THE E:P:N REVOLUTION (Classroom Project)
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The E:P:N
classroom concept is rooted deeply in the “Role Theory”
of Social Psychology. It implements constructivist principles within a
framework of contracted and enforced diversity. It promotes task-based learning in an atmosphere
of communicative competition at four levels of power structures. At the 2006CALL
symposium in
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The E:P:N classroom provides a contract-driven environment that
brings the craft of private coaching into the communicative classroom. Learners
are allowed to select their preferred group size (2, 3, 6, or 9) as well as a
unique role (Electron, Proton, or Neutron) within that group. Adding the
“contract” dimension has proven to be successful in the
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E:P:N classrooms are less expensive than typical CALL-based
classrooms; i.e., only 14 computers are needed for 45 learners. E:P:N classrooms are not intended to replace but supplement
current learning environments. Operating at full capacity, each classroom can
accommodate up to 2,000 learners at an estimated cost of less than $55 per student
per year.
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During the main/central
portion of a class (see seating
arrangement, slide #3), a group’s job is to restore, in a competitive
fashion with like-sized groups, a set of five mutilated paragraphs
with 20 deletions each. These paragraph are either those created by the various groups themselves (from
industry manuals in factory settings or from books selected at the library) or those selected from
the many grade-level readers already in the system (for those too inexperienced to create their own).
(See rubric for sample
choices for this latter group.)
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Central also to
the communicative learning process is the selecting, pondering, discussing, and
presenting of Big Cheese
(or any other) sayings during the first and last ten minutes of every class.
For the first and last segments of this activity, the groups are huddled in category fashion (16:16:13).
Print-outs of each week’s selected sayings are taken home to solicit comments
from parents and peers. These comments are then shared, via electronics, with
other team members. When this is not feasible (to be done ahead of time), the comments are shared
during the first five minutes of class (while seats are still in the "category" setting).
The second five minutes are
used for reaching a "group" consensus on which of the sayings to include in their scrapbook.
The six category ratings are: EPN, EP, PN, E, P, & N.
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The E:P:N process also includes the task of selecting,
planning, completing, and presenting a group project that spans the length of
the semester. Adding to the E:P:N testing corpus is one of the highly recommended
project types. Adding E:P:N-rated “national sayings” to the bilingual Big Cheese
archives is also a highly recommended choice.
This is research about which
learning facilities this setup and format will help the most. There is no
question as to whether the C-Test process works for teaching proper grammar and
improving reading comprehension. It has been well researched over the last
twenty years to be superior to several others. See clozeonline.us/Research. There is
also no question as to whether task-based learning (TBL) and the communicative
learning process work. Both have been documented to be superior in the field of
quality language production. The question is simply one of implementation and
increased student motivation. Is the increase in student motivation worth the
investment of $55 (440 RMB) per student per year? My proposed study will
answer this question.
Joe Anthony Blum
E:P:N ombudsman
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