Time does fly, indeed! ABCD objectives seem ages ago, Delicious is a good friend already!
This week we are "old hands" - having explored the listening skill sites, now it is time for the reading and vocabulary. Delicious is bubbling with new finds. At times I think I need one more life to explore the infinite knowledge saved for a later day.
The issue of concern made me more concerned about what we are doing, are we doing it correctly and why is that we, teachers from all parts of the world, define a common problem - the lack of motivation or interest in our students. We (the teachers at our school) always feel guilty that we have not done enough, that it is somehow our fault. But Helo posted a video
that once again led me to believe that they are right to have high expectations from us. Overtaken by routine, complying with educational requirements, doing paperwork, marking papers, calculating grades - are we as creative as we would like to be?
I think a lot about my students these days - I often do, but the tasks made more aware of them now, made me stop and think. And not about the ones that bring us satisfaction and pride, but the ones who fail to fit. Long ago I chanced upon a video - it seems that everywhere people are having the same problems.
My students are intrigued when I speak to them about the project. They see a challenge. They started talking about the grouping, what they are going to make the others search. Will they manage to overcome their inertia and do some work on their own for a change?
We are going on a trip to Spain early tomorrow morning. It is part of an European project, called "Intercultural competences and IT skills- a key to success". We are six schools altogether and this is our third meeting. We can take only four kids. The "boarding pass" was a sort of a webquest - to choose a partner country and search the web for some specific characteristics, concerning business protocol, and make a PowerPoint presentation. The results are amazing. The kids are the same. The inference is clear.
Have to go now. Will miss you :)
Love
Ellie
Ellie,
ReplyDeleteYOU are a real "Treasure Finder"!
This week we had the PTM - Parent Teacher Meeting - and some parents stated their teen children do not have good results or do not seem to be motivated because the lesson format is not as applealing as the world out there.
I think there's a big gap between what we have realized would work and what we actually have at hand in the short term...
Sometimes I feel there's little I can do... I have to cover all those boring and sometimes unnecessary grammar points and ask students to do those boring exercises because THAT will "fall" on the tests...
And I also feel parents are too busy to care about their kids. "Parental involment" is key!
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
Helô
It's true that as teachers we have to do miracles to encourage our students. Sometimes, I feel disappointed because I can't do all the things that I would like to do. The time is my enemy as you said we need more life to learn most of things... However, since I started this webskill course I feel satisfied with the things I have discovered.
ReplyDeleteDear Ellie,
ReplyDeleteI think this is the key point for us nowadays as teachers/educators - finding a way to reach the balance. We do have to teach content that will be tested later one as Helô so well pointed out and yet we MUST bring interesting, appealling things for this new generation we now have in our classrooms. Is it an easy task? Of course not. Should we struggle to get there? By all mean YES!!
Thanks for such an enriching post.
Best,
Gilmar
Hello Elie,
ReplyDeleteYou have posted a wonderful reflection there. I share the same feelings and thoughts with you and the others who commented on your post regarding motivation. With the fast development of the technology it is becomming more and more challenging than before.
Students are bombarded with information and entertaining content from everywhre, thus reducing their motivation in the classroom. Using all the tools they use is our chance to be closer to them - as Gil said - We have to struggle.
Eldin