Friday, January 30, 2009

TASK 1 -
One of the lessons went well was a lesson I had with form 3 students. The topic was about
people and it was a lesson (to enhance writing) on describing people appearances .Using power point, (actually i wanted to use flash...but it's so time consuming!)I started off with showing them their very own snapshots that i had taken earlier during my classes. I got them to describe about their own appearances. They responded well to the pictures shown as it were their very own. They had a good time laughing and at the same time describing at those candid shots i took. The describing went on and on for quite some time as they were describing from head to toe. Without realising, they have successfully described using adjectives. I wrote all the adjectives mentioned on the board. The final few photos were superimposed. I did some editing with adobe photoshop to make them look slightly older, darker, with long hair etc. They were simply in 'stitches'! Next, i got them to create a sentence using those adjective and I also got them to expand those sentences. Here's an example

Jane is beautiful.Jane is a beautiful lady.Jane is a beatiful lady with long hair.Jane is a beautiful lady with long black hair.Jane is a beautiful lady with long black hair and green hazel eyes.

What made the lesson successful was because the pictures used were theirs and their friends.
I learned that students learned much better when they are exposed to technology. Using
computer, lcd, teaching softwares are a must in classrooms today but its totally different
when you manage to inject a teeny weeny creativity of your own to all those gadgets to come
up with something original and refreshing. I wouldn't say that it had much difference compared to other lessons as i have always tried to incorporate IT elements when i teach. What made the lesson successful was the response that i had gotten from the students. They
successfully came up with interesting decription of people using sentence expansion
technique. Not only that, as sentence expansion maintains the same structure of sentence,
they kinda memorized it at the same time too. I certainly have shared this sentence
expansion activity with my collegues and it worked wonders!! May be you could try it too and tell me about it.

TASK 2
It was a challenging lesson as i was teaching a group of good students ( a little demanding one
-as they always look for something exciting) and because i have to spend some time
editing photo shots, it's still kinda new to me.
The ideas for this lesson came from a friend of mine who is a teacher in another residential
school.I thought it was worth a try and indeed it worked wonders for my students as now they
have become more creative and expressive whenever they write their essays. There is
something I learnt from this particular lesson and that was to always inject our lessons
with something they are closely related with..n nowadays they are entwined with technology!
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18 comments:

  1. PuvaFebruary 2, 2009 at 11:31 AM

    Christina, That's a really creative lesson - using their pictures to teach description. You seem be part of a larger English community - teachers from other schools - where you learn from one another. How do you discuss T & L issues with them? Do you meet them face to face?
    As for the challenges, I'm sure theis lesson was a cjhallenge in terms of preparation. Bu what about another lesson that you found challenging to teach/ make your students understand? Can you share such an experience with us?

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  2. PuvaFebruary 2, 2009 at 11:34 AM

    Sorry, Suraya. Got you mixed up with Christina! I found your lesson interesting.

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  3. SueFebruary 2, 2009 at 7:35 PM

    well puva..that's alright for the 'mix-up! it happens!! Those teachers at other schools, they're actually my friends...we manage to meet like once a year where all the sbp schools gathered at one selected residential school for Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan ocassion where students contested for debates and basketball. So apart from catching up, we exchange T&L experience too despite the fact that our schools are actually rivals (ehehe) as we are competing for top ten ranking. (in terms of spm n pmr achievement). Well,I think the most challenging part in lesson preparation is time factor!! we want to do so much stuff, so many things..we even want to bring 'the world' closer to the kids...its just that we are so bound with so many things to do in school at the same time that we could not put ample time for planning our lessons.

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  4. ChrisFebruary 3, 2009 at 1:09 PM

    I agree that the lesson was interesting. I am especially amazed that you know how to use Flash, though it can be time-consuming. I don't know how to .... ;) Anyway, I also think that expanding the sentences using the adjectives is good. Something I used to do but have forgotten about. GREAT! You're creative and your techno savviness do come in handy.

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  5. SueFebruary 3, 2009 at 3:56 PM

    hey chris...good to hear from you....well.thanks to few IT genius students of mine..i managed to learn flash...but still very difficult...i'm still dependent on them to help me out...i think all of us can afford to be creative when we have the time...rite? see ya!!

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  6. AzizahFebruary 3, 2009 at 4:21 PM

    Hello ladies,

    Sue, I know how it feels teaching a group of good students. I was a teacher in one of the residential schools before I joined UKM. Those students inspired me to upgrade myself and kept me on my toes in planning interesting and creative lessons. I loved every minute I had with them. So, tell us what are other challenges you faced teaching English to these good students?
    It's also good to hear that you are getting ideas from a fellow friend in other school. That's what all of you should do. Sharing with one another. I did the same. Do you contact other friends at different residential schools and ask for ideas? I'm sure you have lots of contacts as every year you meet them at the 'special' events such as debates/ competitions.

    Regarding using flash, Sue, getting your students involved in planning your lesson also helps them to be creative! Moreover, you will be able to get information on what they like and dislike in a lesson.

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  7. SueFebruary 3, 2009 at 5:26 PM

    hi there kak azizah...i absolutely agree with you. getting them involved in planning my lessons help a lot!!! Yup i knew what they might be interested in and vice versa. and yes again..those students are my 'get up and go' every single morning. Somehow they inspire me to do my job as well as I can. However, not all students that i teach are good ones...i teach the weak ones too....and this weaker ones- they hardly participate...kinda passive learners. So my biggest challenge is making them speak the language. Even the good ones, they dont speak English in class often. But i make it a point that whenever it's English hour, its mandatory for them to use the language..but kids.you know...they still communicate in Bm when they know you're not listening...so one of the biggest challenge is to create an awareness/ importance of speaking good English in class.

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  8. ChrisFebruary 4, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    Yeah .... in my school we also get some weaker students. We don't get to choose our students, unlike what a lot of people think. So with weaker students the challenge is to motivate them and to find areas of interest for them to "find themselves". With my students I am starting a few unofficial work this year. First is to do journaling. I know many already do that via blogging so journalling in a book is just an extension for them. Secondly, I am asking them (esp the weaker ones) to get a vocab book so that they can jot down any words they are hearing / reading / using for the first time. Thirdly,this is still in the beginning stage, I am doing a blog for internet homework. This is an addition for the students and they can access at their own leisure and hand in within a time frame. FREE TIME? Never heard of it!!!!! ;)

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  9. PuvaFebruary 12, 2009 at 4:31 PM

    Yes, Chris..somehow time does not seem to on our side. But I marvel at what both you and Sue are doing. Great ideas to improve students' proficiency.So your students must be computer savvy somewhat to participate in that work. What about those who are not? You must share with us the progress you're doing with your initiative.

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  10. ChrisFebruary 12, 2009 at 8:41 PM

    For my students, most are computer savvy. For those who are not, they are put in groups where there are savvy ones to help/guide them. I will share one of my assignments with you all later, when I have finished checking all the groups' works.

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  11. AzizahFebruary 18, 2009 at 11:14 PM

    Wow! Chris, you have lots of ideas when it comes to incorporating ICT in our lessons. So tell us about your first 'unofficial' task (journalling)for the students.

    By the way Chris, do you think it would help the weaker ones to have the vocabulary lists posted on their blogs or to share the lists with others via blogging?

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  12. ChrisFebruary 19, 2009 at 7:35 PM

    Azizah,
    I try .... but incorporating the use of ICT is VERY time-consuming. As for journalling, I'll be checking tomorrow. ;)

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  13. PuvaFebruary 26, 2009 at 2:56 PM

    I was browsing through your students' work, Chris. Wow! They're good. Wonderful job, teacher.
    Sue, how do you try to make these students communicate in English? Any novel ideas? In schools, I had the same problem...trying to think of ways to make them use the language. I thought with ICT, it's easier.

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  14. SueFebruary 27, 2009 at 3:56 PM

    hi puva,,,yes that's my problem too....right now i'm making it a rule that they have to speak the language in English class...or else..i'll get them to sing or dance :)...and i introduce a lot of songs to them whenever i do vocab enrichment. I do journalling too...for the practice of flow of ideas....i normally give personal topic that i thought would trigger them to write something interesting...they would have to start or end their journal using the line I gave... For example...End the journal with.....and I wish i had known sooner... or I have a secret....something like that.

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  15. AzizahMarch 3, 2009 at 11:55 AM

    Sue, When you do the vocab enrichment, do your students jot down the words in a notebook accoring to categories or themes?

    Regarding the personal journal, Do all of you remember this TV program: Dr Doogie Howser? It is about a genius young doctor. At the end of each episode, he would write his personal journal on the computer. He put in his thoughts, Quotations and lesson learnt for the day.

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  16. AnonymousMarch 19, 2009 at 4:50 PM

    Hi Sue, it is indeed difficult to 'force' the students to interact in English as much as possible especially amongst themselves as this is just unnatural for them. The obvious thing to do is to give them more 'contrived' or 'orchestrated' opportunities to use English I suppose like chatting online with non-malaysians or to get them to 'police' each other--make it a competition perhaps.

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  17. ChrisMarch 20, 2009 at 8:43 PM

    I remember Doogie Howzer!!!! Now that you mention it, yeah a good idea indeed.

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  18. SueMarch 26, 2009 at 5:45 AM

    hey hazita!!!! that's sound pretty interesting...i might try it...get them to 'police' each other..okay i'll think of something to go with it, thanks!

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