french vocal

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E-learning Goals Reflection

BLOGS
1.  This year, students didn't manage their blogs well.  Many didn't take responsibility for remembering their passwords, and Blogger was not always reliable - sometimes just wouldn't work - this problem dimming the enthusiasm for students who were having login issues.
2. It may be a problem that blogging isn't new anymore, so students weren't that excited by it.
3. Nevertheless, Fishy and Gaby persisted.  The Year 9 classes used blogs for uploading their Noumea journal.  Unfortunately, there were organic problems with the Noumea unit this year - we tampered with it, hoping to improve outcomes by placing the Adjectives unit first, thereby allowing students to better describe their hypothetical experience, as well as writing their profile.  Sadly, with the short first term, as well as the many interruptions to the classroom time due to extra-curricular activities, there was a lack of continuity that really impacted on student learning and enthusiasm.  So the blogs were half-heartedly done.
4.  Year 10 classes blogged their Hypochondriac journal and their Region Research task - these were more or less satisfactory, because students were able to redraft, and revisit earlier journal entries in order to extend ideas and grammar.  What doesn't work anymore is the online FEEDBACK comment system.  Previously, the teacher could look back on comments and see how students had addressed issues and improved drafts.
5. In light of the above problems, Fishy and Gaby are looking into the use of Edmodo - an educational online social networking platform - which may solve the feedback problem.  Also, Edmodo should never be blocked by DEECD, as Blogger was at the beginning of the year.  Because it's more like Facebook, students may relate to it better.  Lastly, there's provision for posting and loading homework assignments and education-related activities.
CHATROOMS
1. We used these with Year 9 to check learning - eg weather terms.  They were also able to prepare and practice with their partners for their speaking assessments.
2. In Year 10, similarly, students were placed into chatrooms to converse about organising social occasions and to discuss health issues.  We used chats as a formative assessment to monitor their progress in the Unit.
3. Students are required to respond quickly in remembering and using essential vocabulary and expressions.

Last Speaking Assessment

Students were required to work in pairs to prepare a speaking task in which each introduced their partner to the class.  Criteria included content: likes, dislikes, general qualities of the other; and grammar: connectors, adjectives, avoir expressions, and anything from the year's learning.  They were given 25 minutes to prepare and then taken into the auditorium, where we all sat in a teardrop formation, so cues on the board could be seen by everyone.  Students were not permitted to use notes or any other supporting material - thus showcasing their memorised learning for the year.

The Auditorium was a fabulous space, setting the mood for a performance; it was spacious, relaxing, and students had fun.  They were all attentive to each other's performance, and it was great that even the weaker students could understand the presentations - all had arrived at a good level.  Everyone had a sense of how far they'd come over the year in being able to speak reasonably fluently with good accuracy on familiar topics without support.  There was a real sense of everyone being supportive of each other and being appreciative of each other's efforts.  It was a great concluding task, really a celebration of the year.

Writing

We decided that the students should spend 5 consecutive periods on building writing skills - they were required to produce 3 texts, 1 draft and 1 final copy of each.  Previously we have allowed students to write on computers, but we have become concerned that they are too reliant on Internet resources rather than the learning acquired throughout the year and the judicious use of dictionaries.

The majority of the 5 periods were spent in L7, with access to L6 for typing and printing only.  The desks were all very close together, but this proved conducive to them working hard rather than talking.  In addition, and most importantly, this allowed Gaby and Fishy to work with all students as required, giving us an overview of the larger class and how all students were faring, providing a kind of unofficial moderation opportunity. Once again, students had the benefit of working with two teachers.  A student (native speaker) also joined us and was very useful in giving extra advice to students.

Having done this, Gaby and Fishy wish they had required students to work in this way throughout the year.  It was successful from both teacher and student perspectives; students were able to access immediate advice on structure and progress, and we seemed to see more students individually in the time allotted than when we worked with single classes. Why this is, we don't know.

The restaurant idea

Un succès fou!

What worked and why?
- Most students were very well prepared for the blind date conversations; several couples spoke fluently for the entire time they were dining.
- For those who weren't as well prepared/as strong, they were forced into making conversation and had the experience of participating to their level in a French speaking environment.
- Students did not speak English!  Gaby and Fishy were blown away by this - we actually did not expect this level of collaboration in the task.  For most of the year this group has not distinguished itself by hard work or strong motivation, so their achievement was outstanding.  As well, the best and hardest-working students genuinely excelled.
- Logistically, it all worked, which can be attributed for the main part to the facilities to which we had access - kitchen, benches, water etc. Gaby & Fishy also spent some time in planning and preparation, individually and together.

What didn't work and why?
- We weren't able to assess the students as formally as we wanted to, due to being involved in food preparation and service.
- We need to charge the students an extra $2 to cover costs.

Student Feedback
- Immediate feedback was extremely positive:
* Good preparation for the students travelling on the France Study Tour or for anyone travelling in future.  Students felt competent ordering food in restaurants, and general conversation.
* Studentss felt like they were in an authentic French setting (because they were obliged to speak French - but this was self-motivated since we couldn't actually have forced them.)
* Students were able to evaluate their learning in terms of how they could improve eg 'we needed to develop the waiter's conversation more.'  They asked if the exercise could be repeated so they could be more prepared next time.
* The food was well reviewed and appreciated by students.

Gaby & Fishy Feedback
- Well worth the effort because of the high level level of student participation and enjoyment.
- We believe we witnessed the evidence of genuine learning.
- It was a culmination of 3 terms' work, but also what they have learned over nearly four years - bringing it all together in an authentic scenario was what made it so satisfying for us and the students.

Good Idea

How to engage the two classes in a meaningful 'authentic' speaking task about the unit's work?

Gaby and Fishy are setting up a restaurant in L6 next Tuesday during the double.  We will pair students randomly in a blind date scenario, so that students may 'present' themselves and have conversations about simple matters such as what they like to do in their spare time, hobbies, films they have seen etc. during the dining experience.  Meanwhile, there will be 2 waiters for each table of 2; one waiter will talk about the menu and take the order, the other will bring the food and present it.  After one period the teams of diners and waiters will swap experiences.  Gaby and Fishy will roam with clipboards, assessing students.  Marks will be deducted for talk in English.

This is a mammoth task and requires students to take responsibility for their learning in order to maximise their enjoyment of the task.

Speaking assessments

This type of task continues to be our most successful in terms of team teaching.  Once again, there is the potential for instant feedback, for students in both classes to see and hear what the others are doing, and to measure themselves against the whole cohort.  It also enables Gaby and Fishy to moderate on the spot. 
Last week we sat the class in an elliptical shape across the two classrooms N10 and N12, we sat next to each other in the ellipse, and the students performed their speaking activities in the middle.  Highly successful.  It was also very clear to all which students had not prepared and had not learnt.
Previously we have used a speed-dating scenario, ie a long row of desks, students seated on either side to converse with each other, then moving on.  Gaby and Fishy participated in this activity, assessing at the same time.  We assessed half the class each and then randomly assessed 10 students in common for moderation purposes.

Success

We would love to report a particularly successful class in which we felt we actually achieved the goal of team-teaching.  The students were seated in L6 in a U shape, a bit cramped but ok, for a listening task. It was in fact a dictation, an exercise that we find useful for feedback purposes ie. the students are able to tell us immediately what errors they have made in understanding/grammar/vocab - and more importantly, why they made them.  In this instance, both Gaby and Fishy were asking questions and answering them - the advantage to the students being that they hear different methods of explanation. 
We came across a word that no-one recognised at all - léger.  With the class we discussed what the first 3 letters might be, including the accented e, and then brainstormed all the possible endings that might be used to express the sound 'ay'.  The students came up with er, é, ée, ez, ai ais ait aient.  We then challenged them to determine what part of speech léger might be, in its context in the sentence.  We were then able to exploit their knowledge of grammar to eliminate endings that would not be possible.  It was established that léger is an adjective.  We then challenged them with a sentence in which léger was used to modify a feminine noun.  This whole exercise allowed us to revise noun-adjective agreements, and remind students of verb endings for particular tenses. 
The exercise was particularly fun because both students and teachers were participating equally, asking and answering questions, arguing why or why not something might be the case.  They know enough grammar and grammatical terminology at this stage to competently put a case for their point of view.
At the end of the lesson we asked for a show of hands as to who enjoyed the lesson and every student put up their hand enthusiastically.  As did we.  There was a real buzz in the room.

Term 3 - the geography of the classroom

In response to student feedback, we have offered our students the opportunity to sit with their friends, regardless of which class they have been allocated on the timetable.  We are continuing to do listening tasks together, as N10/N12 facilitates this.  We combined our first session: table groups participated in a reflective task on students' prior knowledge of French food, but the problem continues of students becoming chatty - due to the large number in the room (even though we could stretch out from N10 into part of N12) and the reduced ability of the teacher to maintain classroom control in a less structured environment.  It would be interesting to see if students would be more focussed in an environment that was explicitly set up for the purpose of team teaching and collaborative learning.  The classrooms seem so cold and 'transient' - there's nothing there that welcomes them in, and nothing they can leave behind.  They are there 3 times/week for French.

Team Teaching at Livingstone PS

Reflection on Visit to Livingstone PS - saw their setup for team teaching Preps and Grade 1.  The connecting classrooms opened up to form a long space, allowing for table groups to be set up over a large area and teachers to genuinely move through the area and teach all students.  I think we may have missed an opportunity in designing our flexible learning centre in not making provision for such a set up.  The classrooms are connected by doors only, and the open area in the middle is also a corridor for accessing classrooms, so not a useful exclusive space in same way as the Livingstone space.  So, we have ongoing frustration with the space that we have.  Although N10 and N12 do have a large opening between them, it's still like a big doorway rather than allowing for a fluid space.  Also, in a single period, reorganising the tables and chairs to utilise both rooms takes a lot of time - so, not practical.  Perhaps this will work better with the 4 period day.

Learning & Teaching Goal 3 - Post 1

Context: Gaby & Fishy are team teaching Year 10 French.  The whole group comprises 35 students of very diverse abilities, expectation and motivation.  In Term 1 we were allocated rooms in different parts of the school which did not facilitate team teaching.  We attempted to teach the whole group in one classroom, and this was a disaster.    The physical environment was too cramped, and we couldn't even get to individual students.
Since the beginning of Term 2, we were allocated adjoining classrooms.
What we feel we have achieved this term:

• Whole group listening and some speaking tasks have been successful, with some team teaching.  This enables both of us to assess the progress of student learning and address gaps in learning and student misconceptions. 
• With whole group speaking tasks, we have been able to moderate immediately.
• Differentiation of classes for grammar teaching:  The class of students requiring more support is given more repetitive tasks to facilitate memorisation, while the less supported class is given the option of extension material.  (Both classes do the same assessment tasks.)
• Students have the opportunity to swap classes, according their readiness and continued application.
• At PTCs, students reported positively.  The more supported students were pleased not to be pressured by being with the higher achievers, and felt they were gaining confidence together.  The higher achievers were pleased not to be held back with repetition of work they had already learnt, and were able to ask questions leading to deeper teaching and learning.

L & T Goal 1

http://moodle.vermontsc.vic.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=17605

L & T GOAL 1 –Modification of an existing Unit of Work at LEVEL 3

ENGAGE

1.       At the beginning of the unit, use student survey ‘to negotiate learning routines’.  This was also used ‘to determine students’ learning goals based on curriculum standards’.

2.       Use testing and explicit questions about the students’ preparation for the test ‘to assist students to reflect on their personal learning strategies.’  Also discuss with students how they learnt and which strategies are successful and which not.

EXPLORE

1.       Use of listening exercises ‘to draw out students’ misconceptions and to challenge their ideas.   Focussing on homophones, and parts of speech used in context.

2.       In context highlighting misconceptions about ‘false friends’ and cognates.

3.       Regular homework & formative testing adjusted when necessary to maximise learning opportunities and understanding.

EXPLAIN

1.       Differentiation of delivery of content to small groups for extension tasks – teacher focus on assistance to weaker groups.

2.       Draw links between sophisticated English vocabulary and commonly used French vocabulary to increase and refine students’ literacy in both languages.

3.       Range of writing, speaking, listening and reading tasks to allow students to appropriate, manipulate and use expressions and language forms in impromptu conversation and written pieces.

ELABORATE

1.       Languages are coherent due to their inherent rules and principles (and their exceptions.)  The teaching of French lends itself to ‘tasks that require students to manipulate information and ideas to generate rules and principles.’ 

2.       Set up conversational protocols around Q & A exercises eg speed dating, conversational sports (eg the Trollope Cup)

EVALUATE

1.       Students’written  work assessed against standardised criteria and VCE rubrics, made accessible to students on teacher’s blog.  As their competencies increase across the term, students evaluate and redraft previous blog posts to manipulate increasingly complex grammatical constructions.

2.       In speaking tasks, students have the opportunity to evaluate their performance and progress against others in the class. 

3.       During oral presentations, the teacher facilitates discussion about the successful and otherwise aspects of students’ work. 

4.       Students are encouraged to reflect on their learning tasks; in doing this, they are asked to identify future learning goals to improve and extend their core skill development.