Lesson Plan Reflection

            Overall I was surprisingly satisfied with how my lesson went.  I did, however, pick a class that I thought could perform the activities and carry out discussions to a reasonable level. The class was a sophomore reading and writing class with most students being at a relatively high intermediate level. I suppose it would have worked well with my freshman classes, but due to time restrictions and work that needed to be covered I couldn’t really fit this lesson plan into these particular classes.

            Going into the lesson I had a few doubts that the class may be a little flat as the students might not fully engage with the activities and the class could possibly run short. Although, I felt the students could complete this lesson, it is the last class on a Friday and some of the students are exhausted by then. Therefore, I did bring some back up materials such as a list of questions relating to cosmetic surgery. This was just to kick start the students into discussing the topic. I also brought in my regular lesson from the textbook, just in case!

            The lesson plan did go to plan! I didn’t really deviate away or change much to the lesson plan, apart from the final homework writing activity. Of course, students mentioned other issues that were related and that got discussed which was great as they were open to new ideas, building on the original topic. 

In class (after taking in groups) we all discussed about cosmetic surgery and shared any questions, queries and problems that were related to it. Other topics such as tattoos and piercings got brought up as these are similar topics as people have these procedures to change their original appearance. 

After the discussion and the first video clip the students had to choose a corner corresponding to the categories of strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree and strongly disagree on the statement of “we should not take part in cosmetic surgery procedures”.  I heard a few sighs at the back from students who were reluctant to move about but most seemed ok to participate in this activity. The results were about 50:50 in terms of agree and disagree. With about 20% of them being in both strongly agree and strongly disagree.  Most of the strongly disagree were females and most of the strongly agree were males.  Somewhat disagree had a mixture of male and females and somewhat agree consisted of mainly males. (There are more males in the class 60/40). I was quite surprised that almost all of the students participated in the discussion and voiced their opinions. In the categories that had a lot of students I divided them up into smaller groups to allow all students to join in.

Next, I showed the second clip and I realized that, I maybe forcing them to think differently about the topic and pressure them into changing from their original category to a different one. The second clip was just an extreme of what can happen and that there are obvious cases of cosmetic surgery addicts. I explained that to the class and we had another class discussion for 5 or so minutes. Following the discussion I told the class that they may change groups. A few students did, with the biggest change being from strongly disagree to somewhat agree. There were only 4 students that changed over from disagree to agree.

During the group discussion I was pleased to see that most students were engaged in the activity, there were a few who didn’t really get involved though. Obviously, the biggest obstacle here was the actual language barrier and some students couldn’t really express themselves fully and they got a little frustrated. However, they all did manage to get their point of view across. When it was time for someone from the groups to share their thoughts, some students were reluctant to do so. Only the most fluent students in the groups spoke out, but the ones who did had some great collective views and opinions from their group. I was also, surprised to see members from other groups questioning and challenge those who were speaking, there were a few heating discussions which was great and I didn’t expect to see.

            At the end of class, students had to write an opinion paragraph (for homework) and the only change I made to the original lesson plan was that I brought in the book to help them understand how to write an opinion paragraph.  It was just one page on how to give reasons about their opinions and had some common phrases to help them with their sentence structure.

            They all seemed fine and the following week, I was quite impressed with their work. I feel with the group collaborating together and the students sharing their ideas it helped them to have a greater understanding on the topic and they had a lot more to produce in the written work.        

            What my aims and goals are in class are to get the students more involved and contribute more. I feel that if the topics are interesting and meaningful to the students, then hopefully they will be motivated and more inclined to talk about it. What I plan to do at the start of every semester on the first class, is to get the students to make a list of any topics, issues, basically anything that they are interested in and want to talk about it. I will take these lists and each week select a topic and prepare some kind of activity that can be done in the second half of the class. The main idea is to get away from the text book where the same topics always come up and that the students have done them a 100 times before. I still think because of the language ability of the students, to critically discuss about a topic, they may find it difficult. They can critically think but to be able to produce it orally in English might be a challenge.  I feel by giving them the chance to develop part of the lessons and choose their own topics then they will engage more, be motivated and produce more in class. To discuss more, this could be critically at times, and overall, an increase in verbal communication from the students.

Lesson Plan

I have tried parts of this lesson plan before in some of my writing classes where eventually the students write an opinionative paragraph(s) on a topical issue. I haven’t tried this one out yet as I’ve been busy with midterms, but I will definitely do this lesson plan this Friday coming with my reading and writing students. I will post up a reflection about the actual lesson outcome.

This lesson plan is designed for intermediate sophomore university students (20-25 years old) The class is for 2x45 minutes. The idea behind this lesson is to get students to voice their own opinions and back them up with reasoning. To critically think about a controversial topic that is relevant to them and has meaning.  By this they’ll be encouraged to hopefully participate, contribute their thoughts, gain other information which has been shared in groups and then eventually write their view of the topic along with their thoughts.

Activity

I present the topic, Cosmetic Surgery.  First, as a class we try to distinguish the difference between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery so all students understand.  For a few minutes the students talk to their partners about anything they want on the topic.

I then show a clip on YouTube about some famous celebrities in Korea and their appearance before and after cosmetic surgery.

In each corner of the room there are four categories: Strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree and strongly disagree.  After watching the clip I tell the students to move into one of the corners to choose their view on We should not have cosmetic surgery!  I then give time for the students to have a discussion about their feelings on the topic. If there are too many students in one category I will divide them again in to smaller groups (but keeping them in that category).

Next, I play another clip on a Korean woman who became addicted to cosmetic surgery and eventually disfigured her face beyond recognition.

Here, the students can remain in their category or change to a different one if they feel it’s necessary.  Again I give ample time for students to discuss their thoughts and share ideas.

After the break I inform the class that the groups will discuss (to the rest of the class) their views on the topic and their reasons to back it up. There can be one spokesman for the group or they can have several volunteers, it doesn’t matter. Each group will take turns in presenting their views and I highly recommend that each student take notes on the other group’s position.

Once all groups have shared their views on the topic each student will have some time to reflect and again change if they feel they are in the wrong category.

For homework the students must write an opinionative paragraph(s) from their position on the topic and bring it in the following week. If I had a smaller class I could easily set this up for a debate.

I will post up my reflections of the lesson plan after the class next Friday.

Real ESL

I just found this website Real ESL

This website is all about real life and authentic language for esl learners.

The website quotes  “This is real ESL for people with real lives”

It’s got heaps of videos and articles include gay weddings that teach if clauses and about women’s “time of the month”

Although these topics are not usually covered in textbooks, at least someone out there is trying to do it.

Lack of Knowlegde

I thought the activity was a good little exercise and although it was simple it worked well. I will be using something along those lines in my classes and some point in the future. Cheers Curt.

Ok, so I was the so called expert on how teachers can overcome their lack of knowledge in a classroom. Depending on the class an especially a class whereby oppositional readings will be the focus, the teacher needs to be very competent indeed.

Overall, if there’s a class where the teacher lacks knowledge, I think there are a few ways to get around this matter.

I think the first main one is to be confident. Teachers must show that they are confident in front of the class, this will gain students trust and they will believe in you, in turn the student will have greater respect for the teacher.  I’ve seen teachers from back home while I was at school and over here completely fall apart in class because they lack in knowledge and ability. They lose confidence and quickly lose control of the class and the students respect.

If the teacher hasn’t the knowledge for a particular class, then I feel it’s up to them to make sure they are fully prepared for the class. When I first started teaching my class prep was way more than the class time, I had no idea on some topics and subjects and therefore I had to read up and try to understand what it was I was teaching. Even now, I recently got business writing classes, which I have never taught and never studied, so I had to spend a week before the semester started to read through the book and kind of teach myself some of the rules, the format and other information that I didn’t know, which eventually I would pass on the students.

Within preparation and confidence, I feel the teacher must be ready for questions from the class, they must anticipate what will be asked and have some answers and solutions ready so they know what they are talking about. With this I don’t think teachers should say a load of BS but if they can pretend convincingly in class, then after class find the true answers or theories or whatever, then go back next class and explain that they made a little mistake or that they’ve something to add.

And I think with all teachers, educators, professors and anyone else in education, if you want to be on the ball, then you have to continue studying yourself, whether it be researching and/or taking more courses at universities or whatever. Education changes and teachers have to match this change so that they are the top of their game and can deliver the best class possible to their students

What is literacy?

Massive question!  

Different people have different interpretations of this from simply being able to read and write, to being educated, to being proficient in a language,  to derive and convey meaning by using knowledge to reach a desired purpose by use of language skills, whether it be spoken or written.

For me it means the ability to understand, interpret, process, and respond.  I feel this can be applied to any context, in any country, in any language and the degree of this ability can be applied at any given level.

Here is a clip with many quotes and definitions, some are obvious, some make you think, and you may disagree with some of them. It tries to show and define literacy and illiteracy. What problems are connect to illiteracy and what are the benefits by eliminating illiteracy.

Literacy is everywhere and effects people in different ways; it can bring people together and cause problems. As gee stated ‘whether literacy can be used as a tool for liberation or are we endlessly trapped in replicating the given social stays quo through enticing the social practices that instantiate this?’

Does literacy keep classes apart? And maintain the social status and keep people in their place or can it bring us all together to all function together in our communities?

Here’s another clip of literacy in our community? Could it really be this perfect?

Can we adapt and change the way we teach?

I found a short clip here that really made me think about the way I teach.  As a teacher I think we do have to adapt the way we present our classes and teach our kids. I feel we should (if possible) try to use current technologies around us to help us and keep the classroom modern. Also we need the kids to learn and think differently. They have to think critically, voice their own opinions with reasoning. Be more engaging – kids these days can’t be expected to sit in class and absorb all the information and regurgitated just for exams and tests. They are going to be inventing new technologies, curing diseases and hopefully inspiring other. We must reflect on our teaching and see what we can do to improve our classrooms. Take a look at this clip and see how you feel after.

Whats does it all mean?

Most songs usually have a meaning behind them and the majority of pop songs that we hear today mostly have a direct meaning – we don’t necessarily have to think much to understand the artist’s point. On the other hand, there have been amazing songs written over the years and  if we dig deeper into the lyrics there is a whole different representation of what we originally thought.

One classic example of this is Peter Gabriel’s Solsbury Hill. For me it’s truly fantastic, a timeless song. I’m pretty sure Gabriel is trying to tell us something – but what?

The original

On tour a few years back

There is definitely something underneath the surface of these lyrics that grabs people’s attention. I believe that Gabriel intended these words to have a different meaning to different people. Even when I listen to this song, it may represent something one day the next time I listen to it, it could represent another.

People’s representation of this are varied, from meeting Jesus to first encountering aliens. From a representation of World War 2 to the song just being a metaphor for him leaving Genesis.

There's a discussion on this web board

Lyrics:

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
I could see the city light
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Eagle flew out of the night

He was something to observe
Came in close, I heard a voice
Standing stretching every nerve
I had to listen had no choice

I did not believe the information
Just had to trust imagination
My heart going boom boom, boom
"Son," he said, "Grab your things, I've come to take you home."

To keeping silence I resigned
My friends would think I was a nut
Turning water into wine
Open doors would soon be shut

So I went from day to day
Tho' my life was in a rut
'Till I thought of what I'd say
Which connection I should cut

I was feeling part of the scenery
I walked right out of the machinery
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey," he said, "grab your things, I've come to take you home."
Yeah back home

When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be
And liberty she pirouette
When I think that I am free

Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes, but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me

Today I don't need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey," I said, "You can keep my things, they've come to take me home."