In an attempt to rectify the issues and concerns on the impact of an international mural exchange created by the organization Let Art Talk in 2008, I traveled to Uganda to pursue a similar community based, environmentally themed art workshops and Talking Mural. This theme-based mural was created and then given to a school in Plano, Texas to complete. My role was to investigate the work being done and the potential effects of learning on participants involved and to gauge the communication and learning exchanged between the participants in two varied communities. Through the creation of a mural using case study methods, it was also to be determined if the mission and goals of the project were accomplished. This study was focused on the following question: In what ways and to what extent is the purposeful intent and meaning of the artwork made by students in Uganda--as part of a mural exchange program about environmental issues that occurs between students in Uganda and the United States--understood by the students in the United States who view and respond to this artwork? / text

This study examines the implementation of the theme-based curriculum in the 2003-2004 academic year to meet the goals and objectives of DBE students at METU. The research design of the study includes questionnaires and focus group interviews with former DBE students and DBE teachers. At the first stage, 231 students and 60 teachers took the questionnaire. Then, 19 students (in groups) and teachers (individually) were interviewed. The results indicated that there was a big difference between the perceptions of teachers and students and teachers were more negative about the program. Especially, pre-intermediate group teachers were quite dissatisfied with the program. Implementation and quality of the materials and lack of communication between teachers and administrators were considered as probable reasons. In terms of materials, reading was the skill most successfully developed. Moreover, students found handouts much more useful than the books. Writing seemed to be the most problematic area in the program. Finally, as a result of time limitation, teachers were perceived to be more active in class and pair/group work were considered as ineffective.

Under the direction of Dr. Lynn Henrichsen, a group of students has developed numerous units for the Basic Training and Resources for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (BTRTESOL) program. This program is currently located on a website and will someday be published in book and DVD format. These units provide general training for novice teachers who teach domestically or abroad. With little or no training, volunteer English language teachers are often left with questions that BTRTESOL strives to answer in its 52 units. As this audience may or may not have university education or heavy commitment, these units are kept short and to the point with easy to read and understand language. The program uses a minimalist approach so each unit includes only "The least you should know" while connecting users to additional resources in a "where to go to learn more" section. This master's project describes the creation, evaluation and revision of two units for the BTRTESOL program, "Content-Based Language Classes" and "Multiple Skills in One Class." The first unit introduces the idea of integrating content teaching and language teaching into one course. In addition, it explains different types of scaffolding and teaching techniques that will aid novice teachers in creating successful content-based instruction courses. The second unit will help teachers to integrate different linguistic modalities into one course. Suggestions on how to pick themes, manage class time, and plan lessons are addressed

In Winter semester of 2005 the English Language Center (ELC) began plans to implement a content-based program for students at its highest proficiency level in order to provide them with more effective preparation for academic studies in English. Since that time, the program has undergone various changes to provide a more stable, cohesive, and responsive curriculum. There is a need, however, for greater teacher support and training. This paper outlines the process I underwent to create a handbook that would provide needed guidance and training for teachers in this program. This project involved an in-depth needs analysis of teachers and students in the program. Results from this analysis led to the selection of three basic principles that were used in the design and development of this project: (1) practicality, (2) instructiveness, and (3) sustainability. The resulting project is a binder organized into four tabs: (1) Program Overview, (2) The Basics of Content-based Instruction at the ELC, (3) Challenges and Strategies in CBI, and (4) Additional Resources. This resource was developed using Microsoft Word 2007 and includes a variety of graphics, text boxes and layouts to provide a professional and user-friendly product. An evaluation of the project based on the responses of three teachers who used the handbook during Winter semester 2009 revealed that it was a useful and needed resource for teaching content-based classes at the ELC. Further piloting is needed to verify these findings. It is recommended that in the future this resource be maintained by the ELC Coordinator assigned to oversee the content courses. As the ELC continues to refine the content curriculum, evaluation and revisions of this handbook should be carried out at regular intervals to ensure its continued relevance and accuracy over time.