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| Teaching English |
I came across this article from BBC entitled: Reading and elementary learners, recently as I was on the Facebook. It is not something new, rather something that ESL teachers have been doing all this while. I take it as a refresher and a reminder on the importance of teaching this skill systematically.
There are issues teachers need to address in order to conduct a successful reading class. Bear in mind that teaching reading involves hard work and it need to be done systematically over a period of time. Consistency in techniques is very important, as it will gives the confidence to the young readers because they know what to expect and what is being expected of them. Variation in task however, is encourage as we need to inject the element of fun and avoid boredom.
Teaching reading should start with the question, "How to select reading materials?" The answer lies in our pupils, we need to:
- Identify their reading level: elementary, intermediate or advance
- Get to know their interest, hobbies
Once we know that, we can look around for print materials or if some of you would prefer, the internet. In fulfilling the national curriculum, I would rather browse through the selection from the books provided by the ministry for literature. The books are colorfully illustrated, embedding children's theme and the vocabularies are suitable for my pupils.
Once we have decided on the materials, we can plan our lesson accordingly. One reading material can be use many times in different tasks. For example, a reading task about Cinderella, can be use to introduce new vocabulary, understanding how to use the vocabulary or applying their new vocabulary in different context. I would prefer to use Bloom Taxonomy in teaching reading. This is to maximize the use of one reading material into increasing their reading skill. Once you have decided on recycling the material, the lesson plan must be constructed accordingly.
Planning a reading lesson. What to do?
A reading lesson must consist of three parts. Some teachers just like to label Step 1,2 and 3 or presentation, practice and production. However, as I look around the labels are the only difference. The execution is more or less the same. The three parts are:
- Pre-reading
- While reading
- Post reading
In discussing these reading parts, there are many issues surrounding it for example time allocation. I went to a reading pedagogy course and the facilitator suggested pre-reading activities that can last for a week! However, I think it's better to allocate appropriate time for pre-reading, and match it with the other two stages.
Other issues such as the coherency of the activities, the degree of difficulty and the suitability of activities in each part in increasing reading skill.
To illustrate these steps, I will use Pamela Rushby's Tidy Your Room, Tanya!
Other issues such as the coherency of the activities, the degree of difficulty and the suitability of activities in each part in increasing reading skill.
To illustrate these steps, I will use Pamela Rushby's Tidy Your Room, Tanya!
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| Tidy your room, Tanya! by Pamela Rushby (the book cover) |
Pre-reading
- Use the book cover to prompt the pupils. The things they can see, the characters. They can guess what the book is all about.
- Introduce the vocabulary that u find difficult and solicit meaning by prompting their pre-requisite knowledge (the word in the mother tongue)
- Tell a short story almost similar to the one in the book. Change the character to yourself, so they will feel the story is relevant to them although it is written in English by a foreigner.
- Bring in realia, and act out part of the story and ask them to guess, and then saying the answers are in the book.
- Comparing a tidy room and a messy room. Ask them to find an object in both pictures.
While reading
The next step is to actually read the book. I would prefer to do the reading in section. In Ms. Rushby's book, Tanya was scolded by so many people in her family for not tidying her room. This is the section I am talking about. It is no point reading the whole book during one class although it is just a thin book. What we do with the material is more important.
During this step, we can:
- Teach or reinforce dictionary skills.
- Use vocabulary map, learning to use word in different contexts.
- Story chain, Listing one sequence after another. For weaker learners, teacher can jumble the series of events and ask the pupils to rearrange and rewrite them.
- Scanning for main ideas.
- Identifying grammar items. For example past tense verbs, past tense sentence.
- Teacher can do Total Physical Response (TPR) activity such as asking them to clap when they hear the vocabulary highlighted, or act out the verbs in the story when the teacher reads.
Post reading
For me there is a fine line between while reading activities and post reading activities. The activities used for both stages can be recycle and use accordingly. This is where the issue of coherence that I mentioned earlier come to play.
To embrace the Bloom Taxonomy of learning, I would prefer the activities during the post reading stage would be slightly difficult. The activities we can do:
- Role play. Acting out the characters in different context. For example, mother is looking for something and the room is messy.
- Imagining that you are the thing Tanya's been looking for. Your feelings of being left behind in a messy room.
- If the activities done in section, you can ask the pupils to draw Grandma's face, before she is angry, when she is angry. Or you can ask them to draw the layout of the room and predict where is Tanya's lost item.
- Relate the story's morale value in their context. Universal truth.
- They can suggest ways on keeping tidy. Bring out the decorator in them. How to keep small things, bigger things. More than once I asked them to do an exhibition on "how to?" The pupils love it because they get all the attention they want and they feel valued and appreciated.
Conclusion
I love reading and I want my pupils to understand and feel the enjoyment from it. I also want them to realize that there are many ways to interact with a text. By interacting, we can increase our reading skill, nurture our thinking and broaden our horizon.
With this I share one of the reading lesson done in the classroom based on the book. It incorporates the elements of shared culture and putting it into our context. It is a broad and abstract concept for young learners to understand but it was worth the try. I find the lesson enjoyable although it was a little ambitious, but I can see from their faces they enjoyed it too.
My 2012 Classroom Rules
I don't mean these are the only rules. These are the core. It might appear childish and unnecessary or it is a universal truth, then again my learners aged between 7 to 12. They need rules that are not ambiguous in nature and very specific. I'll observe the execution if these rules to a "t" in the first three months and make appropriate adjustments or modifications if needed.
Reflecting on my teaching practices, I start off the class with greetings. However, I dislike the idea of pupils standing to greet me, so I always ask them to sit whenever I enter the classroom. Then, we recite the "doa" seeking God blessings for the day's lesson. I will check their tidiness, the hair, hijab, clothing and their desks, asking them to clear up any mess (rules no. 2). If there are any homework due for submission (rules no.3), I will ask for it but I hardly check those who didn't hand in because I don't want to feel upset and start scolding.
....and teaching time, I'll teach as per lesson plan, yeah right...the lesson will be modified every time because I need to cater to their moods and understanding. A teacher needs to be flexible and dynamic to ensure the delivery of the contents reach the pupils and achieving the day's objectives. During this time, rules no. 4 plays an important part and it is crucial for the pupils to adhere to it. In order to learn, pupils need to focus their senses, if they talk, disturb others or play it is doubtful they will understand what the teacher has been teaching.
Toilet breaks? I will allow it for 2 periods class, in the second period (rules no. 5). If the class is immediately after recess obviously I won't allow for breaks. Sometimes pupils just like to go out, get a fresh air or escape from something, that is why I don't allow it often and has to be strict about this. Furthermore, it is dangerous for young learners to be wandering around the school because you will never know what they will do because it is out of your radius.
The supreme rules of all, rule no. 1, it can be use to outlaw everything, decide on new rules because I am the King in the classroom. A teacher will always try to be fair, Insyaallah, so there should not be doubt of me misusing my power.
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| Can't wait to see my new pupils! |
I've been teaching for almost seven years now. Still, I have some
dilemma over deciding on rules that can highly contribute to effective
classroom management. There is no exact formula in establishing rules.
As students come and go, rules need constant revision to ensure its
reliability and validity in our present teaching context.
In
preparation for next year, I browsed through some of the websites that
can provides some ideas concerning this matter. One good thing about
this is I will be able to reflect on my teaching practices while reading
some of the ideas presented. Therefore, I can select which rules might
suit my class more.
In establishing rules, a teacher should remember that rules are meant for both parties. The teacher and the students. It is unfair to presume the teacher is a saint and does everything well. I think this is where I am lacking. All this while, I did not lay out rules for myself to adhere. It is just a belief in my mind on how a teacher should behave in the classroom.
For a start, I need to set up rules for myself. It must not be too ambitious, just a few to start with so that it can be realistic and well observed. I find the ones suggested on this website provide the guidance I needed. I find the rules are attainable and it is one step higher than my current standing, intellectually and ability. To sound academic, you can say I am quoting Krashen's i+1 here. :)
In establishing rules, a teacher should remember that rules are meant for both parties. The teacher and the students. It is unfair to presume the teacher is a saint and does everything well. I think this is where I am lacking. All this while, I did not lay out rules for myself to adhere. It is just a belief in my mind on how a teacher should behave in the classroom.
For a start, I need to set up rules for myself. It must not be too ambitious, just a few to start with so that it can be realistic and well observed. I find the ones suggested on this website provide the guidance I needed. I find the rules are attainable and it is one step higher than my current standing, intellectually and ability. To sound academic, you can say I am quoting Krashen's i+1 here. :)
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| An article wrote by Shelly Vernon |
The
rules suggested focus on teacher's attitude in earning the love and
respect of the students. A good classroom management should hold on to
this virtue in the first place as teacher is the decision maker and the
highest authority in the classroom. I am a firm believer of this, love
and respect will gets a person far in his/her life.
Good Classroom Management Rule 1
Be a mentor not a friend and earn the children's trust by being firm, fair and consistent.
A mentor!! Wow, guess I should mind my footsteps now...In terms of learning, I've been trying to demonstrate it. I brought my leisure reading to class, put it on the table, for them to have a glance on my personal favourite. Decorating my space in the staffroom with English proverbs and books. Sharing my favourite English songs or film. There is one time I brought my thesis to show them, and showcase my graduation picture on the class Facebook. I just want them to know that learning takes a whole life to complete. You can never call yourself to clever because acquiring knowledge is a never ending process.
What I miss in understanding this concept is (as mentioned in the article), being a mentor also involve demonstrating in terms of how I expect them to behave. I am only strict when it comes to homework submission but on other things I am off high tolerance. As much as I want to be strict most of the time, it certainly clashes with my personality.
Maybe starting from next year, I must learn how to be strict in some expect for example tardiness and courtesy, besides the one I am already being particular of. In addition, I need to be consistent in reinforcing my new rules therefore respect and trust can be earned. Children are good in identifying the inconsistency in your class management and sometimes they can easily manipulate you to their own advantage.
Good Classroom Management Rule 2
Show your pupils that you care about them.
Being strict doesn't mean you have to stop being human. There are teachers who believe that teachers belong with teachers and pupils belong with pupils. This segregation of thoughts should be non-existence at all! I find it ridiculous and absurd at the same time. Teachers and pupils relationship is symbiotic. We cannot function without one another We need one another to be able to call ourselves, teachers or pupils.
Good Classroom Management Rule 1
Be a mentor not a friend and earn the children's trust by being firm, fair and consistent.
A mentor!! Wow, guess I should mind my footsteps now...In terms of learning, I've been trying to demonstrate it. I brought my leisure reading to class, put it on the table, for them to have a glance on my personal favourite. Decorating my space in the staffroom with English proverbs and books. Sharing my favourite English songs or film. There is one time I brought my thesis to show them, and showcase my graduation picture on the class Facebook. I just want them to know that learning takes a whole life to complete. You can never call yourself to clever because acquiring knowledge is a never ending process.
What I miss in understanding this concept is (as mentioned in the article), being a mentor also involve demonstrating in terms of how I expect them to behave. I am only strict when it comes to homework submission but on other things I am off high tolerance. As much as I want to be strict most of the time, it certainly clashes with my personality.
Maybe starting from next year, I must learn how to be strict in some expect for example tardiness and courtesy, besides the one I am already being particular of. In addition, I need to be consistent in reinforcing my new rules therefore respect and trust can be earned. Children are good in identifying the inconsistency in your class management and sometimes they can easily manipulate you to their own advantage.
Good Classroom Management Rule 2
Show your pupils that you care about them.
Being strict doesn't mean you have to stop being human. There are teachers who believe that teachers belong with teachers and pupils belong with pupils. This segregation of thoughts should be non-existence at all! I find it ridiculous and absurd at the same time. Teachers and pupils relationship is symbiotic. We cannot function without one another We need one another to be able to call ourselves, teachers or pupils.
Outside
the classroom, teachers must show thoughtfulness, displaying caring and
loving characteristics openly. Take time to appreciate your pupils
outside of the classroom. Once in a while I would spend recess with them
at their table. Eat the same food and talk about their favourite
activities. Sometimes I would check out the school bookshop and find out
what they have been spending their on, talk about it and maybe play a
little. I can see their faces beaming whenever I talk to them and they
ease a little.
During my school days, I hardly remember any teachers who did that. But my teacher trainer, Mr. Nodd Ibrahim displayed these attitudes by constantly dropping by our class, singing aloud, inviting us to his place and it made us feel very special compared to other classes. A teacher, certainly has the power to change how people feel about themselves and this is what I hope to be. So this rule is certainly me!
During my school days, I hardly remember any teachers who did that. But my teacher trainer, Mr. Nodd Ibrahim displayed these attitudes by constantly dropping by our class, singing aloud, inviting us to his place and it made us feel very special compared to other classes. A teacher, certainly has the power to change how people feel about themselves and this is what I hope to be. So this rule is certainly me!
Good Classroom Management Rule 3
Get closer to your pupils.
Get closer to your pupils.
Closer?
I think this apply in the classroom. Teacher should not distance
herself, by being near the chalkboard too much, or behind the desk.
Walking around to inspect your pupils work, taking a seat to different
pupils each time or simply move around the class while teaching.
Therefore, pupils will never be too comfortable around you (they will
try to do their work as quickly) and keep them in focus of the task.
I know, I am guilty by opting to sit when I am teaching sometimes. I must learn to find a solution to this as when I got tired, I have the tendency to sit. I sat on the desk, sometimes I stacked chairs and sat on them or sat on the pupils desk, I can get enough of sitting! Hmm...I should work on this rule, harder...
Good Classroom Management Rule 4
Praise and encourage good behaviour.
Children love praises! Give them heap of praises, never be stingy but do it appropriately, only when they deserved it. I am good at this, I know. Some bragging will not hurt here. ;) Children's self-worth and esteem will increase when they are praised. I noticed my pupils appreciate the praises and encouragement because they smiled a lot throughout the class and the environment of classroom become pleasant and the pupils tend to be highly cooperative.
I know, I am guilty by opting to sit when I am teaching sometimes. I must learn to find a solution to this as when I got tired, I have the tendency to sit. I sat on the desk, sometimes I stacked chairs and sat on them or sat on the pupils desk, I can get enough of sitting! Hmm...I should work on this rule, harder...
Good Classroom Management Rule 4
Praise and encourage good behaviour.
Children love praises! Give them heap of praises, never be stingy but do it appropriately, only when they deserved it. I am good at this, I know. Some bragging will not hurt here. ;) Children's self-worth and esteem will increase when they are praised. I noticed my pupils appreciate the praises and encouragement because they smiled a lot throughout the class and the environment of classroom become pleasant and the pupils tend to be highly cooperative.
Relating to the Malay
culture, praises are not often given. I wonder what is wrong by giving
praises that you deserve. After all, we need to be appreciated for the
hard work we put into something and by praising, it will encourage a
better one in the future. A praise can only be wrong when it is not
given to the rightful owner, done without sincerity and this can be
understood even by a young learner.
Praises, may not be in verbal form per se, written praises, displaying work, appointment of class captain, star awards can be seen as praises and serve as encouragements for the pupils. This way, they can relate their achievement to the praise and the reward the get from it.
Praises, may not be in verbal form per se, written praises, displaying work, appointment of class captain, star awards can be seen as praises and serve as encouragements for the pupils. This way, they can relate their achievement to the praise and the reward the get from it.
Good Classroom Management Rule 5
Make your teaching style interesting and varied.
Ideas? Do not fear. Abundance of materials and teaching ideas available on the web, if you are not into flipping books nowadays. The most important thing is to realize the need of the class and work hard in fulfilling it. Learning various theories on teaching will help a teacher a lot in choosing the right methods to tap in the different learning styles of the students.
As I observed, learners aged 7-9 love kinaesthethic activities. They love anything that got to do with movements, so dancing and singing and some games will help them learn better. The 10-12 years old pupils like singing as well but they tend to be a little shy with the movement so I let them focus on their singing and maybe do a little clapping and bodily sound to encourage their participation.
Keeping chalk and talk to the minimum is something I hope to do. Not only that chalk residue is bad for health but it also take some of your time away from the class.Well it certainly violate some the rules above!
Make your teaching style interesting and varied.
Ideas? Do not fear. Abundance of materials and teaching ideas available on the web, if you are not into flipping books nowadays. The most important thing is to realize the need of the class and work hard in fulfilling it. Learning various theories on teaching will help a teacher a lot in choosing the right methods to tap in the different learning styles of the students.
As I observed, learners aged 7-9 love kinaesthethic activities. They love anything that got to do with movements, so dancing and singing and some games will help them learn better. The 10-12 years old pupils like singing as well but they tend to be a little shy with the movement so I let them focus on their singing and maybe do a little clapping and bodily sound to encourage their participation.
Keeping chalk and talk to the minimum is something I hope to do. Not only that chalk residue is bad for health but it also take some of your time away from the class.Well it certainly violate some the rules above!
Having reviewed all the rules
presented in the article, I think I can adopt and adapt it as mine.
Things are going to change here and there but I wish this would be the
core. I want to have a co0rporative classroom next year and I hope the
measures will assist me in realizing my dreams.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING KIT: A lesson plan. Topic: Creativity: Level: Intermediate + Goals: to practise speaking, listening, writing skills in the context of talking about creativity. Materials: a...
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- Brainstorm a list of at least 12 questions about the topic, concept or object. Use these question-starts to help you think of interesting questions:
- Review the brainstormed list and star the questions that seem most interesting. Then, select one or more of the starred questions to discuss for a few moments.
- Reflect: What new ideas do you have about the topic, concept or object that you didn't have before?
Question Starts
A routine for creating thought-provoking questions
Purpose: What kind of thinking does this routine encourage?
This routine provides students with the opportunity to practice developing good questions that provoke thinking and inquiry into a topic. It also helps students brainstorm lots of dif-ferent kinds of questions about a topic. The purpose of asking deep and interesting questions is to get at the complexity and depth of a topic. The purpose of brainstorming varied ques-tions about a topic is to get at the breadth, and multi-dimensionality of a topic.Application: When and Where can it be used?
Use Question Starts to expand and deepen students'thinking, to encourage students' curios-ity and increase their motivation to inquire. This routine can be used when you are introduc-ing a new topic to help students get a sense of the breadth of a topic. It can be used when you're in the middle of studying a topic as a way of enlive - Brainstorm a list of at least 12 questions about the topic, concept or object. Use these question-starts to help you think of interesting questions:
- ning students' curiosity. And it can be used when you are near the end of studying a topic, as a way of showing students how the knowledge they have gained about the topic helps them to ask ever more interesting questions. This routine can also be used continuously throughout a topic, to help the class keep a visible, evolving list of questions about the topic that can be added to at anytime.
Launch: What are some tips for starting and using this routine?
Before using Question Starts, you might want to ask students what they think makes a good question. Then, when you show the Question Starts, explain that this routine is a tool for asking good questions. Start the routine by providing a topic- Stockholm, a compass, the Equator, good sportsmanship. Ask them to use the Question Starts to generate a list of questions about the topic. Initially, it's best to work together as an entire group. Once students get the hang of the routine, you can have them work in small groups, or even solo. Or mix it up. For example, do step 1 as a whole class, do step 2 in pairs, and step 3 as a whole class again.
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- 3-2-1 Bridge
A routine for activating prior knowledge and making connections
Your initial responses to the topic
3 Thoughts/Ideas
2 Questions
1 Analogy
Your new responses to the topics
3 Thoughts/Ideas
2 Questions
1 Analogy
Bridge:
Explain how your new responses connect to your initial responses?
Purpose: What kind of thinking does this routine encourage?
This routine asks students to uncover their initial thoughts, ideas, questions and understandings about a topic and then to connect these to new thinking about the topic after they have received some instruction.
Application: When and Where can it be used?
This routine can be used when students are developing understanding of a concept over time. It may be a concept that they know a lot about in one context but instruction will focus their learning in a new direction, or it may be a concept about which students have only informal knowledge. Whenever new information is gained, bridges can be built between new ideas and prior understanding. The focus is on understanding and connecting one’s thinking, rather than pushing it toward a specific outcome.
Launch: What are some tips for starting and using this routine?
This routine can be introduced by having students do an initial 3, 2, 1 individually on paper. For instance, if the topic is “democracy,” then students would write down 3 thoughts, 2 questions, and 1 analogy. Students might then read an article, watch a video, or engage in an activity having to do with democracy. Provocative experiences that push students thinking in new directions are best. After the experience, students complete another 3,2,1. Students then share their initial and new thinking, explaining to their partners how and why their thinking shifted. Make it clear to students that their initial thinking is not right or wrong, it is just a starting point. New experiences take our thinking in new directions.
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- Connect Extend ChallengeA routine for connecting new ideas to prior knowledge
Explanation Game A routine for exploring causal understanding
Headlines A routine for capturing essence
Question Starts A routine for creating thought-provoking questions
*Think Pair Share A routine for active reasoning and explanation
*Think Puzzle Explore A routine that sets the stage for deeper inquiry
*What makes you say that? Interpretation with justification routine
3-2-1 Bridge A routine for activating prior knowledge and making connections
Colour, Symbol, Image A routine for distilling the essence of ideas non-verbally
Generate, Sort, Connect, Elaborate A routine for organizing one's understanding of a topic through concept mapping
Peel the Fruit A map for tracking and guiding understanding
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- The core routines are a set of seven or so routines that target different types of thinking from across the modules.
- What Makes You Say That? Interpretation with justification routine
Think Puzzle Explore A routine that sets the stage for deeper inquiry
Think Pair Share A routine for active reasoning and explanation
Circle of Viewpoints A routine for exploring diverse perspectives
I used to Think... Now I think... A routine for reflecting on how and why our thinking has changed
See Think Wonder A routine for exploring works of art and other
interesting things
Compass Points A routine for examining propositions
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- Visible Thinking makes extensive use of learning routines that are thinking rich. These routines are simple structures, for example a set of questions or a short sequence of steps, that can be used across various grade levels and content. What makes them routines, versus merely strategies, is that they get used over and over again in the classroom so that they become part of the fabric of classroom' culture. The routines become the ways in which students go about the process of learning.
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- Is goal oriented in that it targets specific types of thinking
- Gets used over and over again in the classroom
- Consists of only a few steps
- Is easy to learn and teach
- Is easy to support when students are engaged in the routine
- Can be used across a variety of context
- Can be used by the group or by the individual
What makes these routines work to promote the development of a students thinking and the classroom culture are that each routine:
- You might even use more than one routine in teaching a single lesson. Thus, you shouldn't think about the routine as taking time away from anything else you are doing, they should actually enhance what you are trying to do in the classroom.
- Because of their simple nature, the routines do not need to be taught but can simply be used as a means of investigating and working with existing subject matter. Nonetheless, when teachers first introduce a routine he or she may choose to do so with one of the suggested topics or a topic that may not be a regular part of students' study. For example, the "What makes you say that?" routine might be introduced with an engaging picture or photograph, though later a teacher might want to use it with a poem, artifact, or scientific experiment. With all of the routines, teachers will need to think about what topics are most appropriate for their introduction and continued use.
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"Thinking Routines"
- Thinking Routines
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- 10 ways to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning…
- 1. Don’t make all the decisions
Allow choice. Encourage students to make decisions about how they learn best. Create opportunities for them to pursue their own interests and practise skills in a variety of ways. Cater for different learning styles. Don’t expect everyone to respond in the same way. Integrate technology to encourage creative expression of learning.
2. Don’t play guess what’s in my head - Ask open-ended questions, with plenty of possible answers which lead to further questions. Acknowledge all responses equally. Use Thinking Routines to provide a framework for students to engage with new learning by making connections, thinking critically and exploring possibilities.
3. Talk less
Minimise standing out front and talking at them. Don’t have rows of learners facing the front of the class. Arrange the seats so that students can communicate, think together, share ideas and construct meaning by discussing and collaborating. Every exchange doesn’t need to go through the teacher or get the teacher’s approval, encourage students to respond directly to each other. - 4. Model behaviors and attitudes that promote learning.
Talk about your own learning. Be an inquirer. Make your thinking process explicit. Be an active participant in the learning community. Model and encourage enthusiasm, open-mindedness, curiosity and reflection. Show that you value initiative above compliance.- love this!
- 5. Ask for feedback
Get your students to write down what they learned, whether they enjoyed a particular learning experience, what helped their learning, what hindered their learning and what might help them next time. Use a Thinking Routine like ‘Connect, extend, challenge’. Take notice of what they write and build learning experiences based on it. - 6. Test less
Record student thinking and track development over time. Provide opportunities for applying learning in a variety of ways. Create meaningful assessment tasks that allow transfer of learning to other contexts. Have students publish expressions of their learning on the internet for an authentic audience. Place as much value on process and progress as on the final product. - 7. Encourage goal setting and reflection.
Help students to define goals for their learning. Provide opportunities for ongoing self-evaluation and reflection. Provide constructive, specific feedback. Student blogs are great tools for reflecting on learning and responding to their peers. - 8. Don’t over plan.
If you know exactly where the lesson is leading and what you want the kids to think, then you‘re controlling the learning. Plan a strong provocation that will ‘invite the students in’ and get them excited to explore the topic further. But don’t plan in too much detail where it will go from there.
9. Focus on learning, not work.
Make sure you and your students know the reason for every learning experience. Don’t give ‘busy work’. Avoid worksheets where possible. Don’t start by planning activities, start with the ‘why‘ and then develop learning experiences which will support independent learning. Include appropriate tech tools to support the learning. - 10. Organise student led conferences
Rather than reporting to parents about their children’s learning, have student led 3-way conferences, with teacher and parents. The student talks about her strengths and weaknesses, how her learning has progressed and areas for improvement. She can share the process and the product of her learning.
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Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) has been implemented starting this year to the year one pupils throughout the nation. The curriculum implemented is a revised version of the 2003 syllabus, with the focus of preparing balanced human capital that are capable of transcending over future challenges. The process of holistical changes involved the changes in the current curriculum in terms of organization, contents, pedagogical, time allocation, assessment and the management of curriculum in school. Teachers currently undergoing courses pertaining to this matter and many more are expected to go through the same exposure as the KSSR will be fully implemented by 2015.
Although I am not teaching the level one pupils this year, the panel took initiative to organize KSSR in-house training. The purpose was to inform teachers on the changes in curriculum and to avoid confusion on the subject matter. Materials were presented by GC Madam Hayati Ahmad in an organized manner and explanation were given appropriately.
Upon further readings online, I found some of the websites that provide useful articles and materials pertaining to KSSR. Bear in mind the materials are not mine, I gathered all of it from various websites, download and upload it to my slideshare account for easy viewing. The credit belongs to the owner.
KSSR Materials
Julai5 taklimat+umum+kssr(1)
Although I am not teaching the level one pupils this year, the panel took initiative to organize KSSR in-house training. The purpose was to inform teachers on the changes in curriculum and to avoid confusion on the subject matter. Materials were presented by GC Madam Hayati Ahmad in an organized manner and explanation were given appropriately.
Upon further readings online, I found some of the websites that provide useful articles and materials pertaining to KSSR. Bear in mind the materials are not mine, I gathered all of it from various websites, download and upload it to my slideshare account for easy viewing. The credit belongs to the owner.
KSSR Materials
Julai5 taklimat+umum+kssr(1)
As I'm reorganizing my stuffs on the blog, Awesome Pedagogy page is reclassified and put into T n L category. So in order not to lost this entry, I make it as a post although it has been posted quite a while.
Vocabulary learning can be explored through various channel. Multi-sensory means vocabulary acquisition through pictures, listening to word sound, repetition and the added use of movement. Kinesthetics is the intelligence that need teachers attention and utilization especially when dealing with young learners.
In teaching songs, teacher can employ the usage of pictures to assist in learning the song and guide pupils understanding.
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Keeping a Journal
Keeping a journal of your own thoughts, action research projects and general teaching observations and progress can be enormously beneficial, but it’s important to think about how you structure this and what to include. -
Keeping a Journal
Keeping a journal of your own thoughts, action research projects and general teaching observations and progress can be enormously beneficial, but it’s important to think about how you structure this and what to include. - Why keep a journal?
• Keeping a journal can form an important part of your autonomous development and allow you to reflect on your teaching practice and help you to analyse and draw conclusions from some of the data you will be collecting.
• The process of having to write down your thoughts and reflections in an organised way should help to focus your mind on the lesson your teaching and what happened within the classroom.
• The journal can form an important record of your thoughts and developments over short and longer periods of time.
• If you are writing journal entries shortly after teaching, reviewing these a day or two later can be very informative as your perceptions and evaluation of what happened within the class can change quite a lot.
• If you review a number of entries over longer periods of weeks or even months, this may well help you to see common trends in your teaching and help you to isolate areas where problems regularly occur, where you need to do more work or where you have developed real strengths and overcome some obstacles. This can help you to set new goals for future research projects and developments and see real progress in your development. - How to structure the journal and what to include?
There are a number of ways you can structure your journal entries. When you first start keeping a journal you will need to experiment with a few different methods to find the ways that best suit you and the research that you are doing.
Here are some different methods, which you can try:
• Set a small number of specific questions to yourself that you will answer after each lesson.
• Write a descriptive entry stating what happened in the lesson
• Pick just one aspect of the lesson that made an impression on you and write about it.
• Choose a specific heading, for example ‘What I learned from teaching this lesson’ Or ‘How I would teach this lesson better next time’ and write only about that.
• You can write your journal entries in the form of comments on your actual lesson plan and keep them in your journal. This will help you to understand what the comments refer to and can help you remember what changes you want to make to the lesson if you teach it again.
• If you are undertaking a longer structured cycle of action research you might want to define specific things that you want to learn from each lesson. If this is the case write your aims for the lesson in your journal before you teach it for example, ‘By the end of this lesson I want to know …’ and then respond to yourself in the journal entry. - How much to write
Be careful that you don’t set yourself unrealistic goals and overload yourself with work. Writing in a journal can take time. To be useful you’ll also need time to systematically review and reread your journal entries and the more you have written the longer this will take.
If you are writing detailed entries in your journal, it is wiser to only write about one specific group / class of students or information relative to the specific aim of your current action research project, rather than trying to keep a detailed record of every lesson you teach. - The tone of you journal
Think about the tone of your journal.
• You could write as though you are writing to a fellow teacher. This will ensure that your explanations are clear to someone who may not have been present in the class and so help you to understand the entries when you review your journal weeks, months or even years later.
• You could write just bullet point notes to yourself. This saves time, but you need to be sure you will understand them when you come back to review your entries.
• You could write entries as a third person observer of your class. This may help you to be objective about the class.
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I was browsing for new templates for the blog. I know I just did the makeover last few months but it seems ages to me. It is not a sin, so what's wrong in changing the look when my heart desires. Hee.....
Google generated lots of websites for free templates and as I was browsing thru one, I found Living File.
Living File is online journaling whereby we can record our daily activities easily. As for blogs, you need to type it, make quite an essay of your daily routine, but Living File offers easy journaling by choosing an activity and filling in form and Tada!! your journal is ready. Still, if you need to brief, make remarks or whine on your activity, be no fear there's a comment section for each activity you entered.
I don't need extra convincing so I just registered, it's free and I got myself an online journal. I decided to use it to keep track of the books I read because I find reviewing the books on the blog tires me or me being lazy. ;)
From this day onwards, I'll be keeping track of my reading materials just like the school days. It will serve as a good reminder for me to keep up with my readings and polish my writing skills. Hopefully I will be discipline enough. Hopefully! Hahahaha....
As for FB sharing, I am a little bit frustrated with the non-sharing features for the activities (they allow for sharing the site though). Preferably, enabling sharing on the activities in the journaling will encourage many to join Living File and make the most out of it. Currently, sharing of our journal is meant only for the circle of friends in Living File or to the public who have join in the first place.
I give myself and Living File a chance though. After all, it's by chance we found each other...or is it fate? ;)
Living File is online journaling whereby we can record our daily activities easily. As for blogs, you need to type it, make quite an essay of your daily routine, but Living File offers easy journaling by choosing an activity and filling in form and Tada!! your journal is ready. Still, if you need to brief, make remarks or whine on your activity, be no fear there's a comment section for each activity you entered.
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| There are lots of activities to choose from |
I don't need extra convincing so I just registered, it's free and I got myself an online journal. I decided to use it to keep track of the books I read because I find reviewing the books on the blog tires me or me being lazy. ;)
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| My account on Living File |
From this day onwards, I'll be keeping track of my reading materials just like the school days. It will serve as a good reminder for me to keep up with my readings and polish my writing skills. Hopefully I will be discipline enough. Hopefully! Hahahaha....
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| I've updated the books I recently finished and currently reading |
As for FB sharing, I am a little bit frustrated with the non-sharing features for the activities (they allow for sharing the site though). Preferably, enabling sharing on the activities in the journaling will encourage many to join Living File and make the most out of it. Currently, sharing of our journal is meant only for the circle of friends in Living File or to the public who have join in the first place.
I give myself and Living File a chance though. After all, it's by chance we found each other...or is it fate? ;)
My intention was to get them to engage in an activity since post-exam in September 2011. However, I want the activity to have direct involvement with me so that I have a chance to spend time with them, getting to know them a little bit more before their departure for secondary school next year.
The materials I've gathered are suitable for their understanding. The medium is Bahasa Melayu. I don't want them to misinterpret everything I said or did. The class went well with some naughty thoughts and comments from the participants, well that's bring life to the class though... :)
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| Click to see how much fun it was! |
I'm sharing all the materials I've used for the class. Feel free to contact if you need further explanation on some of the things discussed.
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| image from: uconnlibrary.wordpress |
I predicted in the near future, hard copy books will be antiques, so precious one might perceive as valuables from the past. People will only get to see books in the museum and children will look at the previous generation as environmental criminals.
The emergent of e-books with easy access on multiple platforms encourage people to shift from purchasing hard copy books to e-books. Free e-books.net offers vast selection of genre which are free (you can guess it, I know) and it offers translations, downloads, free apps for smartphones and sharing on the social media. Impressive! I am sure there are a lot of other sites offering e-books but for the moment, I'm here to stay.
On one side, I'm glad this evolution occurs as we are moving towards conserving our forest. The downside of using e-book would be the peripheral used to access it. For example, using the smartphones, tablets or computers in reading would divert the attention of the reader especially young reader who could not defy the temptation to switch task. I know, games and Facebook are hard to resist! ;)
As for now, I would be traditional as we have loads of hard copy books available everywhere and easily accessible. Furthermore hard copy books will engage young learners even more as they feel a sense of belonging. I notice that in my children when we go to the library to borrow books. They choose a book that they like and they take it as their own. They thought of the book and its story as a part of them. Even when the younger brother wanted to exchange book with the elder ones would be a tug of war between them.
Browsing through my best friend's blog Amilee, I found an interesting channel on the youtube that highlight English Language (EL) conversation in diverse and unique situation. I love to share some and I think you might benefit from it too.
Consider this:
The dialogue used are easy, the conversations are easily understood because the pronunciation is clear. The pace is slower thus maintain viewers attention.
Consider this:
The dialogue used are easy, the conversations are easily understood because the pronunciation is clear. The pace is slower thus maintain viewers attention.
