Stoller & Grabe, 1997 :: Six-T’s Approach
The Six T's Approach to teaching is a great idea, once you pare it down to its essentials. The main problem I have with this article is that it took so long to say what is really a simple concept. I know it was important to back it up with all the methodology and rationales, but what I want is to see a simple framework and instructions on how to implement it. I read this article twice before I could even attempt to understand how to apply it to a classroom setting. The first time I read it, I was too focused on finding an application to my own particular teaching situation, which I've found is not the way to read articles. I've broken it down in an attempt to understand it better, but even having said this is a great approach, it's one I can't quite see myself using.
The idea of the Six T's Approach is that you have six components: themes, texts, topics, threads, tasks, and transitions, in that order. Themes are central ideas, which is the initial step in course design, and should move from teacher-centered to student-centered as the course or curriculum progresses. Texts should support the chosen themes, and should be taken from a variety of formats. Topics are the subunits of content that emerge under the themes. Threads link the themes together, usually focus on more abstract ideas, and are opportunities to review and recycle. Tasks are the daily units of instruction, the content of the course (fitting into the larger units or topics). Transitions link topics together, and provide overarching cohesion between themes, as well.
Planning considerations include: needs and situation analysis; themes and topic selection processes; balance of tension within themes (controversy, etc.); time constraints and temporal spacing of themes; commitment to content-based instruction. Maybe I'm just not committed to content-based instruction b/c of my own lack of experience in that situation - that could be the cause of my lack of connection to this approach. Stoller and Grabe make a fair attempt to outline the steps to implementing the approach. The Eight steps to implementing a Six T's Approach are as follows: 1- Select content for themes, texts, and topics; 2- Draw out threads that emerge from step 1; 3- Decide how to sequence the content, and how long to spend on each unit; 4- Determine the extent of teacher investment; 5- Specify core objectives; 6- Design tasks to carry out content and language goals for each unit; 7- Create transitions across themes and topics; 8- Fine-tune during implementation.
It's good that they devote a section of this article to "caveats". I can easily see that there is a danger of content taking over the course, pushing out language, or to overwhelm students with content. It's clear to me that in any course design, it is of paramount importance to keep course goals in mind, but this seems to be another danger of this approach - perhaps because the specification of goals and objectives happens over halfway through the process.
I drew myself a map of this framework - it was very complicated and messy. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to apply any type of course design to a framework. Is it possible that a framework can emerge from the process itself? And if so, can such a framework be adapted to fit the Six T's Approach? I'm afraid I don't, at this point, understand how to make that happen.
posted by E.M @ 1:30 PM
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