Students learn in many different ways, and at times it is easier to reach some more than others. In my classroom I try to include all skills & different learning path ways so that if a student does not grasp it using one method, they will grasp it with another. When introducing vocabulary to students I like to show them pictures and say the word aloud in the foreign language and get them to repeat it. Once I have gone through all of the new vocabulary words I then go back through all of the words asking students “What is it?’ but giving them a choice of two words and they have to pick the correct one. Finally, I review all of the words in the hope that the students will be able to tell me what they are without prompting. Once this is complete we then take a look at the written words so that students can process those and write the English meanings. At this point they are generally gaining confidence and becoming much more familiar with the words. At home they make flashcards of the new vocabulary and they bring these to class to review with a partner, putting to one side the ones that they are still unfamiliar with so they can look over them again at the end. We review these new words over the course of a few lessons – students complete written activities and also oral activities, but it is generally the oral activities where students are less confident. Much practice and getting them to present in a group/pair seems to help improve their confidence, although some students are still really nervous to talk in front of their peers.
Over the last couple of years we have been trying to organize foreign language exchanges with other schools in France to give the students that confidence boost that they need. They go to France and stay with a host family for 10 days, and so are completely immersed in the language. The French students in turn come to the US for a similar amount of time. Some of the Freshman that I had 4 years ago have radically improved because of this – the trip just seemed to give them much more time to consolidate their language skills, being immersed in the language and having to communicate. When students are in that kind of environment I think they do some ‘deep’ learning – it is not a question of having to do an in-class speaking assignment – they have to figure out a way to communicate with their French-speaking peers as a matter of importance. After this experience they seem to come back to school with an inner confidence and a sense of renewal, and a totally different rationale. Technology today can help students with individual learning needs, as they can focus on their areas of weakness more readily when they need to. For example the Quizlet app that I use with students to learn new vocabulary is a great tool for students to use. They can listen to how the words are pronounced, they can play games so that they can recognize the new vocabulary words more easily and they can also do a test if they want to. In the test they are given multiple choice answers or have to spell out the words to see if they are correct or not. Other apps out there such as Duo Lingo can help students focus in on new vocabulary words/structures that they are unsure of. Kahoot is also another great app where teachers can prepare a multiple choice quiz that they can play in teams or individually in class. Students love the competition. Also they can look at that same quiz again, if the teacher shares it with the class, and work on it at their own pace. This is invaluable. I still do teach from the front when teaching grammar or more difficult concepts but more and more I am trying to become the facilitator. When students are assigned projects – they get a choice with a partner so that it is much more individualized, and I as a teacher I learn something too. Students go ahead and do the research and I guide them when they have questions, but then they ultimately make a presentation to the class using google slides, which they can work on almost anywhere and don’t have to be with their partner to do so. Things have changed so much in these last 5-10 years in teaching. I can assign/make videos presenting the content for students to watch at home, so that I can be there when they are doing more of the practicing, to help build up their confidence, as opposed to them trying to do that at home. When reviewing for quizzes or finals now, I assign topics to different groups, so that they can make a presentation to the class (with the help of technology), which in turn helps improve their confidence as they have understood the concepts and have been able to regurgitate that information successfully. Using technology to help students learn their subject matter has certainly revolutionized the teaching profession – students can have access at any time to information to help them learn – it is just a question of them prioritizing their time and focusing in on what they need to learn and when. So we, as teachers, are starting to play a totally different role in our students’ lives. The onward march continues….
4 Comments
Tess Giner
11/3/2018 07:26:30 pm
I spent the first 27 years of my life in West Texas. I heard Spanish my entire life, but somehow was not able to have a full conversation in Spanish. I didn't become fluent in Spanish until I moved to California. I taught a classroom of 20 itty-bitty Spanish-only speaking Kindergarteners. You could say that I felt like an exchange student those first four years of teaching in California. I was fully immersed in Spanish. Fortunately for me, many of my students' parents were willing to teach me their language while I taught them mine. It was a win-win situation. I am now fluent in Spanish. I hope your students will always have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in French. It's a fantastic opportunity.
Reply
Brandon DeJesus
11/6/2018 11:09:55 am
It is amazing that you are able to help students find these immersive experience that are absolutely life changing. I lived in France for a couple years when I was in college and being surrounded by culture and language was so much more affecting than anything I had ever done in a classroom. With technology I think that you can attempt to recreate an immersive environment using things like youtube, podcasts, skype and even having students change the language setting on their phone to a different language. While not all students will ever have the chance to truly be immersed in the learning of a new language I think that some of the things you are doing in your classroom are giving them the next best thing!
Reply
Jennifer Perkins
11/4/2018 02:24:08 pm
Hi Tasha! I really liked what you wrote about how your students present different projects to one another. I like how you act as the facilitator by guiding your students and answering questions, yet still allow for their creativity and individuality to show as they choose how to present their google slide presentation. This sounds like a meaningful way for students to take ownership over their learning, and get the opportunity to present to their peers. Great insights!
Reply
Catalina J Goldstein
11/4/2018 05:11:51 pm
Hey Tasha, I like that you included that sometimes you "teach from the front." We've all been trying to let go of that, but sometimes it's still very effective.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am a French & Spanish teacher at Justin-Siena High School wanting to get new ideas to motivate my students. Archives
March 2019
Categories |