Teaching Abstract Ideas Visually

Anan Zeevy (2010) Red Apple

In English there are many abstract concepts that can be taught visually, or aurally, to avoid having difficulties teaching students who may not be able to read or speak English very well. Looking at how to teach them to students from different backgrounds is an interesting way to expand our teaching styles and methods.

I will be looking at how to teach student about similes in a modern day English classroom, where some students may not have strong backgrounds in the English language.

 

Georg Schwalback (2012) 1968-1973 Opel GT (09)

Similes are a great place to start, because they lead into many different facets of English, metaphors, poetry and many others. In my lesson, I would plan to have 2 piles of images that can be said to be ‘like’ each other. In the example to the right, I’ve provided a picture of a red car, and a red apple. Places these two images on a white board or SMARTBoard, I would announce to the students that the apple, is like the car. Then I would ask students to talk in groups, about why I may have said that. Then coming back to a class discussion, I would ask students to present their ideas on why I said what I said. I would expect to get answers like “Because the car and the apple are both red”, “because the apple and the car are both shiny” and “because the apple and the car are stationary”. The diverse range of answers the class could give, will leave the class open for a discussion on why I used this terminology, and didn’t just say, the car is red like that apple, and so forth. It is possible to lead the students into even more abstract ideas, such as that the apple is like the car, because I want the car and I want the apple; leading into some of Shakespeare’s more abstract poetry.

This way of teaching is instruction and enquiry based. The initial and concluding teaching will be by the teacher, but the bulk of the lesson will be from student discussion.  I am unsure where this lesson would go on a Blooms Taxonomy scale, because the students are doing something I consider outside Blooms, but it could be seen as evaluating the question, but with out the lower levels of Blooms to build up to it.

Anan Zeevy (2010) Red Apple [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ananzeevy/4456311551/

Georg Schwalback (2012) 1968-1973 Opel GT (09) [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/geralds_1311/6840451042/

Explicit Teaching - How to/Why not

The teacher in this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h4q-bok644&feature=player_embedded#!) uses many good techniques, she returns to what she has already said, paraphrasing herself, to make sure all the students hear, and understand what she has spoken about. She let’s the students read along with her when she reads, so they can learn both visually, and aurally. She also uses feeling words rather than exact words, so saying that she ‘feels’ a word should included, rather than the fact is definitely should. This shows the students that there is no right or wrong way to summarise, because with summarising, as with many things in English, it’s not always the case of having all the answers.

She gets the students to talk with their learning partners, I would prefer, this early on in the lesson, for the students to be engaged in a whole group discussion. Although, whole group discussions obviously work better with older students, and this is a younger class.

In the second video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yStzJjLXdxM&feature=player_embedded#!)

, the teacher’s idea to let students have self study time, where she is able to help, and give feedback, is an interesting and, I think, great idea. The fact that she also tells students what is expected of them by the end of the lesson, is also interesting and useful. This lesson isn’t very interactive though, and you can see from the student’s faces that they are bored by the lesson. Whilst she requires student interaction, in is minimal and uniform. The students repeat what they’ve been told and students are not individualised or asked to be creative in anyway. On a blooms scale, this lesson only catches on to the lower bars. Not teaching anything higher than applying. Where as the first lesson makes students analyse the text, and evaluate the words they’ve chosen.

Group Work and Social Skills

Design a cooperative learning activity for students in your curriculum area.

Students are to prepare one scene from of Medea by Aristophanes to present to the class at the end of the fortnight. This activity is to be done in groups of 3-4. Whole group participation is expected.

What social skills are required for students to participate in this activity?

Social Skills needed:

L-Listen to other ideas and opinions

R-Respect everyone’s ideas and opinions

C-Contribute to the group and to learning

How will you address the necessary skill development for your students?

If each student listens to the other ideas, respects those ideas and inputs their own, anything in group work is possible. It is important to make it apparent in your class that everyone’s ideas and opinions are valid and that no ones opinion is better than another’s. In English there is rarely one right answer and this can be used to teach students about the many differing values and opinions of people in the classroom, and it the world. Students should learn to listen, through teacher based learning, as well as whole class interactions and students will all be required to contribute daily to the class, increasing their skills in these areas.

To me, LRC represents all I want students to do in their groups. If they all respect each other, listen to each other and contribute to the learning, then every group should be able to easily work on a play, or any other piece of group work, in a cooperative fashion.

Can you outline a set of 'social skills tips' for your students that explicitly explains and coaches the required interpersonal skills in cooperative learning?

Listen – Be quiet when other students in your group are talking, listen to what they have to say.

Respect- Value all ideas that are put forth, everyone is just as valuable.

Contribute – Put forth your own ideas and opinions on the group work.

These explain what each of the three skills are, but it is in practice that students will be ‘coached’ into learning these stills. It is not something I believe can be taught outright, such as math and spelling, but something that must be practiced to be learnt.

1 + 1 = 3

“So class, that is why 'act' can be used both as a verb AND a noun.”

“That means it can be an adverb!!!”

“Well Julie, I’m not sure, why do you think it could be used as an adverb?”

“Because adverbs are just an extension to a verb!”

“You’re right that adverbs are used as extensions to verbs! How about we look at some examples and try and put adverbs where a verb would normally be and see whether act can really be a verb, a noun AND  an adverb!”

Whilst this is quite a low level student I’m dealing with in my imagination, I believe that the same process could be used for any student who presents a ‘wrong’ answer. I understand that you can not take the time to rebut every single wrong answer a student presents but in cases like this it’s important to understand the student might not be the only one with that answer. So you’re not just helping one student, but all students in their quest to find the ‘right’ answer.

It is also important to remember that there isn’t always just one right answer and there can be many different responses in the humanitarian studies, especially in poetry and literature evaluation and analysing.

I was unable to test this exact technique on any of my friends (I feel it may be patronising if done out of a teacher to student relationship). I have previously used this technique with my friends in disagreements. Most recently on whether the letter Y is or is not a vowel. It relies on logic and experimentation but it works to prove whether the answer is right or wrong and you never know, you could be the one that’s wrong.

P.S: Y is a sometimes vowel.

Reading and Writing - Cornerstones of education

How and when did you learn to read and write? What do you think is the best way to teach reading and writing? Should we focus mainly on skills, or on meanings in context, or is there another method?

Learning to read and write was a momentous moment of my life… I think. I don’t actually remember it, it was so long ago and so far away. From what I remember of learning to write, it was repetition, repetition, repetition… The teacher would write the letter, you’d write the letter and on and on it went. Eventually you’d get there and then you’d learn to cursive and before you knew it you were all grown up with your pen licence and white out!

Reading on the other hand was different, whilst repetition was part of it, it was practice, practice, practice that the schools really pushed. I hated reading and because I hated it, I just couldn’t do it. After talking to my fellow classmates I discovered that reading, unlike writing and spelling, doesn’t come from just having to do it. We’d all found that unless we wanted to read the book, magazine or comic, it just wasn’t going to happen. But as soon as we found something we were interested in, it was as if someone had opened a skylight in our brains and suddenly we would do anything in our power to read.

I know there are many ways to teach reading and writing but I think finding your own creative way that works with the students that you are teaching at that time in the best you can do. Students need to know what it is they’re reading, so you can’t leave it un-contextualised, but you must focus on the word and the meaning together, just like the word and the meaning go together.

Reflecting, Questioning and Analysing (Week 1)

Can you describe a teacher (or teaching figure) who has influenced you either positively or negatively, and some of his/her qualities or characteristics?

If there was one, describe an event or moment of encounter that has since stuck in your mind. Can you explain what specifically was about the interaction that changed your thinking or understanding? Putting this memory or impression in words may help illuminate an essential and fundamental quality of teachers that is especially meaningful to you.

I went to the same school for years 7, 8 and 10 but changed states in year 9. Unfortunately because the change was to a different state the levels and grading systems were different, so when I moved back to Canberra I was placed in the lowest level of each major class so I wouldn’t be ‘above my skill level’. My English teacher who had taught me before the move saw me on one of my first days back and remembered my name, my abilities in her subject and was really welcoming and helpful to me. She got me moved into an English class that suited my ability and made continuous effort to make sure that I was kept up to date with the work I may have missed.

She showed me that there is a lot more to teaching than just teaching. She helped me feel less nervous, knew my needs and helped me get to where I needed to be. Instead of treating me like a number, I was treated like an individual. She made me feel unique.

In describing what teachers do, people have compared them to parents, mentors, coaches, artists, performers, analysts, etc (see Churchill, et al., p.15 for other metaphors). Who do you associate an ideal teacher with? Can you elaborate a bit on that?

Teachers should be the light that guides students towards their life goals, the teacher should give answers, take sides or tell their students what is right or wrong, but should teach their students how to answer these questions themselves. So when faced with them later on in life they can stand on their own feet. They can be like a parent, mentor, coach, artist or a performer but that (in my opinion) is not what makes them the kind of teacher they are.

An ideal teacher should be a helping hand and mentor, but not a crutch to their students. Many people say the ideal teacher is like a parent, but a parent is much more present and has a much stronger relationship with the student. A parent takes sides and can punish with out consequence, can have arguments and long discussions with their child. Teachers are bound by rules and by society, they have a job to do and whilst parents do teach their children the ways of the world they do not teach them to stand on their own.

As much as an independent endeavour, teaching is also an embedded profession. Teachers' work is contextualised in a complex social network and is consequently a response to requirements and expectations of national and local governments, school authorities, parents, and students. Teachers' clienteles, their students, are equally social beings from varied societal backgrounds. Based on your reading of Connell (2009) can you talk about the implications that social contextualisation has for what a good teacher is?

The education system in Australia and all around the world is based on the wants of society; the government, the parents and maybe, the children (if they get around to that). Education is a product of the times and as times change and society changes we see the education changing as well. Notice above that I say wants and not needs. The needs of the society, the government and the children are not really taken into account, but the perceived needs most certainly are. The governments perceived view of the work force aims for a working society, the parent’s perceived view of their children’s future wants and needs are embedded into the child and to the teachers, and the student’s wishes are considered last and their needs rarely asked.

Being a good teacher means taking everyone’s needs and wants into account and putting them in order of importance. Teaching is always going to be affected by society but it is the teacher who affects how it plays out in the classroom. A good teacher is no longer defined as ‘an obedient servant of the authorities.[1]’ They are considered an integral part of society.

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[1]Raewyn, C. (2009) Good teachers on dangerous ground: towards a new view of teacher quality and professionalism (pp. 3) Retrieved on the 19th of February, 2012, from http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ep/v36nspe/en_v36nspea13.pdf

Do what I say and not what I do...

If I cross my arms and tell you good work. I might not be being sarcastic, but my body is.

Sending mixed signals is something that happens often in education and after watching 'The Responsive Brain', I feel like talking about it.

Whilst our words say a lot it is our actions that speak louder and in the classroom students may be hearing what your saying but understanding something completely different. This can relate to hidden curriculum[1] and affect what they're learning, or it could just affect the social interactions with in the classroom.

If a teacher is always at the front of the room dictating but is teaching of democracy, what does this teach the students? Will students learn how democracy works or will it all be in theory? Are students learning just from this experience? I believe so. Without any content these students are still learning the place of authority, their place in society and how to obey rules and regulations. This type of hidden curriculum is dangerous in it often undermines what the students are supposed to be learning about. In this case, a fair and voted on system of power.

I am also not just talking about body language and tone of voice. It is not okay for a teacher to be hypocritical. A teacher may not say that spelling is the most important thing to learn in life but consistently spell things incorrectly on the board. It is also not advised for a teacher to get her/his information from Wikipedia whilst at the same time telling students that it is not allowed for a reference. These things, whether small or large, undermine the teacher’s credibility and students will begin to distrust, and even to dislike their teacher.

I believe that it is easy to forget that is not only what we say but also what we do that effects how students learn and what they learn in the classroom.

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[1] Robyn Ewing (2010) Curriculum and Assessment (pp. 41). Hong Kong: Sheck Wah Tong Printing Press Ltd