Thus far I have been able to locate sufficient information as needed for the portions of the GAME plan that I have worked on. Although more information is always welcome and will only make the process easier and produce a better curriculum map in the end. I believe the timeline I set for myself in the Action plan is very achievable and does not need modified at this point in time. I have completed a draft of my course outline and have added content as indicated in my Action plan.
One of the main uses of technology that I would like to include in my lesson and unit plans involves the creation of a class web site that includes applications for a calendar, wiki, and blogs. However, that idea has been strictly hypothetical due to the fact that I currently work only as a substitute teacher. I explored Moodle, but decided against using that site due to the fact that it requires the download and installation of software. I chose PB Works because it was not blocked by the school net nanny, and does not require any special software. Today I created an account and am currently exploring how to set up the wiki and calendar. I like that I have the option to add student users without them needing to register with email accounts. If any of my colleagues have used PB Works, I would appreciate any advice you have to offer.
The biggest concern I have at the moment is looking into next week and the Problem Based Learning lesson. I fear that as a teacher of foreign language, Problem Based Learning poses a unique challenge. The purpose of PBL is to encourage higher-order thinking. However, with only one or two academic years at the most of studying a second language, I do not foresee that my students will have the vocabulary skills necessary to express higher-order thinking in the target language. I predict a couple possible outcomes. One: students will become frustrated and quit because they lack the fluency to express themselves in the target language. Two: Students will use their native language (English) to communicate, therefore defeating the purpose of the target language. In order to overcome these challenges, I may need to lower the cognitive level of the problem to match the target language vocabulary level of the students or allow the use of native language. If I allow native language, I would need to limit class time spent on PBL lessons because the students will not be practicing target language, as required to meet the learning standards.
5 comments:
Hi Stacy,
I think it is wonderful that you are thinking through your potential units so thoroughly. I think that in teaching a foreign language, you are faced with an entirely different set of challenges! I conducted a quick search and found a resource you might find helpful when working to incorporate problem based learning into your beginner level classes. Clark Nelson (1998) discusses the importance of teaching foreign language students how to use their resources such as dictionaries (most likely online dictionaries now) to learn vocabulary that is important to their purpose. He says that this will help the students remember the vocabulary better because they are deeming it relevant to their task (1998). An example task that he gave was to have students receive a postcard in the target language with an invitation to a skiing trip. The students’ task is to comprehend the postcard, then determine all of the important information to prepare for the trip (packing list, exchange rate, etc.). Finally, the students have to create activities to help teach their families all of the necessary information/key vocabulary before they leave for the trip. It might be interesting to have the students create some sort of multimedia presentation for this purpose. I thought that this sounded like an interesting way to encourage the higher-order thinking and problem solving skills required for a realistic task, yet still remain true to the needs of your students (Cennammo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).
Best of luck!
Kelly
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom
use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Nelson, C. J. (1998). pbl-fl. SpaceTruckingMogul.com. Retrieved May 30, 2013, from http://spacetruckingmogul.com/masters/pbl-fl.html
Tracy, I don't know that you have to lower the expectation for your students to get them thinking and using a foreign language a little more critically but you may have to give them a little more support. After all it doesn't necessarily have to be about speed of comprehension. I like the idea of having students research a country or a culture or even recipes and creating a product in the second language. Students could create menus then practice being the waiter and/or the customer. Film it and you get the bonus of using technology. Have students prepare an interview ahead of time with a mock celebrity or someone from a certain job or career. Have students write letters to imaginary people or even real people to practice context and mechanics. They are going to make mistakes but more importantly perhaps they will learn that mistakes can be remedied. A good friend of mine is a Spanish teacher and she is constantly having the kids use the language, mistakes and all. They dress up in silly clothes during suitcase races, have backpack races where they have to pack a book bag with common school supplies and even create videos of skits and movie scenes. Every Friday is no English day and she will not even respond to them if they do not attempt it in Spanish. The class is always full of laughter and kids trying. I think that you have such a dedication to your students. Your excitement for the content will be contagious and since we learn language socially in the first place, project based learning may actually surprise you in how it helps your students to make meaningful connections.
Diane Miller
Hi Kelly,
I love your suggestions, they gave ma another idea that I might try for the lesson plan next week. I hope the resources next week help clarify the difference between problem and project-based learning. I think it might be that I am just imagining that problem-based learning activities are more in-depth and technical that they really need to be
Hi Diane,
Your friend the Spanish teacher sounds like she has a great classroom and her students must love learning Spanish with her. I hope to have that type of classroom some day. A couple of the activities you mention I have tried, or have seen used. Others, like the suitcase race sound like fun. I am also interested to hear that she does not worry about the mistakes students make. One of the teachers I student-taught with would correct students' grammar while they were standing in front of the class giving a presentation. I imagined that they were terribly embarrassed at being corrected in front of their peers and vowed never to do that to a student.
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