They didn't. Only one of the pupils tried to enter and see what's on Nicenet.
I am not giving up. I think I should plan a lesson in which they will enter and
get familiarized with it. Hopefully, that will help.
Unfortunately, they didn't learn as well as I hoped for either.It seems I have to give them a lot more homework because they do not have enough learning habits to help themselves.
we'll see.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Week 4 - Nicenet
Tomorrow my 10th graders have an English test. I wondered how I can give them more exercises to learn from especially since we don't have a lot of time' since I am not allowed to photocopy materials (budget cuts) and since that some of them are dysgraphic or just slow.
I decided to open a class page on nicenet that provides sites for them to learn and exercise from. It's only it its early stages but it can help them for tomorrow's test. In the future, I will plan it ahead and put it in a more organized way (which I am not), but in the meantime if you want to look at it, please go to nicenet.
The key to my class is: H304956G59.
Please bear in mind it is directed to a certain class' needs according to the test they will have to answer tomorrow.
I would very much like to hear (read :)) your comments.
Furthermore, I am very curious to see whether they will use it for they are not used to practice in that manner. I will update you on the outcome.
I decided to open a class page on nicenet that provides sites for them to learn and exercise from. It's only it its early stages but it can help them for tomorrow's test. In the future, I will plan it ahead and put it in a more organized way (which I am not), but in the meantime if you want to look at it, please go to nicenet.
The key to my class is: H304956G59.
Please bear in mind it is directed to a certain class' needs according to the test they will have to answer tomorrow.
I would very much like to hear (read :)) your comments.
Furthermore, I am very curious to see whether they will use it for they are not used to practice in that manner. I will update you on the outcome.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Week 3 - Delicious
This week was indeed delicious. I feel a bit like an infant that learns something new each day.
The only thing that I wonder about is the abundance of information and how to organize it. There is so many great stuff out there that I want to implement in my teaching. I intend to sit down on Tuesday and with the aid of Ritalin/Concerta - think about how to incorporate some of it into my lesson plans. I did not yet buid the lesson plan based on the ABCD method and I believe it would help me a lot if I start from scratch and rebuild my lessons accordingly.
As for Delicious, I must admit that I was frustrated at first. I guess I didn't save the information as I should have and it was erased. I had to understand what I did wrong so as not to repeat my mistake. It took me a few hours to figure out how I want to proceed, what I want to put in, how to save tags etc. Now it seems so easy that I don't know why it took me so long (it's time I recognize my limitations, at my age...ha ha ha). Anyway, the only question I am left with right now is how to put in the URLs of my colleagues so that we can share informaiton more openly. I will see to it this evening, after the day's work.
Have a great, sunny, smiley day,
Shalom,
Nourit
The only thing that I wonder about is the abundance of information and how to organize it. There is so many great stuff out there that I want to implement in my teaching. I intend to sit down on Tuesday and with the aid of Ritalin/Concerta - think about how to incorporate some of it into my lesson plans. I did not yet buid the lesson plan based on the ABCD method and I believe it would help me a lot if I start from scratch and rebuild my lessons accordingly.
As for Delicious, I must admit that I was frustrated at first. I guess I didn't save the information as I should have and it was erased. I had to understand what I did wrong so as not to repeat my mistake. It took me a few hours to figure out how I want to proceed, what I want to put in, how to save tags etc. Now it seems so easy that I don't know why it took me so long (it's time I recognize my limitations, at my age...ha ha ha). Anyway, the only question I am left with right now is how to put in the URLs of my colleagues so that we can share informaiton more openly. I will see to it this evening, after the day's work.
Have a great, sunny, smiley day,
Shalom,
Nourit
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Week 2 - ABCD
I woke up two hours ago thinking of the class I want to apply the ABCD method to. By the way, I am targetting this class but as I see it - this method and any other that helps organize long term objectives is a must.if I don't want to be distracted from the curriculum and final end of the year's program.
This method, however, is fairly easy to follow or at least to plan.
As I mentioned on Nicenet:; "According to the ABCD model I would like my 27 low level English students to be able to look around and describe their (or any) neighborhood. This, in order to enable them to understand, to give and to receive directions.They will learn it through reading their book, answering questions, planning a class trip somewhere and by drawing or building a model - either of their place of residence or an imaginary neighborhood. Given the learning and motivational state of the class, I will be satisfied with 75% mastery of learning material".
Dhika gave me the idea to use pictures. I think I might take pictures of places around the world and edit them so that the students can choose where to go and describe it with their new vocabulary. Another idea I got from you - my dear colleagues - is to apply it to grammar purposes.
I wondered about the learnig/teaching model I should apply.Unfortunately, based on the class's performance and behavior up untill now I am skeptical as to their ability to work in pairs or groupes. I am trying to apply some of the Mixed Focus Model in which, as Karl Rogers suggested, It is important to put an emphasis on the process rather than on static knowlege.
It is not an "instant" process. The class needs a lot of work on both knowledge and behavior. I just hope It's the right way.
Time will tell.
This method, however, is fairly easy to follow or at least to plan.
As I mentioned on Nicenet:; "According to the ABCD model I would like my 27 low level English students to be able to look around and describe their (or any) neighborhood. This, in order to enable them to understand, to give and to receive directions.They will learn it through reading their book, answering questions, planning a class trip somewhere and by drawing or building a model - either of their place of residence or an imaginary neighborhood. Given the learning and motivational state of the class, I will be satisfied with 75% mastery of learning material".
Dhika gave me the idea to use pictures. I think I might take pictures of places around the world and edit them so that the students can choose where to go and describe it with their new vocabulary. Another idea I got from you - my dear colleagues - is to apply it to grammar purposes.
I wondered about the learnig/teaching model I should apply.Unfortunately, based on the class's performance and behavior up untill now I am skeptical as to their ability to work in pairs or groupes. I am trying to apply some of the Mixed Focus Model in which, as Karl Rogers suggested, It is important to put an emphasis on the process rather than on static knowlege.
It is not an "instant" process. The class needs a lot of work on both knowledge and behavior. I just hope It's the right way.
Time will tell.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Week 2 - reflection on ABCD and sleep deprivation
What's first - sleep deprivation or ABCD?
I want to be on task, see all my colleagues' posts and comments, but find it very hard to stay awake. I woke up early, after a 4 times interrupted night sleep (10 year old boy with sleeping disorder :) ) and wanted to post my thoughts in my blog. I had it all figured out and now I can't remember half of it - The method, the other methods I have learned last year - the Process Model. the Mixed Focus Model - the way I can "blend" them together...
I think I will continue this afternoon, after work and the children's after-school activities.
"See" you then,
Nourit
I want to be on task, see all my colleagues' posts and comments, but find it very hard to stay awake. I woke up early, after a 4 times interrupted night sleep (10 year old boy with sleeping disorder :) ) and wanted to post my thoughts in my blog. I had it all figured out and now I can't remember half of it - The method, the other methods I have learned last year - the Process Model. the Mixed Focus Model - the way I can "blend" them together...
I think I will continue this afternoon, after work and the children's after-school activities.
"See" you then,
Nourit
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Students blogs
Reflection on blogs as a teaching tool – Week 1
During last year I learned how to build a WebQuest . I liked the tool although I have yet to see when and how I can implement it.
While reading what Campbell, Stanley and Ferlazzo have to say about blogs, I was convinced it is a different but more thorough tool than the WebQuest. A blog gives us the chance to create an ongoing process of learning and dialogue. That is not to say that a WebQuest is not a good tool but it seems to me it is more limited.
As both Campbell and Stanley
As Ferlazzo suggested, I opened a web page on "Jottit" (https://ourworldwidenet.jottit.com/?m=edit ). I found it very easy, indeed, but also more limited than the blog on blogger.com. I therefore prefer the one we use.
From the three blogs mentioned by Campbell and Stanley, I would favor using the tutor blog. Unfortunately, I think that my students are not responsible enough to maintain a blog routine so a learner's blog can be a good one-time exercise (to form it and work on one project) only.They need a framework given by their teacher.
On the other hand, this type of blog can also be used as a portfolio for book reports each of them needs to do. It can be a good platform to read one another comments and learn from it.
I never taught an advanced ESL class, but I imagine that a Class blog can be used as described by Campbell and Stanley
To sum up, I think I might prefer to use a tutor blog, which will enable me to give my pupils more practice in reading and writing.
I must admit, though, that there are a few technical questions I still don't have the answer to such as how do I create a "permanent link" in the blog? How can I monitor my student's work on sites I send them to?
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