Module #4 My Reflection on Graves(4,8,9)

When I first read the title of chapter 4, conceptualizing content, I was so curious what this chapter was going to say. And now I know that when conceptualizing content, I can consider it according to language, learner, and social context. When it comes to the way to conceptualize and represent the content, I learned that gird, mind map and flow chart are mostly used. Mind map is familiar with me because I’ve done it many times as a student and an instructor and also believe that mind mapping is a great way to conceptualize content.

“The material you develop are influenced by your beliefs and understanding about teaching and learning languages as they apply to your particular course in its particular context.” (Graves, 2000, p.151) I totally agree with this idea. The more an instructor knows about what he or she is teaching, the better the quality of the instruction is. I know this fact very well and always try to train myself hard to be the better one.

In chapter 9, Graves says “ To understand how a textbook is an instrument or a tool, we can compare it to a musical instrument, a piano, for example. The piano provides you with the means for producing music, but it cannot produce music on its own. The music is produced only when you play it. Playing well requires practice and familiarity with the piece. The more skilled you are, the more beautiful the music.”(2000, p.175) I couldn’t but be surprised at the awesome analogy for a textbook. And once again I kept in mind that the textbook could be modified and revised according to the level of skill that not only an instructor and but also a student has.