Teacher’s beliefs about teaching and learning

As with reading and computer integration, the teacher’s beliefs about what is possible and their own ability will influence greatly what happens and what does not happen in the classroom.

Just thinking about reading, if a teacher thinks that this group of students cannot possibly learn reading, they will not make the effort nor make the investment of time and/or money to help them read.  It might not be a priority since they do not think that they can do it.  With support or a different reading strategy, the students could learn very well.

It is the same with boys and girls interactions.  Unconsciously, many teachers tend to call upon boys more frequently than they would call upon girls because of the hidden belief that boys perform better.  The end result is that boys perform better in several subjects like math and science.  Being aware of those hidden beliefs helps a teacher be more equitable in their teaching.

The same can happen with tech integration.  If a teacher do not have the confidence to try something new, they will not make the effort to do it.  The belief might be hidden from themselves, not realizing this is what is happening.  They postpone for some unknown reason what they took as a responsibility since they they might not have the confidence to try.  They may have a different view of what is possible with computers and may not favor apps that others might suggest because they do not see or understand the benefit.

Teacher beliefs about tech integration and what is possible must be taken into consideration while dealing with others.  Teacher belief is different from the SAMR model where the SAMR model provides a model of where the teacher and students are at in tech integration.  The following link might provide a little more insight.

http://eprints.usq.edu.au/6973/1/Albion_SITE_1999_AV.pdf

 

Why learn French?

From the students’ point of view, they must have a reason to learn what they are ?learning.  Especially when they are young, they must have some understanding of the purpose of the French Immersion program other than my mom wants me to.  We discussed in class the reasons why people would want to learn French.  Every child has a different reason, depending on their personality.  The following posters from Canadian Parents for French provide some ideas.

http://cpf.ca/fr/ressources/brochures-cpf/

Some of the reasons are: I am learning French because…

more friends means more fun, my brain gets a boost, I’m Canadian, I like it, it is a work language.

I think that if students have a personal meaning for doing what they are doing, they are more likely to put a large effort, even if it is difficult sometimes.

All students had an excellent personal idea, even those who like to get attention would say:  I do not like French, I like French.  I am not sure what this means, probably they are trying to get my attention.  Getting to see that most students find the program useful is encouraging from them since they will persevere if they really means what they say.

 

 

 

 

 

Students travelling – Photography, KidBlog

I have been informed that one of my students will be travelling for an entire month to another far away country.  The parents are quite concerned about their child missing so much school but it cannot be helped.  I thought that it was a wonderful opportunity to  introduce blogging to my students, using KidBlog.  I thought that while travelling, my student can take pictures of where he is going and his experience over there.  Every French day, he could take a picture and write a paragraph about what he saw in his environment and students over here could also comment and share what they are doing.  It is a good motivation for starting blogging a this time.  It works for everyone.

It definitely reminds me of this book and others in the series where we get to see what other people around the world look like and what they do like us and differently from us.

http://www.amazon.ca/Ecoles-du-monde-Collectif/dp/2745927515/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380319111&sr=8-2&keywords=Ecoles+du+monde

To be able to share this experience in real time could prove quite enriching for everyone involved.

Reading Strategies

I wrote this a little while ago.

https://www.smore.com/app/pages/preview/w35n

Where I talk about how what was done on paper before can be transferred electronically and still be used.  One on the excellent document that exists on paper what we still need to use, whether we read paper books or electronic books are reading strategies.  Even while reading online, students still need to have good reading strategies.

I use the reading strategies by Lori Oczkus.  They are:  Predict, Question, Clarify, Summarize.  I have translated the posters in French and created a PDF document.  The document is stored on my iPad library.  It does look like a book.  Any self-created document can be stored as PDF on the IPad.  I use the physical posters, displayed on my blackboard, but more captivating for my students are the PDFs on my iPad.

While I teach the reading strategies, students make their own connections to the reading and also to the pictures on the posters.  Predict has a crystal ball, Question has some question marks, Clarify has a magnifying glass and Summarize a folder with a picture of a book.  My students were quite amazed by the pictures.  When I explained Predict to my grade 3 students, one student made a connection to his plasma ball that looks like the crystal ball.  He asked to bring it the next day.  It was quite interesting to see the plasma.  Others were interested in the magnifying glass that I am currently using with my other class.  They are able to make a hands-on connection to their reading that could possibly make learning much easier and more concrete.  It also has the advantage of bringing science concepts into the reading.  This includes more learners.

 

 

http://www.amazon.ca/Reciprocal-Teaching-Work-K-12-Comprehension/dp/0872075079/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1380318116&sr=8-8&keywords=oczkus

Classroom management

I started using ClassDojo as a help for classroom management.

http://www.classdojo.com/

It is available online and as an app on my iPad.  It works quite well.  Students are responding very well to this app so far.  Students like getting rewards points for what they do in class.  The rewards points can be adapted to your particular style and/or what you would like to focus on.  At open house, one little boy insisted that I show to his father how many points of good behavior he had accumulated.

The class responds very well when I tell them that in the morning, they need to sit, ready to work, quickly and quietly, and they get rewards points to do that.  They even can get a second reward point if they also read a French book while waiting.   Reluctant speakers raise their hand more frequently to speak in French when I call upon them when I give answers.

The software also gives the option of having parents receive reports of their child behavior in class or having the children change their funny looking avatar.

I will continue using this program as I find it helps and makes it very easy to remind students of my expectations and focusing mostly on positives is quite pleasant for students.  The program can be use simultaneously on the class computer and on my personal iPad while circulating in the classroom.

I cannot help but think however that Classdojo serves as extrinsic motivation and that perhaps another behavior management system or community building program needs to be used in conjunction with Classdojo.  Intrinsic motivation is more difficult to do.  I use as well the TRIBES program to teach good interactions between students, foster good feelings among them and in the future, teach my students how to listen to each other.

http://www.amazon.ca/Reaching-Creating-Tribes-Learning-Communities/dp/0932762417/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380317563&sr=8-2&keywords=tribes

 

Transition from grade 6 to grade 3

The transition from teaching grade 6 to grade 3 is not easy.  My frame of mind needs to be very different.  To help myself be in that mode, I used a book of “contines” with my students.    Here is the link to that book.

http://www.archambault.ca/collectif-mes-premieres-chansons-t0150-dessins-animes-et-activites-ACH003344704-fr-pr

I thought the book is good in the beginning of the year to set a fun mood in the class.  The book has several pictures, writing of first songs and most interestingly a CD with all the songs both in instrumental and signing version.  The song is also animated and there is writing at the bottom that help learning and memorizing the songs.  The songs are also well known in the French world, so it provides a French culture.  The rhythm of the songs is attractive.  Most of all, the songs provide a fun way to review vocabulary and allow students to practice correct pronounciation.  Most students were very interested and captivated by the songs.  I used it at the end of the day and I could see, most students were looking intently and singing along.  We had a fire drill, on the way back from the fire drill, the students were saying the song out loud, already memorized.

Some boys did not seem to be captivated.  One of them called this torture.  I asked him to choose the next song, he liked the idea and was following along afterwards.