I am not one for silence but this week takes the cake. So far, I have been a quiet observer. No one has ever called me quiet. I have been so overwhelmed and downright sick that I have been unable to contribute. Now is the time to suck it up and get going.
This week was just awful with finishing up with two Kindergarten classes, meeting a new staff, packing up my classroom (still ongoing), and trying to deal with starting this course. I have been asking myself, what was I thinking starting a new course?? Of course, I didn't know at the time that I would be moving and have everything up in the air. Going from Immersion to Core French is as different as night and day. I have nothing and not a clue how to start. The teacher at my school had little information to share. I guess it is learn by doing. I am just not that type.
To add to my amazement, when I asked her to email me her long range plans and other materials, she said she really doesn't use a computer. That is completely foreign to me as I prefer a computer to phone anyday. I plan on using technology a great deal in my classes including Smartboard, Clicker technology for surveys and other interactive uses, using laptops to create French stories and books, audio stories, digital images and games.
I have decided that I will use the assignments and research from this course as a launching pad for Core French. I will use the digital storytelling as well as the presentation to augment my Core French resources. So that brings my number of resources to two. How funny and how sad. I am told that some of the French resources are dated and irrelevant to students. This would be a great opportunity to update it and give it a new spin as well as augment it with other resources.
I think the digital storytelling can be a great tool to build up vocabulary and speak to a great deal of visual and special needs learners. I often enjoy using Social Stories and Write with Symbols to tell stories for students. This can be combined with digital images and audio to reach a variety of students and also reach across all curriculum subjects. The students will respond to interactive media and a chance to use technology. In French, it also serves to assist with proper pronunciation and develop oral language skills.
Nice to be able to bounce ideas off of yourself just like I did right now. This blog is beginning to be a useful tool rather than a complaint medium. At least I feel better.
I'm not a French teacher myself and my French language skills are limited. However, I have supply taught in both French Immersion and Core French classes. The students' attitudes are different. Students in French Immersion schools usually accept learning French; Core French students will be more resistant. Their first experience in French will usually start in grade-four (in Ontario).
ReplyDeleteI do notice many Core French teachers switching over to the AIM program (http://www.aimlanguagelearning.com/). I have noticed a positive difference in students' attitudes as they learn French using the AIM program. No, I do not work for AIM. There is an emphasis on using hand gestures and oral language skills with AIM. The more comfortable students are speaking the langugage, the better they will be in learning reading and writing later.
I will strongly suggest that you only speak French to your students. Don't give them an excuse to wait for your English instructions. Especially for the students starting in grade-five, demand that they speak French only. Their French need not be perfect. Praise them for their efforts.
When I travelled overseas to Europe, I noticed that several schools had English or German clubs where students could practise their language skills. If you have one-lunch hour per week, offer un Club Franco-fun where students in the older grades can interact with younger students while participating in activities together such as making pizzas or playing balloon volleyball en français in the classroom or gym. I'm sure you and your students can think of many other activities.
All the best to you, SD
PS: My nickname has nothing to do with the "au naturel." My blogsite is mainly political. I would rate the content G or PG.