The Basics
► “Home language” and “Target language” are used instead of L1 and L2
► ESOL and Not ESL (English for speakers of other languages)
► BICS develops social language and CALP works toward Academic language
► Language learning and language acquiring are two different things
► Oral communication skills in a second language may be acquired within 2 or 3 years, but it takes 4 to 6 years to acquire the level of proficiency needed for understanding the language in its academic uses (Collier, 1989; Cummins, 1981).
► Teachers can make a difference for students, no matter what delivery model they are hired to use if their teaching is based on research and best classroom practices
► ESOL teachers should be prepared, to discuss theory, research, and policy in the field of Second Language Acquisition, and articulate their own "philosophy of second language acquisition."
What do teachers need to know?
► The knowledge of linguistics to see speech patterns that children bring to school from their homes.
► Children who are learning in a second language may have language problems in reading and writing that are not apparent if their oral abilities are used to ordeal their English proficiency.
► Quick and easy solutions are not appropriate for complex problems
► Second language learning by school-aged children takes longer, is harder, and involves more effort than many teachers realize
► Critical period hypothesis refers to a first language only. There is not necessarily a "critical age" for learning a second or third language, but age can influence language learning efforts.
What do teachers need to do?
► Teachers are responsible for selecting educational
materials and activities above the bar.
► Be able to communicate with ELLs:
At the level appropriate to students’ understanding, with slower speed, clear pronunciation, simple syntactical structures, repetition, rephrasing and checking for understanding.
► Be prepared to work with children from many different cultural, social, and linguistic backgrounds.
► Avoid misconceptions about second language learning
► Teachers need to give students feedback for their writing, understand English structure, discuss structural features of written language with their students, and explicitly teach them how to write effectively.
What to Expect from your ELLs
► Teachers should not expect miraculous results from children learning English as a second language in the classroom.
► Learning a second language is as difficult for a child as it is for an adult
► Young children do not have access to the memory techniques and other strategies that more experienced learners use in acquiring vocabulary and in learning grammatical rules.
► Language learners might hesitate or stop speaking for a while before they get used to the new setting
Supporting ELLs in the general classroom environment
► Help children learn and use aspects of language associated with the academic discourse of the various school subjects.
► Help students become more aware of how language functions in various modes of communication across the curriculum.
► Prepare students for passing writing proficiency assessments.
► Help students understand, and teach them subject matter using simplified English. They need to use pictures, gestures, demonstrations and the like to allow children to acquire English naturally and automatically.
► Avoid indicating the language errors ELLs make so that learners will not be self-conscious and immobilized in using the language.
► Help students to achieve the levels of language and literacy competence required for the various assessments that constitute gateways to completing school successfully, getting into college and finding jobs.
► Engage their ELLs more by asking tiered questions that are tailored to each ELL’s level of second language acquisition.
► Teachers need to assess how much of the content ELLs understand.
Stages of language acquisition & Typical behaviors
► Teachers need to tie instruction for each student to their particular stage of language acquisition.
► Teachers need to work within the student’s zone of proximal development—that gap between what students can do on their own and what they can with the help of more knowledgeable individuals (Vygotsky, 1978).
► Teachers need to gain insights into their students' stages of second language acquisition to meet the requirements of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, which requires ELLs to progress in their content knowledge and in their English language proficiency.
► Factors influencing language acquisition:
Socioemotional development
Academic background
Family responsibilities
Cultural identity formation
Classroom Issues
► Teachers need to link concepts to students’ background
► Teachers need to use past learning as a link to new concepts
► Teachers need to highlight key vocabulary and teach throughout the lesson
► Teachers need to actively engage students
► Teachers need to provide opportunities for interaction
► Teachers need to plan a wide variety of activities (student-centered and teacher-centered)
► Teachers need to address multiple learning styles and intelligences
► Teachers need to act as a facilitator during cooperative learning, group and pair activities, learning centers.
Students’ home language & Cultural identity
► Children develop oral proficiency first in their native language.
► Oral language functions as a foundation for literacy and as the means of learning in school and out.
► Teachers need to know how is lexicon acquired and structured and how dialects are different.
► Teachers need to be cautious of their using simplified language and asking low level questions.
► Teachers need to be cautious against withdrawing home language support too soon
► Teachers need to be able to communicate. To communicate successfully, teachers must know how to structure their own language output for maximum clarity and have strategies for understanding what students are saying.
► An understanding of linguistics can help teachers see speech patterns that children bring to school from their homes.
► Teachers must be prepared to work with children from many different cultural, social, and linguistic backgrounds.
► Affirm students' home language and/or first dialects as you encourage them to become proficient in SAE
► Teachers can support this development process by honoring students' diverse backgrounds and celebrating the beauty that exists in each human experience.
The role of linguistics for classroom teachers
► Teachers should focus on the opportunity that cultural and linguistic diversity provides.
► Diverse children enrich our schools and our understanding of education in general.
► Students need not to know about the terms "pragmatics" and "semantics" in classroom instruction, but teachers do to deal with the concepts and their implications for ELLs.
► Lexical ambiguity will present challenges in the ESOL classroom.
► Morphology and syntax should be taught as part of grammar instruction embedded in a context- and content-rich approach.
► Teachers need to slow down their speech and enunciate their words.
Concepts of Linguistics and Communication
► Linguistic competence vs. performance Just because you CAN say something and be grammatically correct, doesn't mean you SHOULD
► Creative aspect of language-An infinite number of sentence possibilities
► Sapir-Whorf hypothesis-Does the language itself influence the culture?--also called linguistic relativity vs. determinism
► Semantics vs. syntax-The meaningless sentence that is grammatically correct, or Noam Chomsky's famous sentence that illustrates that idea
► Register-Inappropriately calling Hugh Laurie "Tiger" (very informal) and also complex vocabulary and syntax to sound impressive (very formal)
► The recursive rule-You can add phrases to a sentence to make it longer and longer and still be correct
► The communicative aspect of language-It is most important to effectively communicate your ideas rather than be technically correct
► Morphology-We can understand made-up words like "Hitlerian" and "frillions" because they take advantage of our knowledge of morphemes
Based on Linguistics and second language acquisition theory and research
► https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Z3CUpHUBQWUh7RLknd2_sM9KI8OTxx9dBtU5cfYWl5qhE1D0mc6bLW6kmasKSz9nUcCnI8zecEiSSbratTYjErotZl3idJSapgsXlw0DFbb7FL94YdvoBtdaKXmhZgt-S3Virzl3I8ei/s1600/children_holding_hands_around_the_world150.GIF
► Haynes Judie , Stages of Second Language Acquisition
► http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php
► Hill Jane D. and Björk Cynthia L., Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners Facilitator's Guide, http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108052/chapters/The-Stages-of-Second-Language-Acquisition.aspx
► http://www.apsva.us/15401081182015517/lib/15401081182015517/reepcurriculum/index.html
► Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., & Hyams, N. (2007), An Introduction to Language, Thomson Wadsworth: Boston
► Bankss James A., Teaching for Social Justice, Diversity, and Citizenship in a Global World. Retrieved Apr.17.2011
► http://depts.washington.edu/centerme/Fs04Bankss.pdf
► Peregoy, S. and Boyle, O. (2005). Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for K-12 Teachers. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.
► Vygotsky L.S., (1978) Mind in Society. The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.
► Hill Jane D. and Björk Cynthia L. , Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners Facilitator's Guide
► http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108052/chapters/The-Stages-of-Second-Language-Acquisition.aspx
► Stages of Second Language Acquisition
► http://www.academicesl.com/docs/09-2Stages_of_Second_Language_Acquisition-Chart.pdf
► Echevarria, J. V. (2004). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Mode. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
► ***All of the graphics and images are retrieved from Google search engine clip arts. The purpose of this presentation is just educational and no other is intended.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Assessment
Assessments have always been one of the most worrisome parts of learning a course or a class. I have always been scared of taking tests and quizzes. Most of the time we had to give standardized tests at school, oral reports for part of a chapter of a book, or just pop quizzes at the beginning or end of the class time. Other forms were Open-book tests or End of unit tests. We also had science experiments, writing folders, math puzzles, and just recently, portfolios. At times, we also had to debate certain topics in groups in class.
I have also given assessments to my ESL students. Standardized tests, pop quizzes, writing tests, multiple choice quizzes, grammar tests, debates, open-book tests, oral reports, lectures, and projects.
As an ESL student and teacher, I have experienced many of these assessments in different settings.
Traditional Assessment Practices - Traditional, criterion-based multiple choice tests do not measure higher-order thinking nor do they measure a student's progress. These are not effective practices to assess the diverse learners in our classrooms today (especially with the number of ELLs and Special Needs students increasing.)
Alternative Assessment Practices - Alternative assessment is synonymous with authentic assessment and performance-based assessment. These types of assessments ask a student to generate a response rather than choose a response (matching/multiple choice.) Alternative assessment is aligned with both the curriculum, the instruction, and, in some cases, the authentic problem. Some examples include: rubrics, portfolios, electronic portfolios, projects, oral presentations, and essays.
The most effective ones to me as a student were group projects. They were more detailed and demanding but we also learned from each other. Nevertheless, there was less worry and thus the learning outcome was higher.
I have always tried to assess my students both individually and in a group. The collaboration among group members created a better learning environment and less tension.
Recently, I also took some courses where there was no assessment. There was no assessment of the sort that used to worry me. Surprisingly, everyone studied harder and paid more attention to learning in class. There were no pop quizzes, tests, or lectures, but there were authentic problems. The instructor used to introduce the objectives of the lesson in the form of an authentic problem and we had to solve that problem. The class included all kinds of assessments, but there was no label of “testing.”
The multiple intelligences and different learning styles of Howard Gardner have a very important effect on whether an assessment can be effective or useless. I have had students who demanded tests, because then they forced themselves to study. On the other hand, there were some who expected a more engaged and interactive class with art collections or Science experiments and projects as their assessments. To all of these students, standardized tests have always been a beast.
I also remember,when my teachers prepared us for the big test, we were more prepared and we would have a better result. But sometimes, this ended up with just studying for the test and not the real content learning. “Adequate test preparation significantly improves student attitudes toward test taking.” (Chittooran and Miles 2001)
Other forms of assessments are:
Informal Assessment:
▪ On-the-spot, ongoing opportunities to determine the extent of students’ learning.
▪ Teacher observations, anecdotal reports, informal conversations with students, and quick-writes.
Authentic Assessment:
▪ Application to real life—real life contexts
▪ Multidimensional—ex: students’ writing, taped pieces, interviews, videotapes, observations, projects, discussion, performances, group responses.
▪ Includes multiple indicators to show competency of content objective. Use of a rubric defines the level of learning and is shared with students and parents.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
A teacher AND a learner
Specific methods I have experienced as a teacher or a learner
Having been a second language learner myself, I was taught partly by the traditional approach Grammar Translation Method and partly by Direct Method and Audio lingual. I remember I liked audio lingual because I could hear native speakers on the conversations and it felt very real. The grammar translation, I never liked it because it was simply boring and I could not connect it to any of our daily conversations. I also liked the drills and the repetition especially when the teacher would add real examples of daily life sentences that had a connection to each student.
I did learn a lot from all the methodologies I grew up with. For one thing, I always try to connect the content lesson with my students' personal lives. Surprisingly, when they see the connection, they feel it, they pay attention, they participate and they'll get engaged in learning. Lessons with no relevance to students will make no connection and thus we will lose our students right in front of us.
I would know if my method and approach working, when I see my students are learning. If I see engagement in class, full participation, asking and answering questions, follow up, formative and summative good grades; thus, I will know that my approach is working. If I see my students are collaborating with each other, they care about each other's learning, they search for information and use that information, If I see they are knowledgeable about their subjects and are literate, then for sure I know my methods are working. I do need to update myself with new approaches and methods in teaching languages as well. For this, I have also taken courses in Integration of Technology into Schools (ITS) at GMU and am working toward enriching my classes with tools that maximize students' learning. I will also need the support and mentoring of peer teachers and collaboration with other schools to see what is working for students in the 21 st century. We not only need to update ourselves and seek support from our co-workers but also need to be in continuous contact with parents to get to know their kids better and help them with their education.
Having been a second language learner myself, I was taught partly by the traditional approach Grammar Translation Method and partly by Direct Method and Audio lingual. I remember I liked audio lingual because I could hear native speakers on the conversations and it felt very real. The grammar translation, I never liked it because it was simply boring and I could not connect it to any of our daily conversations. I also liked the drills and the repetition especially when the teacher would add real examples of daily life sentences that had a connection to each student.
I did learn a lot from all the methodologies I grew up with. For one thing, I always try to connect the content lesson with my students' personal lives. Surprisingly, when they see the connection, they feel it, they pay attention, they participate and they'll get engaged in learning. Lessons with no relevance to students will make no connection and thus we will lose our students right in front of us.
I would know if my method and approach working, when I see my students are learning. If I see engagement in class, full participation, asking and answering questions, follow up, formative and summative good grades; thus, I will know that my approach is working. If I see my students are collaborating with each other, they care about each other's learning, they search for information and use that information, If I see they are knowledgeable about their subjects and are literate, then for sure I know my methods are working. I do need to update myself with new approaches and methods in teaching languages as well. For this, I have also taken courses in Integration of Technology into Schools (ITS) at GMU and am working toward enriching my classes with tools that maximize students' learning. I will also need the support and mentoring of peer teachers and collaboration with other schools to see what is working for students in the 21 st century. We not only need to update ourselves and seek support from our co-workers but also need to be in continuous contact with parents to get to know their kids better and help them with their education.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Classroom Management and Design
The main issue in a classroom management is students’ engagement throughout the lesson. Repeated research has validated that active student participation and engagement with each other are vital for effective learning and promoting improved retention of information and vocabulary. Teacher lecture will only result in a 5% retention level, reading a 10% level. Practice by doing can result in a 75% retention level and students who teach material to each other will retain 90% (PWC). Classroom management consists of three critical factors of consistent discipline, quality instruction (assessment) and effective motivation. Consistent discipline and quality instruction go hand in hand. Good classroom management provides the structure and expectations for effective lesson delivery. Good assessment drives lesson plan and quality lesson plan promotes student engagement which ultimately will reduce time spent on CM. These all must function together. Self-assessment is a valuable commodity for any teacher – when beginning the profession. It takes skill and practice to build a firm foundation. The more a teacher spends time in effective application of these key factors, the less time is needed in classroom management and thus maximizing actual teaching time.
Organization:
• Organize a safe environment for learning
• Create an effective harmonious classroom by using various instruments.
• Know the academic, social and cultural backgrounds of their ESL students
• Use proper body language and word selection especially with ESL students and their diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Acquire plenty of information about students including family backgrounds, countries of origin and levels of education.
• Pay close attention to the federal mandates of students IEP’s.
• Accommodate special necessities for special education and also ESL students.
• Plan ahead, be consistent and be proactive. Prevent, earn respect and limit unexpected surprises.
• Set the physical learning environment according to different levels and grades to maximize learning, motivation and students’ interaction.
• Do not preach or lecture. Facilitate learning and engage students
Discipline:
• Manage your classroom with Day One.
• Show no fear
• Be ready to offer information about yourself in a professional and exemplary way.
• Get to know students from the very beginning.
• Integrate interactive instruction with communicative skills that include discipline strategies.
• Obtain discipline through proximity and non-verbal communication
• Make a clear distinction between the “helpless hand raiser” and the student who requires help
• Take the time to help the dysfunctional student in classroom by achieving a realistic and mutually satisfying conclusion for both you and the student.
Instruction:
• Make meaningful instruction and engage students all the way through the lesson.
• Relate the lesson with students’ lives. Teach and make it fun and watch students learning on the run.
• Have both the agenda and syllabus ready. Distribute an approved course syllabus and guide students for note taking through the agenda.
• Incorporate instructing strategies into one’s teaching profession.
• Observe students use of language in other contexts.
• Do not water the instruction down. Instead differentiate and scaffold learning.
• Use pre-planned handouts, guided instruction, visual and graphics, simplify language and use realia for students of lower grades. Make learning more precise and comprehensible
• Scaffold by means of comprehensible input, modeling, visuals, supplemental materials and pairing with selected students ( in case of special or ESL presence)
• Create cooperative learning for IEP and ESL students as well as understanding heart
• Generally remove scaffolding when students reach learning goals.
• Employ collaborative problem solving with a student displaying helpless behavior
• Give repetitive modeled SOLs and WIDA tests to students to prepare them for the real high stakes tests and provides them with more language proficiency.
• Recognize and assess if your instruction is in lieu with other elements of teaching.
• Offer help and model learning yourself
• Teach partner teaching, engage student pair work in teaching each other
• Instruct along with continuous feedback both for yourself and students.
• Be ready for change and try out new strategies in teaching
• Seek feedback and do not be self- critical
Motivation:
• Take extra time to encourage or seek alternatives to make subject matter more comprehensible
• Maintains a wonderful balance of structure and flexibility as well as a great incentive system
• Foster a culture of success and promote diligence.
• Create a safe environment, active learning and high expectations to encourage success.
• Apply proactive incentives in any classroom or subject area.
• Develop intrinsic motivation and a love of learning in all students.
• Instill confidence and inspire potential
• Promote cooperative learning
• Create a culture of success
Cited works
Cary, S. (2007). Working with English Language Learners..
Cushman, K. (2003). Fires in the Bathroom. New York: The New Press. (Middle School)
Greene, R. (2008). Lost at School.
Jones. (2007). Tools for Teaching. Santa Cruz: Frederick H. Jones & Assoc. .
Vogt. Short, D. (2008). Making Content Comprehensive for English Learners. Pearson Education Inc.
Prince William County Public Schools Website: http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=102442&sessionid=ee4cd95828fa8b0bda2de1fcee11106b
Goal-Setting Policy for Virginia Adult Education and Literacy Programs, Policy 3.1
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
If only Designers knew of Learning Styles... !!!
Learners tend to have a dominant intelligence. All people have all intelligences, but in varying amounts. Understanding one’s dominant intelligence can help identify learning styles that work best. This even works best with ESOL learners or ELL students.
1. VISUAL-SPATIAL intelligence: the ability to "think in pictures," to perceive the visual world accurately, and recreate (or alter) it in the mind or on paper. Spatial intelligence is highly developed in artists, architects, designers and sculptors.
2. VERBAL-LINGUISTIC intelligence: sensitivity to the meaning and order of words.
3. LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL intelligence: ability in mathematics and other complex logical systems.
4. BODILY-KINESTHETIC intelligence: the ability to use one's body in a skilled way, for self-expression or toward a goal. Mimes, dancers, basketball players, and actors are among those who display bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
5. MUSICAL intelligence: the ability to understand and create music. Musicians, composers and dancers show a heightened musical intelligence.
6. INTRAPERSONAL intelligence: an understanding of one's own emotions. Some novelists and or counselors use their own experience to guide others
7. INTERPERSONAL intelligence: an ability to perceive and understand other individuals -- their moods, desires, and motivations. Political and religious leaders, skilled parents and teachers, and therapists use this intelligence.
8. NATURALIST intelligence is the ability to perceive the natural world.
9. EXISTENTIAL is the new one, I found, which is an intelligence on deep questioning of the world and being.
These intelligences are located in different areas of the brain and can either work independently or together, can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened.
Sources:
Armstrong, T. (2011) Multiple intelligences. Retrieved from http://thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm
Gardner, H. (2011). Multiple intelligences, Howard Gardner. Retrieved from http://howardgardner.com/MI/mi.html
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Digital Video
In video, a non-linear editing system (NLE) is a video editing (NLVE) or audio editing (NLAE) system which can perform random access on the source material. It is named in contrast to 20th century methods of linear tape and film editing.
I wish I had told this very simple differentiation between video and digital video to my students before they started recording their Final Day Project Interview Video. When they asked me what's the difference between the two, I did explain everything but the notion of Linear and non-linear! ok, I forgot.
It is very important to know the difference between the two. I think the day is gone, where we used to record videos and publish them on cds or just watch them from our TVs and load the cassessts! of video in our shelves. Nowadays everyone is looking for a way to record their memories online, so they can always have access.
With Digital Video, and a simple program like Windows Movie Maker, all those dusty piled up pictures and the ribbons of movie can easily be published online, with no dust! What's more friends and relatives all over the world can see them as well. If you want to cut some pieces because you didn't look good on that piece, it's just a piece of cake! Just keep the best part and decorate it with some background music, effects or transtions and voila!
Podcasting and Education
After the creation of Blog and Photoblog tools to express thoughts and ideas on the global network, Internet users had a tool called "podcasting" . In fact, podcasting is a sound system unlike blog publishing tool that is written or photoblog that is visually published.
Countless universities, colleges and K-12 classes worldwide are using podcasting technology to bring the benefits of this technology to classrooms. Podcasting has taken education by storm and the technology can not be ignored. Instructors use this tool to deliver recorded lectures, news and information to students.Thousands of all-age pupils and teachers are catching on, producing podcasts ranging from children's stories, audio diaries, plays, interviews, news and reviews. Some teachers are even using them to distribute exam revision material.
Podcasting brings more student engagement and interest in class discussions, field research and independent projects. Students also can keep up with the material when they are recorded. This reminds me of Gardner's multiple intelligences theory and the notion that individuals have different learning styles. I myself like viewing, watching and listening to lesson lectures than just reading textbooks. As if I am absorbing the information with all my five senses. Moreover, it has been seen that students show more enthusiasm especially when they are invloved in the project and thus a better evaluation results both from students and instructors.
Podcasting is transforming school life for forward-thinking schools, stimulating creative learning and new ways of communicating, says George Cole. When it comes to the length of your podcast, short is better. Recording good-quality audio in a school can be difficult! But remember: it's not difficult to create a podcast; you don't need lots of expensive kit, and kids love it."
Resources:
Monday, March 14, 2011
Podcasting, Web 2.0 and other means of Scaffolding
Scaffolding examples are simplifying language and format, visuals and graphics, manipulatives, providing choices, cooperative learning, modeling and native language support and they are useful techniques to make content more accessible for students. As a parent and a teacher, I like Modeling, coaching and fading away the best. Though slowed speech, pauses, and speaking in phrases, providing correct pronunciation by repeating student responses and paraphrasing (Echevarria et. al., 2008) are all very efficient ways too. I like modeling not only in providing exemplars for past classes, analogies and or modeling reading, writing and note-taking strategies; but in the more general yet specific technique. Scaffolding in this way is presenting the lesson while modeling it from a students’ perspective. The instructor challenges herself with the same trial and errors that a student might face when solving the problem.
With Modeling, Coaching and fading away comes higher thinking skills. Thinking and/or the language of thinking is the mental process where words are used to describe and or evoke thought. To do so causes learning to happen as it draws on one's own interests, prior knowledge, and experiences in order to make the mental process happen. Effective learners actively take charge of their own learning by doing so. (Tishman Sh., Prekins D.N, Jay E. 1995)
The importance that other forms of scaffolding like multi- and hyper-media, podcasting, vodcasting, and other Web 2.0 tools have towards education is also great. Both allow teachers as well as students to create a variety of different presentations. Furthermore, it gives students the opportunity to learn by doing. Through active participation students stay focused and engaged in their own learning. (Norton P. & Sprague D. 2001 p.187-215)
Students are able to collaborate on projects and activities that allow them to interact with and think critically about what they are learning.
There is a learning model built into the design process that addresses internal and external concepts. Higher order thinking skills come into play. It also accommodates nonlinear exploration of information and students learn when they are actively involved in their own learning.
Podcasting
It didn't work out the way we expected. It is always like that. You'd better have a back up plan before setting all your eggs in one basket.
School computers have limitations you never know of. A task you would be thinking it could take not more than three hours, it will take a week and you are still on recording and re-recording. First, the software doesn't get installed because you don't have the administration privileges to do so. Then there are music download and contrary to what you are thinking, it won't download for the same reason.
Students are pretty excited though. They have read their news articles, summarized, written their questions and answers and have rehearsed their lines for news reporting on radio.
Finally it comes time for recording and it is not as easy as the one you did in your own class. Sometimes kids are better at tech tools than adult students. They just grab the How Tos in a blink of an eye.But with adult learners, there comes all the steps to be taught. It can be simply from showing them how to use a mouse and right click to all the way through managing how to work with Audacity!
In a word, things can be difficult when it comes to integrating teaching with technology :)
School computers have limitations you never know of. A task you would be thinking it could take not more than three hours, it will take a week and you are still on recording and re-recording. First, the software doesn't get installed because you don't have the administration privileges to do so. Then there are music download and contrary to what you are thinking, it won't download for the same reason.
Students are pretty excited though. They have read their news articles, summarized, written their questions and answers and have rehearsed their lines for news reporting on radio.
Finally it comes time for recording and it is not as easy as the one you did in your own class. Sometimes kids are better at tech tools than adult students. They just grab the How Tos in a blink of an eye.But with adult learners, there comes all the steps to be taught. It can be simply from showing them how to use a mouse and right click to all the way through managing how to work with Audacity!
In a word, things can be difficult when it comes to integrating teaching with technology :)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Who is learning how to podcast?
It has been a while I'm thinking how educators bring kids to higher technology competency level, or is it that students bring their instructors to their level.
Last week, for the first time in my life, I heard a podcast and learned about its implication on education. I learned how to record on Audacity and how to work all the way to create a podcast. We also listened to sample podcasts from 3rd graders and their collaborative work on producing one, five years ago. With technology, things go fast. What you learn today on computer and its implementation might only work for a few years unless you update yourself every single day.
When I see kids of different ages playing with their iphones, ipods, video games, nintendos, wiis, smart phones, ipads, computers and more so easily and even sometimes without reading the texts of How tos, I'm surprised how fast everything is going and How I can keep up with this speed. More importantly How I can keep my students in class entertained as well as educated. I would just imagin myself, lecturing kids from textbooks while they are reading from their kindles and asking them to write down multiplication tables on paper, while they are doing it on their smart phones. Moreover, they are a multitasking generation, and thus they might be doing ten other things at the same time, listening to their podcasts can be just one of them.
It just worries me that by the time, I get the hold of these strategies in my classrooms, there would defintely be ten more updated technology tools, that I don't know of and I am sure, my students have already mastered them!
Who is really teaching who? Podcasting is just one example of tech tools that I didn't know of and I learned it last week. What about all the other tools?
Last week, for the first time in my life, I heard a podcast and learned about its implication on education. I learned how to record on Audacity and how to work all the way to create a podcast. We also listened to sample podcasts from 3rd graders and their collaborative work on producing one, five years ago. With technology, things go fast. What you learn today on computer and its implementation might only work for a few years unless you update yourself every single day.
When I see kids of different ages playing with their iphones, ipods, video games, nintendos, wiis, smart phones, ipads, computers and more so easily and even sometimes without reading the texts of How tos, I'm surprised how fast everything is going and How I can keep up with this speed. More importantly How I can keep my students in class entertained as well as educated. I would just imagin myself, lecturing kids from textbooks while they are reading from their kindles and asking them to write down multiplication tables on paper, while they are doing it on their smart phones. Moreover, they are a multitasking generation, and thus they might be doing ten other things at the same time, listening to their podcasts can be just one of them.
It just worries me that by the time, I get the hold of these strategies in my classrooms, there would defintely be ten more updated technology tools, that I don't know of and I am sure, my students have already mastered them!
Who is really teaching who? Podcasting is just one example of tech tools that I didn't know of and I learned it last week. What about all the other tools?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wikis piece of cookies
I have been impressed by the power of wikis and what useful tools they can be both for teachers collaboration work and also students creating and encoding.
I also know by one of the earlier instructors in our site that, " We can develop a wiki that will serve as a teacher website in which teachers can find program information, necessary forms,and professional development information, as well as websites and other instructional materials that may be helpful in their practice." We can also collect students' published works, newsletters, their journals as well as their collaborating, sharing and resources.
As I said in my earlier post, I did asked my students to start their Blogs and they are already doing amazing jobs. I just can't wait to see how everything goes on their class wikis.
What I have in mind, is keeping everything simple. Having a basic template and making the navigation through pages as easy as possible. I want them to be creating more content rather than getting stuck on the look and feel of the page. I am also going to create one main wiki for class, asking students to do the publishing process while we are in class, so everyone has an idea of where things are.
More importantly, I think , we need to come up with the goals and objectives of our class publishing a wiki. So, a rubric might be a good idea or scaffolding thoughts can also help.
What ARE some objectives of developing a wiki for an ESOL class?!!
I also know by one of the earlier instructors in our site that, " We can develop a wiki that will serve as a teacher website in which teachers can find program information, necessary forms,and professional development information, as well as websites and other instructional materials that may be helpful in their practice." We can also collect students' published works, newsletters, their journals as well as their collaborating, sharing and resources.
As I said in my earlier post, I did asked my students to start their Blogs and they are already doing amazing jobs. I just can't wait to see how everything goes on their class wikis.
What I have in mind, is keeping everything simple. Having a basic template and making the navigation through pages as easy as possible. I want them to be creating more content rather than getting stuck on the look and feel of the page. I am also going to create one main wiki for class, asking students to do the publishing process while we are in class, so everyone has an idea of where things are.
More importantly, I think , we need to come up with the goals and objectives of our class publishing a wiki. So, a rubric might be a good idea or scaffolding thoughts can also help.
What ARE some objectives of developing a wiki for an ESOL class?!!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Blogging
I think I have been a blogger off and on for a long long long time. The firt time I ever started was back, yes, back in 1999. I was down, depressed and didn't want to talk to anyone. So, I started writing, posting, and anything that made my thinking free.It felt very good. As if I had my own world, that I could write anything about anyone and all about my feelings. All about me. Then I moved on more with my experiences in China and the storeis there. My travels, Chinese cuisine and receipes, and ofcourse, my students. .http://naslebaran.persianblog.ir
The first time we started blogging with my students was when SARS was epidemic in China and schools as well as Colleges were all closed. So we started having our first virtual class with Class blog and it did worked.
Later on, many of my students started having their own blogs and writing and well, yes, complaining about .... http://icb.cau.edu.cn/intor_oratione.htm
It's been a long time now, on my personal blog, I write about my family and especially about my son. Though time doesn't allow me to write as often as I did before but I try to keep posting and guess what, my son can read now and he also has his own blog. He comes to computer and starts writing in his own words, what he think of.http://tiyamestaki.blogspot.com
We did also some blogging with my last ESOL class in 2006 and the school administration liked it very much. It was kind of Leading and teacher leadership role, because then on, many other teachers asked for more information and we had workshops on creating and How tos of Blogs. http://pimmitschool.blogspot.com
Right now, I am having my Adult ESOL class after a long time gap, and we have started posting our lessons and journals as well as reflections on our lessons. More than that, before even I ask my students to go on commenting on peers blogs, they have started reading each other's blog and commenting to initiate more discussion and conversation on the topics.
I would say, " Way to Go Class!"
If you got the time, have a look. These are just a handful of my students' blog. I love this group. They are very creative and have the potentials that they don't even know of it. I did tell my students that higher authorities are going to read your blogs :) and leave comments, so Pls, leave a comment for them, if you got the time. Thank you
http://parkbi2010.blogspot.com
http://hannapimmit.blogspot.com
http://yun-pimmit.blogspot.com
http://pimmit.blogspot.com
http://larisaschoolife.blogspot.com
The first time we started blogging with my students was when SARS was epidemic in China and schools as well as Colleges were all closed. So we started having our first virtual class with Class blog and it did worked.
Later on, many of my students started having their own blogs and writing and well, yes, complaining about .... http://icb.cau.edu.cn/intor_oratione.htm
It's been a long time now, on my personal blog, I write about my family and especially about my son. Though time doesn't allow me to write as often as I did before but I try to keep posting and guess what, my son can read now and he also has his own blog. He comes to computer and starts writing in his own words, what he think of.http://tiyamestaki.blogspot.com
We did also some blogging with my last ESOL class in 2006 and the school administration liked it very much. It was kind of Leading and teacher leadership role, because then on, many other teachers asked for more information and we had workshops on creating and How tos of Blogs. http://pimmitschool.blogspot.com
Right now, I am having my Adult ESOL class after a long time gap, and we have started posting our lessons and journals as well as reflections on our lessons. More than that, before even I ask my students to go on commenting on peers blogs, they have started reading each other's blog and commenting to initiate more discussion and conversation on the topics.
I would say, " Way to Go Class!"
If you got the time, have a look. These are just a handful of my students' blog. I love this group. They are very creative and have the potentials that they don't even know of it. I did tell my students that higher authorities are going to read your blogs :) and leave comments, so Pls, leave a comment for them, if you got the time. Thank you
http://parkbi2010.blogspot.com
http://hannapimmit.blogspot.com
http://yun-pimmit.blogspot.com
http://pimmit.blogspot.com
http://larisaschoolife.blogspot.com
Building a Classroom Management System - Creating Environment
We all have heard students being bored in class, not listening or paying attention and even ridiculing teachers. Many of us have seen movies when a teacher enters a dreadful classroom and turns it into a success. She or he is not any type of a teacher. They are The Teachers. Teachers who are not only teaching but leading their classrooms. They are the one with leadership roles.
Cushman, an education journalist working in conjunction with the nonprofit organization What Kids Can Do, extensively interviewed high school students in several urban areas about every aspect of school, producing this compendium of their advice here. In her book Crushman, tells every educator how to lead one’s classroom and how to manage students to have a better learning environment. The fact is that students, and yes, all students do want to learn. If only teachers can get students to trust and believe in them, and learn how to judge their behavior and also know what to do when things go wrong, everything will be definitely in a good shape and there won’t be any banging, nagging or fires in the bathrooms. I myself have always been scared facing high school students in the US, though I have had quite many years of experience teaching in other countries. But I keep telling myself, with a stable and efficient management and leadership role, I can put things right, and it has been true so.
Dr. Jones has also developed research-based methods of group management that are extremely cost-effective – that free the teacher to focus on instruction rather than discipline. Advanced skills of classroom management can produce dramatic increases in student learning while reducing teacher stress. Apart from all the examples and structures that Dr. Jones give teachers for classroom management, like turning passivity into activity, turning wasting time into learning time and meaning business, I would also like to add a few other intentional designs in teachings where it can also be referred to Day One of teachers’ classes.
Daniel Pink in his book of “A Whole New Mind” talks about MOPEDS, where he encourages teachers using techniques such as Bringing Meaning to classrooms, Creating symphony and Orchestra, Playing, Empathy, Designing and Story telling.
One of the most efficient ways I start my class with not only on Day One but also on other days is telling Stories and challenging their attentions. Humans almost always listen to stories better than lecture and speeches. So on Day One I start by telling stories about my own life experiences or things happening around in the news, getting to know them, and getting them to know me indirectly. This I believe is a very helpful ice-breaker, and initiates teacher and student bounding. I also usually start my lessons by announcing an authentic problem thus giving Meaning to the lesson I am teaching. This makes them think and challenges their critical thinking skills. They won’t be learning just because they are at school and that they need to learn, but, that they need to learn it for their own. I also usually ask them to see the big picture when teaching them a subject, thus creating a harmony between their books and the world around them.
No matter, if one has students with IEP/504 plans or general students, they can always coordinate classrooms with the help of the counselors or guidance to have a practical classroom. Being prepared and having one’s lesson plan designed well ahead of time can save a lot of time in future lesson planning as well as managing the classroom. Working closely with other team members and being well aware of rules and regulations as well, help all educators to be better classroom managers as well as teachers.
When students can trust their teacher, have humor and fun while learning, and see thing outside the box; they won’t be bored and they wouldn’t start fires in the bathrooms! That’s how a classroom teacher and leader should act!
References:
• Cushman, K. (2003). Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students. New York: The New Press.
• Jones, F. (2007). Tools for Teaching (2nd ed.). Santa Cruz, CA: Fredric H. Jones & Associates, Inc.
• http://www.urbanedjournal.org/reviews/breview0021.pdf
• A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink, New York Times Best Seller, 2006
Cushman, an education journalist working in conjunction with the nonprofit organization What Kids Can Do, extensively interviewed high school students in several urban areas about every aspect of school, producing this compendium of their advice here. In her book Crushman, tells every educator how to lead one’s classroom and how to manage students to have a better learning environment. The fact is that students, and yes, all students do want to learn. If only teachers can get students to trust and believe in them, and learn how to judge their behavior and also know what to do when things go wrong, everything will be definitely in a good shape and there won’t be any banging, nagging or fires in the bathrooms. I myself have always been scared facing high school students in the US, though I have had quite many years of experience teaching in other countries. But I keep telling myself, with a stable and efficient management and leadership role, I can put things right, and it has been true so.
Dr. Jones has also developed research-based methods of group management that are extremely cost-effective – that free the teacher to focus on instruction rather than discipline. Advanced skills of classroom management can produce dramatic increases in student learning while reducing teacher stress. Apart from all the examples and structures that Dr. Jones give teachers for classroom management, like turning passivity into activity, turning wasting time into learning time and meaning business, I would also like to add a few other intentional designs in teachings where it can also be referred to Day One of teachers’ classes.
Daniel Pink in his book of “A Whole New Mind” talks about MOPEDS, where he encourages teachers using techniques such as Bringing Meaning to classrooms, Creating symphony and Orchestra, Playing, Empathy, Designing and Story telling.
One of the most efficient ways I start my class with not only on Day One but also on other days is telling Stories and challenging their attentions. Humans almost always listen to stories better than lecture and speeches. So on Day One I start by telling stories about my own life experiences or things happening around in the news, getting to know them, and getting them to know me indirectly. This I believe is a very helpful ice-breaker, and initiates teacher and student bounding. I also usually start my lessons by announcing an authentic problem thus giving Meaning to the lesson I am teaching. This makes them think and challenges their critical thinking skills. They won’t be learning just because they are at school and that they need to learn, but, that they need to learn it for their own. I also usually ask them to see the big picture when teaching them a subject, thus creating a harmony between their books and the world around them.
No matter, if one has students with IEP/504 plans or general students, they can always coordinate classrooms with the help of the counselors or guidance to have a practical classroom. Being prepared and having one’s lesson plan designed well ahead of time can save a lot of time in future lesson planning as well as managing the classroom. Working closely with other team members and being well aware of rules and regulations as well, help all educators to be better classroom managers as well as teachers.
When students can trust their teacher, have humor and fun while learning, and see thing outside the box; they won’t be bored and they wouldn’t start fires in the bathrooms! That’s how a classroom teacher and leader should act!
References:
• Cushman, K. (2003). Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students. New York: The New Press.
• Jones, F. (2007). Tools for Teaching (2nd ed.). Santa Cruz, CA: Fredric H. Jones & Associates, Inc.
• http://www.urbanedjournal.org/reviews/breview0021.pdf
• A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink, New York Times Best Seller, 2006
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Teaching and Learning: Past & Present
When I was a student in middle school, everything seemed to be in two parts. Either teachers were lecturing every single subject in class or we were memorizing the facts and every single page of the book. It didn’t matter whether it was geography, history, social studies, literature, math or languages. What we only did, was sitting still in class, being quiet, listening to boring lectures, reading assigned pages of book, copying them in our notebooks and on the test day, memorizing and answering the predefined questions of the book. Nowadays, things have changed and I hope the change will further into a better future.
I see changes now, when I ask students in different levels and schools for their teachers and their teaching styles. What they do in class and how happy they are. The load of the work in not less, though. But what I can see and feel from their faces, shows that they are learning and they are enjoying their learning.
This is not only with kids at school but adults with Community Education program across the country. Programs where adult can continue their education for self study or work force are not few. These courses are both presented in a traditional face to face format as well as hybrid courses of online or virtual classes where they can study at their own pace at home. The number of adults who have registered for these programs are dramatically increasing. It is very true that these programs are not only beneficiary to them for the fact that they are offered in an online format but also that the classes are centered around students as independent learners, their interests, their learning for now and their flexible structure and much more.
One very example of this are the programs offered for adults transitioning and switching careers. There are for sure, many paths for switching jobs for undergraduates and graduates from colleges, but for working adults who have got very little time and even limited budgeting, these programs go beyond their expectations. The flexibility of these programs, the learning for now and the hand on experience in the fieldwork give adults to start and finish up their dream!
Students today need not only to be taught new content but also want to be participating and being part of the whole community. They are no more the passive and quiet side of the classroom, listening and obeying and having no control over their future. They want to know, they want to learn and they want to know that they are learning. Thus setting up rubrics and checklist as well as self reflection and self assessment help them better knowing where they are and in what direction they are headed. I believe by making students in control of their own lives and learning, we can set a better learner in them. For sure an alternate way of assessment is needed and one of the best ones would be self-assessment.
I see changes now, when I ask students in different levels and schools for their teachers and their teaching styles. What they do in class and how happy they are. The load of the work in not less, though. But what I can see and feel from their faces, shows that they are learning and they are enjoying their learning.
This is not only with kids at school but adults with Community Education program across the country. Programs where adult can continue their education for self study or work force are not few. These courses are both presented in a traditional face to face format as well as hybrid courses of online or virtual classes where they can study at their own pace at home. The number of adults who have registered for these programs are dramatically increasing. It is very true that these programs are not only beneficiary to them for the fact that they are offered in an online format but also that the classes are centered around students as independent learners, their interests, their learning for now and their flexible structure and much more.
One very example of this are the programs offered for adults transitioning and switching careers. There are for sure, many paths for switching jobs for undergraduates and graduates from colleges, but for working adults who have got very little time and even limited budgeting, these programs go beyond their expectations. The flexibility of these programs, the learning for now and the hand on experience in the fieldwork give adults to start and finish up their dream!
Students today need not only to be taught new content but also want to be participating and being part of the whole community. They are no more the passive and quiet side of the classroom, listening and obeying and having no control over their future. They want to know, they want to learn and they want to know that they are learning. Thus setting up rubrics and checklist as well as self reflection and self assessment help them better knowing where they are and in what direction they are headed. I believe by making students in control of their own lives and learning, we can set a better learner in them. For sure an alternate way of assessment is needed and one of the best ones would be self-assessment.
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