Job Discussion Forums

[gregd75]

Wow! This is a really interesting talk. The research is very real and shows that children can and WILL teach themselves- when there is a desire to learn.

http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education.html

Very powerful stuff. What do you think? How could we take advantage of this in our classrooms?

[Phil_K]

Indeed it is interesting. However, I don't believe there is anything fundamentally new in this system, whether for children or adults. It is exasperating for me as teacher, and a largely self-educated person, that the majority of students don't think in this way. I would ask those students:

1) Are you interested in learning English? (mumbled, yes!)

2) What have you done in the last week to learn English? (Silence)

3) Return to the first question...

Thank you for posting this, it confirms my philosophy, for which I've been criticized in the past:

I'm not a teacher and I'm not here to teach you English. Rather, you are here because you want to learn English and I'm here to help you.

Does this apply, however, to students that are taking English as part of their higher education course or children who cannot be expected to be interested in every subject of the school curriculum? I doubt it.

Although I'm no expert on the education of children, I think we can draw some lessons from this, by making English a by-product of some other "interesting" activity.

[mejms]

Good link to a great video. I agree that there is nothing new here. Traditional classroom settings have always failed to capture what learning is, a life skill that not a soul on earth doesn't engage in. Just don't get in the way of it is the message of the video. Institutionalized structures kill education.

[mejms]

[gregd75]

but you see- I think this is my point. Kids in rural areas who don't know anything about English are learning about neurobiology. FASCINATING!

This tells me that somehow, as teachers we are KILLING students enthusiasm. The system smothers individuality instead of encourages it.

We have to think of different, possibly new - maybe old recycled ways to ENGAGE our students. As if our life depended upon it.

Self directed student groups could be the way forward! I'm going to get my next beginner group to do a webquest to define the simple present!!!

I'll let you know how it goes!

[mejms]

[gregd75]

BUT I never said I didn't use L1 in my classroom! I said that I believe teachers (including myself) use L1 when we're feeling lazy. The structured approach provides scaffolding for students. It is temporary and once the job is done, it's taken down- this is why I use structure- but it's only one of a repertoire used!

Of course there's a place for it's use. But careful reflection afterwards is needed to make sure that its use was the most effective form of teaching that class at that moment.

Interchange is a series used for the masses, but again, tailoring as part of an integrated strategy means that classes are personalized to the needs of the students and are not teacher centered.

I am fascinated by the many, many different forms that teaching takes and the constant need for teachers to adapt- even though many of us adopt the philosophy 'I learned this way from my teacher so my students WILL do the same'

I'm very excited to have had my workshop proposal accepted for next weeks national MEXTESOL conference. I am trying to make myself a better teacher and every day provides me with more enlightenment. Some things I do are wrong. Some things aren't. I'm getting there

Constant self evaluation and the eternal search to better myself has led me to post this thread today!

[gregd75]

[mejms]

[Phil_K]

[MotherF]

Here's a Calavera for you all...

[Phil_K]

[mejms]

[Phil_K]

I'm not saying all students are the same (and the poem was just a bit of fun!), some are great, but I think the primary and secondary school system in Mexico has a lot to answer for, with, as far as I can see, its method of memorization and neccessity to pass exams.

The attitude that I see is indeed, as mentioned earlier, that students want to be taught, as if we had some kind of magic wand, but are not willing to put in the additional effort required to master a language.

All kinds of excuses will be offered, such as lack of time or difficulty in finding additional materials, but I go back to my original question, "Do you want to learn English". You will find many people who are not car mechanics who can repair cars, or great amateur chefs...they find time to learn that!

Quiet? Passive? Lazy? Didn't bother coming to class? All of those at some time or other.

[MotherF]