After a month into the new timetable I can say that I am very happy with my S3 German class.
Through a mixture of timetabling and us sorting out classes it so happened that a class of boys sprang out of nowhere. It wasn't planned as some great educational experiment, it has just happened. And I'm really enjoying the class at the moment.
It is a mixed ability class with and a wide range thereof. Some of the boys like contributing voluntarily, but some will only do so when asked. They enter the class and get ready and they get down to work quickly. There is a real workng atmosphere in the class. One boy's mum who I know quite well said that her son is really enjoying the class because there are no girls to distract them... I'm not saying this is a reason for separating the sexes but it does make you think.
Anway we had a lot of fun this morning sending my vocab podcast to phones via bluetooth (shhh don't tell the Rector), mainly laughing at some of the names they have given their phones (I H8 fish, Ginger 4ever or Caravan of Tinkies!!!!!).
We then worked on some basic "at the doctors" dialogues with a view to having the boys perform.
Not one of them whinged when I brought out the video camera and set up the "doctor's surgery". Every pair wanted to have a go. They all really enjoyed themselves. Particular congratulations to Martyn who through the magic of television performed his role play on his own.
Here are the results.
As an addendum, i noticed that José has been writing about similar experinces with his class of boys...although his was far more planned than mine. But I feel we are experiencing similar results.
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Hi Jose.
All my other classes are mixed, and not one of them has the same feel about it. Obviously it could just be that I have landed on a nice group of lads, not sure.
What I do find is that there are also a lot of girls who enjoy using their phones and ipods to help them learn, but also a lot more of them like to have wee moan before being "encouraged" to record themselves.
Posted by: Adam Sutcliffe | Wednesday, 25 June 2008 at 22:33
Adam, we are indeed experiencing similar results. Boys do find using technology in this way incredibly motivating. Do you teach any girls? What do they think about the whole being recorded business?
Posted by: José Picardo | Wednesday, 25 June 2008 at 22:04