Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this video and get to know a little bit more about me. :)
**There is about a minute and half of blank footage at the very end of the video, I am not really sure why. But the video is not actually 8 minutes long!**
Blog 2
Hey Everyone! The link to my video is here! Q1. What are some of the particular things that teachers should do to address each students needs? Q2. between phonology (study of sound), morphology (study of structure), syntax (the rules), semantics (study of the meaning of words), and pragmatics (study of language) which was the most challenging for you? Why? Q3. What strategies did your teacher use to help with syntax and semantics? Q4. What kind of activities, techniques, and materials did your teacher to help you learn the English language in school? Q5. Do you think they were effective in helping you learn the English language? Q6. What do you think would have been more effective, or what do you wish would have been done differently? Q7. Do you think common core state standards or no child left behind act were things that were helpful when learning a new language, or would it have been better to not have the policies like these? Hey everyone! For my second blog, I inter...
Hi Tobi! Great job on your video! Don't worry about the extra couple of minutes at the end, I struggled with the video making software while I made my video too. Hopefully we'll become more familiar with it as we go through the semester.
ReplyDeleteI also took a foreign language in high school, but your experience seems very different from mine. Having a class of just 7 students means you get a lot of attention from the teacher and personalized teaching. This individualized teaching is probably what helped you learn the language so well that school year. It seems like your second French class was not as personalized as your freshman year class. I think it's important to integrate technology into the classroom to help guide learning, but it should not overtake the classroom. There should be a balance between teacher instruction and technology.
I agree with you that real-life experiences is how you truly learn a second language. I did not learn Spanish in the classroom, but perhaps I can learn it if I immerse myself in a Spanish speaking country or environment.
I love what you said about bonding with your students to learn more about them and help them become excited about learning. We don't want out ELL students to constantly be frustrated, they need guidance and relationships to help them succeed in the classroom.
Hey Lauren!
DeleteHaving that one-on-one attention sometimes in French 1 was so helpful for me to really grow in learning the language. I agree 100% about having the balance between instruction and technology use. It is so important for students learn through different activities that use the different learner techniques because not every child learns the same way.
There are so many ways for people to learn a new language, but to be proficient, like Wright says, we must personalize the teaching for each student as best we can in order to help each child achieve what they set out to.
Hello Tobi! Your experiences learning a foreign language in high school was very different from my own. My Spanish class would rely on worksheets, handwritten notes, flashcards. In contrast you stated that your French class centered around hands on activities as well as an emphasis on technology. I am so happy that your teacher made lessons more meaningful by getting students involved in a variety of ways, like blogs and videos. In my high school, our phones were banned, so google translate was not as readily available to me as you and your class mates who were always on laptops. Finding a balance between technology and more hands-on styles like writing and speaking can really influence our learning of a different language. Nonetheless, each student should feel comfortable and not restrained by time or fear or embarassment of making mistakes. By promoting a welcoming multiculturally diverse classroom climate, teachers can motivate ELLs to not only participate, but truly engage in lessons.
ReplyDeleteHey Jennifer!
DeleteFrom what I have heard from many people, my French class was very different than most. I give credit to Madame Mills for helping me know as much French as I do 7 years later. Using the computers in the classroom was very new for our school. Madame Bartlett was the first teacher to have the entire lesson on laptops, so there were lots of learning curves that went along with that. I think technology is so important to use, but I think there is a fine line on how much is enough or too much. I totally agree with creating a safe space for all students. We need kids to feel welcomed not scared to speak up!
Hello Tobi! I enjoyed watching your video, thanks for sharing your personal experience with different languages. Your experience with French seemed to be a very positive one you’re your video. It really sounds like your teacher had a very progressive way of teaching and involving her students in the learning, which I’m sure helped you so much! I remember the French classes in my high school were also much smaller since most kids chose to take Spanish. I think that the fact that you got small classes and great teachers is such an advantage of not taking the class that majority of kids take around here! The influences of technology that you had in your class shows how important technology could be when trying to teach ELLs.
ReplyDeleteHey Gabby!
DeleteIt definitely was. Being that it is Texas, French was not nearly as popular as Spanish, but there was quite a few of us taking French. With the smaller classes it was awesome that we got to have more of a hands-on approach to learning getting to do things that would not have been as possible with larger classes. It is very important to use technology in the classroom, because for the most part, that is a universal thing and everyone has experience with using the internet and finding different resources to help them gain more knowledge in whatever they are trying to learn about.
Thanks for the response Tobi! I agree that the popularity of taking Spanish in high school probably has a lot to do with where we are located. Had I actually learned the language it would have come in handy a lot in my teaching career. I think since you actually learned a lot from your class proves it would have been more beneficial! The advantages of technology really benefitted you in this class clearly! The lasting impact it has had on you shows how much it can also impact other students and why it may be important for us to keep that in mind in our future as educators.
DeleteHey Tobi!
ReplyDeleteI love that you were able to have such a wonderful experience learning French. Unfortunately, most people, including myself, don't get that opportunity. There are so many resources to learn a new language but many teachers don't use those resources to their full advantage. I think it is so important to engage the students with songs, movies, books, anything that will peak their interest in the language that is being taught so that they are engaged in learning this language. In my years learning Spanish, the teachers just gave us worksheet after worksheet to fill out and we sat and listened to the teacher speak. We didn't do a lot of hands-on activities especially when I got into high school. High school was mostly book-work, flash cards, and worksheets. The teacher did not allow verbal communication in her classroom because she found it distracting, so it was so hard for us to practice the new language. Today, I can pick up on a few words and phrases, but I cannot speak Spanish, I just know what is being spoken about.