Learning about culture using vocabulary

SPREADING THE WORD

Using Words to Learn About Culture

Since ELL learners are coming from someplace else to study the target language, it makes sense to study something of other cultures, and in doing so, learn new vocabulary in the process.

Very often in different cultures you will come across words that are unfamiliar.  For instance in Trinidad, we eat a type of sandwich/snack called "doubles" 

Some of the familiar things that we have one name for here in the U.S. other cultures or countries have different names for them, and it's only by discussing culture that we become familiar with them ourselves.  My language learning objective of course would be to extend my students vocabulary based on cultural experiences. 

 

After a week of discussing different things about Trinidad, culture, nature, food, climate and Carnival, I would show a short video about Trinidad. To test the students new new vocabulary, I would give a short quiz after having them watch the short video.

http://ed.ted.com/on/i74ZuIN2#watch

http://ed.ted.com/on/i74ZuIN2#discussion

The Benefits of Flipping

To Flip or Not to Flip

There have been far too many instance where I have been the student who was so sure I understood everything that was being said or explained in class; I took notes, I was attentive in class and even asked questions so I was sure I understood the lecture.  However, by the time I got home and sat down to do my homework, I could not make any sense of what I was supposed to do, or how I should even answer the question or questions.  I was frustrated because I had lost the teacher's "voice" in my head, and the knowledge I had learned earlier.

http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolc/issues/2013-10-01/3.html  

The Flip

At the point of need or frustration, Having the teacher's "voice" would be incredibly helpful so that homework time would become classroom work.  Actually having the problem addressed immediately through intervention by way of tutorials or mini lectures,  meeting the needs of the students is a great way to make a difference and bring success to the classroom and confidence to the students.

How many times have I wished that I could ask my teacher or professor to just explain to just me alone some small part of the lecture or book, without the class present so that I don't feel like an idiot for not grasping it the first or second time.  Sometimes I just have specific questions tailored to what I think is just for me, that I want the answers to.

Using videos empowers the students as it gives them control to start and stop at their convenience. The videos allows the students to focus on what they find most difficult.  I work with a many ELL students, so I understand how this feature would be great for some, especially in private.  However, it could also keep them from learning to be more assertive in the classroom and prevent them from trying to keep up with their peers.

http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolbeis/issues/2013-08-28/6.html

Whatever we can do to make learning more interesting or exciting today, we should do it because it is too easy to become bored and sleepy in the classroom if the material isn't challenging or engaging. Having the direct instruction taking place outside of the class may present some problems with distraction, but that also depends on how serious those students are about learning and keeping up with their peers once they convene in the classroom.  Being able to work independently at home using the videos, then collaborating in class with your peers while having the teacher present to consult with, and get immediate feedback is an experience I wish I had had the opportunity to work with. 

Using Twitter in The Classroom

In using technology to our advantage, Twitter is no exception.  Twitter can be incorporated into our lessons, it can be used to keep the class interested as we show our students that even in the classroom we are keeping up with them and the times. One website has a numbered list of all the interesting ways Twitter can be intertwined in the classroom for things like upcoming due dates for assignments, running news feed for the class, poetry, running issues etc.  

http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom  

The power of Twitter for instance as an educational tool was in full effect during President Mubarak's attempt to hold on to his rein, his citizens were using cell phones and social media to change his country's history, by tweeting and opening up the happenings of the country to the rest of the world as it was happening.

/http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/how-twitter-can-be-used-as-a-powerful-educational-tool/

Twitter + Education = Success

Well I tried to follow a Twitterchat on Saturday evening by TX HS Football chat,"The best football chat for networking and continuing your education. #txhsfbchatfounded and operated by" @coachfisher_rp. However, I went online at the right time and clicked on the link but nothing was happening for this non-tech-savy novice.

That being said, I do believe that one can learn a lot from Twitter because there are a lot of educational information floating around and being shared freely on practically any subject, even my field, whether it's as broad as education or more specific as TESOL.

http://www.edudemic.com/100-ways-to-use-twitter-in-education-by-degree-of-difficulty/http://www.edudemic.com/100-ways-to-use-twitter-in-education-by-degree-of-difficulty/

https://twitter.com/hashtag/TESOL

Global Collaboration

          It takes a village to raise a child, that was what I grew up hearing and believing.  Today the same applies to education, it takes global collaboration to make and keep our students smart and on the cutting edge.  This is a site that caters to students from grades 1 to 12, and covers subjects like The Square of Life Project (grades 1-5), which teaches about "Local and Global Environments is an Internet-based elementary level collaborative project in which students will investigate their local environment and share that information with other students from around the country and the world."   Down The Drain (4-8), which encourages students to pay attention to the amount of water they use in their homes. Finally, Home Lighting in Developing Countries (9_12), "Students integrate solar and LED technologies to produce model lighting systems for use in developing countries." This is definitely a form of technology I can use because this would be a great way to save on energy and save a tremendous amount of money yearly. Not being connected to electrical poles, deletes the worry of losing electricity during storms, especially winter storms here in Buffalo New York.

         
 

Technology in the Classroom

          The future classroom and even today's classroom is not complete without some form of modern technology included in the lesson plan.  The type of social networking group that would be most useful to me is one that is constantly updating with participants from around the world with a knowledge base of every little thing such as Classroom 2.0

Connecting to Stay Current

          The learner today is like the age old sponge.  With every new innovation that comes with time, they quickly soak up the knowledge expanding their wealth of information. The Impact of Social Media on Learning  for instance has been overwhelmingly tremendous. There isn't one thing that we as educators or students can do today that doesn't require the use of the internet.  Google docs is a great medium for groups to combine efforts when working on group projects.  It saves time and energy, also, Teachers can share this forum to continue a class activity from home.  Not to share information and open your mind to learning from your peers or current available information is to run the risk of becoming an isolator; one who holds the monopoly on knowledge in the classroom, which depreciates you as a teacher and cheats your students out of being on par of ahead of the rest.  What we know today is no as important as our ability to continue to stay current. Continuing to stay in top is the key to remaining competitive.

          Keeping up

          In education it is definitely okay to keep up with the Joneses. You want to always be just as knowledgeable or ahead of the others.  The field of education and the world market is a brutal reality when it comes to getting into the best schools or landing the best jobs so creating a network enables you to stay current, therefore connectivism is key.  What is Connectivism : This is the resource that enables us, both teachers and students to stay in the game.  By having dialogue with others  we ourselves grow in knowledge.  Not just dialogue, but open communication whether through blogging or other forms of social media.  Blogging is one of the better ways to share or connect with other people in order to stay current and learn from each other.