I wanted to try and evaluated a continued T – initiated dialogic
with my 3rd grade students this week as my module 1 paper research
question reflects on what discourse i.e. monologic or dialogic, is best for
young learners in the classroom. However , the 3rd grade students
have gone on a field trip so this was not possible. Furthermore, at my second
job we have been wrapping up testing students input and output abilities. This
was followed by English Movie day where the students get to relax after a big
test. They did have to complete a comprehension sheet based on the movie, but
this was still out of the field of monologic / dialogic ratio that I wanted to
measure.
I have scheduled a strong dialogic lesson for Monday where
the students have to look at a series of pictures and then describe what they
see to their partner who has to redraw the image. The class is continuing to
learn about adjectives this week, and I thought this may be a fun exercise for
them to try.
I am shifting power back to the students and hoping that
they don’t trash my lesson planning. I’m willing to give a more dialogic
centered approach in the classroom a try, but if somebody gets stabbed with a
pencil, I may have to rethink this whole concept.
This reminds me of an exercise I used to do with prepositions of place, where I would have one student describe their bedroom while their partner drew the bedroom as best as they could based on the descriptions they were given (eg: "across from the door is my bed. Next to my bed is my dresser. Above my dresser is my window..." etc). Whichever pair drew the most accurate pictures won (they were pretty honest in fessing up if their partner's pic looked nothing like their bedroom).
ReplyDeleteWhat movie did they watch and where did they go? I like talking about those out of the ordinary things with my students.
ReplyDeleteI have also done similar activities, although allowing them the jump in the deep-end right away may produce unsatisfactory results. Sometimes I will scaffold up to that activity. I can start by reading a description for all of them to draw. Next I will give them pictures with written descriptions to read to their partners. Then, I will give them pictures to write descriptions for, with cues of course. After they can draw the picture or at least some of it, write descriptions down and then read it. Finally they can just describe their own picture. It's a long process and probably will take a couple classes if you don't want to bore them, but it is almost certain to be a success. You can even collect the ones from previous classes that were good and put them on the back wall or something to inspire them and do a little review.
I don't know where they are going, I didn't get that info from my Korean co-teacher. Bless her heart, she is a kind soul, but her English is only marginally better than my Korean so we sometimes struggle.
ReplyDeleteCase in point, I usually wear suits to work everyday. Trying to mix it up a bit, I started casual Friday. In the second casual Friday week I get to school only to find out 5 seconds before class that missed parents day class from last week is rescheduled for today.
Plus the principal was there and she seemed pissed that I was in jeans a and T-shirt for the solemn occasion. I no longer do casual Fridays.