TITLE: Academic Achievement and Human Interaction: Nature or Nurture?
TYPE: General Interest Article
FIELD: Psychology, Education
OVERVIEW: Which influences learning and achievement more: genetics or environment?
Or do they both influence a child's future? Psychologists try to unravel
the mystery of human development.
First published in The Owl (Ma Tou Yin), Taichung, Taiwan, 1987
TITLE: CALL and Applied Linguistics--Sometimes the Marriage is Successful
TYPE: Educational Technology Article
FIELD: Computer Assisted Language Learning
OVERVIEW: A brief description of two computer assisted language learning programs
developed in the 1980s--a flashback in time
First published in The Abacus, Macau, 1994
TITLE: Extensive Reading and Language Acquisition--Two Studies
TYPE: Empirical Research
FIELD: Reading and Language Development
OVERVIEW: Two studies (one in Taiwan in 1986, and the follow up in Macau, 1995) trying to
determine the relationship, if any, between reading for pleasure (free voluntary reading)
and second language development-- has been cited occasionally in more recent research.
First published in ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Literature ED 388 110, Washington, D.C., 1994
TITLE: It's the Links, Stupid
TYPE: Educational Technology Article
FIELD: Self Directed Learning
OVERVIEW: A description of the original Schackne Online project, and how it was designed
to serve as a research database for Business, Education, and Communications majors
at the University of Macau.
First published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Teacher Education, Hong Kong 1999
TITLE: The English Teacher's Web Site--A Simple Primer
TYPE: Teacher Education Article
FIELD: Web Site Planning and Development
OVERVIEW: A simple tutorial on how to organize the construction of a web site.
Geared for teachers, especially English teachers, but also proved
useful for non-teaching web novices.
First published in Proceedings of the Eighteenth Conference on English Teaching and Learning in the Republic of China Taipei, Taiwan, 2001
TITLE: Language Teaching Research: In the Literature, but not always in the Classroom
TYPE: Descriptive Research
FIELD: Second Language Acquisition
OVERVIEW: Article looks at linguistic research done in four areas, and questions why
the research hasn't been practically applied to
classroom methodology. An oft-cited article.
First published in Journal of Language and Linguistics, Northumberland, UK., 2002
TITLE: Teaching Useable Language
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: Language Teaching
OVERVIEW: Article details a practical approach to teaching functional language,
geared to real-world use. Includes a brief scenario
and a sample simulation.
First published in Developing Teachers, London, 2002
TITLE: Common Behavior Traits of Highly Successful People
TYPE: General Interest Article
FIELD: Self Help, Self Improvement
OVERVIEW: Article details common behavor traits that often determine success or failure in life.
First published as A Brief Analysis of Failure on Schackne Online Macau SAR, China, Sanford, NC, later re-published in
Biz-Whiz.Com by permission, 2003
TITLE: From Where We Sit
TYPE: Op/Ed
FIELD: Politics, Education
OVERVIEW: Two op/ed pieces. One, It's Not About Education Anymore, argues that
political correctness in education is distracting us from
more important reform concerns; the other,
Adjunct Nation, briefly describes
the plight of p/t teachers.
First published in Ed Tracker Ezine Xiamen, China, Sanford, NC 2003
TITLE: From Where We Sit
TYPE: Op/Ed
FIELD: Politics
OVERVIEW: The op/ed piece, Illogic 101, argues that knee-jerk anti-Americanism is illogical and often distracts
America's critics from addressing more important global issues.
First published on Schackne Online Xiamen, China, Sanford, NC 2003
TITLE: From Where We Sit
TYPE: Op/Ed
FIELD: Education
OVERVIEW: The op/ed piece, The Politics of Language, argues that ESL institutes have become revenue
generators, often at the expense of overseas students.
First published on Ed Tracker Ezine Xiamen, China, Sanford, NC 2003
TITLE: The Common Sense Approach to Treating Errors in L2 Learners
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: Language Teaching
OVERVIEW: The article describes a 6-step approach in treating learner errors.
which is practical, non-intrusive, and easy to implement.
Includes examples.
First published on Developing Teachers London, 2004
TITLE: The Common Sense Approach: How One Teacher Organized a Speaking Course for 200 Chinese Graduate Students
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: EFL Language Teaching
OVERVIEW: The article traces how one teacher developed an effective, interesting, and
pedagogically/linguisticlly sound EFL course from scratch.
First published on Developing Teachers London, 2004
TITLE: The Common Sense Approach: Grades and ESL
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: ESL, Grading
OVERVIEW: The brief article argues for the elimination of numerical grades in language skill courses,
claiming them as both misleading and unproductive.
First published on Developing Teachers London, 2005
TITLE: From Where We Sit
TYPE: Op/Ed
FIELD: Sociology/Human Behavior
OVERVIEW: The op/ed piece, Blessed, describes the difference in human attitudes
between 19th century and present-day Americans,
and posits some reasons for the stark contrast.
First published on Schackne Online Macau SAR, China, Sanford, NC, 2006
TITLE: The Common Sense Approach: Liberate Your ESL Students, Lead Them Out of the Classroom
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: Curriculum Development
OVERVIEW: The article argues for reduced student-teacher contact as the student moves
through a program, citing nature as a model for the transition from
structured to indepndent learning. Sample curriculum included.
First published in TEFLAsia Magazine Bangkok, 2006
TITLE: From Where We Sit
TYPE: Op/Ed
FIELD: Economics/Politics
OVERVIEW: The op/ed piece, Why Isn't Globalization Working?, discusses the unintended
consequences of globalization and why it's creating a political backlash .
First published on Schackne Online Macau SAR, China, Sanford, NC 2006
TITLE: The Common Sense Approach: Advanced EFL
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: Curriculum Development
OVERVIEW: The article touches on the difficulties in teaching advanced EFL students, and offers
an interesting and novel approach. Examples and sample modules included.
First published on Developing Teachers London, 2006
TITLE: The Common Sense Approach: The Flexible Syllabus--Balancing Time and Content
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: Curriculum Development
OVERVIEW: The article takes a look at the sometimes competing priorities of time and
content in the classroom
First published on Developing Teachers London, 2006
TITLE: From Where We Sit
TYPE: Op/Ed
FIELD: Economics
OVERVIEW: The article, Zimbabwe For Millionaires: Macau and the Unintended Consequences of Rapid Development
takes a look at some of the challenges facing Macau as it develops into a major
gaming/resort destination.
First published on Schackne Online Macau SAR, China, Sanford, NC, 2006, later linked to Bix Beiderbecke's Macau by permission, 2006
TITLE: From Where We Sit
TYPE: Op/Ed
FIELD: Education
OVERVIEW: The op/ed piece, Teaching Isn't A Profession In America, argues that teaching
in the United States does not conform to professional guidelines.
First published on Ed Tracker Ezine Macau SAR, China 2006
TITLE: Leveling Your Students: The Common Sense Approach
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: Curriculum Development
OVERVIEW: The article looks at why expensive standardized instruments and time-consuming
institutional placement tests are no longer practical for sectioning EFL students.
First published on Developing Teachers London, 2007
TITLE: A Common Sense Approach: Vocabulary Building
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: Curriculum Development
OVERVIEW: The article looks at some traditional approaches to acquiring vocabulary,
explains why these are often not successful, and offers a more effective alternative,
based on the research.
First published on Developing Teachers London, 2007
TITLE: The Good Teacher
TYPE: Education Article
FIELD: Teaching
OVERVIEW: The article looks at practical and personal approaches
which enhance success in the classroom.
First published on Developing Teachers London, 2008