日期:2011/09/01 00:07 【記者張淑珠／台中報導】

為提升國中小英語文教學成效，台中市政府聘僱二十位來自歐美及澳大利亞等國合格英語教師，這二十位外籍英語教師將服務二十所英語推動學校及偏鄉學校，有助於營造完善的英語學習環境，培養學生聽說讀寫的英語溝通能力，讓孩子瞭解及接納多元文化，擴展孩子的世界觀。

教育局表示，原台中市聘僱外籍英語教師十名，原台中縣聘僱二名；縣市合併後市府編列充裕的經費，再增聘八位外師，以分配至偏鄉及英語中心學校優先，包含海線與山線地區學校。外籍英語教師協助學校課程教材的編選、研究與發展，並透過教學觀摩、演示、經驗分享本國英語教師。

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These two pieces of news reported on the same event, yet presented it in different perspectives. The second one seems to only focus on the advantages of hiring foreign English teachers. Nonetheless, the first one pointed out certain deficiencies of the policy of  hiring foreign English teachers. On a personal level, I like to see more reports on the same issue. It's because I can have more comprehensive view toward the discussed issue. The issue of hiring foreign English teachers in Taichung City is a good example. If we only read the second piece of news report, we may focus on the advantages of this policy and fail to notice the underlying problem-there are more than 20 schools in Taichung City, but only 20  foreign English teachers are hired. This shows that the resources isn't enough to provide all schools to implement the policy of extending English learning to first graders. According to the news, apparently only schools in the remote places and schools that  make a lot of effort on English learning would receive such resources. But how about other schools that belong to neither of the two categories? I understand why the government decided to allocate the resource in such way; however,  I doubt that other schools would have the chance to receive this kind of resource. After all, it's nearly impossible for Taichung City to ask for enough budget to cover the expense of hiring enough foreign English teachers to have all schools to receive the resource. I think that  the government would have a plan to solve the problem; or at least, the government has prepared a plan for schools in Taichung City to share the limited resource of foreign English teachers in the future. 

Reflection of Teacher Jenny and Teacher Lin's Speech

l  Reflection of Teacher Jenny and Teacher Lin's Speech:

After listening to Teacher Jenny’s speech, I started to rethink the reasons why I choose to become a teacher in a serious way. For me, there are several elements that somehow entice and also “push” me to choose this career. Since both my parents are teachers, they instill me with the concept that I may choose the occupation teacher in the future. I am not certain about their motivation of saying this; but I am sure that most people would say that choosing to be a teacher equals to choosing a stable career; most people would even say that teachers have winter and summer vacation for them to take a long rest. How nice! Indeed, these things do sound attempting. However, for anyone who wants to become a “good” teacher should not see this career from these perspectives. Teacher Jenny pointed this out in her speech as well. On hearing her words, I think that I ought to see this career from a very serious perspective. I should not think about what benefits this occupation would bring to me but think about what things I could give to my future students. I ought to get rid of my childish thoughts of this career, starting thinking about it in an altruistic way. 


In fact, Teacher Jenny's talk gave me some food for thought. She mentioned that we don't have to try to "become" other teachers; it is unnecessary for us to imitate other teachers' teaching style.   She believed that every teacher has his/her own teaching style. We, as a prospective teacher, have to know about our own merits and style. Then, we can try to magnify our strengths while we teach. Once in a while, we may see some good teachers who we want to emulate. At that moment, we need not to totally imitate that teachers' teaching style. Teacher Jenny said that we can see what part of the teacher's teaching suits our own teaching style and then we learn that part; namely, we only have to adjust our teaching style for a little bit. "Just be yourself" is the main notion that teacher Jenny wanted to convey to us!

桃縣小一英語教學 四萬多名學童受益

更新日期:2011/09/10 10:25

桃園縣從今年開始，一百八十八所國小推動小一年級英語教學，桃園縣長吳志揚表示，推動小一學英語政策，就是為了要減少城鄉及弱勢家庭的差距，讓偏遠的鄉村及弱勢家庭的兒童，也能在無負擔的情形下接觸英語，並且把英語當成是生活的一部分，快樂的學英語。


桃園縣推動小一英語教學，讓偏遠地區和弱勢兒童一樣能夠學習，桃園縣長吳志揚表示，英文對於各行各業都相當的重要，縣府去年開始就有小一學英語的計畫，今年六月實施計畫獲教育部核准後正式上路，在一百學年度正式實施，總計有一百八十八所國小、四萬多名兒童受惠。


推廣小一英語，絕對不要讓學童有考試壓力存在，吳志揚縣長強調，希望小朋友不要將學英語當作是苦差事，而是當作生活的一部分，快樂的學習，重要的是要敢開口說英語，不要有考試的壓力，同時也反對填鴨式的教育。


吳志揚縣長表示，小一學英語政策，讓家長不必再有任何的負擔下，孩童就可以接觸學習。（李明朝報導）


Related news: 英語教育一國多制 (遠見)

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It's nice to see such kind of English learning policy takes effect. But one thing that really concerns me the most is about the source of English teachers with good teaching quality. After this policy is put into practice, elementary schools in  Tao Yuan county would need more English teachers to English. What deserves our attention is that whether these English teachers who are hired to help the county successfully implement the policy have received enough educational training and could provide fine quality of English teaching. I do hoped that the county has well-planed this policy and would not just hired any English teachers who is seemingly capable of speaking English fluently,but incapable of teaching English.

I still have something to say about the claim "The purpose of promoting learning English among first graders is not to let students under the pressure of test. ".  Indeed, this is a good starting point for young children. However, it is likely that students may not take it seriously; also, there is no English learning evaluation to propel students to learn. In the end, students may not have solid fundamental knowledge of English. Once they enter junior high schools where the subject English is going to be put in the testing list, students may feel a great stress of learning English for they have to learn English from the very beginning.