Speaker:
Alexandra Burke
Affiliation:
JALT - Accessibility in Language Learning SIG
Abstract:
Alexandra Burke is a visiting teacher at three universities in the Tokai/Kansai region. Her research interest is how adjusting teaching methods can increase learner potential and reduce educational inequality in classrooms, across all levels of the school and university sector. Students with hidden neurodiversities such as ADHD, reading and writing disorders, and other learning barriers, are in every classroom. Because they often react differently, compared to neurotypical students, they can be labeled as problems. If these students leave education early, the health, economic and social consequences for them are profound.
Burke has spent thousands of hours team teaching. In that time, she has closely observed classroom interactions and talked with students about which activities and methods increase their autonomy and confidence, and noticing which created barriers for neurodiverse students. Based on wide reading of international best practice on inclusive teaching and in collaboration with Japanese colleagues, she has trialed a number of culturally appropriate changes to teaching methods and classroom management practices that promote inclusion.
Bio:
Alexandra Burke is a graduate of the University of Canberra and Monash University, with a former civil service public policy career focusing on equity of access. At JALT 2020 she won two Michele Steele Best of JALT Chapter Awards for inclusive teaching presentations. She also won Best Poster awards at the 2019 and 2020 JALT International Conferences, sharing the 2019 award with co-presenter Kirika Kushiyama. Alexandra Burke is one of the founding officers of the new JALT Accessibility in Language Learning SIG.
Image of Alexandra Burke provided by Susan Sullivan.