Oxford Day 2016

Richard Attwood

Otsu City Elementary School

Curriculum Design Project

2

Todays Goal

To describe Otsu city's vision of a modern ELT programme and

how materials, methods and training were adapted for

Japanese public elementary school classrooms, reflecting on

the successes and challenges of the project so far.

Otsu City elementary school curriculum

design project

3

Agenda

• An introduction to Otsu City

• Project origins

• Planning the project

• Materials selection

• Teacher support

• Lessons learnt

• Future steps

• Q&A

Otsu City elementary school curriculum

design project

Otsu City

4

Shiga Prefecture

Source:国土交通省 国土数値情報(行政区域) Source:Google Maps

5

The Evening Bell at Mii-dera, an ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 1858)

Otsu City

6

Elementary school system

37

730

18,000

Project Origins

7

Top level engagement

• Mayor Naomi Koshi

• Harvard Law School graduate

• Passed New York State Bar Exam in 2009

• Elected 23rd mayor of Otsu City in 2012

• “Five Smiles Project” manifesto:

子育てと教育を最優先し、子どもの未来が輝く大津へ

研究開発学校制度の活用などによる外国活動教育のモデル都市化

Source:Otsu City Official Website

Lessons Learnt

8

Stakeholder buy-in is vital for success

Source:Wikipedia; Credit: Mister-E

Planning the project

9

Before

• Weekly classes in 5th and 6th grade

• Students using Ministry-approved text

• Most classes planned and lead by ALTs

• Some schools piloting early-grade classes

Planning the project

10

BOE concerns

• Homeroom teachers

not getting involved in

classes

• Variable lesson

quality

• No visibility of student

achievement

Planning the project

11

BOE vision

• Homeroom teachers

not getting involved in

classes

• Variable lesson

quality

• No visibility of student

achievement

• A model language programme

• Standard curriculum and lesson plans

• Homeroom teachers leading classes

• Assessment of outcomes

Nov 2014

Jan 2015

March 2015

Jun 2015

Sept 2015

March 2016

April 2016

Planning the project

12

Timeline

Tender

proposal

3 pilot

schools

Select 1

partner

5 model

schools

All 37

schools

Curriculum

revisions

Nov 2014

Jan 2015

March 2015

Jun 2015

Sept 2015

March 2016

April 2016

Planning the project

13

Timeline

Tender

proposal

Materials selection

14

A range of options

Materials selection

15

The best fit

Communication focus

BOE aim of real English use

Standard unit and lesson format

Easy for HRTs to follow

Spiral curriculum

BOE request to provide review

Test programme BOE aim to assess student outcomes

Materials selection

16

The best fit

Materials selection

17

The best fit

Materials selection

18

iTools

Planning the project

19

Materials selection

Grades 1~4

• 2 units per year

• 2 pages per class

Grades 5~6

• 4 units per year

• 1 page per class

New Horizon 1

60% of language

34% of key

vocabulary

Nov 2014

Jan 2015

March 2015

Jun 2015

Sept 2015

March 2016

April 2016

Planning the project

20

Timeline

1st tender

proposal

3 pilot

schools

Pilot programme

21

Good feedback

The pilot was a meaningfuland useful experience for

teachers

The pilot was a meaningfuland useful experience for

students

Strongly agree 1 0

Agree 3 4

Neither 0 0

Disagree 0 0

Strongly disagree 0 0

0

1

2

3

4

Pilot programme

22

Good feedback

• Lesson plans

Clarity of lesson plans Clear link between plan & lesson goal

Excellent 0 2

Good 4 2

Regular 0 0

Poor 0 0

Very poor 0 0

0

1

2

3

4

Pilot programme

23

Good feedback

• Materials

Student English abilityimproved as a result

of using Let's GoiTools was easy to use

iTools was useful forstudents

Strongly agree 1

Agree 3 3 4

Neither 0

Disagree 0 1

Strongly disagree 0

0

1

2

3

4

Nov 2014

Jan 2015

March 2015

Jun 2015

Sept 2015

March 2016

April 2016

Planning the project

24

Timeline

1st tender

proposal

1 pilot

school

2nd tender

proposal

Planning the project

25

Materials selection

Module programme

Planning the project

26

Materials Selection

Storytime Chants Card games

Oxford Reading Tree Jazz Chants® Let’s Go student cards

Planning the project

27

Materials selection

Grade Classes Modules Assessment

1~4 8 3~5 / week Listening

5~6 35 3~5 / week Speaking &

Listening

Nov 2014

Jan 2015

March 2015

Jun 2015

Sept 2015

March 2016

April 2016

Planning the project

28

Timeline

Tender

proposal

3 pilot

schools

5 model

schools

All 37

schools

2nd tender

proposal

Curriculum

revisions

Planning the project

29

Assessment

Nov 2014

Jan 2015

March 2015

Jun 2015

Sept 2015

March 2016

April 2016

Planning the project

30

Timeline

Tender

proposal

3 pilot

schools

5 model

schools

All 37

schools

2nd tender

proposal

Curriculum

revisions

Lessons Learnt

31

Existing materials can be adapted for Japanese

elementary schools

Source:Wikipedia; Credit: Mister-E

Planning the project

32

33

Source:Wikipedia; Credit: Mister-E

Lessons Learnt

34

Teachers need an enormous amount of support

to begin teaching English effectively

• Lesson overview

• Introduction to Let’s Go

• Lesson plans

• Reading guides

• Jazz Chants guides

• Card game ideas

• Reflection cards

• Meeting sheets

Training

Comprehensive Japanese support materials

Training

Demo videos

38

Survey results

39

224 respondents

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Absolutely no confidence Very confident

No

. o

f te

ach

ers

Confidence to lead activites

Survey results

40

224 respondents

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Absolutely no confidence Very confident

No

. o

f te

ach

ers

Confidence to teach alone

Source:Wikipedia; Credit: Mister-E

Lessons Learnt

41

Varied, comprehensive, ongoing training is

essential

Training programme

42

Spring holidays

10 workshops

Term 1

2 workshops

Summer holidays

4 workshops

Terms 2~3

2 workshops

School visits & back-up training

43

Training programme

44

Teacher feedback

“また来年も今日のような講座を開いてほしいです。” I’d like to have another training like today next year

“子どもたちもきっと楽しく活動できると思った。” I thought that students will definitely be able to enjoy studying

“とても分かりやすく教えていただき、本当にありがとうございました。” Thank you so much for the clear explanations

“具体的に教室で教えられる指導法を教えていただき、たいへん勉強になりました。” We were shown the fundamentals of classroom teaching. It was really useful.

45

46

47

英 語:

日本語:

I’m so hungry. Let’s eat Snickers!

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

☝ ☝ ☝ ☝

mora-timed rhythm （拍リズム）

stress-timed rhythm （強勢リズム）

お な か が す い た ら ス ニッ カー ズ

☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝

Source:Wikipedia; Credit: Mister-E

Lessons Learnt

48

Teachers benefit from understanding why to

teach, not just how to teach.

49

Source:Wikipedia; Credit: Mister-E

Lessons learnt

50

• Stakeholder buy-in is vital for success

• Existing materials can be adapted for Japanese elementary school

• Japanese public primary school teachers need an enormous amount of support to begin teaching English effectively

• Varied, comprehensive, ongoing training is essential

• Teachers benefit from understanding why to teach, not just how to teach.

Source:Wikipedia; Credit: Mister-E

Lessons Learnt

51

There are lot of external factors which can

affect course implementation

Lessons learnt

52

Successes and challenges

SUCCESSES

• HRTs more involved

in classes

• Excellent feedback on

training programme

• Students showing

improvement

Lessons learnt

53

Successes and challenges

SUCCESSES

• HRTs more involved

in classes

• Excellent feedback on

training programme

• Students showing

improvement

CHALLENGES

• HRTs leading

activities

• Customising materials

• Training all teachers

• Assessing all students

Looking to the future

54

• Assessment of student progress

• Further curriculum revisions

• Ongoing support and training

• More provision for SEN classes

• National curriculum reforms