All posts by Wenli Chen

what should we do for students to explore “faith”

Blurring the In-School Ouf-of-School Line

“While religious communities may understand belonging as communion or taking part in a covenant, teachers in public schools need only recognize the spiritual significance of feeling invited, included, and embraced in a group dedicated to one another’s learning…Experiences like these provide a foundation for identity and relationship development because they allow the adolescent to say “I know who I am because I know where I belong.” Adolescents at school

The reason why I select this passage is, for my point of view, creating a safe, free and inclusive community is a significant and first start for students exploring themselves and it paves the way for the rest of supporting. Continue reading what should we do for students to explore “faith” →

Wechat: Assist Students to Learn Foreign Language (Chinese)

eLiteracy and Social Media(tion), Media and Technology Critiques, Urban Adolescents

Checking Wechat has been my daily habit. As a social media app, Wechat had been reported to have more than 200m subscribers at the end of 2013. Not only be the first in China, it’s now becoming popular in the US and UK. According to reports, it’s a trend that teens are attracted by such app from “traditional” media and have become the biggest group of consumers. Today’s teens are digital natives. As a foreign language teacher, I am thinking about how to use Wechat to get students more involved and active in Chinese teaching and learning. Continue reading Wechat: Assist Students to Learn Foreign Language (Chinese) →

The importance of media literacy

eLiteracy and Social Media(tion), Urban Adolescents

This is the first time that many of the students will be looking at the media critically, so the exercise of discovering for themselves, in a structured way, the impact, nature, and formula of the media constitutes an important learning experience. It is necessary to stress that the objective is not to preach a certain, prescribed response or conclusion about the media, but rather to expose students to a critical pedagogical approach to understanding the media, especially in relation to education, and, significantly, extending this to the implications for democracy (Dewey, 1916; Herman & Chomsky, 1988; Freire, 1970; McLaren, 2007; McChesney, 2008).

I think the last sentence of this passage is the main idea of this article and it is what the author wants us to know- the significance of training students’ ability on how to critique and wisely analyze the information they receive. Continue reading The importance of media literacy →

To be “special” and to be ‘involved”

Socioemotional and Psychological Development in Adolescence

“Through Carmela’s bewilderment may seem intensely personal, it has everything to do with how students in the middle grades think and behave at school. Unlike in their younger years, their self-image increasingly derives from their social interactions outside the home-how they present themselves, how they imagine that others see them, how their peers interact with them, and how adults at school treat them.” Everything is Off Balance

I was stroked by this reflection of the author to a student, Carmela’s words. It reveals the confusion and dilemma between inside and outside world changes that teenagers need to handle. Through Carmela’s words, we can see these teenagers’ conflict, insecurity, confusing and pretending. They want to be “special”, but they also want to be “involved.” Continue reading To be “special” and to be ‘involved” →

Understanding and supporting young adolescents

Biological & Cognitive Development in Adolescence

“Creating a school environment that is responsive to the changing needs of young adolescents requires an understanding of their developmental changes. More importantly, however, it requires an understanding of how young adolescents perceive those changes. Their perceptions become their reality”. Understanding the young Adolescent’s Physical and Cognitive Growth

Whenever we talk about teaching, we cannot leave away from the learning subject-the students. As learner, they are changing every minute both on physical and mental conditions. The growth of young adolescents is seen as a special and crucial time for all children. Continue reading Understanding and supporting young adolescents →