by Elaine Gallagher, PhD

UNO’s BE program (Bilingual Education/Bilingual Excellence) is based on CLIL philosophy, which supports learning a language based on content material and oral fluency, not on the emphasis of grammatical structures and rules.

One of the strongest influences on CLIL philosophy is Dr. Stephen Krashen, a linguistic researcher for over 40 years. His research led to the realization that we learn a language with better fluency through an “acquisition” process than from a “learning” process, which emphasizes grammar, rules, and structures.

Many readers may have heard of CLIL in previous articles from the English Corner, but you may wonder what does Stephen Krashen propose and how is his research connected to CLIL?

The connection between CLIL and Krashen is not only the importance of oral production instead of grammatical structures, but also Krashen, and CLIL and BE, support heterogeneous groupings, a comfortable, non-tense atmosphere, where mistakes are repaired not criticized, and where meaningful communication, in the target language occurs.

Let’s look more deeply into Krashen’s work, so you can see the similarities between his research findings and his hypotheses, and UNO’s English BE program.

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Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition

1. «Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill.» — Stephen Krashen

 

2. «Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language – natural communication – in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding.» — Stephen Krashen
3. «The best methods are, therefore, those that supply ‘comprehensible input’ in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are ‘ready’, recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production.» — Stephen Krashen
4. «In the real world, conversations with sympathetic native speakers, who are willing to help the acquirer understand, are very helpful.» — Stephen Krashen

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Introduction

Stephen Krashen (University of Southern California) is an expert in the field of linguistics, specializing in theories of language acquisition and development. Much of his recent research has involved the study of non-English and bilingual language acquisition. During the past 40 years, he has published well over 100 books and articles, and has been invited to deliver over 500 lectures at universities throughout the United States and Canada.

This is a brief description of Krashen’s widely known and well accepted theory of second language acquisition, which has had a large impact in all areas of second language research and teaching since the 1980s.

Description of Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition

Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition consists of five main hypotheses:

1. Acquisition-Learning hypothesis,
2. Monitor hypothesis,
3. Natural Order hypothesis,
4. Input hypothesis,
5. Affective Filter hypothesis.

 

 

1. Acquisition-Learning hypothesis

The Acquisition-Learning distinction is the most fundamental of all the hypotheses in Krashen’s theory and the most widely known among linguists and language practitioners.

According to Krashen, there are two independent systems of second language performance: ‘the acquired system’ and ‘the learned system’. The ‘acquired system’ or ‘acquisition‘ is the product of a subconscious process very similar to the process children undergo when they acquire their first language.

It requires meaningful interaction in the target language – natural communication – in which speakers are concentrated not in the form of their utterances, but in the communicative act.

The ‘learned system’ or ‘learning‘ is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a conscious process which results in conscious knowledge ‘about’ the language, for example knowledge of grammar rules.

According to Krashen ‘learning’ is less important than ‘acquisition’.

 

2. Monitor hypothesis,

The Monitor hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and learning and defines the influence of the latter on the former. The monitoring function is the practical result of the learned grammar.

According to Krashen, the acquisition system is the utterance initiator, while the learning system performs the role of the ‘monitor’ or the ‘editor’. The ‘monitor’ acts in a planning, editing and correcting function when three specific conditions are met: that is, (1) the second language learner has sufficient time at his/her disposal, (2) he/she focuses on form or thinks about correctness, and (3) he/she knows the rule.

It appears that the role of conscious learning is somewhat limited in second language performance.

According to Krashen, the role of the monitor is – or should be – minor, being used only to correct deviations from ‘normal’ speech and to give speech a more ‘polished’ appearance. Krashen also suggests that there is individual variation among language learners with regard to ‘monitor’ use.

He distinguishes those learners that use the ‘monitor’ all the time (over-users); those learners who have not learned or who prefer not to use their conscious knowledge (under-users); and those learners that use the ‘monitor’ appropriately (optimal users).

An evaluation of the person’s psychological profile can help to determine to what group they belong. Usually extroverts are under-users, while introverts and perfectionists are over-users. Lack of self-confidence is frequently related to the over-use of the ‘monitor’.

 

3. Natural Order hypothesis

The Natural Order hypothesis is based on research findings (Dulay & Burt, 1974; Fathman, 1975; Makino, 1980 cited in Krashen, 1987) which suggested that the acquisition of grammatical structures follows a ‘natural order’ which is predictable.

For a given language, some grammatical structures tend to be acquired early while others late. This order seemed to be independent of the learners’ age, L1 background, conditions of exposure, and although the agreement between individual acquirers was not always 100% in the studies, there were statistically significant similarities that reinforced the existence of a Natural Order of language acquisition.

Krashen, however, points out that the implication of the natural order hypothesis is not that a language program syllabus should be based on the order found in the studies. In fact, he rejects grammatical sequencing when the goal is language acquisition.

 

4. Input hypothesis

The Input hypothesis is Krashen’s attempt to explain how the learner acquires a second language. In other words, this hypothesis is Krashen’s explanation of how second language acquisition takes place.

So, the Input hypothesis is only concerned with ‘acquisition’, not ‘learning’. According to this hypothesis, the learner improves and progresses along the ‘natural order’ when he/she receives second language ‘input’ that is one step beyond his/her current stage of linguistic competence.

For example, if a learner is at a stage ‘i’, then acquisition takes place when he/she is exposed to ‘Comprehensible Input’ that belongs to level ‘i + 1’. Since not all of the learners can be at the same level of linguistic competence at the same time, Krashen suggests that natural communicative input is the key to designing a syllabus, ensuring in this way that each learner will receive some ‘i + 1’ input that is appropriate for his/her current stage of linguistic competence.

This supports heterogeneous grouping, not “ability” grouping.

 

5. Affective Filter hypothesis.

Finally, the fifth hypothesis, the Affective Filter hypothesis, embodies Krashen’s view that a number of ‘affective variables’ play a facilitative, but non-causal, role in second language acquisition.

These variables include: motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. Krashen claims that learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, and a low level of anxiety are better equipped for success in second language acquisition. Low motivation, low self-esteem, and debilitating anxiety can combine to ‘raise’ the affective filter and form a ‘mental block’ that prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition.

In other words, when the filter is ‘up’ it impedes language acquisition. On the other hand, positive affect is necessary, but not sufficient on its own, for acquisition to take place.

 

The Role of Grammar in Krashen’s View

 According to Krashen, the study of the structure of the language can have general educational advantages and values that high schools and colleges may want to include in their language programs, but it does not have to be studied in primary or middle school levels!

It should be clear that examining irregular verbs or plurals, formulating rules and teaching complex facts about the target language is not language teaching, but rather is «language appreciation» or linguistics.

The only instance in which the teaching of grammar can result in language acquisition (and proficiency) is when the students are interested in the subject and the target language is used as a medium of instruction.

Very often, when this occurs, both teachers and students are convinced that the study of formal grammar is essential for second language acquisition, and the teacher is skillful enough to present explanations in the target language so that the students understand.

This is a subtle point.

In effect, both teachers and students are deceiving themselves. They believe that it is the subject matter itself, the study of grammar, that is responsible for the students’ progress, but in reality their progress is coming from the medium and not the message. Any subject matter that held their interest would do just as well.

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Now, readers, you have a broader view of CLIL and Krashen’s relationship with CLIL philosophy.  In reality, Krashen’s work had a strong, positive influence on the formation of CLIL philosophy, which was accepted as the basic teaching philosophy of 2^nd and 3^rd languages by the European Union in 1994, and by Mexico in 2008.

CLIL is also the base for UNOi’s BE program for teaching English, or other 2^nd – 3^rd languages.

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REFERENCES

Crystal, David  The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language.  Cambridge University Press, 1997.

 

Krashen, Stephen D.  Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition.  Prentice-Hall International, 1987.

 

Krashen, Stephen D.  Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning.  Prentice-Hall International, 1988.

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by Elaine Gallagher, PhD

Today we have a pertinent question that was received this week from a Coach in Mexico.  Since it may apply to many of you who are teachers, or academic coaches, it will be the topic of this week’s ENGLISH CORNER.

 

THE QUESTION:

Dear Elaine,

          Hi. Can you help me again?

RIGHT NOW MY MAIN GOAL IS TO BUILD READING SKILLS WITH MY TEACHERS, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH..

          I THINK TEACHERS ARE “TEACHING” READING TO THEIR STUDENTS, BUT THEY ARE NOT DEVELOPING THE SKILLS AS SUGGESTED IN OUR UNO BOOKS. THEY HAVE KIDS READ ALOUND, “ROUND ROBIN” STYLE. NO ONE PAYS ATTENTION, THERE ARE NO THOUGHT-PROVOKING QUESTIONS, NO EXPLANATIONS OR ELABORATIONS OF VOCABULARY, NO STIMULATION. IT’S AS IF THE TEACHERS, THEMSELVES, AREN’T THAT INTERESTED IN READING.

          IT´S MY THEORY THAT MAYBE THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY READING AND WRITING GET THE LOWEST AVERAGES DURING THE CAMBRIDGE EVALUATION,  AT LEAST IN MY SCHOOLS.

          I KNOW, MANY SAY THAT MEXICANS ARE NOT USED TO READING AND WRITING, NOT EVEN IN SPANISH. IT’S OBVIOUSLY A WEAK AREA, EXEMPLIFIED BY THE FACT THAT MANY TEACHERS HAVE LITTLE PERSONAL INTEREST IN  READING, AND THEIR WRITING SKILLS ARE NOT WELL-DEVELOPED, EITHER.

       WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE THIS VICIOUS CYCLE?   IT’S TIME TO DO SOMETHING, WE CAN´T KEEP THIS ANTIQUATED IDEA, THIS EXCUSE, THAT “MEXICANS DON’T HAVE A READING HABIT” …PASSING FROM GENERATIN TO GENERATION….YET, WE DO NOTHING TO BREAK THE CYCLE..

WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?

THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS.

COACH M.

THE RESPONSE

Dear Coach M.,

SIMPLE RESPONSE:

To get kids to be readers, we need parents & teachers who are readers!

NOT-SO-SIMPLE RESPONSE:

The #1 thing I suggest to break this cycle of the lack of interest in reading – both in English & Spanish or Portuguese or other language – is this:

Every single day, part of the daily routine, every pre-school and primary teacher MUST read aloud, a story, or a chapter of a  longer story, to their students, even after the students are already able t oread. “STORY-TIME”, about 10 or 15 minutes a day, perhaps after lunch, or right after recess, or at the end of the day before leaving, whenever, but at a regular, orogrammed time, every day.

There should be absolutely no excuse. “I don’t have time”, is a lazy teacher’s way of saying, “I don’t believe that reading aloud o my students is important for their academic development.”

STORYTIME is for the pure enjoyment of books……not for presenting new vocabulary, not for critical thinking questions, not to tell or write a summary of what had been read. No, no, no…..pure enjpyment , relaxation, children looking at pictures in the book being read, or painting imaginary scenes in their heads as the teacher reads aloud descriptive phrases in the story.

In the USA, Canada, or much of Europe, where many adults enjoy reading, as evidenced by how many people you see reading at the beach, on a plane, bus, or subway, STOREYTIME, for the past 50 years or more, is parrt of every classroom, public & private.

Yet, sadly, in Mexico, to UNO teachers, to SEP teachers, to teachers in general, I often ask, “How many of you read aloud to your students, every day, just for their enjoyment?”

A rare teacher, perhaps 1 or 2 out of 75, answer with, “Yes.”

Almost all say, “No”, or “Once a week, if the kids have been good”, or “If we have time, and they finish all the work, I read to them.”

Last year, in Mexico, I spoke at a conference only for pre-school UNO teachers. There were 45 Kinder – Pre-school teachers in attendance. Note ven one teacher could honestly answer, “YES”, they read to their students every day.

So how can we expect to have readers among our students when teachers are not building the love of reading, the enjoyment of reading?

There are three actions that can help to support readers.

• Let pre-schools and Kindergarten become a time of fun, games, play, verbal development, activities in art and music, dance, physical education, oral vocabulary development in English and a second language, using picture flash cards, real tangible ítems, using songs, nursery rhymes, videos, apps, digital tools, like games on i-Pad, social interaction, collaborative activities, developing listening skills, constructing with blocks, measuring sand, un-cooked rice….a wide spectrum of fun-to-do, interesting things, and provide some unstructured time, too, every day.

With this kind of an environment, with  rich input, children will love school, and will  be eager tp learn to read, maybe even “reading”  before the teacher has taught formal Reading lessons.

• Read daily to the children, for sheer enjoyment of the printed words, read aloud by the teacher or other adult. No quiz, no summary, no vocabulary to learn..Simply read aloud, to build strong listenind skills and to develop an extended vocabulary.

 

• The texts or digital material must be user-friendly, attractive pictures, large, black print, interesting , with short discussion activities, (5 items maximum). “Talking Tom”, for an i-pad, is terrific, and it’s free! My 3-1/2 year old great-grandson, Landon, asks for “Tom” whenever I go to visit him. Needless to say, I’m  getting Landon an i-pad for Christmas, with “Tom” already installed!

 

 

Looking again at what you wrote,

                   “WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE THIS? 

           IT’S TIME TO DO SOMETHING, WE CAN´T KEEP THIS IDEA  

          FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION AND DO NOTHING,  

          WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?”

 

RESPONSE:

I strongly suggest that the UNO Coaches push, insist, demand, encourage, and expect that every teacher (pre-K, K, 1st – 6th grade) set aside 15 minutes every day to have “STORY TIME”.

       It can be a story read aloud to the students by the teacher, by an invited “guest reader”, such as a parent or grand-parent, or an audio CD of a story read aloud by a profesional story-reader. It could even be an older student, from a higher grade who reads well, and loves to read aloud. It could be a story or a legend that the teacher tells to the students (without a book). The concept is that the students gather daily, to relax, to listen, to enjoy “Story Time”.

 

Logically, Story Time in English needs to be conducted in English. Story Time in Spanish or Portuguese classes needs to be conducted in the language of the class. In this way, every child will have 30 minutes a day (in two languages) to enjoy stories. Over time, this one technique will make the changes you seek.

Coach M., thank you for your question!

 

 

This is an important topic, one close to my heart, because I love reading. In my memory, I clearly can record “story time”. It was how I learned to love stories. In Kindergarten (only one year of Kinder in USA, age 6), and in 1st, 2nd, 3rd grades of primary, all the stories were from individual story-books, with pictures, drawings, photos.

 

In 4th grade, our teachers began using “chapter books”, with few if any pictures. At first, I was disappointed. Pictures had helped me to visualize the story and its characters. In a week or so, however, as the teacher read one entire chapter each day, I got interested and involved in the story.

 

My school, Saint Patrick School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (USA), went from 1st grade of primary to 8th grade of middle school. Our one year of Kindergarten was in the public school system, and, since our city of Portsmouth was small, (25,00 people)  the only high school option was the public high school.

 

From 4th – 8th grade, our teachers read chapter books, a chapter, every single day, after lunch, for us to relax and enjoy. The entire school had story time at the same time, after lunch. This was 60 years ago, and the custom there is still alive!

I wonder how many generations of readers were shaped? This was where and when I learned to love “Green Grass of Wyoming”, “The Secret Garden”, and “Heidi”. Story Time was where my imagination became alive, painting visual images during the readings of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “Robin Hood”,  “The Time Machine”, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, and “Sherlock Holmes”.

 

We can, and should, do the same thing in Mexico. It doesn’t cost any money. We need coaches and school directors dedicated to enticing, pushing, encouraging, supporting, demanding, advocates of daily story time. Get teachers out of their comfort zones. There can be no excuse accepted for weak, minimal-effort teaching.

 

A football coach does the same thing to get a winning team. He pushes, encourages, supports, and demands the best from his team!

Fear has no place in good coaching.

 

So, get out there, teachers, coaches, school directors!

Instigate, initiate, and implement STORY TIME in your schools!

 

NOTES:

1. If any readers want a book about story telling (68 pages), that I wrote about 8 years ago, given free to the SEP English teachers in Coahuila, just write to me, asking for it. I’ll send it within a few days.
2. If you want some read-aloud short stories, I also wrote for the SEP English teachers, write to me. I’ll send them. juniorbarney1@yahoo.com

_______________________

 

 

 

 

(Maslow Really Knew!)    

by Elaine Gallagher  

When you’re in the classroom, with 30 + students, it’s hard to realize that each one of them has different needs, different learning styles, and different ways to show what they’ve learned. Educators have a tendency to treat the 30+ students as a glob of humanity, a single entity, reacting in similar ways to similar stimuli. Nothing could be further from reality.

While Dr. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences has been around for 30 years, almost three generations of K-12 students, and while many teachers can cite all eight types of intelligences, giving examples of each, they continue to teach to the group, testing based on memorization, with multiple choice items, or worse, true/false answers, as though all students can exhibit learning in the same way.

Long before Gardner’s theory was published in 1984, Dr.?Abraham Maslow developed a clear graphic illustrating the five?hierarchical levels of human needs, from the lowest, survival-?level, physiological needs, such as air, food, and water, to the?highest human need, that of reaching one’s potential, which Maslow called “self-actualization”. The earliest and most widespread version of Maslow’s (1943, 1954) hierarchy of needs includes five motivational needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.

This five-stage model can be divided into basic (or deficiency) needs (e.g. physiological, safety, love, and esteem) and growth needs (self-actualization).?The deficiency, or basic needs are said to motivate people when they are unmet. Also, the need to fulfill such needs will become stronger the longer the duration they are denied. For example, the longer a person goes without food the more hungry they will become, and the more motivated they will be to hunt for food.

One must satisfy lower level basic needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level called self-actualization.?Every person is capable and has the desire to move up the hierarchy toward a level of self- actualization. Unfortunately, progress is often disrupted by failure to meet lower level needs. Life experiences including divorce and loss of job may cause an individual to fluctuate between levels of the hierarchy.

            The original hierarchy of needs five-stage model includes:

 

1. Biological and Physiological needs: air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep.
2. Safety needs: protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, freedom from fear.
3. Social Needs: belongingness, affection and love: from work group, family, friends, romantic relationships.
4. Esteem needs: achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, respect from others.
5. Self-Actualization needs:? realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

The figure below shows a common version of Maslow’s hierarchy. Even though Maslow’s explanation of human needs is more than 65 years old, no one has come up with a better, clearer, or simpler explanation of human needs, so we still use Maslow’s version.

 

In the hierarchy, each level is met once the one below it has been met. The basic human need, physiological, must be met, or the person will die. Once there is sufficient food, water, air, the next level to be met is safety. A safe shelter and freedom of danger permit the child to work towards the next level, love and belonging.

          It is at this third level that the schools and teachers play a very strong role in whether or not the child can ever reach the fourth level, self-esteem.

          No one is ever born with self-esteem. It develops from external, positive experiences, from praise, from a series of successes, from friendships, from positive participation in clubs and groups, and from supportive family, friends, and teachers, reinforcing love and belonging.

Once there is sufficient external esteem, the child begins to develop self-esteem. Remember what Mariia Montessori said, “ Never do for a child what he/she can do for himself. “ When we over-protect, or make decisions for the child, or are too dominating and bossy, the child interprets that to mean “ I am not capable of doing these things”, so does not easily develop self-esteem.

Once a person has met love and belonging needs, and moves on to self-esteem needs also being met, then, and only then, is the person ready to reach self-actualization. Reaching and maintaining satisfaction at one’s potential, is the highest art of being human, according to Maslow.

To support and strengthen the third level, love and belonging, the psychological road is being paved to reach the two highest levels, self-esteem and self-actualization. Teachers play an extremely important role in reaching and sustaining the love and belonging needs. Praise, providing activities to promote student success, being just, fair, and tolerant, based on the student’s specific needs and learning preferences all build trust, confidence, and help the student to feel loved and part of the group.

Maslow: Some of the characteristics of self-actualized people

Although we are all, theoretically, capable of self-actualizing, most of us will not do so, or only to a limited degree. Maslow (1970) estimated that only two percent of people will reach the state of self actualization. He was particularly interested in the characteristics of people whom he considered to have achieved their potential as persons.

By studying 18 people he considered to be self-actualized (including Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mother Teresa), Maslow identified 15 characteristics of a self-actualized person.

                   Characteristics of self-actualizers:

1. They perceive reality efficiently and can tolerate uncertainty;
2. Accept themselves and others for what they are;
3. Spontaneous in thought and action;
4. Problem-centered (not self-centered);
5. Unusual sense of humor;
6. Able to look at life objectively;
7. Highly creative;
8. Resistant to enculturation, but not purposely unconventional;
9. Concerned for the welfare of humanity;
10. Capable of deep appreciation of basic life-experience;
11. Establish deep satisfying interpersonal relationships with a few people;
12. Peak experiences;
13. Need for privacy;
14. Democratic attitudes;
15. Strong moral/ethical standards.

 

                Behavior leading to self-actualization:

(a) Experiencing life like a child, with full absorption and concentration;

(b) Trying new things instead of sticking to safe paths;

(c) Listening to your own feelings in evaluating experiences, instead of the voice of      tradition, authority ,or the majority;

(d) Avoiding pretense (‘game playing’) and being honest;

(e) Being prepared to be unpopular if your views do not coincide with those of the majority;

(f) Taking responsibility and working hard;

(g) Trying to identify your defenses and having the courage to give them up.

The characteristics of self-actualizers and the behaviors leading to self-actualization are shown in the list above.  Although people achieve self-actualization in their own unique way, they tend to share certain characteristics.  However, self-actualization is a matter of degree, ‘There are no    perfect human beings’ (Maslow,1970a, p. 176).

It is not necessary to display all 15 characteristics to become self-actualized, and not only self-actualized people will display them. Maslow did not equate self-actualization with perfection. Self-actualization merely involves achieving one’s potential. Thus someone can be silly, wasteful, vain and impolite, and still self-actualize. Less than two percent of the population achieve self-actualization.

Applications of Maslow’s hierarchy theory to the work of the classroom teacher are obvious. Before a student’s cognitive needs can be met they must first fulfil their basic physiological needs. For example a tired and hungry student will find it difficult to focus on learning. Students need to feel emotionally and physically safe and accepted within the classroom to progress and reach their full potential.

Maslow suggests students must be shown that they are valued and respected in the classroom and the teacher should create a supportive environment. Students with low self-esteem will not progress academically at an optimum rate until their self-esteem is strengthened.

An important thing to note is that the school can be a haven, a refuge, for some children, and they can begin the path to self-actualization. Just one, great, caring, challenging teacher in the child’s school career can make all the difference in the world.

I hope YOU will try to be that ONE great, caring, challenging teacher, to provide your students with a safe haven for learning, for sharing ideas, for critical thinking, and for developing self-confidence, which comes from varied successes, not solely academic success.

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REFERENCES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper and Row.

Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a Psychology of Being. New York: D. Van Nostrand    Company.

Maslow, A. H. (1970a). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper & Row

 

by Elaine Gallagher, PhD

When writing effective and efficient plans, the key elements to include are “TW”, which is the abbreviation for: “Teacher Will”, and “SWBAT”, meaning “Student Will Be Able To”. The TW and SWBAT phases of planning must be based on observable verbs, keeping in mind Bloom’s Taxonomy.

 TW and SWBAT are simple techniques to apply. The idea isn’t new, but many teachers forget how important these two ítems are to include as a focus for positive results of teaching, both short and long-term lessons.

When you plan the lesson’s final objectives, assessment, or tests, in advance of your teaching, (“Backward Design”), and then plan your daily lessons, preparing students well in the topics to be taught, always describe what YOU, the teacher, will be doing to promote learning, (TW), as well as what you expect the student will be able to demonstrate at the end of the lesson, (SWBAT).

“TW expect that students can write three original paragraphs.”                 This is NOT a valid, useable, observable planning statement because we cannot get inside the teacher’s head to see what he/she really expects.

“TW demonstrate, orally, using pictures, ten vocabulary words to be included in the students’ writing project.”  This IS a valid, useable planning strategy because “demonstrate”  is observable.

Looking at the six levels of verb samples suggested in Bloom’s Taxonomy of Critical Thinking, you can vary the difficulty level and inspire the use of critical thinking by your students.

                                                  TW = Teacher Wil

                                                  SWBAT = Student Will Be Able To:

Below are eighteen samples of activities, three from each of the six levels of Bloom ?s Taxonomy.

KNOW

• TW name the animals in the story, for students to identify.
• TW identify six verbs in the paragraph for students to illustrate.
•  TW demonstrate how to list words alphabetically.

UNDERSTAND

• TW summarize the story, guiding students to use a mind map.
• TW describe the characters in the story.
• TW explain & demonstrate two ways of solving the problem.

APPLY

• TW classify the words into “animals”, “minerals” or “plants”.
• TW use multiplication to solve the math problem.
•  TW show a map of the city.

ANALYZE

• TW contrast the two historical leaders, Benito Juarez and Abraham Lincoln.
• TW compare socialism, free enterprise, and communism, using a graphic.
• TW distinguish between the two authors, Lois Lowry and Deborah Ellis.

ASSESS / EVALUATE

• TW judge who’s the best artist.
• TW ?prove that the answer to the math problem is correct.
• TW debate with students on the topic of the economic value of slavery.

CREATE

• TW design a new project for the students.
• TW write his/her autobiography for an education magazine.
• TW devise a new way of forming teams in her/his class.

As you can see, all of these actions are using observable, active verbs.  Non-observable verbs, such as think, understand, know, appreciate, believe, enjoy, or comprehend, should not be used, because they are NOT action verbs that others can see or measure. They occur inside your brain. Only observable verbs should be used for both TW and SWBAT activities.

When you write your plans, teachers, make sure you can see yourself doing the action described in your plans. It will make your teaching much easier because you’ll know what you are supposed to do with your students.

The same observable verbs need to be used with students’ learning. They need to exhibit their learning. Obviously, we can’t get into the students’ brains, so we’ll have to SEE if they are acquiring the learning expectations we have for them, as outlined in our assessments, or tests, (“back-mapping” or “backward design”), and in our planning for the lessons.

 

STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO…(SWBAT)              (To do what?)

This phase of planning is based on observable actions to be exhibited by the student. “SWBAT” means that the student will be able to perform whatever skill is being mentioned in that phase of the lesson, as described by SWBAT..

We cannot teach a student to “appreciate art and music” because HOW can we really know what the student appreciates?

But we can see: “SWBAT identify paintings by Monet and Picasso.”

“SWBAT understand the multiplication process“ is NOT an acceptable task for a lesson plan because it’s impossible to observe if a student “understands” something or not. Student performance or production must be expected.

Acceptable is: ?“SWBAT solve correctly 3 word problems using multiplication with digits up to five.”?  This is an OBSERVABLE action based on student performance.

The same way, in the previous section, we scrolled through the six cognitive levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy for “TW”, we can do the same for students. Write your plans telling what the student will be able to do as a result of your lesson.

Looking at the six levels of verb samples suggested in Bloom’s Taxonomy of Critical Thinking, you can vary the difficulty level and expand the critical thinking of your students.  Below are eighteen samples, three from each of the six levels of the taxonomy.

KNOW

• SWBAT name the animals in the story.
• SWBAT identify six verbs in the paragraph.
•  SWBAT list the words alphabetically.

UNDERSTAND

• SWBAT summarize the story.
• SWBAT describe the main characters in the story.
• SWBAT compare two ways of solving the problem.

APPLY

• SWBAT classify the words into “animals”, “minerals” or “plants”.
• SWBAT use multiplication to solve the math problem.
• SWBAT illustrate a map of the city.

ANALYZE

• SWBAT compare two historical leaders, Gen. Franco (Spain) & Benito Juarez.
• SWBAT contrast free enterprise with communism.
• SWBAT distinguish between the two authors, Victor Hugo and ee cummings.

ASSESS / EVALUATE

• SWBAT judge which is the best script and give reasons for the choice.
• SWBAT prove that the answer to the math problem is correct.
• SWBAT debate the pros and cons of child labor.

CREATE

• SWBAT design a palace based on the Taj Mahal.
• SWBAT write his/her autobiography.
• SWBAT devise a new board game, based on Monopoly, Clue, or Chess.

As you can see, all of these actions are using observable, active verbs. Verbs such as think, understand, know, believe, enjoy, appreciate, or comprehend, are not action verbs that others can see or measure. They occur inside your students’ brains.

Passing tests that use multiple-choice or true-false to check students’ knowledge has little educational value. They ARE easy to correct, but how much can they tell you about what the student actually knows is questionable; however,  observing if your students can actually DO something (written, oral, or by actions) will tell you if they truly learned what you had taught.

SWBAT means “Student Will Be Able To…..”  Take that phrase seriously, teachers, because by basing your expectations, tests, assessments, and reports on students’ progress, that you are able to observe, you’ll really know what your students learned.? The actions and activities you choose can support students’ academic, emotional, and social growth.

So, what do you do to make planning effective and efficient?

1. FIRST: Write your final expectations, a test, an exam, an oral presentation, or project. (Backward-design model)
2. Have an appropriate rubric ready, if you need one for the activity, allowing students to see the final expectations, before they begin working.
3. Teach the activities as indicated by your plans (TW and SWBAT).
4. Provide a final assessment, based on #1 in this list.

SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO PLAN WELL!

EACH TERM YOU’LL IMPROVE, AND YOUR STUDENTS WILL, TOO!

_________________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher

           Hello, Readers,

In a recent issue of UNONEWS, English Corner, we wrote about the major differences between inferences and conclusions. Today, we’ll elaborate on the topic, specifically for middle school and high school teachers who may want to delve deeper into the topic with their students, or for teachers, of any grade levels, who may want to expand their own knowledge and understanding of making inferences and drawing conclusions.

Inferences and conclusions give you a powerful tool for understanding things you read, as well as helping you to understand people and the decisions they make.

• An inference is an assumed fact, based on information you have at your disposal, from what you have read, or from what you have observed,

• A conclusion is the final idea you develop as the next logical step from information you’ve read or have obtained from observations.

You can employ inferences and conclusions together to increase the accuracy of your conclusions, and to learn how to better understand the people around you.

 

Drawing Conclusions    (Making conclusions)

          Conclusions rely on the facts of a situation, allowing you to make a determination that’s not implicitly stated or implied by the information.

          Essentially, a conclusion is the next logical step you make, based on all the information you’ve read or observed.

          A conclusión requires two conditions:

First, it must be a logically-derived statement, taken from the available information.

Second, it must not be stated or inferred from the available information.

 

For instance, if you know that Sara’s current pair of shoes look discolored and damaged, that she has enough money to buy new shoes, and that she is in the shoe aisle of a store, you can conclude that she will buy a new pair of shoes. Buying the shoes is the next logical step, but there is no inference that suggests she has made the decision to purchase new shoes.

 

           Making Inferences

          Inferences also rely on facts in a situation, but instead of drawing a conclusion, inferences use facts to determine other facts. You make inferences by examining the facts of a given situation and determining what those facts suggest about the situation.

As an example, you may look at Sara’s shoes and infer that the damage looks like she had walked in some wáter or deep puddles. You could also infer that by standing in a store aisle for shoes, and having money, she is considering buying new shoes. These are both facts, drawn from the available information, but make no prediction on any future action.

 

                         Drawing Conclusions From Inferences

You can use inferences to generate additional information, upon which you can then draw a conclusion.

For instance, from your inference about the water damage to Sara’s current shoes, you may come to the conclusion that she will want to purchase shoes that are more resilient against water damage. By using inferences to gain more information, you can draw conclusions that are more accurate and more specific. Instead of simply purchasing new shoes, you now can predict which kind of shoes Sara will purchase.

 

                             Make Inferences from Conclusions

You can also use conclusions to generate additional information about the situation, gathering more inferences.

As an example, you see Sara purchase another pair of the exact same kind of shoes she originally owned, so you infer that she may not have been very concerned about the water damage.

You can use this technique to review situations and learn how to make better inferences and conclusions in the future, or to gain more insight into people, such as Sara’s lack of concern for the water damage to her shoes.

_________________________

         I hope, readers, that this second, more advanced, view of the use of inferences and conclusions, opened more widely your perception of the topic.

                  REMEMBER:

Inferences and conclusions are similar. Please, don’t ask your students to define them.   (Even teachers have difficulty defining them!)

The exact definition, specifying the differences between them, is not as                  important as:

• teaching students to look for “clues” to the character’s personality or actions, thus developing inferences;
• teaching students to draw a conclusion based on the facts in the story or

article.

 

(REFERENCE:  Kristyn Hammond, Demand Media)

______________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher

Hi teachers!

If you are like many teachers, even though you are eager for summer vacation, you are already thinking of how to improve your techniques for the next school year. Here are two checklists to help you monitor and strengthen your classroom management skills.

#1. Behavior Management Checklist  

(Teacher: You can be supported by UNO’s “Assertive Discipline” course.  Ask your coach.)  

Directions:

Consider each of the recommendations below and rate yourself as “S” (skilled in that area) or “N” (needs improvement). Use those items with an “N” rating to set goals for professional growth. While there are always exceptions to these guidelines, one should be able to justify variations as they benefit the student.

——————————————————————————————————–

_____ 1. I have a comprehensive behavior management plan which includes: positively stated rules that tell what to do, rules which are not redundant or copies of school rules, a listing of consequences proceeding from mild penalties, and ways to thank students for displaying appropriate behavior.

_____ 2. My rules are posted in a prominent place in my room.

_____ 3. I have submitted my plan to my administrator so he/she will support me when I have reached the last step of my consequence list.

_____4. Parents have a copy of my discipline plan.

_____ 5. I CONSISTENTLY enforce rules by moving through the consequences.

_____ 6. I do not allow myself to be intimidated by certain students into not disciplining them.

_____ 7. I address all misbehavior.

_____ 8. I constantly watch for opportunities to positively react to students who are    behaving.

_____ 8. I am a good role model for courteous and respectful behavior.

_____ 10. I am in control of my emotions when disciplining.

_____ 11. I NEVER yell at students.

_____ 12. I use respectful terminology when disciplining my students.

_____ 13. I use a calm, firm, respectful tone of voice when administering consequences.

_____ 14. I see the humor in situations and enjoy laughing with my students.

 _____ 15. I never nag or lecture students who have misbehaved.

_____ 16. I never plead with students to behave.

_____ 17. When a student is misbehaving, I give him/her a clear, firm direction to do something (e.g. “Open your book to page 67.” “Please go to your seat now.”) or I ask, “What should you be doing right now?” (If she/he doesn’t know, I tell him/her calmly.)

_____ 18. If my direction is not followed, I administer the first consequence from my list. I continue through the list until I gain compliance.

_____ 19. I am organized and prepared for each class.

_____ 20. I have routines for dismissal, assignment submission, pencil sharpening, bathroom use, asking questions, lining up, etc.

_____ 21. My lessons are well-paced.

_____ 22. I vary my teaching methods. I do more than give out worksheets and ask Ss to copy questions from a text.

_____ 23. My lessons are interesting in order to motivate students. The lessons are student centered and use a variety of multi-media, hands-on activities, co-operative learning, and technology.

_____ 24. I seek new teaching ideas and positive ways to manage behavior.

_____ 25. I have set goals for myself in the area of using positive ways to promote appropriate student behavior.

_____ 26. I have at least one colleague with whom I can share ideas on and go to when I need help with behavior management.

 

#2. CHECKLIST:  Managing Students

Another tool to help me manage my students is this checklist:

For #’s 1 – 13, “YES” Is better.

1. I develop and teach rules in the first week of school.
2. Rules are stated positively telling students what to do.
3. Rules are posted in a prominent place in my room.
4. I have submitted my plan to my administrator for his/her support.
5. Parents have a copy of my discipline plan.?6. I distinguish rules from procedures in my classroom.
6. I involve students in the development of the classroom rules.
7. I send home a copy of the classroom rules for parents to see and sign.
8. I engage students in role-playing what classroom rules should look like in our classroom.
9. I teach lessons on procedures, including lots of practice, in the first weeks of school.
10. Major procedures are followed without my constant prompting (for example, student talk, equipment use).
11. I am consistent in my expectations and reinforcement of rules and procedures.
12. I constantly watch for opportunities to positively react to students who are following rules and procedures.

 

For #’s 14 – 19, “NO” Is Better.

14. There are some student misbehaviors occurring that aren’t covered by current rules.
15. I have stopped enforcing one or more of the classroom rules.
16. I find myself giving the same directions over and over for common procedures.
17. I spend as much time going over directions later in the year as at the beginning of the year.
18. There are some students who have an especially hard time following the rules and procedures.
19. I allow myself to be intimidated by certain students into not disciplining them.

 

For #’s 20 – 32, “YES” Is better.

20. The rewards and punishments I use take no time or focus away from the academic lesson.
21. I reward good student behavior, including effort, in a variety of ways.
22. My praise of students is specific.
23. I am in control of my emotions when disciplining.
24. I never yell at students.
25. I use a calm, firm, and respectful tone of voice when administering consequences.
26. The punishments I use with students are effective – I do not have repeat offenders.
27. The punishments I use are fair – I would be willing to have any of them used on me.
28. I teach students step-by-step how to do a desired behavior.
29. I provide students with ways to monitor their own behavior.
30. I investigate possible causes of misbehavior.
31. I nip misbehavior in the bud in ways that take no time away from the lesson.
32. I nip misbehavior in the bud in ways that keep a positive classroom climate.

For #’s 33 – 34, “NO” Is better.

33. Some students ignore behavior corrections.
34. I warn and threaten and fail to follow through when misbehavior continues.

For #’s 35 – 38, “YES” Is better.

35. I use a variety of instructional methods.
36. My lessons are student-centered and include a?mix of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic lesson activities.
37. I and my materials are ready to begin, and lessons start promptly.
38. During a given lesson or class period,?I walk throughout the room and bring each student into my physical proximity.

For #’s 39 – 42, “NO” Is better.

39. Student attention tends to fade before I finish conducting a lesson.
40. I run out of class time before covering the major concepts planned in a lesson.
41. Student attention tends to fade before students finish independent or group work.
42. Some students finish quickly, run out of things to do, and bother others.

For #’s 43 – 47, “YES” Is better.

43. I am a good role model for courteous and respectful behavior.
44. I see the humor in situations and enjoy laughing with my students.
45. I seek new teaching ideas and positive ways to manage behavior.
46. I have set goals for myself in the area of using positive methods to promote appropriate student behavior.
47. I have at least one colleague with whom I can share ?ideas and go to when I need help with behavior management.

—————————————————————————————————–

Using these two checklists, answering, YES, NO, or SOMETIMES, or S for Skilled, or N for Needs improvement, will help you to become aware of what behaviors you’ll need to strengthen or which ones will need to be eliminated in your classroom next school year.

A good teacher ALWAYS works on self-improvement, even after 50 years in the classroom!

_______________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher

Dear Readers,
Hi!  I often get e-mails from UNOi Coaches, or teachers from many places,  asking for information. I answer them all as soon as I can. Once in a while, there are questions, like th one I received yesterday from an UNOi Coach in Mexico, that may be something worth sharing with all readers of the English Corner. I answered the Coach yesterday, and decided today that I’ll send the question & answer to our coluumn in case others may have a similar doubt.

Dear Elaine,                                                                                                                                    I ‘VE BEEN RESEARCHING ABOUT READING SKILLS AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO ME, OR IF YOU HAVE SOME MATERIAL, ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “INFERENCE” AND “DRAWING CONCLUSIONS”, THERE IS A VERY THIN LINE BETWEEN THEM THAT IT IS NOT EASY TO RECOGNIZE, AT LEAST FOR ME.

CAN YOU HELP ME?

Dear Coach, ABOUT YOUR QUESTION…

YOU ARE RIGHT..THEY ARE PRACTICALLY THE SAME THING. I, TOO, HAVE DIFFICULTY SOMETIMES DISCERNING THE TWO BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SIMILAR.

HERE IS A BASIC ARTICLE I WROTE….COMPARING THE TWO, WITH SAMPLE EXERCISE.

THE MAIN IDEA: IS TO GET KIDS TO LOOK FOR FACTS IN WHAT THEY READ. THEN, FROM THE FACTS, THEY CAN SOMETIMES INFER THINGS (FIGURE OUT THINGS)

THEN…FROM WHAT THEY FIGURE OUT (INFER), THEY CAN MAKE A CONCLUSION.  I HOPE THIS HELPS.

                           HERE’S THE ARTICLE.

Making Inferences / Drawing Conclusions

1. Inference: an idea that is suggested by the facts or details in a story or passage
2. Conclusion: a decision the reader can make about what could happen or about the result that an event could have

NOTE: As you correctly wrote, Coach, making an inference and drawing a conclusion are very similar skills. Each requires the reader to fill in blanks left out by the author. An author may not include information for several reasons: they may think you already know it, it may not seem important to them, or they may want you to find the result by using your own critical thinking ability.

How to make an inference or draw a conclusión:

1. Observe all the facts, arguments, and information given by the author
2. Consider what you already know from your own experiences
3. When faced with multiple choice answers, determine whether each is true or false based on the information in the passage

The woman waited nervously in line. When the counter was empty, she carefully unloaded her items from her cart. Lines creased her forehead as if to show the calculations ringing up in her head. Finally, the cashier began ringing up the items as the woman clutched her purse.

Inference/conclusion: The woman may not have enough money to cover the cost of her groceries.

4. Think about the facts of the passage and what may result from them
5. Think about causes and effects

The writer may only provide a list of effects, so you have to figure out the cause.

The child stood on the sidewalk clenching her ice cream cone. Beads of sweat collected on her little nose as she furiously licked at the ice cream dripping down her hand.

Inference/conclusion: It must me a hot day because her ice cream is melting, and she is sweating.

6. Try saying “If …then”
   If the girl is sweating, then it may be warm outside.

Remember

• Most writing suggests more than it actually says in words.
• By making inferences, you get more from the story.
• Conclusions may be missing from the things you read, so you have to draw your own

                                      Practice Activities

#1. Turner almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his umbrella. He would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning.

Which probably happened?

1. Turner realized that he had an unnatural fear of falling radio parts.
2. Turner had promised himself to do something silly that morning.
3. Turner had heard a weather forecast that predicted rain.
4. Turner planned to trade his umbrella for a bus ride.

#2. “Larry, as your boss, I must say that it’s been very interesting working with you,” Miss Valdez said. “However, it seems that our company’s needs and your performance style are not well matched. Therefore, it makes me very sad to have to ask you to resign your position effective today.”

What was Miss Valdez telling Larry?

1. She would feel really bad if he decided to quit.
2. He was being fired.
3. He was getting a raise in pay.
4. She really enjoyed having him in the office.

#3. Bill and Jessica were almost done taking turns choosing players for their teams. It was Jessica’s turn to choose, and only Kurt was left. Jessica said, “Kurt.”

We can infer that

1. Kurt is not a very good player.
2. Jessica was pleased to have Kurt on her team.
3. Kurt was the best player on either team.
4. Jessica was inconsiderate of Kurt’s feelings.

#4: A POEM (Poem by Judith Viorst)

                                  “Mending”

A giant hand inside my chest

Stretches out and takes my heart within its mighty grasp

And squeezes till it breaks.

A gentle hand inside my chest,

With mending tape and glue,

Patches up my heart until It’s almost good as new.

I ought to know by now that broken hearts will heal again.

But while I wait for glue and tape, The pain!

The pain!

The pain!

The poem is probably about

1. a woman.
2. a man.
3. a broken heart.
4. heart surgery.

It can be inferred that the subject of the poem

1. is in a lot of physical pain.
2. enjoys arts and crafts.
3. is a good friend.
4. has had a broken heart before.

__________________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher, PhD

In the 21^st Century, if you can’t SPEAK the language, you don’t really KNOW the language. Obviously, oral fluency, the base of CLIL philosophy, is the major skill to develop. Once you have oral fluency, it’s very easy to write, because writing is simply expressing on paper or on a digital device, whatever you can say.

In other words, if you have oral fluency, you’re THINKING in the language. If you can THINK in a language, you can write what you are thinking.

Many teachers make writing harder for their students than it should be. They simply give a writing assignment and expect the students will complete it in school or for “homework” (another issue to be discussed in Section 4!). Then the teacher collects it, grades it, but, usually, the student has no idea how or why he got the grade he received. The next week, the same cycle begins, with a new assignment, which the student gets back in a few days, with many errors (usually marked in red).

Where do we start to make the change for better oral and written expression? What should we expect?  What is reasonable for students to exhibit, proving they have oral and written skills?

The first thing we need to do, so that we’ll reach our goals is to

ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO SPEAK IN ENGLISH.  Model English 100% of the class time, even as young as Kindergarten children. Young children can learn much faster than we may think, IF the adults around them model the target language. Babies growing up in a multilingual household easily learn 3 languages, without even realizing what they are learning!

 

1. DEVELOPING ORAL PRODUCTION

            Oral production is the #1 factor in exhibiting language acquisition. The idea proposed is that «in the 21st century, if you can’t speak the language, you don’t know the language.»

Language growth occurs when there are activities for oral production. In the section below, we’ll describe some activities for you to practice with your students. These activities should be useful in kinder, primary grades, and through middle school) grades. The intent is for teachers to utilize more oral production activities, as opposed to grammar-based, written work. This idea supports CLIL philosophy.

1. TEACHER TALKING TIME:

This must be reduced.

I’ve observed teachers doing most of the talking in many classes that I visit.  Some teachers were asking and answering their own questions. In some classes, too many students, even some teachers, are still speaking in Spanish. This is opposed to CLIL philosophy, which encourages 100% of class time being conducted in the target language (English, in our instance).

It is understandable that new students to a school might not know English well….but teachers need to explain that in English class, only English should be spoken.  If students do not have fluency or sufficient vocabulary, the teacher needs to model English for them, and have them repeat.

EXAMPLE:

S: «Tengo sed.»

T: «Oh, you’re thirsty… Say “I’M THIRSTY»…..and help the child to repeat as best he/she can. Gradually, students will be able to speak in English, IF we expect them to.

 

2. TIME ON-TASK: Being «on-task» means that the students and the teacher do not waste time! Period!

Every student, of every age, should have an alternative activity readily available to work on when they finish whatever it was that the teacher had assigned. Not one student should be sitting doing nothing, not even for 2 minutes, because he /she «finished», and is waiting for others to «finish».

I tell students…as a joke, «We are never ‘finished’, until we’re dead!»

You need to have alternative activities/opportunities for those who finish quickly…NOT more of the same work! We need to encourage students to complete work swiftly and accurately….with something attractive to do when they are done their worksheets or project activities before others….Free reading, using a digital tablet, or drawing, are all examples of things students usually enjoy.

MORE EXAMPLES:

• A book or magazine to read or browse, in ENGLISH.
• A puzzle or word search activity
• A social sciences or math activity in English.
• Helping another student or helping the teacher
• Word games, such as Scrabble
• Videos or music on CD’s, in English
• Video games or apps in English, for smart phone, i-pad, or tablet

With the areas described above, we have some opportunities to grow professionally as our schools become more immersed in English, so we’ll be  providing world-class English for our students, leading to fluency and proficiency in English. Once students have some oral fluency (for their age), they are ready to WRITE.

 

2. DEVELOPING WRITING SKILLS BY GRADE LEVEL

Writing is a gradual process, beginning with oral fluency (so they have something in their brains to write about), to learning the letters, how to form the letters, (using various kinesthetic techniques), to invented writing, how to write his/her name, dictating to the teacher…..and, FINALLY, the student begins to write alone.

Kindergarten (ages 5 or 6) :

Identification of letters; (seeing a letter and being able to name it), saying the alphabet; writing their names; listening     to stories and giving an oral summary or a drawing about the story; developing vocabulary

1^st and 2^nd:

The sentence:

Begin with capital letter; end with correct punctuation:    . ? !

3^rd and 4^th:

The paragraph:

Main idea; indent for each new paragraph; supporting details; using adjectives, adverbs as descriptors

5^th and 6^th:

3 – 5 paragraphs in a composition; using an outline

7^th, 8^th, 9^th:

5 paragraph essay/composition;

An outline prepared with:

• an introduction
• the information
• a conclusion
• using references & a bibliography

 

There are 3 basic types of writing:

1. Narrative
2. Persuasive
3. Explanatory

                          

3. DEVELOPING WRITING SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM

      1. FIVE STEPS TO GOOD WRITING

• Pre-writing…development of vocabulary to be used by brainstorming
• Drafting….First attempt at the writing topic/assignment
• Revising….Second draft….Working with a partner, checking each other’s work
• Proof reading…Checking for errors, adding elaboration details
• Publishing or sharing…..Letting others see what you have completed

2. PROOF-READING CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS

Provide students from 3^rd grade of primary through middle school grades, with this sheet at the beginning of the year, so they’ll learn how to self-check. This works best when students, in pairs, work together to check their work.

• ___ Did I spell all the words correctly?
• ___ Did I indent each paragraph?
• ___ Did I write each sentence as a complete thought?
• ___ Do I have any run-on sentences?
• ___ Did I begin each sentence with a capital letter?
• ___ Did I use capital letters correctly in other places?
• ___ Did I end each sentence with the correct punctuation mark?
• ___ Did I use commas, apostrophes, and other punctuation correctly?
• ___ Did I read my paper aloud to myself or to a friend?

 

                   SAMPLE RUBRIC SCORING FOR WRITING    

                The Rubric can be adapted to grade equivalents, such as:

• 4 = Excellent, well-above expectations:  95+
• 3= Very good, above expectations:         85 – 94
• 2= Good, meeting expectations:              75 – 84
• 1= Below expectations:                             65 – 74
• 0= Do it again:  no score                          (Seek help.)

          SCORING EXPECTATIONS

                        SCORE 4

• Correct purpose and audience
• Effective elaboration
• Consistent organization
• Clear sense of order and completeness
• Fluent, good vocabulary choices

                           SCORE 3

• Correct purpose and audience
• Moderately well elaborated
• Organized, but possible digressions
• Clear, effective language

                       SCORE 2

• Correct purpose and audience
• Some elaboration
• Some graphic details
• Gaps in organization
• Limited language control

                     SCORE 1

• Attempts to address audience
• Wrong purpose
• Brief / vague
• Unelaborated
• Wanders off / on topic
• Lack of language control
• Poor or no organization

                  SCORE 0

• Off topic, or copied the writing assignment
• Blank paper, or did not write enough to score
• Language other than English
• Illegible or incoherent

Students can work together in pairs to help each other… NOT to correct or grade each other’s papers, but to read each other’s papers and make comments, suggestions, and advise each other about necessary corrections.

 

             IDEAS FOR NARRATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

        An expressive narrative…writing «a story»

The writer will sequence events into a story on a specified topic:

 

PRODUCT:

                        A story

ORGANIZATION:

                        Chronological (progression through time)

STORY ELEMENTS:

                        Use the basic elements of a short story with a fully-developed beginning, middle, and end.  This must be more than a sequence of events.  Writer must establish some sort of problem which is solved during the events of the story.

TRANSITIONAL WORDS and PHRASES:

TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO USE THESE:

then, after, after that, soon, while, later, before, during, next, when, meanwhile, as soon as, finally, at last

                         NARRATIVE WRITING

1. INTRODUCTION

 

2. FIRST: Setting, location, characters, time of day (once upon a time, far away, in old times when wishes came true, on a space station in the year 2,134)

3. THEN: The problem

4. LAST: A solution

5. CONCLUSION: happy ending (They lived happily ever after. They woke up from a dream. They arrived home safely. Etc.)

 

    A STORY FORMULA

Using this formula, students can summarize a story, or create their own story.

     SOMEBODY    –   WANTED   –        BUT    –            SO    –            THEN

     Example: (the movie: “Jerry McGuire”, with Tom Cruise)

• SOMEBODY Jerry
• WANTED to be rich
• BUT He was fired
• SO He opened his own business
• THEN He got rich & famous.

 

        ELABORATION STRATEGIES

(Introduce these technique in 3^rd grade, but use them through high school.)

1. Use similies / metaphors.….

color, shape, size, texture,

(The clouds looked like cotton balls. OR The lion was like a huge version of my pet cat.)

 

2. Use conversation…..

Two complete exchanges

 

3. Use adjectives or adverbs….

1 or 2 with nouns or verbs

          (The tall, handsome prince silently glimpsed the princess in the ugly,

            dark tower.)

       PLAN TO WRITE SOMETHING EVERY DAY, EVEN JUST A FEW   SENTENCES.!!!

To be  a good writer, you have to write!

Do a “quick write”, a journal entry, or work on an on-going assignment.

 

 

Students, to help you develop into being a good writer:

1. USE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS TO ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS.
2. KEEP A VOCABULARY NOTEBOOK.
3. KEEP A LIST OF IDEAS FOR WRITING TOPICS YOU LIKE.

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4. FINAL ADVICE TO TEACHERS REGARDING HOMEWORK:

Writing assignments are to be done in school, in class, under the support and supervision of the teacher…NOT at home! The students are in school 8 hours a day. That is a shift in a typical factory or office. They do NOT need to take work home!

 

It is neither ethical nor honest if teachers give a grade for any work that the teacher, personally, did not see the student do! PERIOD.

Google, older siblings, “helpful” mothers, fathers, etc. contribute to the dishonesty.

 

Traditional homework, in the 21^st century, is obsolete!

 

Studying class notes, reading a chapter, researching in Internet, listening to TV programs in English, are all “legitimate” homework assignments, because they enter directly into the students’ brains.

 

Mom can’t do those things for the student.  Writing assignments, math calculations or problems at home, finishing workbook pages, etc. have gone the way of the dinosaurs in high quality schools.

 

Research shows that homework does NOT “build responsibility”. It does not  help students to “learn better”. To the contrary: Homework teaches students to dislike school, to copy from others, and to become “robots”, going through robot-like motions to complete the work, but of a mediocre quality. They complete the work, not using critical thinking. When however, students have time to research Internet or to read on their own, they learn MUCH more!

 

(RESEARCH: “The Homework Myth” by Alfie Kohn, 2012.)

 

 

 

 

               SUMMARY

1. ORAL production is the #1 characteristic of anyone who’s

fluent in a language. Develop a strong vocabulary, ask lots of critical thinking questions, and have students talk in pairs and in groups…practicing their English. The class is conducted 100% in English, even in Kindergarten.

 

2. TEACH writing. Don’t simply ASSIGN writing. Develop vocabulary

lists, use graphic organizers so students can organize their ideas well.  Write something every day. For topics that take longer to develop, use the five steps mentioned in the article.

 

 

3. HOMEWORK IS OBSOLETE. (ENOUGH SAID!)

 TEACH don’t “ASSIGN”.

 __________________________________

 

 

 

   

by Elaine Gallagher

                What do YOU use to assess your students? UNOi supports a wide variety of tools to get a broader profile of each student. Remember, the objective of assessing is to see how clearly you taught, and how much the students grasped and understood from your teaching. Assessment should NOT be to see who’s the smartest student, or who fails, or who gets the prize. An assessment is to measure the growth and progress of your students. Assessment tools you use should reflect this philosophy.

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CONCEPT MAPS  – A diagramming technique for assessing how well students see the «big picture». Teams of 2 – 4 students can work on one concept map.

CONCEPT-TESTS  – Conceptual multiple-choice questions that are useful in large classes. Be careful with multiple choices because too often the correct answer does NOT ascertain that the student actually knows the material. He/she could simply be ‘lucky».

KNOWLEDGE SURVEY – Students answer whether they could answer a survey of course content questions.

EXAMS – Find tips in Internet on how to make exams better assessment instruments. Short answers, using critical thinking, with a variety of possible correct options are the best types of exams, but they do take longer to correct as there are a variety of correct answers.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS – Evaluating student presentations using rubrics. (Samples follow.)

POSTER PRESENTATIONS – Students prepare a poster and present it orally to the class

PEER REVIEW – Having students assess themselves and each other. (Sample rubrics follow.)

PORTFOLIOS – A collection of evidence to demonstrate mastery of a given set of concepts.

RUBRICS – A set of evaluation criteria based on learning goals and student performance.

WRITTEN REPORTS – Tips for assessing written reports.

SELF-CHECK for WRITTEN MATERIAL (Check in pairs)

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PROOF-READING CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS

Your name: ____________________________  Date ______

Assignment Title: __________________________________

 

• ___ Did I check to see that I spelled all the words correctly?
• ___ Did I indent each paragraph?
• ___ Did I write each sentence as a complete thought?
• ___ Do I have any run-on sentences? If so, fix them.
• ___ Did I begin each sentence with a capital letter?
• ___ Did I use capital letters correctly in other places?
• ___ Did I end each sentence with the correct punctuation mark?
• ___ Did I use commas, apostrophes, and other punctuation marks correctly?
• ___ Did I read my paper aloud to myself or to a friend?

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OTHER ASSESSMENT TYPES

– Includes concept sketches, case studies, seminar-style courses, mathematical thinking and performance assessments.

 Don’t Know Which Tool to Use?

  Look Through these Resources: 

• Assessment and Active Learning Strategies for Introductory Geology Courses (Acrobat (PDF) 390kB Mar8 05), David McConnell, David Steer, Kathie Owens, 2003, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 51, n. 2, March, 2003, p. 205-216, is a good, concise, introduction to assessment techniques.
• Primer on Assessment in the Geosciences is an in depth introduction to assessment created for faculty teaching introductory courses.
• DLESE Evaluation Toolkit (more info) aims to help geoscience educators and project evaluators find good resources, get feedback and help with geoscience education evaluation, and share results with one another.
• Evaluation Cookbook (more info) is a basic guide to evaluation methods for lecturers in a cookbook format.
• OERL: Online Evaluation Resource Library website designed for professionals working on project evaluations.
• The Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International has conducted a number of projects creating assessment designs and examples for middle and high school students that are relevant to the geosciences, including: Show more information about the Center for Technology in Learning

 

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             SAMPLE ASSESSMENT RUBRICS FOLLOW.

Students need to see the rubric before undertaking their work.

 

Oral Presentation

Assessed by Teacher, Peer, or Self

Person Presenting: ____________________________

Topic: _____________________________________

Please rate each of the following criteria on a scale of 1 to 5:

(needs improvement >)   1      2      3        4       5    ( excellent)

RATING

1. ___ The presenter spoke clearly. I could understand the words easily .
2. ___ The presenter spoke at a good volume.,, not too loud, not too soft.
3. ___ The presenter spoke at a good pace….not too fast, not too slow.
4. ___ The presenter faced the audience and made eye contact.
5. ___ The presenter appeared relaxed and enthused about the topic.
6. ___ The presenter stood up straight with good posture.
7. ___ The presenter used effective hand gestures.
8. ___ The presenter made eye contact with me.
9. ___ The introduction caught my attention so that I wanted to hear more.
10. ___The presenter provided some good examples, and/or had a prop to show.
11. ___The conclusion wrapped up the speech with a clear ending.
12. ___ I found this topic interesting. and well-presented.

Comments/Specific Notes on Strengths and Weaknesses

• 12 – 24 =  Below expectations
• 25 – 36  = Meeting low expectations
• 37 – 48  =  Meeting high expectations
• 49 – 60  = Exceeding expectations

STUDENT’S NAME: _________________________________

                                                      GRADING / ASSESSING

 

Sometimes you may want to use a different way to evaluate or score your students’ work.  Here is a list of several ways: points, words, or percentages. Feel free to use them as you want.

 

• 5 = Excellent / Exceeding expectations (95-100)
• 4 = Very good / Above expectations (85-94)
• 3 = Average / Meeting expectations (80-84)
• 2 = Below average / Below expectations (74-79)
• 1= Should be much better / Minimum effort exhibited (below 74)

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                COMMENTS about the PRESENTATION:

STUDENT ________________________________________

TOPIC OF SPEECH    ____________________________________

      

Following is a sample RUBRIC to assess oral presentations & listening:

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Speaks Clearly	Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words.	Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, but mispronounces one word.	Speaks clearly and distinctly most ( 94-85%) of the time. Mispronounces more than one word.	Often mumbles or can not be understood OR mispronounces many words.
Preparedness	Student is completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed.	Student seems pretty prepared but might have needed a couple more rehearsals.	The student is somewhat prepared, but it is clear that rehearsal was lacking.	Student does not seem at all prepared to present.
Posture and Eye Contact	Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.	Stands up straight and establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.	Sometimes stands up straight and establishes eye contact.	Slouches and/or does not look at people during the presentation.
Listens to Other Presentations	Listens intently. Does not make distracting noises or movements.	Listens intently but has one distracting noise or movement.	Sometimes does not appear to be listening but is not distracting.	Sometimes does not appear to be listening and has distracting noises or movements.
Enthusiasm	Facial expressions and body language generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others.	Facial expressions and body language sometimes generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others.	Facial expressions and body language are used to try to generate enthusiasm, but seem somewhat faked.	Very little use of facial expressions or body language. Did not generate much interest in topic being presented.

 

 

In this rubric, a score of ONE is the lowest and FOUR is the highest. Students should have access to the rubric before they have a speaking assessment so that they will be able to set their goals.

• 20  = highest score
• 16 – 20 = Exceeding expectations
• 11 – 15 = Meeting expectations
•   5 – 10 = Below expectations
•   5  = Lowest score

 __________________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher

Now that Mexico has determined, since January 2015, that all public schools MUST offer English as a regular (not optional) school subject, in grades K-3 to 6th, there is a scramble to obtain English teachers who must show evidence that they are at a B-2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Cities/states can be exempt only if they prove they are soliciting English teachers, but not enough have applied with the necessary B-2 level, a requirement in Mexico since 2008, and a requirement in Europe since 1991.

While most of Europe still retains the minimum B-2 level for public school English teachers, Madrid has upped the ante. Since September 2014, Madrid (not the rest of Spain) now requires a C-1 level for all public school English teachers.  A strong teacher education campaign, government-paid trips to the UK in summer by hundreds of English teachers, and 100% support of CLIL philosophy, has turned a non-English-speaking country, reluctant to leave its mother-tongue of Castellano, such as Madrid, into a city which m=now requires evidence of  C-1 in English, if one wants to teach it.

Government support, financial and academic, adoption of CLIL philosophy, teacher development programs, incentives such as teacher trips to England or Ireland to practice the language and to absorb the culture, parental pressure for multilingualism, and effects of globalization in technology, medicine, and economy have combined to put Madrid under the magnifying glass of linguistic experts, who are noticing the literacy and technological advances in Spain, and in Madrid, in particular.

If you want to see how you are doing on a B-2 scale, in various linguistic abilities, check the list below. See where you think you are. Be honest with yourself, and judge the areas where you might need to improve.

If you want to see self-scoring scales for lower or higher levels, let us know in UNONEWS, and I’ll include them in a future column.

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NOTE:

The CEFR has guidelines for six levels of languages (not only English) in various linguistic abilities: listening, speaking, reading, writing.

BASIC to PROFICIENT: A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2, C-1, C-2.

B-2 (Independent language user) is the most common level for public schools teachers in most countries.

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                        Common European Framework

                        B-2 PROFICIENCY LEVEL

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                               LISTENING

B2

I can understand extended speech and lectures and follow even complex lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar. I can understand most TV news and current affairs programs. I can understand the majority of films in standard dialect.

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                                  READING

B2

I can read articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular stances or viewpoints. I can understand contemporary literary prose.

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                          SPOKEN INTERACTION

B2

I can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible. I can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, account for and sustaining my views.

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                        SPOKEN PRODUCTION

B2

I can present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to my field of interest. I can explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

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                               WRITING

B2

I can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects related to my interests. I can write an essay or report, passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view. I can write letters, highlighting the personal significance of events and experiences.

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Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. 2001. Council of Europe. Cambridge University Press.

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