Language & Children Chp 6- for Thurs. Feb. 10th

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.

Reflective Teaching in ELT - John M. Murphy

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (3rd ed.), Celce-Murcia (editor), 2001.

1. Summarize the article.

The article by John M Murray describes all the ways one can use reflection to grow as a teacher and become a great teacher. He first explains the purpose of reflective teaching and then gives a series of examples for hot to do reflective teaching. Overall, in the words of Sir John Murray reflection helps expand one's own understanding of the teaching-learning process, expand one's repertoire of strategies and thirdly enhances the ability of a teacher to provide great learning opportunities in his or her classroom.  Those are the key reasons to spend time and energy on developing reflective teaching skills. He describes several topics explored by reflective teachers, such as communication patterns in the classroom (pretty popular one, how can you improve your instructional routine to meet the preferences and needs of your students) - In the past maybe you've had a really great teacher, who knew the material well, was really fun, but the class didn't have a very even flow? maybe you wanted more feedback for certain projects etc. He also writes about lesson participant interactions, teacher decision making - * really key to reflect on (how does the teacher correct students or give instructions or provide feedback.) In the second part of the article he writes about specific tools of reflective teaching such as five-minute papers, surveys, student focus groups, retrospective field notes, the visiting teacher, and beyond.

2. My Reaction

As an anthropologist I feel I have a little edge in understanding how important and useful reflective teaching is, whether it be studying communication patterns in the classroom, lesson participant interactions or teacher decision making. When it comes down to it, and I quote Sir John M. Murray, the purpose of reflective teaching is "to be aware of our teaching practices and to gain awareness of our teaching beliefs so to see teaching differently."

3. Discussion

What to reflect on?

In the sandbox you can reflect on anything. You must always reflect right after you have taught a class, on your lesson plan. If you want a trick for how to ace college, after every single class you take, make it a habit, to sit down and spend ten minutes writing a summary of what just happened. What you understood and what you didn't understand so you know exactly where to pick up when you have to study later. You will find out that you might not need to... **

-What are your expectations about professors at Oberlin College? How many expectations do you have that you are maybe unaware of? What do different ages expect/need/crave in their learning environments? Not only does being an effective teacher depend on knowing your age group but how to react to the individual needs of students who have ideas about "education" that differ from your own.

Ex: 4th grade, Mexico, Alfonso & friends => teacher's assistants (background first about the culture of the school, and the expectations of the kids... how my attitude and expectations of what it meant to be a good teacher had to change in order to meet their beliefs)

This article on reflection teaching hit the nail on the head: Being a teacher is not a static concept

Taking action, instructional innovations, modifying, even breaking routines in teaching, based upon what we learn through reflection, basically critical reflection is what will make you make you a better teacher.

Adults in contrast to children have the increased capacity for self-reflection and thought.

The purpose of reflective teaching is to expand one’s understanding of the teaching-learning process, to expand one’s repertoire of strategic options as a language-teacher, to enhance the quality of learning opportunities one i sable to provide in language classrooms

Build awareness, gather information, collaborate, examine, pose, refine questions

“Collect data about teaching, examine their attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, and teaching practices, and use the information obtained as a basis for critical reflection” – reflective teaching as an approach to second language (L2)

You better want to understand the dynamics of a single language course as it is being experience by a group of learners and their teacher

            Communication patterns in the classroom

            Teacher decision making

            Ways in which learners apply knowledge

            The affective climate of the classroom

            The instructional environment

            Teacher’s self assessment of growth and development