1. What is a scaffold and what does scaffolding mean in a language classroom?
A scaffold is a series of "steps" that allow students to build upon their current knowledge and add new functional chunks or phrases. Scaffolding refers to how classes will link together with in a thematic unit. For example, introducing a set of vocab words in a coloring activity in fourth grade such as "farmer, police man, mail man, etc." could be "scaffolded" in the following way. The following class, added to the threads are flashcards with pictures of the new characters. After a review in unison we play the "Mystery Bag" game in which the students each get to have a character (I hand out a physical object or picture representing the new word) and have a small group of students leave the room. Meanwhile I "borrow" objects from the seated students that they have on their desks and put them in a bag at the front of the room. Finger in front of my mouth I tell all the students to stay quite and hush that it has to remain secret what is going on. Mystery builds. The group of students waiting in the hall come back inside and I act as an example the task at hand: All the items need to be returned. I demonstrate, pulling out the math book and approaching the farmer, "Is this the farmer's math book." "No, it isn't (the farmer's math book)" "Yes it is the farmer's book." The correct responses/dialogue are written on the board for everyone to follow. Everyone is active at the same time moving around and returning items. Scaffolding is building upon one knowledge (vocabulary) and using it in a new context so that it becomes part of a more complex competency.
2. Describe what integrated learning means to you. What is thematic instruction and how might these 2 concepts influence your own teaching?
Integrated learning happens when several subjects are all centered around the same themes. This is how much of elementary school curriculum is organized. It is "integrated." Language-specific thematic instruction is really important because it will make the class meaningful for the students and become part of the natural flow during their school day. Not only does thematic instruction provide a meaningful context and establish goals for the students, it helps provide task-based designs and story-telling structures in the classroom. For fourth grade, "How is your community" is an overarching theme for the year. Projects that explore aspects of community life: Traveling to other countries via power point, story books, movies, etc. Comparing our Oberlin community to other communities: Having final projects where the students make community webs to present.
3. Discuss the idea of learners “making meaning”.
Learners "making meaning" refers to the idea that each individual is able to take something from each individual lesson to paint the "bigger picture." Making meaning demonstrates that the thematic instruction has helped students go beyond basic skills in their language and that they can actually see why such skills are fun and useful.
4. What is task-based instruction? Give 2-3 examples of how you might bring task-based instruction into your teaching.
Refer to example used in scaffolding.
5. Give examples of how a lesson (or series of lessons) might tie into a “Thematic Center”. (p.154 & 163)
The thematic center for our fourth grade classroom might be the exploration of one or two countries through out the course of the semester. When we do weather or food, or other activities integrated into the larger IB curriculum we will always bring it back to a community in another country that the children are aware of. We will build and interweave our other lessons around this thematic center of community.
6. What is “differentiated instruction” and how might it apply to your teaching?
Differentiated instruction means tailoring lessons to the meet the needs of the individual pupils in your class, offering a plethora of avenues for each individual to master the content. This could mean using station work and rotating, or the "conveyor belt" activity, or simply giving options to students to learn in their own style. A variety of activities that use different intelligences to learn the same subject material.
7. What do you think are key factors you should have in EVERY lesson?
Motivation - the desire to learn the task at hand
Information - clear examples and interesting new knowledge
Practice - engaging with the material
(Assessment) - what has been accomplished?
8. What factors do you think might engage your students without overstimulating them? (ie: so they’re interested but not loud, out of control or bouncing off the walls)
Music, Theatre, Inner-Outer Circle, Reading Stories, Sharing Information, Tic-Tac Toe Battle, Powerpoint presentation, Mystery Game, etc.
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