In my practicum there does not appear to be any obvious dialectic variations or ELL students. However I feel that Mrs. L’s nature and creative approach to teaching would be an environment where ELL students would thrive. Mrs. L takes various creative approaches to learning, and it is so fun that it appears that students are learning without feeling like they are learning. One activity they do that could be easily constructed around cultural awareness or acceptance is that they have a few days every semester that they focus on a particular extracurricular activity. I can’t remember what it is called, but the students choose an activity like baking, painting, or volunteering, ect. They then take an entire day, with the help of several parent volunteers, and learn about this activity in detail. It’s a fun activity where they learn group planning, cooperation, group skills, writing and communication skills, and much more in a real life experience.
Technology is a large part of today’s classroom and one use that I have seen that I really enjoy in my practicum classroom is a cooperative project between the 5/6th graders and the 1st graders. The first grade teacher selected several books for the 5/6th graders to read on keynote. The teacher then takes the recordings and the 1st grade students listen along to the 5/6th graders as they read their books. This tool is helping to teach the 1st graders how to read and at the same time educating the 5/6th graders on how to use keynote and volunteer their time for someone else. It’s a fun project that all the students enjoy.
I think your teacher sounds SO great. I love the idea of just dedicating an entire day to learning about one thing. It sounds like such a learning but fun friendly environment. I would love to be a teacher like that. It reminds of the reading we did in the ELL book. In chapter 9, the teacher lets her students kind of lead the curriculum. If they had a question about plumbing, they focused math, science and thier writing about learning about plumbing. I also think that the 5/6th project of reading to the 1st graders is really cool. I'm sure the first graders love it and it provides the older kids with the chance to get used to reading out loud. My teacher said that is one of the problems in her classroom. The kids will read to her, but when it comes to reading aloud, they get nervous and don't want to.
ReplyDeleteI agree your practicum teacher sounds like she could have come out of ch. 9 in our ELL book. Its really great how she conducts the class. I'm sure if she has any ELL students they would do really well with her.
ReplyDeleteAt my daughter's school, they do this 'one subject all day' thing, as well. Its called exploration day. She has done camping, faeries, chocolate, snowflakes, clothes designing and creating, and many others. It keeps the kids engaged in something fun and dfferent, while sneakily working in math, science, and language projects into the day. ts a great volunteer oppotunity for parents and grandparents and kind of a breather for students and teachers.
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