Reflection 11 – Successful class...or was it…?

May 27, 2014

It’s been a while since I reflected on my blog, but it doesn’t mean that I have stopped reflecting and thinking on my own about my class and my teaching techniques.  In this blog, I wanted to reflect one of my reading classes.  I recorded several weeks ago, but didn’t have the time to reflect on it.  Because almost half the class was missing, I felt I was able to personalize with the students more.  However, I do feel that this class atmosphere has generally improved and the students seem to be enjoying the class more, and feel more comfortable in speaking and answering questions in English.

The class started with an open discussion about the missing students and they all answered well, naturally.  In this class, we usually go over the vocabulary, do a dictation, then discuss the main story, which includes discussion and doing a worksheet together. 

I started by asking some target vocabulary, which was a review, and most of them raised their hand trying to answer in English.  They don’t respond in Korean unless they ask and I allow them.  I then asked a word from the example sentence for the target vocabulary, followed by questions that referred to the picture in the book.  I felt that the students were comfortable with answering the questions.   I tried to make it more dialogic so I tried asking personalized questions to help students relate to the topic and word.  Because this was a review and they had practice, I felt they were ready to answer the questions.  But the question is if they really learned the word and if they would be able to use them naturally.  However, they generally seemed to understand and had a good time in class.

After reviewing the previous classes’ two target vocabulary, I read the next sentence first so that they could listen to my pronunciation.  The students read together aloud (although there was one student who liked to fool around).  And similar to above, I would ask questions based on the word from the example sentence and the picture. 

I tried to help a student with their pronunciation and I first tried to help him through individual repetition, but I didn’t want to put him on the spot, so I asked the whole class for choral repetition, then I asked other students for individual repetition.  I didn’t want to spend too much time on it, so I just moved on quickly.  I also asked another student right away when they said ‘white’ wrong.  But I simply asked them what they said, and they were able to self-correct the pronunciation.  The students are getting better and they are able to realize on their own if the pronunciation is correct or not.

After I asked personal questions throughout the lesson, I tried to give them more time for them to respond and not let the dominant voices speak for them, and in doing so, they were able to speak more. 

In general for the vocabulary section of the lesson, I feel it went well.  The students reviewed the words, learned two new words, and were able to speak about their own selves from all of the open-ended questions. 

For the dictation section, I was pleased to see that some of the students had memorized the example sentences from the book so they were able to write down the sentences without my help.  It was clear who did not memorize.  Their dictation skills of listening and writing seem to be improving over time.  I noticed that I had to repeat the sentences more and more over time.  Next time, I think I should try asking them to listen to the sentences first, tell them to think about it, and then write it down.  Hopefully, it will help improve their listening skills and I won’t have to repeat so many times. 

For the main story, I asked them review questions on the pages up to where we were supposed to read.  Then, the students read rotationally and afterwards, I asked them comprehension questions.  I tried to ask more dialogic questions, but I think the dialogic discourse was too long.  I noticed that although the students were speaking more, that I may have talked too much.  But I’m not sure how I can reduce my teacher-talk further at the moment.  However, I did try to get the students to ask each other the questions for the worksheet.  In all my classes, I try to get the students read the questions more. 

In general, I feel that this class went better than expected.  Having only four students helped because I was able to focus on them more.  I want to strive for a class like this, where there is more open discussions and personalized questions that allow the students to speak freely more and help raise their confidence ins peaking.  This is not always the case.  However, I think I may have to reduce the length of the open discussion, and try to plan it more so that they use the vocabulary from the story more.  Also, I have also tried to teach pronunciation more, trying to not put the student on the spot.  I tried to use my hand as a mouth and my other hand as a tongue.  This helped them learn more, and it helped me realize how they were pronouncing words by them telling me how they were using their tongues.

This class was recorded several days ago, before they took the unit test.  They all did very well on the test, which I was quite pleased with.  I hope I continue to have more classes like this, where the students continue to learn and enjoy learning English.  I hope the process of them enjoying learning will be productive.  Over time, I want to see if my teaching techniques are good and that my students are really acquiring the language. 

Tech Tool Blog

May 9, 2014

I was trying to think about what to write about for this blog because I don’t use any tech tools in my class.  The only thing I thought of was my video camera on my phone because I use it to record my students’ presentations.  Then I realized I put those presentations up on BAND.  And this is the tech tool that I would like to talk about. 

You may all have seen this on TV and at the theatres on the previews, but BAND is a phone app and it’s a private space for groups.  It’s similar to Kakao, but you can more things and it’s more suitable for sharing.  

At our hakwon we use BAND with our student’s mothers.  We put up any announcements or anything interesting for our parents and we have separate rooms for each of our levels/classes.  The good thing about this is that you can put up videos without worrying about the size.  So far I haven’t had any problems uploading videos (although I’m not sure if it would allow you to upload video sizes similar to a movie).   With Kakao and along with other similar apps, you’re limited to the size of what you can upload.

You can upload pictures, chat with individual members or as a group, you can mark things on a calendar, and you can create a poll.  The good thing is that everything is shared.  You can upload and do everything from your phone, or there’s also a desktop version that you can install as well.  It allows you to stay in touch with your student’s parents and they can voice their concerns or questions.  If there are teachers that don’t have a personal relationship with their students’ parents, then teachers could use this and stay in touch with each other. 

We first started BAND to allow the parents to see how their children were doing at our winter camp.  We were trying to find a place we could upload pictures and videos.  Then we eventually used whenever we had to make announcements.  Then I started using it to upload videos of the presentations of the students.  I started incorporating presentations into our units, so they would do one presentations almost every 2 or 3 weeks.  We originally put them up to show the parents their progress.  However, the parents have been using that to improve on their presentation skills.  Originally they would memorize their presentation speeches at home, but the parents were helping them more with memorizing, and also with their presentation skills.  The parents know that presentation skills is important, not only to English, so many of them try to help their children to help improve their confidence level.

Although the parents are not able to attend the class and see for their themselves on how their children are doing, this tool has allowed them to see what their children are doing in class, so they can help them accordingly.  I suppose other teachers can use this tool to upload lessons or other videos so that parents can teach their children at home (for additional work, or cover missed lessons).  Students can also watch their own recordings (ex. speaking) so they can distinguish for themselves what mistakes they have made.

I believe this tool is beneficial for all teachers, parents, and teachers.  If you are interested, check out the website at: http://www.band.us/home. 

Reflection 10 - Vocabulary Blog

May 9, 2014

This week I have done some minor things with my classes that I have not done before.  Generally, after starting this course, I found myself doing a lot of things that I learned and naturally incorporating them into my classes.  For my higher level reading classes, we would take up a comprehension worksheet together in class.  Then I changed it around to make it more dialogic so I had them work in pairs to complete the worksheet.  They were shy with each other at first, but they are getting used to it and they communicate with each other a lot about the questions.  It allowed them to speak to each other more in English and it allowed them to help each other understand the story and the questions a little more.  Afterwards, we would take up the answers together and I would ask each pair or individuals on the answers and we would talk about them. 

This week, I got the students to ask each other the questions, instead of me reading it to them.  It was interesting to see that they asked each other quite well, but it was more interesting to see that they put more effort in answering the questions in full sentences.  Normally, they would give me one word answers or short answers.  Also, instead of just asking if the sentence statements were true or false, I would ask them to make the sentence statement true if the answer was false.  These new methods and techniques seem to get the students more interested and it creates more dialogic interactions. 

I was getting used to having students ask each other questions in my other younger speaking classes, but I was wondering for a while of how I would incorporate them into my reading classes.  I never realized I could have incorporated them directly into my lesson plans and I certainly didn’t expect it work out so well. 

As for teaching vocabulary, I found reading Harmer and Nation interesting because vocabulary is something that I teach quite often.  I tried to incorporate some of Harmer’s activities but I didn’t know how I could incorporate them into my lesson plans yet.  I teach a somewhat strict, tight lesson plan and I don’t have much room for creativity because I have to basically teach the same materials and technique (to a certain degree) with my other co-workers. 

As for Nation’s article, I could be wrong, but I found myself teaching some of the things that is suggested.  However, I wanted to learn more from next week’s STG class and see if I am interpreting this article correctly. 

What I normally do with my reading classes, is teach the target vocabulary that’s in the textbook.  There are 8 or 10 depending on the level.  The target vocabulary has an example sentence and a picture to go along with it.  I would give the students a typed up definition sheet and we would read the example sentences, and the definition.  I would review two of the words every class.  So for the two words, we would read the sentences out loud together, and then I would ask questions about the word, such as if they know what the word means, what a synonym would be, ask them questions about the picture, ask them questions about other words in the sentences, and also ask them open ended questions.  Then I would ask them to make up and tell me some example sentences.  Recently, I would ask them for a synonym for each target vocabulary, and I would ask them to give me a sentence using the target vocabulary and a sentence using the synonym.  I have been using this method with my higher level classes and I feel that it is helping them learn the word more.  For homework, they would get a sheet where they would copy down the word, definition, and example sentence for a number of times.  Remember, this is just a review for the word and the homework sheet is intended for review.  The first class when I teach vocabulary, their homework would include a fill in the blank sheet and also a sheet where they would have to write example sentences using the target vocabulary and the synonym. 

However, one thing that I started doing this week was have my other lower level classes try to come up with an example sentence.  My co-worker thought that having them make sentences was hard, so I tried to listen to him and abide by his suggestions (Korean style).  However, I just thought of asking anyways and if it was too hard, I was going to move onto something else.  To my surprise, they came up with their own sentences pretty quickly.  They weren’t complicated, or may not have been correct, but they tried very quickly and some spoke correct sentences.  If there was a word in a different form, then I would ask them what the original form is and we would talk about it in different ways. 

I was quite pleased with this because I feel getting the students to think of their own sentences, will allow them to think in English more.  It will also allow me to see if they understand the word and see if they are using it correctly. 

I still don’t know what the best method for teaching vocabulary is and I know it is one of the most important aspects of English.  I know I will have to continually think of ways of teaching it more efficiently.  Generally, the atmosphere in all my reading classes is getting better and the students are feeling more relaxed.  They are laughing more and they are enjoying English a lot more.  I remember when I first started teaching them and some of them were thinking of dropping out.  Now, I have to get them to stop laughing and pay attention.  But they’re good kids and I hope they continue to enjoy learning English.