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vox
Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Location: Jeollabukdo
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 Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 3:11 am Post subject: English Diaries |
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I'm thinking a lot these days about our elementary school's practice of English diaries (weekly journals submitted in English by every class of every grade, and corrected) and how to get more value out of the composition process.
Admittedly I'm not doing a lot of thinking at this particular moment as my home computer's down and I'm in a noisy PC Bang environment.
But it seems to me that through some kind of recognition program, like a monthly one, that the corrections I spend time putting in the journals could begin to matter - in other words, I'd like to try and think of how I could get the students to have a more living reference to their own English journals.
First month we tried, I corrected everything. Many kids got discouraged. So I then changed my tactic and focused on one or two big things or trends. Actually right from the beginning it was also just trend recognition but I have decided to drop some and just still focus on one or two per entry. That worked for a few months.
This semester I'm using a green and red marker system. Red marker for corrections for major errors, or to things they've been taught at school, green for suggestions or minor errors. And if the journal entry is perfect, they get a sticker.
But I think there's room for a monthly 'best journal', to draw recognition to significant improvements in English composition.
I've also thought about distributing a single big label sticker showing the most common errors I find at the school. Sure I could put stars around it and stuff, but the essence of it would be to distinguish words like 'fun' and 'funny', 'bored' and 'boring' with the Korean beside them.
Constructive contributions welcome. |
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Woland
Joined: 10 May 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 6:13 am Post subject: Re: English Diaries |
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| vox wrote: |
I'm thinking a lot these days about our elementary school's practice of English diaries (weekly journals submitted in English by every class of every grade, and corrected) and how to get more value out of the composition process.
Admittedly I'm not doing a lot of thinking at this particular moment as my home computer's down and I'm in a noisy PC Bang environment.
But it seems to me that through some kind of recognition program, like a monthly one, that the corrections I spend time putting in the journals could begin to matter - in other words, I'd like to try and think of how I could get the students to have a more living reference to their own English journals.
First month we tried, I corrected everything. Many kids got discouraged. So I then changed my tactic and focused on one or two big things or trends. Actually right from the beginning it was also just trend recognition but I have decided to drop some and just still focus on one or two per entry. That worked for a few months.
This semester I'm using a green and red marker system. Red marker for corrections for major errors, or to things they've been taught at school, green for suggestions or minor errors. And if the journal entry is perfect, they get a sticker.
But I think there's room for a monthly 'best journal', to draw recognition to significant improvements in English composition.
I've also thought about distributing a single big label sticker showing the most common errors I find at the school. Sure I could put stars around it and stuff, but the essence of it would be to distinguish words like 'fun' and 'funny', 'bored' and 'boring' with the Korean beside them.
Constructive contributions welcome. |
I think you've come up with a bunch of good ideas. I especially like the focus on common trends for correction, rather than trying to correct everything. I think the idea a separate sticker or poster to be put up in the school highlighting some common problem is a good one. The issue will be how to get students to notice it. If they don't, it won't help them.
I think rather than a prize for 'best diary', it may be better to give a variety of smaller recognitions, not necessarily all about language. Funniest, prettiest, best pictures, most interesting, most improved - the possibilities are endless. And why choose just one winner in each category? Why not the five most interesting or best decorated? The idea would be to try to arrange for all the students to get some recognition, in order to make writing the diaries an attractive thing to do. The prizes shouldn't be announced in advance and don't need to be elaborate - a simple sticker with a space to write in the nature of the award is enough. This will also let you change the awards titles to whatever you think is appropriate every month - Most Spring-y for April, for example.
It's the actual practice of writing that is going to make them better. You want them to feel good about doing it so they will continue to practice. I think having a single prize may turn it into a competition, which will result in some students giving up, and others writing only to try to get a prize, which will not build long term interest in writing for them.
I hope these thoughts help. |
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garykasparov
Joined: 27 May 2007
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