Discussion Preparation

Excellent lessons today guys - I was really impressed!!!

This week please choose a topic that you want to do for our final discussions on July 13th. Do most of your research this week and bring it to class. In the next class we will make an outline, write a good introduction, prepare materials, etc.

Let me know if you need help choosing a topic or finding materials, ok?
.

Have a great week!

.

Practicum

Next class you will teach 3 students your language lesson. You will have 30 minutes with your group to finish plans and to practice. Then you will have 10 minutes to teach your lesson.

.

Do not forget that on July 6th we have our last written and oral reports! Think about what you want to do and start your research soon.

.

Lesson Planning

In our next lesson I will explain my formula for planning lessons. This formula can be used for any kind of lesson - from kids to adults! I will then give you a very short demonstration lesson. After that, you and your group will plan a lesson for greetings and counting to 5 in a foreign language (the language will be a surprise).

.

Please answer ONE of the questions below in the comments.

.

1. Can you think of a fun lesson activity that you did as a child or in high school?

.

2. What is a good activity that you have done at TUFS or in a foreign language school that helped you learn?

.

Case study: Cetlalic School

In 1999, I went to Cuernavaca, Mexico to study Spanish for a month. Out of the many language schools in Mexico, I chose this one because of its unique approach to teaching and learning. Check out the website HERE and prepare the answers to the questions below. We will go over your answers in class.

.

1. What is Cetlalic's teaching philosophy?

.

2. What do you think makes them different from other lanugage schools?

.

.

In the comments, please answer ONE of the questions below:

.

1. Have you studied in a foreign language school? What were the good/bad points?

.

2. Would you like to study in a foreign language school? What and where? How would you want to learn the language?

.

Teacher Case Study: Sylvia Ashton-Warner and Paulo Freire

Next class we will study and talk about two famous educators. Please read what is wrtiten below then choose ONE of the questions and answer in the coments.

Sylvia Ashton-Warner was an unconventional teacher in New Zealand. She became well-known for her innovative teaching methods. Two movies were made about her life. Watch the preview for the film Sylvia.

Paulo Freire was a revolutionary educator from Brazil. He thought it was important that the teacher and students be equal in the classroom. He said, "Through dialogue, the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges: teacher-student with students-teachers."

Answer ONE of these questions in the comments.

1. What would you like to know about these educators?

.

2. What other famous teachers do you know of?

.

3. What did you think of the movie preview?

.

4. What do you think Freire means by his quote?

.

Reports for June 1st

First, choose one topic that is related to something we have studied or talked about in class. For example: a famous educator, information about a foreign country's education system or a contemporary educational issue. Please tell me your idea in the comments.


Second, do some research this week and bring the information to our next class. We will organize the information and determine how much more research you need to do. If you'd like to do a class survey, I will give you time in class.


The written report will be 1-2 pages (don't forget to include references). Your discussion will be 2-3 minutes of you explaining your topic, then 2-3 minutes of discussion. It is a good idea to have some questions prepared for your group to help get the discussion started.


Email me if you have questions or need some help!

.

Issues in Education

Next week we are going to talk about 3 issues in American education: desegregation, text revision and uniforms in public schools. After that we will watch a BBC news report about the issue of testing in British schools.

Please think about an issue in Japan or another country and tell me a little about it in the comments. Please be prepared to explain the issue in class to your group.

.