“Final” mood is everywhere from the messages posted on
Nicenet to coursemates’ blogs. I am so glad I made it! Most of all, I should
thank Courtney for all the work. I appreciate your time and efforts on us.
Without your help, I couldn’t have reached this far. Your emails and feedback
have been a guiding light. Taking this course, I had an opportunity to look at
my teaching issues and their solutions, which will be a stepping stone to
become a better English teacher. Thank you so much!!!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Week 9: Reflection
The final draft of my project plan report was due this
week, and I am glad I posted it on the wiki on time. Like Courtney suggested, using my
partner’s comments and reading peer final reports were pretty helpful. Thank
you all!! In my first draft of the report, ‘Project Plan Timeline’ was lame. It
didn’t contain what topics will be covered and what will be learned in detail.
So after I read my peers’ final reports on the wiki, I changed mine, adding
ABCD objectives so that the reader understands the procedure.
Taking this course, I realized that technology can play
an important role in teaching. The question is how I use it to help students in
their learning. There are so many resources out there, and most of them are
free. So how to integrate it into my class is my duty as a teacher from now on.
Trying out technology can be daunting. However, I don’t need to learn
everything. All I need to figure out is MY WAY – How I’m going to use
technology so that students can feel they have learned thanks to me.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Week 8: Reflection
Now I have only two weeks left for Webskills course. I
can’t believe I have reached this far. Sometimes I had a thought that I just dropped
this course, and other times I found myself introducing cool stuff that I was
learning from the program to those around me. Eventually, I am glad that I’m
still on the right track of becoming a better English teacher.
This week I finished writing the first draft of my
project plan, which was not easy. There was a lot of work. First, I tried to
finalize the lesson template that is going to suit for any lessons. Since I
teach reading passages with questions and its contents are not interesting all the time, it has been challenging to involve my students in lessons. So, how I effectively teach students and engage them in learning is a key
to success. That’s why I got this idea – To make a perfect teaching template. Boring
English passages and multiple-choice questions with fun, motivating teaching
method! I bet that this will be a process of trial and error, but I will make
this work in the end.
Thanks to one of coursemates Valeria Evdash, I came to
know about 3-2-1 strategy. I did some more research on the method. It is going
to help to improve my teaching. I’d like to share its information below. Many
thanks Valeria!!!
< 3-2-1 Strategy for Reading
Comprehension >
What Is a 3 - 2 - 1?
The idea is to give students a chance to summarize some key ideas, rethink them in order to focus on those that they are most intrigued by, and then pose a question that can reveal where their understanding is still uncertain. Often, teachers use this strategy in place of the usual worksheet questions on a chapter reading, and when students come to class the next day, you're able to use their responses to construct an organized outline, to plot on a Venn diagram, to identify sequence, or isolate cause-and-effect. The students are into it because the discussion is based on the ideas that they found, that they addressed, that they brought to class.
The idea is to give students a chance to summarize some key ideas, rethink them in order to focus on those that they are most intrigued by, and then pose a question that can reveal where their understanding is still uncertain. Often, teachers use this strategy in place of the usual worksheet questions on a chapter reading, and when students come to class the next day, you're able to use their responses to construct an organized outline, to plot on a Venn diagram, to identify sequence, or isolate cause-and-effect. The students are into it because the discussion is based on the ideas that they found, that they addressed, that they brought to class.
How Does It Work?
Students fill out a 3-2-1 chart with something like this:
Students fill out a 3-2-1 chart with something like this:
3 Things You Found Out
2 Interesting Things
1 Question You Still Have
2 Interesting Things
1 Question You Still Have
Now, that's just the suggested version. Depending upon
what you're teaching, you can modify the 3-2-1 anyway you want. For instance,
if you've just been studying the transition from feudalism to the rise of
nation-states, you might have students write down 3 differences
between feudalism and nation-states, 2 similarities, and 1 question
they still have.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Week 7: Reflection
This week I learned about a new tool named Padlet. It
is an online notice board maker which suits for class activities, homework, and
many more. The beauty of Padlet is that its usage is so easy. Special skills and
even registration are unnecessary to create notice boards. Under “Webskills
Summer 2013 – Learner Autonomy Resources”, we collaborated to post articles,
websites, and videos. On the board I shared a website link with a lesson which
shows why it is a good idea for learners to be autonomous and suggests ways
that teachers can help them achieve this.
I haven’t found a partner for peer review
yet and I posted a message in the discussion board of Nicenet for looking for
one. For those who haven’t paired up, let me tell you about me. I teach high
school students and prepare them for a college entrance exam. I teach reading
skills only and I am trying to make my teaching more lively using interactive
powerpoint, Think-Pair-Share, and more. I am not teaching regular classes now
and waiting for 2nd semester starting August 26th. If you have
something in common with me, please be my partner for helping each other.
As for the final plan report, I am planning
to make a template for next semester where I put reading passages of the new
textbook. The goal is to make my boring class more interactive enough to engage
students in learning. I am still working on which tool goes where and how to
apply it. Wish me luck.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Week 6: Reflection
How to make my boring class more
interactive enough to engage students in learning is one of my teaching issues,
and this week I found a few solutions. First of all, I am going to use PowerPoint.
The software will work well with me. Including images and sounds and linking to
slides and other resources will draw responses from students. Another method is
to distribute to each student two colors of index cards. This is pretty simple
to use, but the cards will help to engage students in questions such as yes/no,
agree/disagree, and right/wrong. I often feel disheartened by their numbness
with even simple questions. The cards will blow away my worry. Additionally, Think-Pair-Share(TPS),
Jigsaw Variation, and Best Summary activities will be effective in motivating
students. Especially I really like the combo - Best Summary and TPS. I teach
passages with questions, and with these two activities I have confidence in promoting
student engagement and learning.
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