Which video will increase my salary?
I have two decent lessons recorded for Entry 3, but decent for different reasons. One involves students trying to give me directions on how to rescue a 42″ Olivia Doll. The other involves Skyping my ex-mother-in-law in Mexico about health care. No, I’m not sure which is freakier. Nor am I sure which is liable to save me the trouble of going through National Boards yet again.
So I offer a comparison based on what Entry 3 suggests that “accomplished teachers of world languages” do:
make decisions about instructional content and strategies based on their knowledge of the learning styles, backgrounds, experiences, and goals of their individual students.
Doll Rescue
I do know this is a hyperactive class that craves interaction, and that analytical lessons tend not to sink in as well as, say, practical lessons like this one. I also know we’ve just started dealing with object pronouns and have been exposed to the Mexican first aid manual I found online last year for weeks now with little application. Many of the students are averse to learning Spanish at all, and mostly just want the grade…or I could say they want something they can finally use…
Suegra Skype
Students have been dealing with object pronouns and first aid words a great deal, but they know little about the context in which they might apply the words. Most have not talked to people in other countries, but would like to be able to carry on a conversation.
+1 Doll Rescue
show their commitment to engage all students in learning about themselves and others through their choice of varied activities—whole class, group, or individual.
Doll Rescue
The kiddos are certainly active (read: engaged), and a couple of students did learn that they knew more than they thought. I don’t think I can really say they learn anything about others. It is a whole-class activity, which is mostly what we’ve done so far…perhaps if I follow up with
Suegra Skype
All students asked questions (except for one who was absent the day before who wasn’t even on camera). They learned about my ex-suegra and about how well they could make themselves understood. The question-making was a group activity, questions were asked individually (and reactions were formed individually too).
+1 Suegra Skype
draw upon their knowledge of how languages work to set attainable and worthwhile learning goals for their students.
Doll Rescue
I did have students turn a question into command, so they were practicing grammatical rules for a purpose. The activity was also contextual instead of isolated. Trying to save someoen would be worthwhile, and was attainable, even for some of the naysayers.
Suegra Skype
I had them form the questions ahead of time and discuss gambits to respond–not that they used any. The activity was contextual again, and authentic, certainly worthwhile. Attainable, though?
+1 Doll Rescue
recognize the demands put on learners by different types of interactions and contacts with the target language.
Doll Rescue
This was a good example of interpersonal, as I was able to respond to the students, use context clues, and adapt according to their revisions.
Suegra Skype
This came off more as a presentational type of interaction when it should have been interpersonal, but it was a rare opportunity to converse with a native speaker who knows little English.
+1 Doll Rescue
provide a mosaic of authentic materials and resources dealing with target cultures that includes literary as well as nonliterary sources such as artifacts and guest speakers. Where possible, they bring into the classroom products, practices, and perspectives of the target cultures.
Doll Rescue The manual is the authentic material, but has little to do with culture. It is not literary, but is an artifact, a product. However, the practices and perspectives do not appear to be unique to the target culture (though I could spin that as a similarity, perhaps).
Suegra Skype
A guest speaker IN Mexico–how much more authentic does it get? This activity meant more delving into practices and perspectives of the culture, though.
+1 Suegra Skype
understand that second-language acquisition is a constructive and interactive process; they therefore create situations in which students learn to negotiate meaning with the teacher, with one another, and with texts.
Doll Rescue Interaction is definitely evident, and they negotiated meaning with me as they struggled to get me to do the right thing. They built on each other’s suggestions and used the manual.
Suegra SkypeThere was construction, but the interaction was not so…interactive. I stepped in to help Suegra too much instead of making students make themselves understood. If need be, I could explain how next time we’d spend more time on gambits and clarification, rephrasing–perhaps a rehearsal with me a day beforehand.
+1 Doll Rescue
actively and effectively engage their students in language learning and cultural studies; they use a variety of teaching strategies to help develop students’ proficiency, increase their knowledge, strengthen their understanding, and foster their critical and creative thinking.
Doll Rescue
Certainly language learning, but cultural studies? More interdisciplinary. There were a variety of activities: pop music powerpoints with love and object pronouns, interactive whiteboard sentence rearranging, PACE notes (also strengthened understanding). Critical and creative thinking would perhaps be how to address the injuries.
Suegra Skype
Suegra Skype
Not so active, certainly culture. There are a lot of things that looking back I COULD have been doing as students and suegra got confused instead of jumping in, but I think there was critical thinking as they wrote about what they didn’t understand, what they learned, and what they found interesting, but maybe not a whole lot.
+1 Doll Rescue
+1 Doll Rescue
know that language learning is not a passive process; students have to participate actively in every aspect of instruction. In the classrooms of accomplished teachers, students are engaged in using the target language in a variety of interactive tasks.
Doll Rescue Definitely not passive! Participate actively, every aspect, check. Variety of interactive tasks? Well, different injuries addressed.
Suegra Skype
Kind of passive. All participate, asking, listening. They’re speaking and they’re listening, and they’re writing…supposedly.
Suegra Skype
Kind of passive. All participate, asking, listening. They’re speaking and they’re listening, and they’re writing…supposedly.
+1 Doll Rescue
enrich and deepen the array of resources available to them by looking beyond textbooks to consider how they might employ a wide variety of source materials to benefit students.
Doll Rescue
Manual is beyond textbook.
Suegra Skype
Manual is beyond textbook.
Suegra Skype
Skyping real live (former) nurses in Mexico? WAY beyond textbook.
+1 Suegra Skype
continually analyze and evaluate the quality of their teaching in order to strengthen its effectiveness and enhance student learning.
Check and check.
Total: Doll Rescue—6, Suegra Skype—3
Sad, because I got the National Board liaison from central office to come record the Suegra Skype, and she showed up with 2 different cameras and tripods! I can allude to the Suegra Skype as a follow-up activity, at least, I suppose.
