arlen Elliot Harrison is a social identity and interdisciplinary researcher interested in narrative and phenomenological research methodologies. Currently teaching as temporary faculty in the English department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and completing
his PhD in Composition and TESOL at IUP, Harrison spent 4 years
teaching English at Japanese universities and the Osaka International
School. A former mental health counselor who received his MA in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University,
he works at the crossroads of language, cultural anthropology,
sociology, queer studies, and psychology to explore how both spoken
and written language are shaped by culture and identity (and vice versa). Harrison's research interests are focused in three main areas:
language, sexuality, gender, and performance of identities; technology, literacy,
community, and composition; and teaching English as an additional
language, project-based learning, and learner/instructor development. Interested in Asian cultures and languages, semiotics
and pop culture, mythology, archetypes, the monomyth, and world
folklore, Harrison also greatly enjoys teaching literature, film, sexuality, and dramatic
arts. His dissertation focuses on the intersection between second language identities and queer sexualities in Japan. He may be contacted at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
AIM: To obtain a tenure
track faculty position that would allow for collaborative and
inter-disciplinary teaching, research, and curricular and program development
opportunities. Leadership and administrative responsibilities, working with
graduate students, community outreach, and teacher development and mentoring
welcomed. Travel, on-line teaching, summer teaching, and course overloads
welcomed.
Instructor for 8+ years at international universities
Co-edited and developed the first refereed, online proceedings for
the English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU) & American Men's Studies Association (AMSA, in progress)
Designed and developed community website for the Graduate Programs in Composition and TESOL (IUP)
Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) "Best of JALT" winner (2006)
50+ academic presentations, including AAAL, ASA, the Linguistics Department
at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada) and CCCC; 25+ academic
publications including RELT (Singapore), CALL-EJ (Australia/Japan), and
The Language Teacher (Japan)
Author of chapter in More Autonomy You Ask, an anthology with introduction by Stephen Krashen
Featured in Forbes.com and New York Times for his work on PerfumeCritic.com
Masters Internship at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington, DC
Member of Chi Sigma Iota International Counseling Honor Society
Academic Excellence Fellowship
Specialization in Art Therapy, Addictions Counseling, Group Therapy, and Psychodrama
1992 - 1995 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Honors Program in Psychology
Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina
Completed undergraduate thesis in psychological counseling, and field work in adult and adolescent psychiatric programs
Member of Psi Chi International Psychology Honor Society
Graduated Summa cum Laude
Academic Scholarship
Graduate of the University Honors Program and the Honors Program in Psychology
1994 - 1995 INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION (year abroad)
Psychology of Freud and Jung; Asian influences on Western psychology.
Kingston University, Kingston-upon Thames, Surrey, England
SCHOLARSHIP
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RESEARCH GRANTS
Graduate Student Development Grant, 2009, from IUP (PhD) to chair a session on queer composition and
rhetoric at the Lavender Languages and Linguistics conference at American University, Washington, DC.
Doctoral Research Grant, 2009, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania to fund my dissertation in Composition and TESOL
Research Grant (co-recipient), 2004, from St. Andrews (Momoyama Gakuin) University to examine the university's English language curriculum
TRAVEL GRANTS
Travel Grant, 2009, from IUP (PhD) to speak at AMSA Conference, Montreal, Canada
Travel Grant, 2009, from IUP (PhD) to speak at CCC Conference, San Francisco, California
Travel Grant, 2008, from IUP (PhD) to speak at JATL/JACET Conference, Nagoya, Japan
Travel Grant, 2007, from IUP (PhD) to speak at Nara JALT, Nara, Japan
FELLOWSHIPS/SCHOLARSHIPS
IUP Foundation Academic Fellowship (PhD), Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2007 -2008
Graduate Merit Scholarship (PhD), Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2006-2007
Graduate Student Assistantship (PhD), Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2006 -2007
IUP Foundation Academic Fellowship (PhD), Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2006 -2007
Academic Excellence Fellowship (MA), The George Washington University, 1996-1997
Academic Scholarship (BS), Appalachian State University, 1992-1995
RECOGNITION
Phi Kappa Phi, Honor Society, 2008-
"BEST OF JALT" Winner, 2006, for the 2005 Learner
Development Mini-Conference presentation in Osaka, Japan: Emphasizing
Student Autonomy through Collaborative Test Creation
Chi Sigma Iota, International Counseling Honor Society, 1996-1997
Psi Chi, International Psychology Honor Society, 1993-1995
UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
- My university teaching experience highlights my interest in
composition, language, and TESOL. Interests reflected include video and
internet technology in the classroom; creative, collaborative, and
performance-based approaches to learning; and an emphasis on learner
autonomy.
b 2007 - Present INSTRUCTOR (Full-time)
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Department of English
English 100 (Basic Writing), English 101 (Freshman Composition),
English 121 (Humanities Literature), English 202 (Research Writing)
Participated in Portfolio Evaluation pilot project for English 101 & 202.
Regularly took on overload courses.
Participated in University Reflective Practice programs.
Independently developed and implemented a website to enhance student learning (http://MarlenHarrison.com).
Graduate Teaching Assistant in English 101 and 202 ESL writing courses with international students.
2002 - 2006 EFLINSTRUCTOR (Full-time)
St. Andrews (Momoyama Gakuin) University, Osaka, Japan
Developed and implemented original interdisciplinary curriculum for
a variety of English language classes including reading, writing and
oral communication.
Contributed to the development of an English textbook - Here and Now - for use by 1st year non-English majors.
Developed interactive website for language learning (using Moodle).
Contributed to the creation of common exams for 1st year non-English majors.
Received university research grant as co-researcher examining curriculum development.
2003 - 2006 EFLINSTRUCTOR (Part-time)
Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
2003 - 2004 EFL INSTRUCTOR (Part-time)
Doshisha Women's College, Kyoto, Japan
1997 GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT IN COMMUNITY COUNSELING
The George Washington University, Washington, DC
OTHER TEACHING EXPERIENCE-
In addition to college-age students, I have also worked with young
children, teens, and mature learners in a variety of settings.
a
2007 ESL INSTRUCTOR (Commissioned Appointment)
Indiana, Pennsylvania
2006 EFL INSTRUCTOR, SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Tezukayama Girls Junior High School, Osaka, Japan
2004-2006 EFL INSTRUCTOR (private instruction)
Osaka, Japan
2003-2006 EFL INSTRUCTOR (Part-time)
Osaka International School, Osaka, Japan
Special Programs Music/English instructor with children ages 4-12.
2005 EFL INSTRUCTOR (Part-time)
Momoyama High School, Osaka, Japan
2002 EFL INSTRUCTOR, ASSISTANT TRAINER & PROGRAM COORDINATOR (Full-time)
The Nova Group, Osaka, Japan
Kids program, Business English, TOEIC/TOEFL
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE- My previous employment experience reflects my work in mental health and human rights.
a
2009 TOEIC EXAM EVALUATOR
Educational Testing Service, USA
2007 STAFF WRITER
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Office of Public Relations
2000 - 2002 ASSISTANT CASE COORDINATOR
The Law Firm of Arnold and Porter, Washington, DC
2000 PSYCHOTHERAPIST
The North Baltimore Center, Child and Adolescent Services, Baltimore, MD
1999 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT & OFFICE MANAGER
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Surgery, Baltimore, MD
1998 CENTER DIRECTOR
Sylvan Learning Center, Baltimore, Maryland
1997 PSYCHOTHERAPIST
The North Baltimore Center, Adult and Group Therapy Services, Baltimore, MD
1996 PSYCHOTHERAPIST (Masters internship)
The George Washington University Community Counseling Center, Washington, DC
1996 PSYCHOTHERAPIST (Masters internship)
The PRIDE Institute at The Psychiatric Institute of Washington, DC
PRESENTATIONS & GUEST LECTURES-
I 've enjoyed traveling throughout Japan and North America presenting at universities and conferences. The majority of my presentations reflect my ESL/EFL teaching experiences and my interests in applied linguistics, composition, and sexuality.
2010
February: Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference, American University: Session Chair: "Identity and voice: Locating the lavender in composition and rhetorical studies; Presenter: "Language and sexuality research: The power of "I" in autoethnographic narratives"
January: Linguistic Society of America:
“The most comfortable thing about English for me is that I call myself
‘I’” (pending)
2009
December: American Anthropological Association: Gay in English, not
in Japanese: Autoethnographies of language and sexuality in Japan (accepted)
November: Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality: Negotiating masculinity and male
sexuality: Examining the relationships between social context and
sexual literacies (panel presentation with Robert Heasley, PhD & Phillip Schnarrs)
August: American Sociological Association: Learner, Teacher, Foreigner, Queer: Examining identity competition and conflict
April: 17th Annual Conference on Men and Masculinities (AMSA): "He Sounds Like a Fag!" Constructions of Masculinity in Queer Linguistic Research
March: College English Association (CEA): Monomythic Design: Self-analysis
as an Approach to Understanding Literature
March: Conference of College Composition and Communication: Disturbing Writing (co-presenter with Susan Kanter, PhD; Tina Perdue, PhD; & Helen Sitler, PhD)
February: Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference, American University: Gay in English, Not in Japanese
January: IUP English Department Colloquium: Disturbing Writing (co-presenter with Susan Kanter, PhD; Tina Perdue, PhD; & Helen Sitler, PhD)
2008
November: IUP English Department Colloquium: Identity research in language and education: Perspectives and directions (co-presenter with Sharon Deckert, PhD; Gloria Park, PhD; & Lisya Seloni, PhD)
October: Celebrating Literacies Conference (IUP Department of English): Discovering the Hero Within
June: Nara chapter of JALT: Critical approaches to teaching composition: Mindfulness and the power of "no"
June: Wakayama chapter of JALT: Communities of Practice, Internet, & the Language Classroom: An Introduction to Blogging
June: JALT Osaka Chapter Technology in the Classroom Mini-Conference: Using Joomla to create e-learning environments in the language classroom
June: Chiba chapter of JALT: Critical approaches to teaching composition: Mindfulness and the power of "no"
June: Gunma chapter of JALT: Critical approaches to teaching composition: Mindfulness and the power of "no"
June: Crossing Boundaries: An inter-disciplinary approach to learner autonomy, JALT LD sig: Discovering Voice, Expressing Identity
June: JALT/JACET Joint Conference, 2008: Language teaching and the transmission of ideas about sexuality
June: American Society of Perfumers, Invited Symposium panelist
April: Sniffapalooza, NYC, Invited Speaker: Language and Olfaction
April: 16th
Annual Conference on Men and Masculinities(AMSA): Constructions of Masculinity in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language
March: American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL): The Closet in the Classroom: The positioning of queer identities in TESOL materials and practices
January: Edgewise Magazine, Invited Speaker: Understanding Blogging, Voice, and Audience
January: IUP English Department Colloquium: Communities of Practice, Internet, & the Language Classroom: An Introduction to Blogging
2007
November: IUP, EGO: Communities of Practice, Internet, & the Language Classroom; An Introduction to Blogging
October: Celebrating Literacies Conference (IUP Department of English): Romeo and Juliet Live: Performance-based instruction in the high school English classroom. (co-presenter with Susan Kanter, PhD)
October: English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU): “And the winner is…”: Performance as Project-Based Learning in the Language Classroom, a How-to Guide
October: Department of Linguistics at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada: Linguistic Research and Gay Speech: Performance and perception (by invitation)
September: Three Rivers TESOL Conference: The Positioning of Sexual Identities in the TESOL Classroom
September: Three Rivers TESOL Conference: The Performance of Second-Language Identities: A panel discussion
April: Nara chapter of JALT: Communities of Practice, Internet, & the Language Classroom; An Introduction to Blogging
March: Sniffapalooza Fragrance Festival, New York City: Fragrance and Identity
February: Sniffapalooza Fragrance Festival, Los Angeles: Fragrance and Identity
2006
November: IUP, EGO: Using blogs in the EFL/ESL classroom
October: Three Rivers TESOL 2006 Conference: Brainstorming Blogging: Using blogs in language and writing courses
October: Sniffapalooza Fragrance Festival: The Power of Criticism in Emerging Internet Communities
2005
October: JALT National Conference: Using Impressionist Images to Practice Self-Expression
October: JALT National Conference: Learner Development Forum: Sharing our stories of creativity (Facilitator)
August: EuroCALL Conference: Keypal Projects in the Japanese EFL Classroom: How keypal friendship affects learner development (represented by Kathi Kitao, PhD)
July: JALT Learner Development Mini-Conference: Emphasizing Student Autonomy through Collaborative Test Creation
June: JALT Osaka Chapter Technology in the Classroom Mini-Conference: Using SurveyMonkey.com to create On-line Questionnaires
June: JALT CALL National Conference: Keypal projects in the English Classroom: What students really think
May: JALT Nara Chapter: Counseling Skills Every Teacher Should Know
2004
November: JALT National Conference: Curriculum: What do teachers do and what do students think of it? (co-presenter with Lynne Douglas & Chie Tsurii)
October: JALT Learner Development Mini-Conference: Keypal Projects in English Classes: Interpersonal and pedagogical aspects
August: EuroCALL Conference: Keypal Projects in English Classes: Interpersonal and pedagogical aspects (represented by Kathi Kitao, PhD)
January: Osaka University, Graduate School of Engineering Sciences: Guest Speaker, Similarities between Japanese and American Modes of Communication
2003
October: JALT LD/CUE Learner Autonomy Conference: Self-evaluation as Motivation for Active Participation (co-presenter with Denise Haugh, Ellen Head & Bob Sanderson)
February: Ibaraki International Learning Association: Guest Speaker
HONORARIUM
2008
July: Pearson Education: Invited reviewer of new publications
June: ESL Magazine: Published manuscript
June: Wakayama chapter of JALT: Communities of Practice, Internet, & the Language Classroom: An Introduction to Blogging
June: Nara chapter of JALT: Critical approaches to teaching composition: Mindfulness and the power of "no"
June: Chiba chapter of JALT: Critical approaches to teaching composition: Mindfulness and the power of "no"
June: Gunma chapter of JALT: Critical approaches to teaching composition: Mindfulness and the power of "no"
June: Crossing Boundaries: An inter-disciplinary approach to learner autonomy, JALT LD sig: Discovering Voice, Expressing Identity
2007
October: Department of Linguistics at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada: Linguistic Research and Gay Speech: Performance and perception (by invitation)
April: Nara chapter of JALT: Communities of Practice, Internet, & the Language Classroom; An Introduction to Blogging
2005
May: Nara chapter of JALT: Counseling Skills Every Teacher Should Know
2004
January: Osaka University, Graduate School of Engineering Sciences: Guest Speaker, Similarities between Japanese and American Modes of Communication
2003
February: Ibaraki International Learning Association: Guest Speaker
PUBLICATIONS IN PRINT-
The majority of my publications address my interest in
social-constructivist and creative/collaborative approaches to second
language learning as well as teacher development and autonomy.
Vetted Publications:
Harrison, M. (submitted). Queer linguistic research: Performance
and Perception. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics.
Harrison, M. (submitted). The scented word: The problem of olfactory
literacy.Language (The Journal of the Linguistic Society of America).
Harrison, M. (submitted). "He sounds like a fag!" aka "The sound of my voice". In M.E. Harrison & P. W. Schnarrs (Eds.) The Proceedings of the Annual Conference of American Men's Studies Association (AMSA), 2009. http://mensstudies.org
Harrison, M. (2006). UsingImpressionist Images to Practice Self-Expression. In K. Bradford-Watts, C. Ikeguchi, & M. Swanson (Eds.) JALT2005 Conference Proceedings. (pp. 694-700). Tokyo: JALT.
Harrison, M. (2006). Developing Keypal Projects in the Japanese University Classroom. National University of Singapore: Reflections on English Language Teaching4(2005), 141-148.http://www.nus.edu.sg/celc/publications/HarrisonVol5.pdf
Harrison, M. (2006). Keypal projects in English language classes: What do students really think? In T. Gutierrez (Ed.), Glocalization Through CALL: Bringing People Together (The proceedings of JALTCALL 2005) (pp. 94-99). Nagoya: The JALT CALL SIG.
Harrison, M., Head, E., Haugh, D., & Sanderson, R. (2005). Self-evaluation as motivation for active participation. In McCasland, P. & Robertson, M. (Eds.) Learner Development Context, Curricula, Content: Proceedings of the Kobe Conference 2003. (pp. 107-121). College and University Educators and Learner Development SIGs of JALT.
Carroll, M., Harrison, M., Douglas, L. & Tsurii, C. (2005). Curriculum: What do teachers do and what do students think of it? In K. Bradford-Watts, C. Ikeguchi, & M. Swanson (Eds.) JALT2004 Conference Proceedings. (pp. 262-298). Tokyo: JALT.
In progress:
Harrison, M. (in progress). Monomythic Design: Self-analysis
as an Approach to Understanding Literature.College English
Messekher, H., Reilly, J. & Harrison, M. (in progress). Humanized pedagogy and the personal essay. College Composition and Communication.
Park, G., Seloni, L. & Harrison, M. (in progress). Methodological tension in qualitative research: Relationships among researchers and participants. Journal of Qualitative Research.
Harrison, M., Iida, A. & Oda, T. (in progress). Voice and the Japanese EFL writer: Two case studies.Journal of Second LanguageWriting.
Harrison, M. (in progress). "The most comfortable thing about English is that I call myself "I": Language,
sexuality and re-thinking the Sapir-Whorf hypotheis.JALT Journal.
Harrison, M. (in progress). Sex and the TESOL researcher: Re-envisioning
sexuality in applied linguistic research. Journal of Homosexuality.
Books:
Harrison, M., Kanter, S., Sitler, N. & Perdue, T. (Eds.) (in proposal stage). Disturbing Writing: Examining the roles, relationships, and responsibilities of the college writing instructor.
Harrison, M. (in proposal stage). What is I? College students' explorations of identity through writing.
Edited Collections:
Harrison, M. & Schnarrs, P. (Eds.). (2010, in progress). The Proceedings of the Annual Conference of American Men's Studies Association (AMSA), 2009. http://mensstudies.org
Harrison, M. & Lingle-Martin, M. (Eds.). (2008). The Proceedings of the Annual Conference for the English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU), 2007. http://Eapsu.org
Book Chapters:
Harrison, M. (pending). The sound of my voice: Masculinity and the manipulation of speech. In D. Levy & R. Heasley (Eds.) Men on the Margins.
Harrison, M. & Oda, T. (2010, accepted). Innovations
in writing curricula in the Japanese post-secondary English language
classroom: Instructor and learner perspectives and responses. In S. Herder & T. Muller (Eds.) Innovating Teaching in Context: Asia.
Harrison, M. (2006). Taking the Teacher Out of the Test: Minimizing teacher participation in language testing. In M. Koyama & E. Skier (Eds.) More Autonomy You Ask (MAYA) . (pp. 137-146). Japan: JALT LD. http://doctormarlen.wordpress.com/files/2009/07/maya-harrison.pdf
Textbooks:
Carroll, M., Douglas , L., Harrison , M. & Head, E. (2003, 2004). English Here and Now. St. Andrews (Momoyama Gakuin) University Press: Japan.
Non-vetted Publications:
Harrison, M. & Lingle-Martin, M. J. (2008). Which Comes First? Performance or Literacy?The Proceedings of the Annual Conference for the English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU), 2007. http://Eapsu.org.
Harrison, M., Carpenter, C., et al. (2006). Learner Development Forum: Sharing our stories of creativity. In K. Bradford-Watts, C. Ikeguchi, & M. Swanson (Eds.) JALT2005 Conference Proceedings. (pp. 252-263).Tokyo: JALT.
Decker, W., Harrison, M., & Romney, C. (2006). Multi-Purpose "Student Sheets" for Rapport-building, Teaching Classroom English, and Record-keeping.The Language Teacher 30(2), 51.
Evans Nachi, H.E., Stephenson, J., et al. (2005). Learner Development Forum: Empowering Learners for Class and Beyond. In K. Bradford-Watts, C. Ikeguchi, & M. Swanson (Eds.) JALT2004 Conference Proceedings. (pp. 372-386). Tokyo: JALT.
Carroll, M., Douglas , L., Harrison , M., Tsurii, C. (2004). Curriculum Change: Working with teacher's professional knowledge rather than against it.St. Andrew's University Bulletin of the Research Institute30(1), 69-87.
Paid Publications:
Harrison, M. (2008). The Closet in the Classroom: A personal narrative. ESL Magazine, Summer 2008, 43-45.
Harrison, M., Vye, S., Caspino, B., Fellner, T. & Carpenter, C. (2005). Inspiration and Therapy:The power of a mini-conference. Learning Learning12(2), 3-11. http://ld-sig.org/LL/LL2005b.pdf
Harrison, M. (2005). JALT's LD SIG: Teachers as learners in Japan.Three Rivers TESOL Newsletter. 2005 (Summer), 3-4.
Apple, M., Harrison, M., Haugh, D., Evans Nachi, H., Stephenson, J., Wakui, Y. (2005) A Day Celebrating Learner development: Poster session reflections.Learning Learning 12 (1), 13-21.http://ld-sig.org/LL/Cover2005a.pdf
Book Reviews:
Harrison, M. (2006). Book Review: This is culture.The Language Teacher30(5), 42.
Harrison, M. (2006). Book Review: A dynamic approach to everyday idioms.The Language Teacher 30(1), 33.
Harrison, M. & Matheny, W. (2006). An E-mail dialogue with Marlen Harrison: Counseling skills every teacher should know.The School House 13(3), 15-23.
INTERNET PUBLICATIONS-
I love to write and am especially interested in linguistic expressions
of sensory experience. I have developed my own website examining scent
and olfaction, and have written for a number of others.
Workshop Coordinator, English Graduate Organization, IUP, 2006 - 2007
Editor, LD-Wired Newsletter (JALT Learner Development Special Interest Group), 2006
Proofreader, Learning Learning (JALT Learner Development Special Interest Group), 2005
Reading Committee, Manuscripts for Proceedings, JALT National Conference Proceedings, 2006
Reading Committee, Manuscripts for Glocalization, T. Guttierez (Ed). Tokyo: Japan. 2006
Forum Facilitator, Learner Development Forum: Sharing our stories, at the JALT National Conference, Shizuoka, Japan, 2005
*Conference Coordinator & Facilitator, LD/Osaka 2nd Annual Mini-Conference, July 17th, 2005 (*Recipient of 2006 Best of JALT award)
Reading Committee, Presentation proposals, JALT National Conference, 2005
Reading Committee, Manuscripts for Proceedings, JALT National Conference Proceedings, 2005
Co-Coordinator, JALT* Learner Development Special Interest Group, 2004 - 2006
Treasurer, JALT Osaka Chapter, 2003 - 2005
Member, Japan Association for Language Teaching, 2002 -
UNIVERSITY COURSES TAUGHT- I have taught using both English as well as Japanese languages in both the United States (3 years) and Japan (4 years).
Japan:
Oral Communication (English)
Speaking & Listening (English)
Advanced Writing Seminar (English)
English Writing for English Majors
English Reading for English Majors
Introduction to English for Non-English Majors for Freshman (IB
& IIB); for Sophomores (IIIB & IVB); for students who failed
one of the above courses (R)
Introduction to English-Speaking Cultures
English Workshop (Self-designed, project-based learning curricula
included "We Will Rock You - The Grammy Awards"; "And the Oscar Goes To
- The Academy Awards")
English Topics (Self-designed curricula included Interviewing Skills; Introduction to Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet)
English Studies for 2nd year English Majors
English for Study Abroad Purposes
Small Group Communication (English)
USA:
English 100 - Basic Writing
English 101 - Freshman Composition
English 121 - Humanities Literature
English 202 - Research Writing
English 101 - Freshman Composition for ESL Students (Graduate Assistant)
English 202 - Research Writing for ESL Students (Graduate Assistant)
Summer, 2009: ENGL 865 (graduate) - Topics in
English Literature as Genre
Summer, 2009: Engl 815 (graduate) - Qualitative Research Methods
Summer, 2009: ENGL 805
(graduate) - Language and Social Context
Summer, 2009: LBST 499 - Men
and Masculinities
Spring, 2009: English 694 (graduate) - Observation of English Language Teaching
Fall, 2008: English 336 - Language, Gender and Society
Fall, 2008: English 808 (graduate) - Technology & Literacy
Spring, 2008: English 730/830 (graduate) - Teaching Writing
*JALT - Japan Association for Language Teaching
PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING
INSTRUCTOR OF COMPOSITION, RESEARCH WRITING, ESL/EFL & HUMANITIES LITERATURE
Language is life: With language, we have the ability for
connection, communication, expression, and survival. Language may be a
universal tool for understanding, but how we as cultures and individuals go
about learning and using/performing language is a tapestry woven from a thousand
different threads. This tapestry of literacy is what most interests me as not only an instructor, but as a writer and researcher as well.
The Situation and the Assignment:
While teaching English language and composition at Japanese universities, I considered how students would sometimes
not learn what I had initially planned for them but instead what they
apparently needed or were ready to learn. At times, I realized that simply
serving as a director and setting the stage was enough to provide students with
their own cues for learning. These conclusions now guide my syllabus design and
help balance both my expectations and my course assignments with the knowledge
that sometimes students have varying paths to walk along. Perhaps more challenging than
developing a schedule of interesting assignments, however, is the larger picture; the
entire classroom environment and the situations in which students find
themselves challenged to write/learn/communicate can have a remarkable carryover effect to
other subjects while still allowing students a great deal of autonomy in
developing their essays. It is with this in mind that I design the assignments
to honor the greater theme of the course and to create situations both in the
classroom and for self-study that stimulate genuine reflection. Theories of
human development address the inquisitive nature about self and identity that
most college-age writers experience. As such, I want to design a classroom
where these challenges are honored and explored.
Scaffold, Scaffold, Scaffold:
One of the current buzzwords in language education is undoubtedly
“scaffolding”, the support provided that helps the learner accomplish his or
her goals. By breaking down the components of composition, for example, into smaller steps
and focusing on collaborative discussion and peer feedback, I feel that writing
students can be provided with effective scaffolding. Moreover, short blog writing activities aid the longer essay writing
activities, which in turn then serve as "artifacts" for larger reflective and analytical writing projects. Students start small and
then expand having already laid some of the groundwork of their compositions. Instructor
conferences, the formation of writing communities, small group activities, revision exercises, and peer editing, for
example, all allow additional support to the evolving student-writer.
Literature as a Model:
Critical and reflective thinking in both language and composition studies can be aided by an exploration of literature.
Excerpts from novels, short stories, letters, and essays (to name but a few) can all serve as
profound models illustrating rhetoric, voice, audience, style, genre, etc. Moreover,
by creating class anthologies of readings - pedagogical, critical and literary - I can introduce students to a variety of authors (hopefully igniting
a spark or two in students’ minds) while reflecting on the overall themes of my courses. In addition
to literature serving as a model for effective writing, it also serves as a
mirror in which writers can see themselves. By finding oneself in literature,
validation of struggles and achievements may occur. Lastly, the therapeutic and
cathartic powers of reading can also stimulate a better understanding of how
the reader himself makes sense of and transforms another author’s writing.
Some Small Success:
As an English language instructor, I was at times dismayed by the inequality of
what I felt I had to teach my students and the amount of time within which I
was allocated to do so. My conclusion was to teach so that students completed
their course with a feeling of success and a positive, open-minded, curious
attitude towards further study. If I can effectively remove some of the
performance anxiety and instill a sense of pleasure in the processes of writing
and explorations of literature and language, then I will feel that I have been successful.
Additionally, with the variety of outlets that university and professional academic communities offer students for
publication and/or presentation, I want to encourage students to
share their accomplishments with others.
Users' Comments
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1.
03-04-2009 19:20
awesome
totally impressive!!!! Hopefully I can do all this as well
Welcome to Marlen Harrison's English Studies website!
On this site you'll find information related to English 100, 101, 121, and 202 courses at IUP. Be sure to register (see Login/Member Area) at the top of the page so that you can leave comments.
About Marlen
Mr. Harrison comes to IUP after 4 years of teaching university in Western Japan. He is currently completing his doctoral studies in English Composition and TESOL at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he is pursuing his interest in Applied Linguistics and teaching in the English Department. He holds an MA in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University where he specialized in Psychological Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapies.
CV & Philosophy
To view Marlen's current Curriculum Vitae & Philosophy of Teaching, click here.
ENGL 100
English 100
Basic Writing
This course is not being taught during the Spring 2008 semester.
ENGL 101
English 101 College Writing
WHAT IS I? WRITING THROUGH THE 5 SENSES
Section 013, 016
T/Th 12:30-1:45 Keith 245 038; 3:30-4:45 Keith 137 036; 5-6:15 Keith 137 018 SYLLABUS
Schedule a Conference!
Need to schedule a conference with Marlen? First, login to this site. Next, click on the day you'd like to meet. When the new scheduler appears, click ADD AN EVENT (bottom left). Under the COMMON tab, in the subject line please include all the
following info: Class # & section, your name (e.g. Pitt Brad TGIY), your time, then choose the appropriate category. In the CALENDAR tab, make sure the days and times are correct. Don't
forget to choose am/pm and a finish time. Finally click the disc icon (SAVE) and then check the calendar to make
sure the time appears correctly, has all the required info, etc.
Marlen's Winter 2010 office hours are
T/Th 10-11am; 2-3:30pm
arlen Elliot Harrison is a social identity and interdisciplinary researcher interested in narrative and phenomenological research methodologies. Currently teaching as temporary faculty in the English department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and completing
his PhD in Composition and TESOL at IUP, Harrison spent 4 years
teaching English at Japanese universities and the Osaka International
School. A former mental health counselor who received his MA in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University,
he works at the crossroads of language, cultural anthropology,
sociology, queer studies, and psychology to explore how both spoken
and written language are shaped by culture and identity (and vice versa). Harrison's research interests are focused in three main areas:
language, sexuality, gender, and performance of identities; technology, literacy,
community, and composition; and teaching English as an additional
language, project-based learning, and learner/instructor development. Interested in Asian cultures and languages, semiotics
and pop culture, mythology, archetypes, the monomyth, and world
folklore, Harrison also greatly enjoys teaching literature, film, sexuality, and dramatic
arts. His dissertation focuses on the intersection between second language identities and queer sexualities in Japan. He may be contacted at
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.
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