Name: Mami Abe

Date: August 6, 2015

Title: Indefinite Pronoun Chart
Context: Standard English Usage class

Description of the Artifact:

This artifact, created by the teacher of the class and filled by myself, is the chart for
indefinite pronouns such as any, each, and many. There are three columns in the artifact,
which are always singular, always plural, and singular or plural. The first column,
always singular, has indefinite pronouns that are always seen as single. In contrast, the
second column, always plural, has the aforementioned pronouns that are always
considered as plural. Additionally, the third column, singular or plural, has the pronouns
in hand that are used as single or plural, depending on the context. In the classroom
where the artifact was introduced, the teacher first asked the students to put indefinite
pronouns written on the artifact where they belong. Moreover, the teacher talked about
nouns that are always single and plural, and can be both single and plural. Therefore, at
the end of the lesson, the students had the chart which contains not only indefinite
pronouns, but also nouns. The students made their own charts, adding more information
and notes. By looking at the chart, students can have the clear idea about indefinite
pronouns and nous. To illustrate, in choosing the correct form of verb for the indefinite
pronoun everyone, since the pronoun is classified in the first column, always singular,
it is easily concluded that the correct form of verb for everyone is singular form.

New Ideas, Information, or Awareness from this Artifact:

When I use indefinite pronouns in speaking English or writing an essay in English, I

was always not confident in using the aforesaid pronouns correctly. As a case in point,
when I use the word each, I was not sure about the usage, so I had to check the
dictionary every time. However, the artifact helped me to learn indefinite pronouns
systematically; that is to say, I can choose the correct usage for each pronoun and noun
by recalling the chart. I think that the reason I can recall the information is that the
artifact is a kind of graphic organizers. According to Ellis (2001), there are three
advantages to utilize graphic organizers, and as one of the merits, graphic organizers
allow students to learn material with less effort. By utilizing the foregoing organizers,
information can be organized well, so students can productively learn.

Reflection on How This Will Impact My Approach to Teaching and Learning:

Even though the wrong usage of indefinite pronouns does not have the impact on
conveying information, learning how to use the pronouns in hand correctly is important
for students, especially for the advanced level of students, to show their understanding
of English grammar and ability to be able to handle indefinite pronouns. Consequently,
the artifact is useful in learning indefinite pronouns altogether. When I write an essay in
English, I put the artifact beside the laptop so that I can immediately check the usage of
indefinite pronouns. As I have done, in my future teaching, I would like to tell my
students that they can use the artifact whenever they compose a passage. As for graphic
organizers like the artifact, I would like to expedite a lot in my classroom. By
organizing information by themselves, students can actively learn, and it will be easy to
understand and memorize the information.

Reference:
Ellis, Edwin. Stephen Wills. (2005). The theoretical and empirical basis for graphic
organizer

instruction.

University

of

Alabama.

Web.

http://www.calhoun.k12.al.us/wanpub/Curriculum/MakesSense/MakesSense
%202010/DoNotOpenFolder/Implmnt/DONTOPEN/MSStrats/Stuf/TheoreticBasis
.pdf Retrieved 8/7/15