INLAND
REFUGEE SOCIETY OF BC
Thursday - April 30, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"Haiku"
Class Profile:
Write a brief description of your Practicum class. Age range, gender, first language(s),
type of class, immigration status, and language goals.
The group
described in this section is the first of three core distinct classes I have either
observed, assisted with or was teaching directly. My work Practicum included working
with four (4) different groups in three different locations or language centers.
The bulk of the teaching and observations are from two classes at the INLAND REFUGEE
SOCIETY OF BC (an "intermediate" and "advanced" set). The remainder come from
STOREFRONT ORIENTATION SERVICES at Hastings and Jackson ("intermediate/advanced").
The fourth and fringe class in terms of observation and teaching was at MOSAIC.
On a mostly on a functional level, I assisted, on several days, teaching computers
to ESL students. The classes are added in the log for comment and class composition
only and are not included in the English language learning activities and have
been removed from the hours log. The first group outlined was identified as intermediate
level. The class complement was 8 students: 4 Latinos (since they all seemed quite
comfortable with each other, I assume that at least three are from Mexico and
the last one, was from somewhere other than Mexico), 2 from Zaire (two very lively
French speaking students), 1 from Albania (a woman named Violta) and 1 from Iran
(a woman named Torana). There was a strong tendency to want to effect some form
of translation (in terms of word and sentences). The modus operandi for seeking
clarification specially from the Latinos was in Spanish (to me and among themselves)
and the two Zairians would seek clarification among themselves using French. They
are a lively bunch - with a young woman named Claudia leading the pack. She is
sharp and well versed in grammar and has an excellent command of the language.
She simply needs to increase her vocabulary and she will end up an excellent English
speaker. They are a mixed bag in terms of age ranging from early 20s to late 50s.
The group consists of refugee claimants whose language goal is to find some form
of functionality for everyday language use.
i)
the students’ response to the lesson
It is my observation that the aim
of the lesson was to practice a new modality of thinking and using language. With
the use of poetry, the class was allowed to transcend the everyday. However, there
was a fellow named Damian, who mentioned that he did not wish to participate but
wrote a rather profound piece. There does not seem to be any clear curriculum
in the language center as well as a clear cut ranking system. Some of the "intermediate"
students cannot write and they still cannot form complete sentences. Some are
certainly more functional than others - but that would seem to me inevitable.
I am curious about the range of disparity.
ii)
the lesson content
Theme: Rhyme
Bev centered her activity, interestingly
enough, on Rhyme. The object to create a class poem and individual poems using
"like" and "as" (Poems based on the senses) as well as syllables (Haiku).
Warm-up:
Rhyme and Associate
The object of the first warm-up was to find a rhyme
for "hat" - the class came up with things like "bat", "cat" and "sat". Moving
along to associate things to "Kitchen", the class came up with things like "utensil",
"closets", etc. while at time still looking for a rhyme for "kitchen". Then the
process was mixed around. There would be an example of a rhyme then an association.
Learning
Activity:
We were to pick a theme and link it to a sense:
|
Theme |
Sense |
| Love/Boy Friend | Sight |
| Family | Taste |
| Nature - Beauty | Hearing |
| Animals | Touch |
| Virtue | Smell |
| Difficulties |
|
|
God/Religion |
|
As a group we came up with something that sounds close to this:
Love
looks like the rays of the sun
Love tastes like strawberries
Love
sounds like the waves in the sea
Love feels like the softness
of rose petals
Love smells like Jasmine
Then each student was asked to write his/her own poem. Later they where asked to read it out loud. Working with syllables was a bit more "interesting". As the concept was not so easily understood, the class seemed all over the place with this exercise. They managed to pull it of and wrote a class piece that I now fail to recall. They where asked to write it all down then, once again, read it out.
iii)
your role during the lesson
Mainly my role was that of an observer. Bev
graciously asked that I assist the students in the formation of the poems. I was
told not be shy and run with it. I did.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
Apparently, there
is another teacher for Tuesday. Bev indicated that it would be different and that
I might be able to pick up something else from her. I will stay with this class
one more day then ask to observe the Beginners and Advanced classes. I also volunteered
to help the Mosaic staff with the computer instruction - they fall on the same
day. So far this has been a really interesting place to gain experience.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 2 hours
INLAND
REFUGEE SOCIETY OF BC
Tuesday - May 05, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"Survival in the Desert"
Class
Profile:
The core of the class remained the same. The group outlined
was identified as intermediate level. The class complement was 8 students: 4 Latinos
(since they all seemed quite comfortable with each other, I assume that at least
three are from Mexico and the last one, was from somewhere other than Mexico),
2 from Zaire (two very lively French speaking students), 1 from Albania (a woman
named Violta) and 1 from Iran (a woman named Torana). There was a strong tendency
to want to effect some form of translation (in terms of word and sentences). The
modus operandi for seeking clarification specially from the Latinos was in Spanish
(to me and among themselves) and the two Zairians would seek clarification among
themselves using French. They are a lively bunch - with a young woman named Claudia
leading the pack. She is sharp and well versed in grammar and has an excellent
command of the language. She simply needs to increase her vocabulary and she will
end up an excellent English speaker. They are a mixed bag in terms of age ranging
from early 20s to late 50s. The group consists of refugee claimants whose language
goal is to find some form of functionality for everyday language use.
i)
the students response to the lesson
Today’s class was composed of six
people today. Lucy, Damian and a new person -Olga. A new Latino fellow - who was
actually the most advanced of them all. One French speaking Zairian. Eugene, Claudia
and Torana were absent. They are really missed as they are the more advanced in
the group. The class was able to run with as many people as there were. it went
really well - good discussion, etc.
ii)
the lesson content
Theme: Survival in the Desert
Bev did a really
good job of getting the survival aspect going. Moreover, they centered on the
analytical skills with English as the predominant language of choice - less translation
and even less interruption.
Warm-up: Taste, Touch and Smell
| Taste | Touch | Smell |
| Sour | Rough | Sweet |
| Sweet | Smooth | Smoky |
| Salty | Soft | Fresh |
| Creamy | Hard | Strong |
| Bitter | Hot | Strong |
| Crunchy | Cold | Light |
|
|
Sharp |
|
|
|
Heavy |
|
|
|
Light |
|
Vocabulary:
Flashlight, Map, Compass, Gun, Parachute, Sunglasses, Knife, Raincoat, Bandage,
Mirror, Salt Tablet, Vodka
Learning Activity:
Describing:
The
Warm-up to this Language Learning Activity was for each person to have a set of
pictures and have the Other define and describe using the senses. As an example,
my copy has a rose, and ax, a coconut, a log, and a weight. I actually worked
with Olga by describing this items to her and she in turn described it to me.
We did this until we finished all the items.
Ranking:
The next activity Bev had us "Rank". She set up the scenario (please see attached)
and in the process of this scenario there was a set of items that was to be ranked
in order of importance. They were actually the vocabulary items above and the
items where actually those that were in the describe section as well. The progression
was as follows: First the scenario was read out, then each person was to work
in solo to rank the items. They were grouped into groups of three (this was good
as there was actual communication). Lastly, each group had a presenter and that
caused even more discussion. They seem to all be very light hearted so discussion
was very animated. I cannot imagine what it would be like if there were more people
and more groups.
Grammar: ARTICLES
Bev introduced "Articles"
A,
An, The, Some
Which one is definite?
(The)
Which one
is indefinite?
(A, An and Some)
What is the difference with A and
An?
A is used with Vowels and An is used with Consonants.
What
is the difference with A, An and Some?
A, An are used in the Singular
while Some is used in the plural.
A written assignment was handed out. Read
out and the student where to answer the questions. To be continued on Thursday.
iii)
your role during the lesson
I assisted with the preparation (e.g. the
lesson plan) and was a co-teacher with Bev my second time running.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
Class seemed to
move smoothly. It seemed that there was more preparation this time around.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 4 hours
INLAND
REFUGEE SOCIETY OF BC
Thursday - May 07, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"mother’s day and conjunctions"
Class
Profile:
The core group is still intact. The class complement was 8 students:
4 Latinos (since they all seemed quite comfortable with each other, I assume that
at least three are from Mexico and the last one, was from somewhere other than
Mexico), 2 from Zaire (two very lively French speaking students), 1 from Albania
(a woman named Violta) and 1 from Iran (a woman named Torana). There was a strong
tendency to want to effect some form of translation (in terms of word and sentences).
The modus operandi for seeking clarification specially from the Latinos was in
Spanish (to me and among themselves) and the two Zairians would seek clarification
among themselves using French. They are a lively bunch - with a young woman named
Claudia leading the pack. She is sharp and well versed in grammar and has an excellent
command of the language. She simply needs to increase her vocabulary and she will
end up an excellent English speaker. They are a mixed bag in terms of age ranging
from early 20s to late 50s. The group consists of refugee claimants whose language
goal is to find some form of functionality for everyday language use. Note: We
had a mix of new members in the class. The class totaled 10 students. Torana and
Claudia are back.
i) the students
response to the lesson
Overall, the class was rich in discussion and there
was a lively exchange of ideas. More details on the response of the class and
my observations can be found below.
ii)
the lesson content
Theme: Mother’s Day
The class started out with
the question: What is mother’s day? What do people do in their home countries
or at home to celebrate mother’s day?
Dance
for their mother’s
Make mother breakfast (this came from Bev)
Cook for
her (this came from Bev as well)
Give her presents
Vocabulary:
Next we thought about words that we could come up with from the work M - O
- T - H - E - R’ - S D - A - Y
Handout #1 - How many words can you make from ‘Mother’s Day’ and that was the item used to get them started to answer the class. This is where I see the real value of experience and formal training. I am feeling a little ‘fuzzy’ about what is supposed to happen, like I need more tools and feedback.
Grammar:
Adjuncts
In the second half of the class, we pull out the Grammar material.
We use practice sheets to get the class moving into conjunction.
We start
with paper with page 176 on it. With examples using ‘because’ and ‘although’.
Fire, Ghost, Big Dog.....
Claudia feel afraid for fires ghosts and big dog.
to Claudia (feel) [is - to be] afraid (for) [of - preposition] fires[,] ghosts[,]
and big dog. [‘and’ is the conjunction]
other examples:
I am tired, I
went to bed.
[I went to bed because I was tired]
I am tired. I
went for a run.
[I went for a run although I was tired] ‘contrast’
iii)
your role during the lesson:
This was my third day with the intermediate
as a co-teacher. I plan to work with Mike on next week’s class. The composition
of his class is certainly on the low beginners and should be a real change of
pace. I look forward to working with him on this one. I will divide my time with
him and Sashi at the computer class. I will support both of them as Teaching Assistants.
Hopefully Mike will train me to take over from him on the days he is not there.
More details as things progress.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
It seemed more
technical today as there was emphasis on more serious aspects of language learning.
More on this below. Finally some feedback. It is a class run for fluency rather
than for accuracy. Correction, in terms of grammatical correctness should be in
the minimal - encourage them to contribute. More on this below. I was getting
a sense that I might be correcting them too much as they pronounce the word incorrectly.
I quickly pulled back in terms of correction after asking Bev whether it was alright
to correct them or not. She mentioned that it might stifle the will to contribute
and I was promptly moved to make a correction or adjustment. Feedback like this
is essential. I made a comment in conversation with Bev regarding the use of the
singular and the plural. I made specific mention that Claudia would use the singular
but add ‘s’ to the end of words and vice versa - removing the ‘s’ but using ‘are’
instead of ‘is’. She mentioned that insight like that is important as it allows
the teacher to see where the problems are occurring and make the appropriate lesson
plan adjustments. She mentioned that is why she wanted to use the ‘articles’ in
the last class.
Daily Total: 2
hours
Running Total: 6 hours
INLAND
REFUGEE SOCIETY OF BC
Tuesday - May 12, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"The Eclectic Mix and Practice as much as you can"
Class
Profile:
I was temporarily moved to assist Mike at the mixed and apparently
all on a beginners (some more advanced than others) level. The class was composed
of 12 students.
i) the students’
response to the lesson
The overall response, I felt, was one of challenge
and eagerness to participate. My specific area of concern after all the material
was laid out was to focus on the Czech family and run them trough the material
with as little Czech interaction as possible. There was a lot of conversation
in the identification of the items in the pictures. There seemed to be much success
in terms of Language Learning Activity 2 more so than Language Learning Activity
1 - the reason for which I am not really sure of. My sense is that time was less
of an element than location.
ii)
the lesson content
There were three people handling the class with Mike
in the helm. Mike, myself and Jackie handled the third language learning activity
- Vocabulary. The class had three language learning activities: Past Tense, Prepositions
and Vocabulary. Each language learning activity was designed to strengthen their
ability to work with tenses and preposition. To this end, I felt that Mike was
successful in making them address this issue.
LANGUAGE
LEARNING ACTIVITY #1:
Past Tense: The first language learning activity
centered around the changing of Present Tense to Past Tense. Example: Bob is in
class today. to He was in class yesterday too. There were 12 questions which included
the first 3 that were either complete or started and the class as asked to finish
them. Using the BE: Past Time.
LANGUAGE
LEARNING ACTIVITY #2:
Prepositional issues were played around by making
sentences with them.
1. Above.....
The pencil is ABOVE the sofa.
2. On.....
The notebook is ON the table.
3. Next.....
The mouth is NEXT to my neck.
4. Below.....
The shoes
are BELOW the table.
5. Between.....
Parvenah is BETWEEN me and Emma.
6. Behind.....
The Tree is BEHIND the house.
7. Inside and Outside.....
My Car is inside the garage and my bicycle is outside the house.
All sentences have a noun and a verb.
LANGUAGE
LEARNING ACTIVITY #3:
The last activity was the most interactive. Each
grouping was divided into groups of 4 or 5 then asked to perform a specified activity
that actually had to be worked at in the flip chart. To the best of my recollection,
there was an activity that had to do with identifying items on a numbered picture
(my group). There was a group that was working on writing a poem (Mike’s) and
some other activity that had to do with Jackie’s. The class was at least trying
really hard to formulate the English for the activities involved. High success
level and certainly lots of practice.
iii)
your role during the lesson
As the co-teacher to Mike.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
It is my understanding
that Mike will not be around next Tuesday. Jackie and I will be handling the class.
I will begin to teach computers to an ESL class so that should prove to be challenge
in itself - teaching computers in this setting. I will continue to log it in as
I will be dealing with ESL students. The challenge will be to combine them and
still make progress. Preparing for ESL classes by myself will certainly be a challenge
in and of itself. Moreover, it will be really interesting to get a handle on the
issues regarding teaching computers to a computer class.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 8 hours
MOSAIC
Thursday - May 14, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"The computer class (for
ESL students)"
Class Profile:
Mixed and apparently all on a beginners in terms of computers and a mixed
bag in terms of language skills as well. The impact of the language variation
certainly had a huge impact in terms of skill transfer. As if it was not bad enough
to have to teach computer skills, it was made harder by the level of English competency
as well as computer skill. There where about a dozen people in the class. Three
rows of students with Ali and Octavio in the front, Hossien, Julia, Andrea and
a fellow with a name I did not get, then there was Columba, Tanya and a Sikh fellow
whose name escapes me now. They where all very keen to learn and they all had
something to contribute. Tanya and Ali seemed to be the most difficult. There
was much help coming from Columba so things went smoother. I was worried about
running Tanya through the motions without her understanding what is going on.
Julia said it best, that she needs to practice. A lot of the vocabulary is new
and difficult.
i) student response
to the lesson
Positive but somewhat stifled due to the lack of understanding
of the new jargon as well as a more rudimentary skill in terms of the computers.
Progress was slow but nonetheless steady.
ii)
the lesson content
"Windows"
1.1
What comprises a "Window".
: As much as the language skills were not tested
as in an ESL class, much of the time is spent explaining what certain words mean.
There is the are of making sure that they understand the concept, and that they
(the students) understands the concept in English. A lot of time and effort is
spent making sure (in a tutorial fashion) what is going on. There was new vocabulary
to explain: "Window", "Taskbar", "icon", etc.
"Files"
2.1 Mouse
: Using the mouse to copy and
paste seemed to be really easy. Explaining to them to highlight and showing them
is easy, there is a problem, they go through the motions without understanding
the concept.
2.2 Keyboard
:
They were asked to remove the mouse from reach and move as if there was no mouse
by navigating using the keyboard. Using the Alt+(letter), they learned another
way intuitively. Columba got it really quickly by understanding that this is an
alternative way of doing the same thing, Tanya did not fair so well. In order
to get her to understand the "alternative" concept, after having done all three
(as explained by Soshi), Columba and I demonstrated all three consecutively. The
light did seem to come on them, I asked her to do them and she seemed to be able
to - this was my only mechanism for making sure she comprehended.
2.3
Shortcuts
Using the Ctrl+(letter) from the drop down menu, one gets to
see the alternative of using the keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V
to paste, etc. With this in mind, one would have to memorize all the specific
command shortcuts. They got through it intact. In terms of a language exercise,
the reading and vocabulary is certainly increased. The need to get an explanation
stretched them (but correcting in this venue is not seem as desirable, somehow.
iii)
your role during the lesson
As the co-teacher to Xochitl.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
To prep for Mike’s
class next week, I asked all the students from the Beginners class to bring an
item from their home country - there seemed to be a problem even understanding
that simple instruction. They were gradually accepting of the idea and it should
be interesting. The bag man concept must have some underlying linguistic mechanism
other than just practicing the use of the four skills - listening, talking, writing
and reading. I will have to work on that somehow. As for the computer class, we
will be working on dialog boxes next week. In terms of important lesson - I feel
that there is lot of preparation needed in terms of preparing the class for the
new vocabulary. As much as the problems are doubled when trying to teach a new
skill, the foundational language skills must be well grounded before introducing
new concepts and skills, I learned.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 10 hours
INLAND
REFUGEE SOCIETY OF BC
Tuesday - May 19, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"Tell me about your culture" and some other stuff (jiegi’s)
Class
Profile:
Same as the last Tuesday. Mixed and apparently all on a beginners
(some more advanced than others) level. The class was composed of 12 students.
The class had two language learning activities: Tell me about your culture and
Jiegi’s stuff. Mike was not able to make it to class so he asked us to take over
for him.
i) the students response
to the lesson
Overall, I thought that despite the lack of realia, there
was much participation. It was difficult at first to get them to speak about their
countries but once they started, there was no stopping them. The success of this
activity is to make sure that the class understands the instructions and follows
them to the last detail.
ii) the
lesson content
LANGUAGE LEARNING ACTIVITY #1: Multiculturalism - "Reading,
Speaking, Listening and Writing"
The object of the lesson plan was to
involve the class in all the skills required for communication. They would first
have to read the questions, speak to their partners, listen to the reply and write
it all down. Since Canada is a Multicultural country, I envisioned the class wanting
to speak to or about their homeland. As risky as this is, there is no subject
that these students are more intimate with then their own countries. I also thought
it would be good to share something about their culture and that everyone could
benefit from the exchange - in more ways than one. They were asked to formulate
four questions: What is your name? What Country are you from? What cultural item
did you bring? and What does it represent? By asking these four questions, they
would be practicing their English and writing stuff down. I did not want to interrupt
the discussions as they were going full steam ahead. Unfortunately, we had to
stop discussion to get the students to report on the partners information. We
began by Jeigi and myself role playing the "Tibetan Prayer Wheel" story back and
forth. Jeigi did not have one so we did it one way but asked the students to actually
exchange information. In my opinion, it certainly did spark heavy discussion and
there was a lot of exchange. It is this writer/teacher’s opinion that a class
should be more student oriented and the less I talk the better. I don’t wish to
lecture to them, I want them to ask questions, field answers and converse. Since
it is important for them to listen and learn before they get into all the grammar
stuff, then conversation is key.
LANGUAGE
LEARNING ACTIVITY #2:
Jiegi decided to read the story of Ronald. In this
way explaining things like "Until" and then "Until After", etc.
iii)
your role during the lesson
Primary teacher for the first part and backup/assistant
teacher in the second.
iv) the most
important lesson you learned during the lesson
Just to reiterate, my original
intent was to engage in the building up of the skill of oral communication. By
asking the class to bring something that is familiar to them then, I was assuming
that they would be comfortable with the subject and freely share from their experience.
It was great to get them all involved that way. With more cultural items, I think
it would be a really more interesting class. I will try it again in the next class.
There is another critical lesson I learned (which I should have already learned
from years of teaching) - the need for a backup plan - plan B. There were so few
who brought cultural items and it was really difficult to get them stuff so we
used a book instead. I don’t really like falling back on a book like that but
rather a more coherent plan with an aim in mind. I need to find a really good
lesson plan/curriculum book to base and modify my lessons on.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 12 hours
MOSAIC
Thursday - May 21, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"The computer class (for
ESL students)" part 2
Class Profile:
Mixed and apparently all beginners as well. Class profile remains static.
i)
the students’ response to the lesson
More bored than anything. With the
advent of the party in the other room, the class as well as the instructors were
very distracted.
There was a general continuation form the former class and
the lack of new material may have also contributed to the class’ general sense
of lethargy.
Energy level was low. I was instructed to have Xochitl lead the
class and I was merely to provide a support function, which I did.
ii)
the lesson content
"Windows"
There was a party over at the INLAND
REFUGEE SOCIETY OF BC section so we got an extended break to go over and check
it out. Since most of these students are Alumni of the IRS of BC English program,
then they were networking as well. We will try to get them to watch the video
on Windows 95 to get them all pumped on the various features and to generate questions
regarding W95 and computers in general. I am really looking forward to fielding
all the questions regarding the software. We will see where it takes us. The was
simply a continuation of the previous class with Xochitl.
iii)
your role during the lesson
General support function and vocabulary clarification
for items such as list boxes, drop down menus, etc.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
A support function
from a second teacher can be helpful in any scenario be it in a computer scenario
or otherwise. The feedback should be welcome and adjustment should be made to
accommodate the needs of the students. More attention should be paid to the actual
goal of the class. In this case, I can see that the goal was to simply introduce
the students to the Windows environment. I not really sure and maybe it is not
my place to be too critical but.... certain care must be taken in terms of the
progression and some modality of testing must be in place to see that the class
is getting from point A to point B. The observation that I laid out applies not
only to computer training but, I feel, to language as well. I am not sure where
is fits in the whole scheme of things but certainly more care should be taken
to get feedback and apply it to the goal at hand - whatever that goal might be.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 14 hours
MOSAIC
Thursday - May 26, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"The computer class (for
ESL students)" part 3
Class Profile:
Same as last week.
i) the student
response to the lesson
The response was fairly predictable. The class
was happy to be in front of the computer and yet they seemed very tentative. Can
this phenomenon be applied to the lack of understanding of the computer that plagues
just about everyone? Maybe. However, be that as it may, I think it would be a
good idea to set up a glossary of terms.
ii)
the lesson content
"Windows"
General support function and vocabulary
clarification for items such items as are included in Word for Windows. No details.
iii)
your role during the lesson
Same - support personnel for the class.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson.
There was a lot
of seeking clarification in terms of the jargon that was being thrown around.
It might have been useful to take all the jargon and make up some sort of "cheat
sheet" that the class can refer to. In hindsight, I can see that the function
would have been really useful I use this technique now with all the articles that
I give out. Avoiding the call for clarification in terms of vocabulary can speed
up the learning process.
Daily Total: 2
hours
Running Total: 16 hours
MOSAIC
Thursday - May 28, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"The computer class (for
ESL students)" part 4
Class Profile:
More people showed up today as they must have known there was a film showing.
i)
the student response to the lesson
The response to the video by Microsoft
On Windows 95 was mixed. The idea was to allow the users into areas of the environment
they would not normally enter. By introducing the sweeping video, it should give
the class an overview as well as review of all the items taken. One half of the
class liked the introduction/review, the other half complained that the video
was too complex for them.
ii) the
lesson content
"Windows"
Film showing and question and answer portion.
We watched the training video put out by Microsoft. Answered general questions
and let Xochitl take over. The general consensus was that it was a helpful exercise.
There were lots of items covered that were of a review nature. There where two
notable exceptions - Ali and a lady from Mexico. The former made comment that
a fair portion of the film was missed due to the English skill level. The latter
mentioned that it was not appropriate as it was for people who already knew windows.
I simply reiterated that this was a review and in some cases introduction and
that a majority of the learning takes place outside and beyond the computers.
Reading and discussion are certainly part of the pedagogical process.
iii)
your role during the lesson
Primary teacher and coordinator of the film
showing as well as resource person for seeking of clarification.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson.
You cannot please
everyone.
Daily Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 18 hours
STOREFRONT
ORIENTATION SERVICES
Wednesday - June 3, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"Dean" and "Tom"
"The future CONTINUOS" and "gateway to canada"
Class
Profile:
The class profile for this segment is twofold. Firstly, there
is the Dean’s class as well as Tom’s. Dean took over at the beginners level and
Tom was teaching at the advanced level. Began by handing out stuff to the class.
Class composition was 8 students.
i) the student response to the lesson
ii) the lesson content
"Dean"
Began the discussion with "I will" + verb + ing. Since the present uses "I
am eating (for the present continuous) adding "I will be" makes it future continuous.
It all starts with the present continuous - I am watching TV. Then you consider
the past tense - I watched TV. Then you combine them by adding the future - I
will watch TV. If you place the present continuous in the future the you will
get - I will be watching TV.
I will
= I’ll
He will = He’ll
We will = We’ll
It will = It’ll
(I noticed that he lectured throughout the class. This was interesting as it is difficult to get the class to "talk" to each other in a scenario like this. What does one do in a scenario like this? Lecture and practice them I guess. I would have had them do the activity on their own, then after which have them "report" to the class what they did - and maybe make the corrections from there.
to
be - Present - I am, Future - I will be, Past - I was.....
am, was, will be
He is - fixing the sink.....
He was - fixing the sink.....
He will be
fixing he sink.....
"Tom"
In
the attached copy of a portion taken from Gateway to Canada, the class made a
sweep of 20th century Canada - it was I thought a very useful segment to use as
they are all new or prospective Canadians. We went from 1914 to 1990. Went through
the comprehension section and reviewed the Vocabulary. If I were to use this,
I would have run them through the reading, done the vocabulary then ended with
the comprehension section. This sounds like a very useful section and I will take
some stuff out of this book for further classes in the Inland Refugee Society
of BC as opposed to STOREFRONT ORIENTATION SERVICES. It might come in handy as
I go from place to place preparing a lesson plan for both places.
iii) your role during the lesson
As observer and co-teacher in both classes.
I was able to observe and actually landed a position teaching the advanced class.
The day started with observing the very beginners course (for the first hour)
then ended with observing Tom’s advanced course. Tom will be leaving for Chiapas,
Mexico - so I will take over from him as he will be gone and I can fill in as
needed. Dean is the co-ordinator of the STOREFRONT ORIENTATION SERVICES program
and he did a wonderful job, on the fly, in the beginners course as the original
teacher was absent.
iv) the most
important lesson you learned during the lesson.
It looked like the beginners
class was more structured than the advanced - in one way it was good that the
advanced got to go all over the place but there is strong need for all kinds of
formal grammar training. It is essential that I be enrolled in the earliest possible
Grammar course to strengthen my skill in that department.
Suggested curriculum for advanced (technically labelled "Intermediate")
Past Perfect Tense
Two Word Verb
Connectors
(and....too, and....but, so-but-neither)
Passive Voice
Embedded Questions
Perfect Modals (should have, might have, could have)
Conditionals
Hope-Clauses (present unreal, present real)
Wish Clauses
Past Unreal
Conditional
Reported Speech
Sequence of Tenses
Tag Questions
Emphatic Sentences
Daily Total: 2
hours
Running Total: 20 hours
INLAND
REFUGEE SOCIETY OF BC
Tuesday - June 9, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"Back to school
Class Profile:
The class membership includes: Mehdi, Majid, Naser, Mahtab, Kibeba, Leila,
Ali, Reza, Noelia and Abel. The class has been designated Advanced. The disparity
is wide, yet they are fast learners and easily, very easily get bored. Mehdi is
particularly troublesome. Having done some teaching, he sees it his role to question
every single new term while refusing to search a dictionary. Majid is from Iran
as Mehdi. He is even tempered and very cooperative. Naser is somewhat erratic
in his attendance but is very knowledgeable and must have done some traveling
- he is also from Iran, Mahtab is the firstt of a series of women who have formed
a bond. Together with Kibeba and Leila, Mahtab and her two cohorts form a triune
that is head and shoulders above the rest. Ali and Reza are the remaining Iranian
contingent. Noelia and Abel are from Mexico. The class is basically, once again,
refugee claimants. The object is to teach them survival English as well as grammar
and other such items that will make them better habituated in this new country.
i)
the students response to the lesson
Enthusiastic.
ii)
the lesson content
"Adjective"
Each person was asked to define themselves
against an adjective. Down the line, each person was supposed to remember everyone
who followed along the line in order to get everyone’s name and description. Great
ice-breaker.
"Introduce"
We asked the class to lay out a bunch
of questions that you ask someone who you have just met. The class was asked to
rotate to two different fellow students and ask and answer the questions. Yet
another great ice-breaker.
"Writing"
After the break, we asked
the students to put down in five or six sentences what they wanted out of the
class or anything about themselves. The results are attached.
iii)
your role during the lesson
Co-teacher with Bev. She did the first part,
I did the second part. We shared in the preparation for class.
iv) the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
Keeping the class occupied is certainly the best way to keep them from getting bored. There are several "clients" who wish to work on their writing and wish to practice for the TOEFL exam. I have learned that one has to make the appropriate adjustments as it is essential that one targets the class lesson to suit the students needs.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 22 hours
STOREFRONT
ORIENTATION SERVICES
Wednesday - June 10, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sumo anyone & taking a side
Class
Profile:
Leila, Fernando, Amir, Victor and Ghabir? - Advanced. The aim
of the class is to increase their vocabulary and make them practice their English.
i)
the students’ response to the lesson
Open minded and curious.
ii)
the lesson content
"Sumo" - Reading Comprehension
I collected all
the articles this weekend regarding the Sumo Canada Basho and asked them to read
and answer questions. I am leading up to reading comprehension as will be further
worked on in the next activity. Lively discussion ensued as vocabulary and culture
questions where explored.
"Debate" - Articulation
Should Sikhs
be allowed to forego using the Turban? yes or no and Why? - simple, based on the
article, I asked the class to formulate an opinion and to defend it. What resulted
was keen insight and articulate answers. In terms of making them more comfortable
expressing themselves in English, I have admit I thought it was rather successful.
I am leading up to a TOEFL review session. Reading and listening is an integral
factor in TOEFL.
iii) your role during
the lesson
Primary teacher and facilitator
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
The quickest response
comes from conversation. There is also a need to be constantly infusing the notions
of grammar is a more subversive way. Instead of saying: "We will be doing this
grammar rule today." - just do it. Enter it into the lesson as often as possible
and hope that it will stick. This way the student gets the best of both worlds.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 24 hours
Inland
Refugee Society of BC
Thursday - June 11, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Formal/informal
Class Profile:
Same as Tuesday with a few additions
i)
the students’ response to the lesson
Overall, generally good.
ii)
the lesson content
"Writing"
I started out the class with a writing
assignment (optional). For anyone who was interested, I handed out and article
from Biography on Tony Blair entitled "Tony Blair: The True Changing of
the Guard" by Marjorie Rosen. They are to read the article over the weekend and
write a page of information on the article - of which I will correct.
: On
the side, I was busy photocopying the assignments for next week. Next week we
will be working on a TOEFL exam. Since some of the class asked for TOEFL training
- I thought it would only be prudent to at least touch on it in one week of the
class.
"Formal"
Bev started out with a scenario that was to be
played out in a FORMAL setting. The whole class participated enthusiastically
and there was exchange and explanations on vocabulary that was more formal in
nature.
"Informal"
Same as above but with a flair for the less
formal. Participation was high.
iii)
your role during the lesson
Co-teacher in the delivery and execution.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
Co-teaching can
be fun and the students have more of a resource to react to. There is also a cross
checking mechanism. Sharing the responsibility helps to really prepare both teachers
as they can feed of each others ideas as well. Attention can be paid to the students
on a more one to one basis.
Daily Total: 2
hours
Running Total: 26 hours
Vocabulary for "Tony Blair: The True Changing of the Guard" by Marjorie Rosen
|
Word |
Meaning |
| Aspirations | Desire, ambition |
| Assiduously | persevering, diligent |
| Astonishing | amazing, surprising |
| Blubbering | sob or weep noisily |
| Breach | breaking of rule, duty or relationship |
|
Clone |
copy |
|
Colossal |
huge, big, gigantic |
|
Curtailing |
cut down, shorten, reduce |
| Debacle | utter collapse, downfall |
| Dissing | to insult or show disrespect |
|
Dysfunctional |
malfunctioning organism or structure |
| Emphatically | forcible, strong, stress |
| Enable | to supply with means, make possible |
|
Endorsement |
confirmation, approval |
| Epiphany | sudden perception or insight |
| Faux Pas | tactless mistake |
| Fuddy-Duddy | fussy or old fashioned |
| Grief | deep sorrow or sadness |
| Groveled | to humble oneself |
| Incandescent | glowing with heat or shining |
| Intimidated | frighten in order to influence |
| Mantle | covering |
| Mediator | go-between, peace maker |
| Millennium | 1,000 year period |
| Musty | mouldy, antiquated, stale |
| Ominous | evil omen, inauspicious |
| Perspective | in proportion, within bounds |
|
Persuaded |
convinced |
|
Pivotal |
crucial, defining, important |
| Posh | stylish, high class |
| Prevail | victorious, overcome |
| Quixotic | romantically chivalrous |
| Repossessed | to take ownership again |
| Spartan | austere, hardy, rigorous |
| Tabloids | popular newspaper |
| Toiled | work hard |
| Turbulent | disturbed, in commotion |
| Vulnerable | unprotected, wounded |
| Welling | in the right (as in correct) way |
|
Wistfully |
yearning or mournfully expectant |
* Hippopotamus comes from the Greek - Hippo which is Greek for horse and a derivative of tamus which means river. A Hippopotamus is a pachydermatus quadruped and is not a horse.
Inland
Refugee Society of BC
Tuesday - June 16, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Reviewing for the TOEFL exam - Listening and reading Comprehension (with discussion,
clarification and vocabulary)
Class
Profile:
Same as with a few additions
i)the student response
to the lesson
Somewhat enthusiastic and hurried me when I slowed down.
ii)the lesson content
"Part 1 - the test"
Last week I wrote:
"I started out the class with a writing assignment (optional). For anyone who
was interested, I handed out and article from Biography on Tony Blair entitled
"Tony Blair: The True Changing of the Guard" by Marjorie Rosen. They are to read
the article over the weekend and write a page of information on the article -
of which I will correct." I am happy to report that I have received some feedback
in terms of written reports and have began to correct them. It is my intent to
have them all polished and placed in the newsletter. In the event that all cannot
be published, at least one will be or form the representative work for the class.
Initial responses and corrections are attached. On page 21, you will find a copy
of the vocabulary work I did for the article spoken of above. Some others will
compile a list of their own to show me (explanation, hopefully included). More
as I get it. Furthermore, I wrote "On the side, I was busy photocopying the
assignments for next week. Next week we will be working on a TOEFL exam. Since
some of the class asked for TOEFL training - I thought it would only be prudent
to at least touch on it in one week of the class. Bev will take Thursday as I
will do Tuesday." Part 1- was the administration of the Listening and Reading
Comprehension portion of the sample test attached. Bev and I read out the Listening
dialogue and asked them to answer. The Reading comprehension they did on their
own while answering the first 12 questions in Section 3 of the sample test.
"Part
2 - the correction"
As a logical continuation, we corrected all the questions
and those with alternative answers where asked to explain why they chose what
they did. If the answer was correct, we would just move on, if there was a problem,
I would stop and check/refer to the correction sheet for the teachers and we would
discuss it. Lively English discussion ensued.
iii)
your role during the lesson
Teacher.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
It is important
to keep the attention level really high and the class somewhat intense.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 28 hours
STOREFRONT
ORIENTATION SERVICES
Wednesday - June 17, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Does the headline accurately and completely reflect the story?
Class
Profile:
Same as last Wednesday with a few additions
i)
the students response to the lesson
A bit confused at first, yet they
were able to catch up.
ii) the lesson
content
"Let’s have a look at the headlines....."
We started out by
looking at the headlines and seeing what they could mean. We cleared up the issues
surrounding the vocabulary and other possible "misconceptions." We took a break
and after the break we moved to read the article and have a conversation regarding
whether there was any connection to what we had discussed and what was really
in the article.
"Let’s have a look
at both and we can compare....."
There was certainly lots of discussion
regarding all sorts of subjects. The question surrounding Bill Vander Zalm caused
us to move to discuss whole system of government here and the US. Discussing yet
other topics surrounding the Spice Girls, Horticulture, etc.
iii)
your role during the lesson
Teacher.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
The awesome responsibility
of the instructor. In this case, there was conversation regarding the levels of
government, the provincial as well as federal dichotomy was explored. History
and cross cultural evaluations are made (while not forgetting that the primary
reason for being there is actually to get the English practice going.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 30 hours
Inland
Refugee Society of BC
Thursday - June 18, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
That of which and what is your sign?
Class
Profile:
Same (the advanced group) as with a few additions
i)
the students’ response to the lesson
Less then enthusiastic.
ii)
the lesson content
"Reading who, what, where. and when..... plus which/that"
Please see attached - there is an article of which I asked them to read and
discussed the grammar issues.
"Part 2 - Horoscope"
Discussion on
the Horoscope.
iii) your role during the lesson
Co-teacher.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
Conversation and
topics of interest keep the class focused.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 32 hours
Inland
Refugee Society of BC
Tuesday - June 23, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"Genocide and jobs"
Class Profile:
Same (the advanced group) as with a few additions
i)
the students’ response to the lesson
Certainly, less than enthusiastic.
ii)
the lesson content
"Genocide"
I distributed the attached article for
their perusal and discussion. We were bogged down on the vocabulary which really
posed a problem. In this sense, I got the impression that the class is beginning
to control me as opposed to the other way around. The key will be to get all the
pre-reading stuff over with prior to the reading. Vocabulary will be outlined
next time.
"On the Job"
We all read the issue attached and discussed
the possibilities of looking for a job. The class, it seemed to Bev and myself,
did not go as smooth as it could have gone. There was a real problem with flow,
which we intend to change.
iii) your
role during the lesson
Sole teacher.
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
Outlined above.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 34 hours
Inland
Refugee Society of BC
Thursday - June 25, 1998
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
"story writing"
Class Profile:
Same (the advanced group) as with a few additions
i)
the students’ response to the lesson
Enthusiastic and sometimes jovial
ii)
the lesson content
"Story writing"
We discussed the various parts
of a story. The introduction, the body, the conclusion, etc. and proceeded to
write a story based on pictures that Bev had collected and handed out. The class
then was asked to read out the stories that they had written, much to the delight
of the class.
iii) your role during
the lesson
Co-teaching with Bev
iv)
the most important lesson you learned during the lesson
Outlined above.
Daily
Total: 2 hours
Running Total: 36 hours
END
| A Lesson Plan |
| Lesson
Topic Lesson
Aids Date |
| Warm-up Objective Teaching
Progression |
|
Review |
| Language Learning Activity #1 Listening Comprehension Activity: Using Riddles for Listening Comprehension Objective Teaching
Progression |
| Language Learning Activity #2 Mini-Debates Objective Teaching
Progression 1. Should
Euthanasia be legalized? |
|
Closing |
| Evaluation |