So Much to Learn...So Little Time

Great moments with S2

My postings seem to be all about my S2 class at the moment, but they are doing such good and interesting work, with such gusto

I mentioned in recent tweet how happy I have been with them, particularly the standard of recent homework, but also the great work they've been doing in class. Due to their cooperation and sense of fun the recent series of lessons has been so enjoyable I thought I'd share them with you.

For those of you who know Métro 2 (Mod 2 Unit 4) we are looking at arranging to go out, using the conditional phrase "on pourrait". Since acquiring an IWB I've been finding an awful lot of super resources via TES Connect, but the one below is my favourite. I made a simple search using "on pourrait" as my keyword, filtering it through Modern languages. This gave me 17 different resources. I looked at 2 or 3 before I came to chocolatchaud's "Qu'est-ce qu'on pourrait faire?" PowerPoint.



What an brilliant idea...an Explosion of Ideas. Using the powerpoint I presented the idea of the "on pourrait + infintive" construction and gave each table group an A4 sheet with a photocopy of the spider diagram from slide 2. I then explained the task, emphasising that the ideas didn't have to be serious BUT they had to be in good (ok reasonable) French, and that they had to get as many as possible. On the board I put up a 15 minute countdown courtesy of e.ggtimer, and I gave them some background music ( a couple of tracks from Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk) which was not hugely appreciated but I kept it on anyway.

After the fifteen minutes were up the recorder's from each table went to another table and discussed and noted their ideas for 2 more minutes. On their return the groups then had to decide of their Top 5 activities.

Then I dropped the bomb...the next lesson they were going to find their perfect partner via Speed Dating. That caused no end of groans.

That evening I collated all the top 5's and drew up this table ready for the next lesson.

Speed Dating Sheet - Free Legal Forms

The lesson involved a major room reorganisiation which had the students puzzled on their arrival, but they soon got over it. Next came the tricky part of explaining what to do.

• in the column headed "moi" tick 5 fave suggestions
• put 1st partners initials in next column, ask "Qu'est-ce qu'on pourrait faire ce soir?"
• place a tick against each of partners 5 responses
• answer partners question with your 5 faves
• on signal move 1 place to the left and repeat process

At first I gave them 2 minutes using classtools.net timer, but as they got more confident we got it down to about 45 seconds per pair...serious speed dating. Here's a wee film I took whilst they were working, and as you can see each and everyone student was working away, and having a laugh along with it.



This took us almost to the end of the lesson but first they had to find their ideal partner by finding the best match from the responses gained during the exercise.

At the start of the 3rd lesson I dropped the second bomb, now they had to sit and work with their perfect partner. Cue serious groaning all around. The aim of this lesson was to introduce the idea of making excuses using "je ne veux / peux pas, parce que..." Again I resorted to TES Connect and found an excellent presentation by Cestrian to introduce the excuses. To this I added my own slide with an exemplar of the sort of dialogue I wanted them to produce. Here it was my turn to be proud of myself as I dicovered how to add sound to a ppt.



I then set them to work producing a dialogue in their pairs. This took longer than I anticipated because of various disruptions affecting the timetable, but we finally got it done.

Then we came to the culminating event...presenting the dialogues. Of course as soon as I mentioned the video camera the grumbles started. My initial idea was to have each pair do a sort of Alias Smith and Jones head-to-head, but then I had an even better idea (inspired I must say by Emma's homework). Why not get puppets to do the speaking for them.
They seemed to like this idea much better.

Here are the results:



In analysis the series of lessons took a little longer than I antcipated, but in some respects I wasn't able to control that. I really enjoyed this topic and the students have definitely had fun in the lessons. We didn't go into the grammatical explanations of "on pourrait + infinitive" but the students have used it in a question and in making a series of (ridiculous) suggestions. Most importantly they have worked with lots of other classmates and they have showed off their creativity and imagination both in thinking up strange activities and producing their dialogue.

As the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence approaches is it more of these kind of lessons we should be getting our learners to experience? Yes and no I think. On a simple physical and mental basis maintaining the kind of drive necessary for these lessons would be impossible everyday...and doing this kind of stuff everyday would render them becoming as stale as lessons in classes taught by those who have "taught the same thing successfully for the last 25 years and can't see why i should change now." However these kinds of lesson allow students to experience different kinds of learning (collaborative, direct teaching, experiential) and to allow their creative juices to flow. It also allows for something to be created at the end, i.e the film.

I'd be grateful for your thoughts.

languages, learning, edtech, lesson, french

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My Super 2nd Years

A couple of weeks ago I set my S2 french class a homework to tell me about their daily routine. I specified that I wanted digital versions, but would also accept a traditional version (i.e. pen and paper).

When I introduced the task I reminded them that many of them had already used animoto and goanimate and I also introduced bubbleshare as a way to create slideshows to which text (and supposedly voice but the kids say that doesn't work).

I have to say that once again they have overwhelmed me with the high standard of work produced, not only linguistically but creatively. I emphasised the need for accuracy in their French and the vast majority bore that in the production of their work.

So

to 2S.

If you are interested and want to see all the digital works go to RateMyMates.

Cait's film below is a work of pure genius and I can happily say I had no hand in the production of this at all.

Emma's use of the puppet is also fantastic.

Basically what we have here are SUCCESSFUL LEARNERS (without a doubt), CONFIDENT INDIVIDUALS and very EFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTORS.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Cleese, Creativity and Classrooms

John Cleese provides a ten-minute insight into what many of us know already, but fail to acknowledge:

1. We do not know where we get our ideas from (but we do know we don't get them from our laptops).
2. Sleeping on an idea can help make its reappearance later so much better.
3. Ticking things off and keeping all the balls in the air means you will not have any creative ideas.
4. In our frenzied connected world we need to make some time to make some mood for creativity: a tortoise cocoon from which we can check it's safe to come out into a self-created oasis in our lives.
5. We need to set aside time and place where interruptions are not allowed - we need to create boundaries of space with a starting time and a finish time, separate from ordinary life, and only then creating a space and place where we can play.
6. The problem with some teachers is that they may not know that they are not very creative, and therefore they may not value creativity even if they can recognise it.
7. If those in charge are egotistical and wish to claim credit for the work of others, then they shall directly or indirectly discourage others from being creative.

In keeping with Ewan's post here's how I reckon I match up to these insights:

1. No I don't know where I get my ideas from, but they usually occur after some form of thought process around and about it, and then voilà
2. This is a deffo. Works 100% for me, the more sleeps on an idea the better. I am going to show my cert classes this to encourage them to plan their work well ahead and to think and sleep on it, BECAUSE IT WORKS.
3. I am crap at making lists and Getting Things Done, but in my own haphazard way stuff does get finished. I get frustrated by my general lack of organistion but the thought of reading some self-help book to help me get organised fills me with horror.
4. If I need to do anything (on the computer) I turn off Twitter. Although I quite like it, it is the biggest disruptive influence (apart from the kids) to my attempts at being creative.
5. Oh yes, BUT in some situations this can be nigh on impossible. I usually get half an hour of quiet having put the kids to bed before my wife returns from work.

These next 2 are big ones:

6. This is unfortunately very true. We all know colleagues who have been doing the same thing every year, at the the same time, with barely a change (perhaps the worksheets are now photocopied rather than Bandaed.) But it isn't just teachers, many of those above us have a tendency to either simply be less creative or they have a creativity bypass once they install themselves in an office. Too much education management is REACTIVE, which by its nature is totally uncreative because you are reacting to events which have already happened. To be PROACTIVE is to be creative; you must refelect on what could occur and create scenarios to deal with it. 

7. How true is this? The minions do all the work but the bosses claim all the credit. Now they could claim a sort of creativity in that they may have been the ones who identified your talent, but when it comes down to it they are using your talent to their own gains, whci puts you off. Everyone in this big old world likes praise and recognition for their work. Not just the usual generalisation of "I know how hard all you are all working..." but genuine thanks, like coming to you and saying, "Thanks, Adam, for that Animoto you did for my presentation. It went down a treat."

What do you think?