Job Discussion Forums

[El Gallo]

Hey,

I saw a story on CBS Evening News last week where an algebra teacher in California uses rap to connect with his young students and to make algebra much more easier for them. After rapping the rules and formulas, test scores and attendance soared.

I've bee trying this with my new basic class of 9 - 15-year-olds and the results have been very positive with higher motivation, attendance and quiz scores, and quicker comprehension than usual. If a student makes a slip in class, I start singing the rap rule and the rest soon join in with a lot of smiles and laughter.

I think it would be positive, free and fun for us to collaborate together in this forum to make up grammar rap rules. I would appreciate your contributions that we all could share:

Here are my first three:

In English, adjectives always go first
If you say "shirt blue" that's the worst.

This is my book, it's not hers
Give it back 'cause it's not yours.
These are our books, they're not theirs
You'll find their books out on those chairs.
These are his cars, they're not ours
Our cars are out there under the stars
Those desks are fine but they're not mine
They're the teacher's desks made out of pine

With Present Continuous, we must use "be"
Subject, "Be", Verb, ing

What do you think? Any ideas for colors or clothes?

[Guy Courchesne]

A forum lurker sent me this link, to add some audio. The site has several jazz chants you can download for use in class along these lines.

http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?sectionType=listsummary&catid=59397&docid=146250

[JosephP]

[El Gallo]

gee, my mom's from Minnesota - I just realized it could be hereditary.
Yikes!

Guy, thanks for the link.

[MikeySaid]

not sure if the canadians or the brits on the board saw much of it, but

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK is still in my head after 20 something years...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TQByv_xkuc

Even if you show them just for the humor...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOaty7FpwMI

they can be helpful.

[thelmadatter]

Not sure this old white person could rap with a straight face, but hey, if it works I sure wont knock anyone who uses it!

I, too, remember Schoolhouse Rock.. still remember the entire preamble the to US Constitution... but I have to sing it!

Actually, Im for anything that really helps students learn... and by that I dont mean grades... I mean really learn something. Thats why Im into technology. Heck, I even advocate use of role-playing games for language learning although personally I cannot stand playing them. If it works, go for it.

Now for shameless plug... I moved the online resource website (webliography) that I have kept up for the Tec onto wikispaces. Not only do I get around some uncooperativeness at my current school (grrrrrr), this way, those who wish to collaborate can do so. Consider this an invitation if you like what you see. The non-English pages absolutely need help. http://virtuallanguagelaboratory.wikispaces.com You will need to join wikispaces in general first at www.wikispaces.com, then go to my site to join it (its semi protected as I think we all deal with enough spammers/publishers, thank you)

[El Gallo]

Schoolhouse Rock! - fond memories restored.

que chido guey

Thanks Mikeysaid.

[raulyn]

I also have to sing the preamble of the constitution.

http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/index.html lyrics can be found here.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=schoolhouserock&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f# videos can be found here

[aliaeli]

Perhaps some of you might remember Strong Bad from Homestarrunner's CD entitled "Strong Bad's Rhythm and Grammar".

Here's the link http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail89.html

You must watch the cartoon first, and at the end click on the bulging muscle to bring up a cd. Then click on the CD to listen to the songs. Click it again to here the next song, and repeat til you have heard all the songs.

I shall put the lyrics here as well but hearing it with the rhythm is better.

"If you want it to be a contraction then it's just "I-T-S" but if you want it to be a possesive then it's "I-T-apostrophe-S". Scalawag.

"Whatever happened to .. CAPITALIZATION- it used to be so coooooool!"

"Y-O-U-R" "Y-O-U-apostrophe-R-E" They're as different as night and day. Don't you think that night and day are different? What's wrong with you?

"Girl, don't forget to spellcheck. Or I'll come to your house and throw a brick through your dad's windshield. Weeeeeeeenshield."

"And I don't care how they spell things on the internet, but when you email me, you spell the whole word out... and I don't care that your cell phone has a camara in it.. da da da dee dum da da"

[MELEE]

I'm a long time advocate and user of Jazz Chants, I especially love the collection called Grammar Chants. But in practice I've found that the chants that teach stock language, phrases like "Have a nice weekend." "Thanks, you too." work better than the Chants that are explicately about the grammar rules like "Thrid person S, yes! yes!" (though that is such a fun one )
A lot of Carolyn Graham's chants are kind of dated sounding, so if you are working with teens who like rap, there is a good chance that will work better, cause the tunes of some of her chants might just get you rolling eyes and students who think your a dork. I am kind of a dork, so I don't mind it myself.

[MO39]

[aliaeli]

"I think you've got this one backwards: the contraction is I-T-apostrophe-S and the possessive is I-T-S. "

It's true! Haha. That could be a draw back to grammar songs. If you can't even sing it right to begin with, it won't do you much good!

[MO39]

I have no desire to use either jazz chants or rap songs to teach grammar (it's just not me!), but I was wondering if anyone has used these methods with adults, let's say from 30 years old and up.

[MELEE]

MO,

I have used them with older adults (up to 50s) BUT, those older adults were all high school English teachers, who were in need of improving their own English, but were also learning to use the chants with their teenage classes, so I guess that's not at all like using them with buisnessmen.
The teachers, loved doing the chants, it makes for a very fun workshop.

[Guy Courchesne]

Rather than jazz chants, I like to use Dr. Suess as a similar stress and intonation activity example for the teacher training course, then have the teachers come up with their own. We work with all ages, but generally reserve the activity to lower level practice students.