In developing countries, it's not surprising to see crowdy classrooms, the smallest number is 50 students. Managing large classes is a current issue and among the solutions, the use of IT isn't included.
I think this week has been enriching because there are means to make students interact. Indeed, teachers should be curious enough to seek for tips and techniques for their students. From what I learn this week, I think we have the duty to share these ideas: interactive lectures... Some teachers tend to think that they are losing time if they let students communicate. Thus, they monopolize the floor lecturing, they exclude students. Is this teaching?
Students can be grouped and given interactive tasks: games, embedded videos or texts with comprehension questions, crosswords, ...
Grouping students is not an easy task in the sense that there are lots of things to be taken into consideration: size, level.... Do students need to be grouped for every single activity? In fact, there is a good rationale behind that idea of grouping students.
Technology devices can help teachers. the challenge lies in teachers' hands. Some of them don't know how to use them. teachers should learn and even in such a situation, students can be trusted to help.
Hi dear,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more! And I would add to it by saying that sometimes students may also feel they are wasting their time when they are communicating in their groups... I once had a student saying: "I don't want to have feedback from my partner. He doesn't know more than I do. I'd rather you give me feedback".
Sometimes I have a hard time trying to put them in pairs or groups when they resist working with weak students. I'm curious to know your opinion. Here when it comes to pre-teens, they don't like to mingle. I mean, boys want to do pairwork with boys and girls prefer girls. Does that happen with you, too?
Helô
Hi Laye,
ReplyDeleteIt is good to know new friends and specially you. Let me introduce myself. I'm from Peru a country in the South part of South America,I live in Cusco which is the capital of the Inca's empire.
I go along with your view that grouping students is not an easy task , we as teachers need to center our efforts to our students'benefits.
Finally the fact that technology devices help teachers is indeed,true. Have you ever had a new gadget and you did not know what to do with it?
Most of us have had the Internet very close, but we could not use it effectively in our classes. How have this changed since we started this course?
Regards,
Harold
Dear Friens,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, it is very difficult to mamage big group of students.. for example at my university we have groups of 40 and 50.. What I have learnt is to create cooperative groups...
I advice you to check on the following links...
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/cooperativelearning.htm
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/cooperative/whatis.html#elements
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you all. It is a big challenge to work with large groups, little technology devices, new technologies to learn and little time to plan strategies to cope with all of them.
But if we decide to give up it is also time to stop teaching.
You are all so right. Dealing with students and their expectations is no easy task.
ReplyDeleteI second you teachers MUST be properly trained to be using technology with their students. Oftentimes, I belive schools have just decided to buy some computers, projectors and other gadgets assuming teachers would be able to use all this stuff appropriately.
I really liked your blog!
Best,
Gilmar (CCBEU-Franca-SP-Brazil)