Event

Personality Workshop in Teaching/Learning Style Diversity

Saturday, October 22nd, 2005, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Speaker: Lawrence Metzger

Content Focus and Learning Goal: Personality factors strongly influence teacher-/learner-centered styles and effective pedagogy in the ESL classroom. At the micro-level of cross-cultural interaction between students and teachers in SLA, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can be used as an effective mediator between personality "cults" which prefer varied learning strategies and educational priorities. This workshop will provide an overview of Jungian theory advanced by Myers and Briggs in analyzing the polarities of Extroversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Feeling/Thinking, and Judging/Perceiving characteristics among students and teachers. Further identification of 4 archetypal learning/teaching temperaments will be explored as they pertain to individual preferences among the 16 personality types as of the MBTI (in Japanese and English). An overview of research implementing the MBTI in a Japanese university socio-cultural context of writing/discussion courses will be provided as bridging the gap between teacher and learner-centered approaches in the TESOL classroom. Personality clashes and compatibilities will be viewed as emerging from individual variations in perception, value priorities, and learning approaches which heighten interpersonal and intrapersonal awareness within the learning-teaching continuum.

Skills Focus, Activities and Materials: Participants will take the MBTI (in English or Japanese) and interact in model classroom activities identifying and contrasting differences in pedagogy, communication, priorities, and values focusing upon lesson plan design, materials selection, and inter-archetypal conflict resolution scenarios. In particular, the MBTI will be presented as a tool for deepening awareness of learner/teacher stylistic diversity and methods of effective collaboration. Participants will engage in role-playing, pair, and small group interactive problem-solving tasks involving teamwork based on the MBTI. In addition, all participating will receive copies and references of resource materials characterizing significant educational factors of diversity and collaboration based on current academic research of the MBTI for adaptation to individual ESL classroom situations.

Organization: Teachers College Columbia University Japan (TC Columbia)

Cost: free, but reserve by email to office@tc-japan.edu

Venue: Teachers College, Columbia University, Tokyo, Mitsui Seimei Bldg 4F, 2-21-2 Misaki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, (03)3221-9771 Website: www.tc-japan.edu

Location: Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan

Contact TC Columbia

Teachers College Columbia University Japan Tokyo Office

Work phone: 03-3221-9771