Speaking from the Heart

Embedded and Extended......

Laurie Clarcq — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:33:00 GMT

Happy Monday!!

On Ben's blog today, Michele said..." I suddenly realized that “embedded readings” are very similar to “extended readings” that we’ve always known about. "

Yes!!!!!!

That is exactly what an embedded reading is. It is a way to create an extended reading that builds on the students' ideas and strengths and circles the heck out of the focus structures.

The example that I posted on February 26th demonstrates one way to create an embedded reading by adding a new structure on to the story.   We can also build embedded readings using all three structures at a time:

This works very well when the focus structures string together to create a sweet little beginning, middle and end story.....

wakes up early
she has things to do
wants to get to work on time

Skeleton story:

Georgina wakes up early every day.   She wants to get to work on time. She has many things to do. She wants to get to work on time. She has to do one thing, then she has to do another thing, then she has to do another thing. She looks at the clock. Now it is late! She runs out the door because she wants to get to work on time.

Copy and paste.....and add details. I'll try to do that by repeating each phrase with additional information:

Georgina wakes up early every day.   She wakes up earlier than her family. She wants to get to work on time.   She wants to get to work on time because the boss gives doughnuts to everyone who gets to work on time.   She has many things to do, but she wants to get to work on time and get a cinnamon doughnut. Right after she wakes up early, she has to do one very important thing. She has to feed her pet goat. Then she has to make a huge thermos of coffee. She has to make a huge thermos of coffee because she wakes up very early!! If she makes the coffee first, after she wakes up early, and doesn't feed her goat, then her goat eats her fuzzy slippers. So, Georgina wakes up early, has to feed the goat and THEN has to make a huge thermos of coffee. Georgina has to do one more thing in the morning. She has to read her horoscope.    She looks at the clock. Now it is late! She runs out the door because she wants to get to work on time and get that cinnamon doughnut.

Copy and paste...and now I can add more details to the story.   With a real story and real students I can weave in other structures, local information, details that reflect my students' lives and interests, etc.

I can give put the paragraph in a word document and post it on my web page or in a shared file. The students can go with me to the computer lab. They can each open up the document, add their own ideas and details and save it back to the shared file for me to read. Or...they can access it at home and email me their copy.

Georgina wakes up early every day. She wakes up before she hears her alarm clock. She wakes up earlier than her family. She wakes up earlier than everyone in town.

She wants to get to work on time.   She wants to get to work on time because the boss gives doughnuts to everyone who gets to work on time.   Everyone!! Wouldn't you want to get to work on time ?    She has many things to do after she wakes up, but she wants to get to work on time. When she gets to work on time she likes to get a cinnamon doughnut. With lots of cinnamon and sugar!!!

Right after Georgina wakes up early, she has to do many things, but the first thing that she has to do is a very important thing. Yes, she really has to do one very important thing.   She has to feed her pet goat. Before she can get to work early and get that cinnamon doughnut, she has to feed that goat.

Then she has to make a huge thermos of coffee. She prefers Folger's coffee with extra caffeine because she wakes up very early.   She has to make a HUGE, ENORMOUS thermos of Folger's extra-caffeinated coffee because she wakes up very early!! Remember, she wakes up earlier than everyone in town!! But........If she makes the coffee first, after she wakes up early, and doesn't feed her goat first, then her goat eats her fuzzy slippers.

Georgina loves her fuzzy slippers.   They are very warm fuzzy slippers.   This is important because Georgina wakes up very early and it is very cold when she wakes up very early and her toes are very cold. So, Georgina wakes up early , puts on her warm fuzzy slippers, has to feed the goat and THEN has to make a huge thermos of Folgers super-caffeinated coffee.

Georgina has to do one more thing in the morning. She has to read her horoscope. She wants to know what type of day she is going to have. She won't leave for work unless she reads her horoscope. Now, Georgina is very superstitious. She reads her horoscope in the Middletown News, but it isn't always right. So...she also has to read her horoscope in the New York Times. Then, just to be sure, she reads her horoscope in the L.A. Times.    If she is having a bad day (and if her goat eats her slippers) she also has to read her horoscope on the Internet.

This happens every day. After Georgina wakes up early every day, she has feed the goat, she has to make the coffee and she has to read her horoscope several times.    Then, and only then, every day she looks at the clock in order to check the time because she wants to get to work early and get a cinnamon doughnut. And every day it is late! Every day she has to run out the door because she wants to get to work on time and get that cinnamon doughnut.

Every day, even though she gets up early, she is late to work.....and her boss eats the cinnamon doughnut.   Poor Georgina!!

....................

If the three structures fit nicely, like these do, to make a short little story in just a few lines....building this way works well.    Each story will work differently. I think what is important is to do what you can in the time that you have.   These are not stories for publication.    This are stories for acquisition.   If there is comprehension, connection and repetition....whooo hooo!!!!!!   Jackpot!!!

with love,
Laurie

Somos El Mundo

Laurie Clarcq — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:13:00 GMT

We are having an amazing time with the release of "Somos El Mundo". There are versions on the official site: www.somoselmundo.org.

On the Univision site you can find interviews with different singers, Cristina (it debuted on her program) and Emilio Estefan.

This site will not only give you the lyrics...it identifies who is singing each line!!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
http://flowhot.net/web/noticias-de-reggaeton/letra-lyrics-somos-el-mundo-%E2%80%93-varios-artistas/

Besides listening to the video, talking about the artists and examining the lyrics (great high-frquency stuff there!) we'll be creating a mural in the hall outside my room. If I can figure out how to put pictures on the album page I'll post some once we are finished....

with love,
Laurie

Climbing the PQA Mountain

Laurie Clarcq — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:25:00 GMT

I have to confess.....I really had trouble with PQA (Personalized Questions and Answers).    The idea behind PQA is to use a targeted, high-frequency phrase in conversation with students so that they hear (and comprehend it) many, many times.

At first, I didn't spend a lot of time nor energy analyzing my PQA resistance....I just avoided it whenever possible.   (Fortunately now there is Ben Slavic's PQA in a Wink!! ...but pre-Ben all I could do was marvel at how Susie and others wove wonderful questions in workshops and wish that I could do the same.)

Then one day I had an epiphany!   PQA is NOT about the focus structure. IT'S ABOUT THE STUDENTS!   So.....instead of asking myself, what questions can I create using this phrase, I began to ask myself...

Can I get to know my students better using this phrase? If so, how?

This cleared away many of the thoughts and emotions that were holding me back.   First...I realized that not all phrases are good PQA material.    I was able to find other ways to get repetitions with those phrases. (Work smarter not harder Laurie Ann!!)

Second...when I started to think of questions in light of getting to know my students better, the questions became more interesting!!! I was more interested, the questions were more interesting, and so, of course, the students became more interested!!

The third piece that really helped me was incorporating other TPRS skills into my PQA forays. Combining PQA with teaching to the eyes, using signals, choral responses, and circling helped me to focus on my strengths rather than my weaknesses.

More later...
with love,
Laurie

An Embedded Story in the Making

Laurie Clarcq — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:06:00 GMT

How can embedded stories and "classroom-created" stories blend together? Here is one example.....This can be helpful if you need to prepare for a day out of the classroom, give your voice a rest, or get additional reading time in....

I'll use sample phrases from one of Anne Matava's stories: receives a package, is afraid to open the package

Divide students into groups. Ask them to create a skeleton story (3-10 lines) in the TL (or English if you have beginning students) using the target phrases.   Give students 10 minutes to write their version down and hand it in.

Collect the skeleton stories.   Now you have your ideas!

(At this point Michele has used these stories in class to build and write the stories as a group....I will let her explain that...she has had a lot of success with it!)

Let's say you collect the following:

Group #1   On July 4th, Arnold Schwarzenagger receives a package in the mail.   Arnold is afraid to open the package. He gives it back to the Post Office. The Post Office gives it back to Arnold.   Arnold buries the package in his backyard.

Group #2 Mr. Tanner, the math teacher, receives a package. It arrives at his classroom, during 5th period.   Mr. Tanner ignores the package. He wants to teach. The package starts to sing like Elton John.   The students say, 'Mr. Tanner, the package is singing". Mr. Tanner is mad. He doesn't like Elton John.    Mr. Tanner gives the package detention.

Group #3 Apolo Anton Onho is in Vancouver counting all of his medals. He receives a package from the Canadian hockey team.   Apolo is afraid of the package. Apolo is afraid of the Canadian Hockey Team. Apolo calls Lindsey Vonn.   Lindsey is not afraid. Lindsey opens the package. Inside there are 245632.56 Chicken Nuggets with Spicy Chili Sauce.

So...now...you look at the possibilities and combine as much of it as you can into a skeleton story.

Arnold Schwarzenagger receives a package. Arnold is afraid to open the package.   Arnold gives the package back to the Post Office. The Post Office sends the package to Mr. Tanner the math teacher. Mr. Tanner gives the package detention.   A boy in detention takes the package on the bus. He leaves the package on the bus. The hockey team finds the package. The hockey team leaves the package at the hockey rink.   The Canandian Hockey team finds the package. The Canadian Hockey team sends the package to Apolo Anton Ono. Apolo is afraid to openthe package. He calls Lindsay Vonn.

You copy and paste the skeleton story on to a new page. Now you go back to the stories written by the students and add more details.

Arnold Schwarzenagger receives a package. The package starts to sing the Star-Spangled Banner. Arnold is afraid to open the package.   Arnold gives the package back to the Post Office.

Peter the Postman takes the package from Arnold. Peter is also afraid to open the package. The package sings "They Say It's Your Birthday!" Peter the Postman from the Post Office sends the package to his friend, Mr. Tanner the math teacher.

Mr. Tanner receives the package on the first day of school.   He receives the package during 5th period.     Mr. Tanner is afraid to open the package. Mr. Tanner gives the package detention.

Mark Messesup is a boy in detention.   He puts the package on his desk. Mark Messesup takes the package home on the bus. On the bus, the package sings Miley Cyrus songs. Mark is afraid to open the package now. He leaves the package on the bus.

The bus picks up the hockey team. The hockey team brings the package in to the hockey rink.   It sings more Miley Cyrus songs. The hockey team is also afraid of Miley Cyrus. The hockey team leaves the package at the hockey rink.

The Canadian Hockey team finds the package. The package is still singing Miley Cyrus songs. The Canadian Hockey Team is not afraid of Miley Cyrus. But they don't like her music.    The Canadian Hockey team sends the package to Apolo Anton Ono.

Apolo Anton Ono is in Vancouver when he receives the package. The package starts to sing.    Apolo calls Lindsey Vonn. "I received a package that sings" Lindsey Vonn arrives.   "Wow!" she says.   The package starts to sing very loudly like Miley Cyrus. Now, Apolo is afraid of the package.   He is really afraid of Miley Cyrus.

Lindsey Vonn is not afraid of Miley Cyrus. She is not afraid to open the package. She opens the package. Inside of the package she finds 245632.56 Chicken Nuggets with Spicy Chili Sauce.     She eats 245627.56 Chicken Nuggets.

And repeat the process........

On July 4th, Arnold Schwarzenagger receives a package. The package starts to sing the Star-Spangled Banner. Arnold is afraid to open the package.   Arnold gives the package back to the Post Office.

Peter the Postman takes the package from Arnold. Peter is also afraid to open the package. The package sings "They Say It's Your Birthday!" Peter gets an idea. Peter the Postman from the Post Office sends the package to his friend, Mr. Tanner the math teacher.

Mr. Tanner receives the package on the first day of school.   He receives the package during 5th period.    The package sings the Star-Spangled Banner, but the 5th period class is very loud and no one hears it.   During 6th period the package "They Say It's Your Birthday",Mr. Tanner thinks that it is a student. He thinks that it is his favorite student George Geometria.   Mr. Tanner is afraid to open the package. Mr. Tanner gives the package detention.

Mark Messesup is a boy in detention.    He receives the package when it arrives. He puts the package on his desk. The package sings like Michael Jackson.    Mark Messesup takes the package home on the bus. On the bus, the package sings Miley Cyrus songs. Mark is afraid to open the package now. He leaves the package on the bus.

The bus picks up the hockey team. The hockey team thinks that the package is food for after practice. The hockey team brings the package in to the hockey rink.   During practice the package starts to sing. It sings more Miley Cyrus songs. The hockey team is also afraid of Miley Cyrus. The hockey team leaves the package at the hockey rink.

The Canadian Hockey team finds the package. The package is still singing. The package is still singing Miley Cyrus songs. The Canadian Hockey Team is not afraid of Miley Cyrus. But they don't like her music.    The Canadian Hockey team sends the package to Apolo Anton Ono.

Apolo Anton Ono is looking at all of his medals in Vancouver when he receives the package. The package starts to sing the Star-Spangled Banner.    Apolo calls his friend Lindsey Vonn. "I received a package that sings from the Canadian Hockey Team!!" Lindsey Vonn arrives. She looks at the package.   "Wow!" she says, "You received a cool package!" Apolo walks towards the package. The package starts to sing very loudly like Miley Cyrus. Now, Apolo is afraid of the package.   He is really afraid of Miley Cyrus.

Lindsey Vonn is not afraid of Miley Cyrus. She is not afraid to open the package. She opens the package. Inside of the package she finds 245632.56 Chicken Nuggets with Spicy Chili Sauce.     She eats 245627.56 Chicken Nuggets.

And then...copy and paste.....and on the next page...one more set of details.......

On July 4th, Arnold Schwarzenagger receives a package. The package starts to sing the Star-Spangled Banner. Arnold is afraid to open the package.   Arnold buries the package in his backyard. The package sings all summer in Arnold's back yard. Arnold is really afraid to open the package. In September, Arnold digs up the singing package. Arnold gives the package back to the Post Office.

Peter the Postman takes the package from Arnold.   Peter does not know what to do with the singing package. Peter is also afraid to open the package. The package sings "They Say It's Your Birthday!" Peter gets an idea. Peter needs a birthday present for his friend Mr. Tanner. Peter the Postman from the Post Office sends the package to his friend, Mr. Tanner the math teacher.

Mr. Tanner receives the package on the first day of school.   He receives the package during 5th period.    The package sings the Star-Spangled Banner, but the 5th period class is very loud and no one hears it.   During 6th period the package "They Say It's Your Birthday", but Mr. Tanner is yelling about homework and doesn't hear it. During 7th period the package sings Rocket Man like Elton John. Mr. Tanner thinks that it is a student. He thinks that it is his favorite student George Geometria. "It's not me!" says George. "It's the package!" George is afraid to open the package. Mr. Tanner is afraid to open the package. Mr. Tanner gives the package detention.

Mark Messesup is a boy in detention.    He receives the package when it arrives.   He is not afraid of the package. He puts the package on his desk. The package sings like Michael Jackson. Mark likes to sing like Michael Jackson. Mark Messesup takes the package home on the bus. On the bus, the package sings Miley Cyrus songs. Mark is afraid to open the package now. He leaves the package on the bus.

The bus picks up the hockey team. The hockey team finds the package. The hockey team thinks that the package is food for after practice. The hockey team brings the package in to the hockey rink.   During practice the package starts to sing. It sings more Miley Cyrus songs. The hockey team is also afraid of Miley Cyrus. They are afraid to open the package because Miley might be in the package. The hockey team leaves the package at the hockey rink and runs to the bus, screaming.

The Canadian Hockey team finds the package. The package is still singing. The package is still singing Miley Cyrus songs. The Canadian Hockey Team is not afraid of Miley Cyrus. But they don't like her music. They only like polka music.   The Canadian Hockey team sends the package to Apolo Anton Ono.

Apolo Anton Ono is looking at all of his medals in Vancouver when he receives the package. The package starts to sing the Star-Spangled Banner. Apolo is surprised. What a nice gift! Apolo calls his friend Lindsey Vonn. "I received a package that sings from the Canadian Hockey Team! Come over and see it!" Lindsey Vonn arrives. She looks at the package. The package starts to sing Rocket Man. "Wow!" she says, "You received a cool package!" Apolo says, "I want to know who is inside singing." He walks towards the package. The package starts to sing very loudly like Miley Cyrus. Now, Apolo is afraid of the package.   He is really afraid of Miley Cyrus.

Lindsey Vonn is not afraid of Miley Cyrus. She is not afraid to open the package. She puts on her ski helmet. She puts on her ski goggles. She opens the package. Inside of the package she finds 245632.56 Chicken Nuggets with Spicy Chili Sauce.   Lindsey is very happy!! She is very hungry.   She eats 245627.56 Chicken Nuggets. At the bottom of the box are a group of Chicken Nuggets that sing. They are afraid of Lindsey Vonn.   "Don't eat us! We sing!" Lindsey names the nuggets The Spicy Girls and they become famous on American Idol!!

EBR and what it can do for the teacher....

Laurie Clarcq — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:52:00 GMT

I want to share with you part of a discussion I have been having with Ben Slavic about the use of embedded readings......

Ben, I keep thinking about what you said about reading vs. aural input. Which one is more valuable? I want to use my time in the best way possible!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know that sometimes I “avoid” storyasking because I am a) tired or b) afraid I will just “go all English” on my kids and ruin the whole thing. But they ABSOLUTELY need to hear the language.

I love to read. It’s tempting to do what I like to do. I like to write. I would rather do that than correct papers, make grade entries, write discipline reports, prepare department meeting agendas and answer emails. So I probably do it more often than I should. :o)

What I have been trying to do is to do reading AND asking together. I used to see the TPRS steps of Present Vocab., Tell a Story, and Literacy as not only the steps, but also as the order of operations.

I think that for novices, that is the way it should be. However, once students become literate in the TL, reading becomes the secret weapon. Embedded readings bring all of the best parts of storytelling/storyasking to reading.

I can:
use student ideas
include information about students
control the structures I want to emphasize
circle
park
create a parallel story..in the reading or as discussion
incorporate illustrations
use humor
add the element of surprise
differentiate
stay in the TL
be serious or silly
incorporate song lyrics
incorporate literature
connect with film
explore cultural/historical components

all while BUILDING FOR…AND ON….SUCCESS.

The hardest part of reading with my students?

No, not their reading skill level.
No, not their personal feelings/experiences about reading.

It is, gulp, letting the story and the students, rather than the storyteller, become the focus of the class.

Yup.

There is a bit of an actress in me…and director…and choreographer…and I enjoy those roles. I think, honestly, it is easy for me to ride that wave with my students.

But when I use the embedded readings, it is the students who get all the glory….for the writing and for the comprehension. I am more focused on the fun that they are having…rather than on the fun I am having (or not having if the story isn’t “going well” in my opinion)

It’s a more honest way to teach. It’s a little more humble. And I think that for many teachers, a little more achievable. One of the things that scares teachers about TPRS is the feeling that the teacher needs to be funny and dynamic. You and I know that that is not necessarily true….but all of the good TPRS presenters ARE funny and dynamic.

I’m not saying that embedded readings are for everyone. I’m not saying that I should (or anyone should) use them all of the time. But I am grateful for what they have done for my students…as language learners, as students, as readers, as people. I am also very grateful for they have done for me as a teacher….allowed me to focus on the language, the story and the student….and to hone the skills I need to do that.

with love,
Laurie

Embedded Readings on the Brain

Laurie Clarcq — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:24:00 GMT

I think that several things combine to make embedded readings work:

1. The reps. It has LAYERS of reps built in.

2. The success. They know that there is completely comprehensible input there. It is a great way to build comprehension and confidence. It is also a fantastic way to create a bridge from the totally comprehensible input that we want to give them for acquisition to occasional opportunities to wrestle with less familiar pieces similar to those found on state/local exams.

3. The personalization. It is possible and practical to create our own embedded readings….but there is an entirely different POWER to the readings when they are based on the students’ writings or the students’ story ideas. It doesn’t matter if they wrote it, they came up with the entire outline or they added interesting details. They love looking for, and finding, their own contributions. Those contributions not only make the pieces more comprehensible…they make them IMPORTANT.

4. It is a great way to differentiate.

5. It incorporates a number of literacy skills that good readers use and that our districts are clamoring for. Makes a lot of people happy. But mostly my students, which means the most to me.

6. It works well with technology. Being able to copy and paste makes creating different versions a piece of cake. As Michele showed us above, it can be “written” by , and in the view of, the entire class. We can create stories where additional sentences or details “fly” in and out.

7. One set of structures or one story can be utilized in several levels at once. This is a lifesaver for many of us.

All seven of those topics could be a day-long workshop. :o) There is so much potential in this one process.

Not only can we create and share stories from our own students and our own classes…we could easily share stories between teachers…in different classrooms, in different schools, in different states, in different countries!!

with love,

Laurie

Michele on EBR....#3

Laurie Clarcq — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:20:00 GMT

Here is a Friday embedding activity sold as a game!

Write a short script. Boring example here: I have a brother. He is tall. He likes to play tennis. He is in tenth grade.

Put it on LCD. Kids are in groups. Groups have three minutes to expand. Each group tells their version. Teacher types it as they tell it (or counts sentence or meaning chunks as they tell it and then types the longest one). The longest story wins. It goes up on the overhead for round two.

Repeat: groups have three minutes to expand that longest story. Type the longest one up and cheer. I only did this twice. It took us about twenty minutes and was very intense.

They really hunkered down the second time to be totally efficient. You have to insist on total TL use; that way it’s comprehensible to all.

I know it’s output. But it’s Friday–kindergarten day.

(after her next class she writes more!!! Laurie)

In my last class (a mixed level 1/2 group of 7th and 8th graders), we only got through round 1. The class figured out that they could embellish on the run, and there were some very middle-school embellishments. Here’s the first one from that group: I have a brother. His name is Howard. He has long hair. He’s blond. He has blue eyes. He’s tall. He loves to play tennis, football, and soccer. He’s in tenth grade in the state of Alaska in the town of Anchorage in West High. He has a dog. Her name is Penelope. Penelope is very bloodthirsty and small.

Here’s the longest–it got kind of unwieldy because three eighth grade boys have lately had a run on eating heads, arms, and small children, and they were interrupting each other to add more:

I have a green brother. He’s the very biggest brother in the world. He’s also the very tallest brother in the world. He has a father. His father works as an electrician. My brother eats my father. He also eats me. He likes to play tennis. He plays tennis badly. He is in the tenth grade. In a year, he will go into eleventh grade. He lives in the town of Jibuti in the state of Illinois. He has a parrot. His parrot likes to say, “Eat it up!” The parrot’s name is Bob. The parrot eats Bob’s head.

Given only three minutes of prep time, and because I had ask several questions because it’s easy to mix up “has a” and “eats a” (this was a great chance to set that straight in a truly natural way), I now have a new rule:

You get only X number of minutes to tell the story.

This class took half an hour to play, from setting up groups to reading every story. I was intending for them to do a fast write following, but we ran out of time. I might also change the prep time to two minutes for this group, and maybe a requirement for a symbol of some sort on a white board for every phrase so that they can’t free associate so easily.

In the other classes, the first round involved negotiation over what to say. In this group, the kids were focused right away on expanding, and they didn’t discuss names/description/age. In other classes, the second expansion included some negation of the longest story so that they could get their own information back in.

To decide the groups, we used a line-up of shoes from lightest to darkest. Then we counted off by threes. That took about a minute and a half. Then each person had to tell their group something unusual about a family member before sitting down together.

Michele

Michele on EBR...#2

Laurie Clarcq — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:15:00 GMT

Toni asked Michele for an example....and here is her response!:

"

This turned out to be a very long answer. Hope it’s what you meant when you asked for an example!

I have been doing this with levels 1/2 up through the mixed 2-4/IB/AP groups. As Laurie says, it means that you can actually use the same story with every single class. Unfortunately, it also means that it’s even harder to remember who told what. It’s best to do the writing with the group watching and helping.

I started today with a story (that my more advanced kids wrote for my beginners when I was out sick last week–I e-mailed my sub a list of verbs that I wanted included). Here’s the story (watch how important the first line isn’t):
There was a dog. His name was Bob. Bob liked to talk, but his sister only liked to shout. Bob didn’t like to listen when his sister shouted. Bob’s mother gave him a pair of headphones so that he could listen to music. Then the sister cried, so the mother went to the store and bought a pair of headphones.

This got expanded with various extra pieces to:
Bob lived in (Anchorage, Alaska or other places) with his family: a mom, a dad, a sister, and a brother (and other family members). (and all their names) (and later, what kind of people they were, in some cases) Bob liked to talk, but his sister only liked to shout. Bob didn’t like to listen when his sister shouted. He always asked his sister why she shouted. She said she didn’t know. (One group explained that she needed drugs to calm her down.) He said that when she shouted, it didn’t help him do his homework. (got F’s on tests, broke projects part-way through) Bob’s mother gave him a pair of headphones so that he could listen to music instead of to his sister. Then the sister cried, and wanted a set of headphones. Why did Bob get the headphones? –To help him not have to listen to his sister. The mom explained that she’d only had one pair. (then there was some addition about who was spoiled and who got everything in the family, and who was the prince–different groups) She kept crying, so the mother went/drove/danced to the store and bought another pair of headphones, and brought them back to the sister. (Then one group had the girl continue to act out because once you start giving in to little sisters this way, it’s all over. Another group made everything end just fine now. One group had the other brother start shouting, for other reasons…one group lost the mom because when she went to the store she fell in love with the salesman…)

So really, this is just like the usual fill-in the blank story from Anne, except that it keeps expanding and expanding. And the different classes want to find out what the others wrote, so we’ll see what happens. There comes a point when I have to cut it off.

When I wrote before, I had three words for every class: sighed, broke, and swimming/traveling by boat. I gave those words to the kids, and each group wrote and gave me a different story in their minute of English (you can hand out mini pieces of paper for this writing activity). One group’s story was: “There was a whale swimming. It swam under a boat and broke the boat when it sighed.” We started with that exact story and ended up with a much longer one about how the whale wanted to get (forgot where) and needed money and there was a flamingo in the boat who had lots of money and was going the same place, but all the money weighed him down, so he couldn’t fly. As it turned out, he was part of the flamingo mafia, and was really a bad guy, so when the boat broke and he drowned, the nice whale had enough money to get wherever it was he was going. There was more about what the whale wanted when he got there, but I’ve forgotten. That story expanded over the course of three days.

Giving kids the three main words works really well. They love hearing their own stories come to life, and it’s a natural progression to expand on them.

On Friday, my last class of the day wanted to tell a tacky Valentine’s Day story in ten minutes. They created a muffin that fell in love with a rose, but his frosting girlfriend got mad.

Today, because some kids had missed Friday, the group wanted to repeat that story before we got to the dog story (and I guess we never really got to the dog story in that group), and it expanded to be that the muffin liked to dance and play basketball. He was at the gym one day and caught sight of a beautiful tall rose who was playing basketball so well that his heart nearly stopped. He immediately fell in love, but then his girlfriend saw him falling in love, so she ran across the room and slapped him, at which point he broke in half (complete with two different sets of actors falling down, a rose standing on the table to be really tall, stage slapping), and the cream went up to the rose and they ran off to the cafe together.

I got to add two reflexive verbs to the mix, and when a little first-year kid used a past-tense reflexive verb correctly (”broke itself”–which he had down because of the whale and boat story) to re-tell the story, his older sister (visiting the class to show off) had the classic dropped jaw. She couldn’t believe what she heard (she’s a fifth-year kid, and just learned that particular verb over the last two weeks, with all the second-year kids). Only lately have I realized that you really need reflexive verbs in Russian. I used to just avoid them all.

We told it with actors twice, embellishing as we went, and then turned to the drawing I’d left on the board last Friday so that we could re-tell it in a chorus. That was when my poor year 5 girl clearly wondered what juice these kids have been drinking. For her, what her brother said was grammar, because she had me for three years before TPRS. It’s a past tense, perfective aspect, reflexive, masculine ending verb. For him, it’s what happens when a “he” breaks. It’s just a vocabulary word. Even though she’s now had TPRS for two years, her brain still analyzes. My fault."

Michele

(I have seen this reaction too :o) Laurie)

Michele on Embedded Readings

Laurie Clarcq — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:08:00 GMT

Michele Whaley in Alaska has been working with embedded readings with her students and sharing with us. I'd like to put her posts here as well and she has graciously agreed!

She writes........"I have embedded readings on the brain. This has been a huge turning point for me, but at this moment, I’m not really even sure what I used to do before because everything is getting embedded and embellished. There’s really no obvious end to any story or activity. I can’t say that I am following a set curriculum in any one class. It’s pretty free-form, though one class was able to read the piece on environmental pollution that I’d been aiming for this month, and another group read about the October revolution with very little difficulty. A third class watched a children’s video about a baby mammoth.

The one constant lately is that I’ve handed the kids the structures and they have spent two minutes coming up with skeleton stories, which I then ask. Generally we don’t get to all the stories.In one afternoon lesson, I printed out skeleton stories that kids had told the day before when they had to think up stories for me from three structures, handed them out to groups, and they had five minutes to expand on those stories by figuring out back-story details. They told the class the expanded story, meanwhile fulfilling a speaking grade. It could have been the same story in every group, but it turned out to be different ones. It could be fun to have several different versions of the same story.

I typed up those extended stories during class as they retold the stories - dictating to me - (as I typed, they could read on the LCD, so we got more reps). Then I added extra details to the stories for the next day’s text on my own. By then, we all knew the vocabulary really well. I could and probably should have followed up with a fast write, but I got distracted and did something else.

In another class, I typed up some skeleton stories, sent them off to our native speaker, and she embellished, returning the stories to me by e-mail. The kids were really happy with her take on the stories.

In a third group, I typed up the skeleton story, and then we asked the back story with the whole class, and I typed that up after the lesson. We read the results today during class. Unfortunately for me, I missed some of the details, and got others wrong, so the kids were YELLING out the corrections. Naturally I had two visitors sitting in the back of the class, and they thought the kids were unruly. But they were still impressed with the amount of Russian they knew. We’re using all sorts of irregular past tenses, reflexive verbs, and verbs of motion.

Ben, I started to write you this to explain where our conversation about embedded readings has taken me. I’m not sure I explained very well. But I think my kids are feeling very happy with themselves, and I’m feeling like a power teacher again.

I’m SO glad I’m teaching this way. It’s so much more elemental than any other way. Thank you for all your writing, your engagement and your support!

Michele"

Embedded Readings...Now What?...Part 2

Laurie Clarcq — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:18:00 GMT

The first time I use embedded readings with my students I usually follow this procedure...or something similar:

1. The readings are stapled together with the simplest piece on top. I ask each student to raise his/her right hand swear that he/she will NOT read ahead of where we are as a class. :o) You'll see why in Step 2. It's also a good way to practice...I promise /I swear. I ask the students to read the simple piece silently and picture the information/story in their minds. It really only takes a minute...but I want to encourage the silent reading/picturing skill with these emerging readers....AND independence. I need to know that the simple piece is individually and independently comprehensible. If it isn't, I have made it too complex and need to pare down on the next reading. Then we do a quick comprehension check. I will read the piece aloud one sentence at a time (my lower level students gain confidence from hearing the sentences and it doesn't take long with the simple version) and either have a student translate or have them hold up a signal showing me that they get the entire sentence or they don't. I've found that this first step is much more important than I first realized. If there are gaps in comprehension at this level of the story, I will lose kids as the story progresses and I just don't want to do that!!!

2. Once I am sure that everyone has the simple version (and the better I get at creating them, the less time this takes) I tell them that I have copy and pasted this version of the story right into the next version...and I hope that they can find it. And we flip to the next page....

If the class is a group of strong readers, I will let them read silently again. Usually though I read and choose kids to translate. (they know from how the class is run that they can volunteer, but that I will also call on individuals when I think that they can do it!!) This allows me to let every kid be successful at the translating. I can stop and circle new information at this point. I can ask if anyone wrote those details in their story. I can ask who had a different detail in their story.

By now they have figured out that the next page has even more information, even more of THEIR ideas, and is a little bit more challenging. Some of them are chomping at the bit to flip the page and look ahead. I remind them of their promise. :o) The anticipation is a good sign. It adds to the fun. When I feel we've milked that level enough....and that I can't push the waiting any longer...Get Ready, Get Set, Go!! Flip!!!

3. The third version is like dessert to a hungry reader. It may be appear like too many helpings to the unconfident. This is the place where I can show them that by embedding the first two versions in this version, that they really can read AND understand a longer, more complex reading. This is the level that wins them over. How I handle it depends on the class. It is a good place to use my instincts. Any of the choices below will work...but sometimes one calls to me more than another.    Usually one of them will be the in-class activity and another one becomes an assignment (sub/in class/homework) or a quiz.

   a. The students read the story silently, and use a highlighter to highlight new information or words/phrases that they DO understand.

       b. The students read the story silently, and use a highlighter to highlight new information or words/phrases that they DON'T understand.

       c.   If the students are giving me "this is going to be too hard" signals, I reassure them and we read/translate together instead of reading silently. This way I can keep them focused and reinforce their success.

We can then discuss, circle, etc. The first time we do an embedded reading I believe that it is VERY helpful to go over the readings orally. I can point out who added what, reinforce how well they are reading, use pop-ups etc. Later in the year, I feel more comfortable spending less time on those activities if time is short....but not the first time or two that we do an embedded reading. I like watching their eyes light up...and recognizing that with them!!!

   c. The students can illustrate the story. (Sometimes I have had them illustrate the BASIC story as a hw assignment. I pick one that I really think is clear, then add space and xerox it so that the students can add new illustrations from the more complex story.)

   d. The students can list, in English or Spanish (you choose),the new details about the story. (left-brainers love this...right-brainers won't see the point)

       e. The students can translate the piece for a parent/friend/adult who then signs it so that they student receives credit.   I tell them that they should be able to translate most of it....but if there are phrases/words that they forgot that they should circle them and we'll go over them again in class.


4. The fourth version is now icing on the cake!! I like to let 24 hours go between reading #3 and reading #4. Some students really benefit from that "marinating time". If a group is weak, then the following day we will re-read version #3 before going on to version #4.   I point out, iether way, that version #4 may not be completely comprehensible. I remind them that completely comprehensible input is a beautiful way to build acquisition....but that not everything in the world has been created specifically for them to understand. I let them know that they have all of the skills they need to find the information that they want from a challenging piece.

     It's important then that I use this level in a way that does NOT require everyone to understand every tiny piece of new information. I'll write my next post on some ways to do that.

with love,
Laurie

Well....Now I've Got An Embedded Reading...What Do I Do With It?!

Laurie Clarcq — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:58:00 GMT

Whatever you'd like. :o) Really. I can only share what I know has worked in my classroom with the students I've had so far. You are the expert in your room, with your students. I would love to hear back about how you have worked with these readings!!

Diane Grieman sent me this:

I've been writing extended readings using the embedded readings guideline. So far I've written three. It's such an easy way to write a story! The kids think they're great. Everyone understands the basic story. Almost all of the class understands almost all of the second story. They say it's really easy to figure out unknown words when the basic story is embedded. the third version is targeted towards my advanced kids, and they appreciate that I am challenging them.

I also have, twice now for sectional writings (6 of the target structures), given kids 3 options: 1) use the basic story I've written and add two sentences for each one I've written; 2) draw the story using the vocab and the drawings in the book (I use Cuentos Fantasticos); 3) write a completely different story, but still using the target structures. The lower kids are really appreciating having a basic story to add to, and are doing a much better job writing more. The other two options are what I usually have done anyway.

Hurray for embedding!
Diane

Thanks Diane!!!!!!

I hope to post more responses soon!!

with love,
Laurie

Student-Generated Embedded Readings...Option #2

Laurie Clarcq — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:35:00 GMT

Another way to create a student-generated embedded reading is to work, as a class, from a skeleton story.   Over the years I've progressed from chart paper to white boards to overheads to Smartboards with the same process....you can make it work with whatever you have available!!

1.   Create a skeleton or base story. Write it somewhere where the entire class can see it. On a Smartboard I list the sentences one beneath the other:

There is a burro.
He lives in Florida.
He needs a special present.
He looks and looks.
Finally! It's the perfect present.

On a white board or overhead I list them across the top of the surface from left to right:

There is a burro.       He lives in Florida.   He needs a special present. He looks and looks. Finally! etc.

With chart paper, I will usually write each sentence on the top of a different sheet of paper.

2.   "Ask" for two/three details for each sentence of the story of the story and add them underneath each sentence.    Circle as much as you'd like.   Do not go beyond 2-3 details...no matter how tempting it is!! :o)

3.    Go back to the beginning of the story and dig deeper!!!!   Encourage the students to think of additional details, interesting adjectives, additional actions. Add the new details.

*Sometimes the students respond well to changing marker color for each round!!!

4. Go back to the beginning. Read the story aloud.   Every 5 or 6 sentences...Ask...What is So and So THINKING at this moment.   Add thos sentences.

5.   Go back to the beginning. Read all or part of the story....after you read (and discuss if you'd like!) what the character thinks...Ask...What is So and So FEELING at this moment? Add those sentences.

6. Go back to the beginning. Read all or part of the story....after you read (and discuss if you'd like!) what the character thinks...Ask...What does/should So and So SAY at this moment? Add those sentences.

This can work very well when working with several classes of the same level. For example, this year I have Spanish 1 periods 1,3 and 5. I can start a story in Period 1, circle and add sentences in Periods 3 and 5, and then come back the next day with the new and increased story for my Period 1 students. The next time I do this activity I will start with Period 3 and the following time with Period 5 so that each group gets to begin, develop, and finish a story.

Obviously this works well with students who are familiar with the storyasking components of TPRS. It also requires interactions, rappor and guidelines so that students' ideas are a welcome part of the class, not a frustrating experience in classroom management.

Once students have done this activity several times though, they can work in four small groups. Each group receives a skeleton story and gets a few minutes to add the first round of sentences. They then pass their story to the next group, who adds to the story in the same staggered manner that we did above. The story then goes to the next group for more details/information/ideas. Then I bring the story back to its original group who puts the finishing touches on it. I can then collect and type all 4 stories for the class to read.

Whew!!!

Enough for now compadres...
with love,
Laurie

Student-Generated Embedded Readings...Option #1

Laurie Clarcq — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:54:00 GMT

The very first time I created an embedded reading, I took the majority of the sentences from my student writings. I love to use students' work in class...and I am always looking for a new way to do that.    Here is the "method" I've worked out.....

1. I ask students to do a writing piece. I give them the theme or topic so that everyone's writing has similar elements and utilizes similar structures.     Sometimes I determine a simple story line (ie write a story about a guinea pig who has a secret life as a super-hero), sometimes a summary of a movie that we have seen, sometimes a letter format similar to NYS Proficiency/Regents topics (ie Write a letter to your grandmother about your summer job at a restaurant)

The piece may be written as part of a class activity , it may be a quiz, it may be a homework assignment; how and where it takes place is not really critical...but I believe that the truest work comes from a 10 minute write. It also does not matter if the students use their notes, words from a list/board, or just their own inner resources.

2. Once the papers are collected I read through them quickly and organize them in a pile, from least complicated to most complicated.   I create the base story (10-20 sentences for my kids) by taking sentences (cleaning up grammar or clarifying as necessary) from the least complicated papers. I know that this story will now be completely comprehensible to my barometer students BECAUSE THEY WROTE IT!! :o)

3. I copy and paste the simple story on to a new page.   Then I go back to the pile of student writings in order to find, and add, new information, interesting or quirky details, and cool vocabulary phrases ( all of a sudden, obviously etc.)   I am not necessarily adding information to the end of the story....I try to insert 2-4 sentences in between each sentence of the base story....then add a few additional sentences at the end if there is a good idea in the student writings that I want to include.

4. I copy and paste that version on to another page. Then I go back to the pile of student writings, dig deeper into the pile, and look for more sentences, more details, more vocabulary, more ideas to the story. Again, I try to add sentences throughout the story.

5. Often I will then add one more version to the "packet" of stories. Now that I have a great student-generated story, I can add other structures and vocabulary....as well as personalized touches to that story. This ensures that my upper-level students are challenged and interested in the process as well.

It takes a little practice.....but the students love the results...even when I am not sure that the finished product is interesting...they get drawn in quickly and easily.   They are happy to "build" up reading levels.   They love finding the details in their own stories in the new story. They enjoy looking for things about themselves or references to things they know about or read about or wrote about!!

with love,
Laurie

One Way to Create An Embedded Reading...a Simpler Version

Laurie Clarcq — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:05:00 GMT

For those of you who teach more novice classes, the same approach can be used with simple structures.

A. Choose phrases:   wants to watch, can't watch, has to go

B. Write a simple piece using the first phrase:

Lavinia wants to watch a movie. She wants to watch the movie Avatar. She wants to watch a movie this weekend. She wants to watch a movie with her friends.     But there is a problem....

C. Add details using the second phrase:

Lavinia wants to watch a movie in a movie theater.   Usually she can't watch a movie in a movie theater because there is no movie theater in her town. So, many times Lavinia watches movies at home on television. But Lavinia really wants to watch the movie Avatar.   She can't watch Avatar at home. She really wants to watch Avatar in a movie theater with her friends.   It is a good day! Bill Gates has built a new movie theater in her town. Lavinia really wants to watch the movie Avatar in the new Bill Gates' Theater with her friends.    But there is a problem...

D. Add details using the third phrase (hint: use the copy and paste function, then add sentences. Saves time and energy!!):

Lavinia wants to watch a movie in a movie theater.   Usually she can't watch a movie in a movie theater because there is no movie theater in her town. She has to go to the town in the northeast, or she has to go to the town in the southwest to go to a movie theater. So, many times Lavinia watches movies at home on television. First she has to go to Blockbuster for a movie.    Then she has to go home to watch the movie.   Some days her father is watching WWE Wrestling and she has to go to her grandmother's house to watch a movie.

But Lavinia really wants to watch the movie Avatar.   She can't watch Avatar at home. Avatar is new. Avatar is not at Blockbuster. Lavinia has to go to a movie theater. She really wants to watch Avatar in a movie theater with her friends.   Usually she has to go to the other towns.   After school Lavinia has to go home.   She talks with her mother.   She says, "I want to see the movie Avatar.   I can't watch Avatar here. I have to go to another town.   Can I go?" .   Her mother says, "I have a surprise! You don't have to go to another town. It is a good day! Bill Gates has built a new movie theater in own town." Lavinia really wants to watch the movie Avatar in the new Bill Gates' Theater with her friends.   But there is a problem....

Only students with a 100 on the Spanish test can go to the Bill Gates Theater. Lavinia has to study!! Lavinia wants to study with her friends. They all want to get a 100 and go to the Bill Gates Theater to see Avatar.    Lavinia has to study Spanish vocabulary. Lavinia has to study Spanish verbs. Lavinia has to read stories in Spanish. Lavinia has to write stories in Spanish. Lavinia has to study a lot!!! Because she really wants to go to the theater to see Avatar with her friends!!

See how adding one phrase really draws out the story and makes it more interesting?

with love,
Laurie

One Way to Create an Embedded Reading...an example from Ben's Blog

Laurie Clarcq — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:47:00 GMT

Ben was working with a song....backwards planning with the song lyrics as his goal. I wanted to give him an example of what an embedded reading based on a song might look like for my Level 4s. So, I chose a few lines that might be found in a love song and created a series of embedded readings using those phrases.

The strategy I used was :
A) Identify the key phrases
Write a simple piece using the first phrase.
C) Add details using the second phrase.
D) Continue adding details using the third phrase.
E) Add details using the fourth phrase for the final piece.

My first thought is that I would “build” the story. For example: the four phrases are….I never knew…I thought….you were the one….each and every day.

Level 1: I never knew

I never knew that oatmeal was delicious. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because I never ate oatmeal. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because no one in my family ate oatmeal. I never knew that it could be my favorite breakfast.

Level 2: I never knew + I thought

I thought I knew everything but I never knew that oatmeal was delicious. I thought that oatmeal was horrible. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because I never ate oatmeal. I wasn;t as smart as I thought I was. I thought that it would be absolutely disgusting. I thought that I would vomit if I ate oatmeal. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because no one in my family ate oatmeal. My mother never ate oatmeal. My father never ate oatmeal. I thought that my father knew everything. You were just the silly little girl next door….the one that always bothered me. So I thought that oatmeal must be horrible. I never thought about trying it. I never thought that I would like it. I never that it could be my favorite breakfast.

Level 3: I never knew + I thought+you were the one

You were the smart one. I thought I knew everything but I never knew that oatmeal was delicious. You were the one who always said that oatmeal was fantastic. I thought that oatmeal was horrible. You were the one who ate oatmeal every day. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because I never ate oatmeal. You were the one who told me that I wasn;t as smart as I thought I was. I thought that it would be absolutely disgusting. You were the one who promised me that I wouldn’t vomit if I ate oatmeal. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because no one in my family ate oatmeal. There was no oatmeal in my house. You were the one who had oatmeal in your house. My mother never ate oatmeal. My father never ate oatmeal. I thought that my father knew everything. You weren’t the one who knew everything. My father knew everything. I was a kid!! You were just the silly little girl next door….the one that always bothered me. You were the one who always played tricks on me. So I thought that oatmeal must be horrible. I never thought about trying it. You were the one who put bugs in my salad and told me that they were raisins!!! So when you were the one who told me that oatmeal was delicious, I never thought that I would like it. I never knew that you were the one who could even make oatmeal wonderful, that you were the oatmeal princess. I never that it could be my favorite breakfast….and that you were the one who was right.

Level 4 I never knew+I thought+you were the one+each and every day

You were the smart one. Each and every day you ate oatmeal. I thought I knew everything but I never knew that oatmeal was delicious. You were the one, each and every day, who always said that oatmeal was fantastic. I thought that oatmeal was horrible. You were the one who ate oatmeal, some how, some way, each every day. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because I never ate oatmeal. Each and every day you were the one who told me that I wasn;t as smart as I thought I was. I thought that it would be absolutely disgusting. I thought I would vomit each and every drop of oatmeal if I ate it. Each and every day ,you were the one who promised me that I wouldn’t vomit if I ate oatmeal. I never knew that oatmeal was delicious because no one in my family ate oatmeal. Each and every day we ate burnt toast and moldy jam. There was no oatmeal in my house. You were the one who had oatmeal in your house. You ate oatmeal each and every day. Oatmeal with honey, oatmeal with jelly beans, oatmeal with spinach, oatmeal with chocolate chips. Oatmeal with each and every meal. My mother never ate oatmeal. She ate burnt toast each and every day. (dry…she was always on a diet!) My father never ate oatmeal. My father ate burnt toast and moldy jam each and every day!! I thought that my father knew everything. If he ate burnt toast and moldy jam each and every day, then I ate burnt toast and moldy jam each and every day!!! You weren’t the one who knew everything. My father knew everything. I was a kid!! You were just the silly little girl next door….the one that always bothered me….each and every day. You were the one who always played tricks on me….each and every day. So I thought that oatmeal must be horrible. I never thought about trying it. You were the one who put bugs in my salad, each and every day and told me that they were raisins!!! I ate those bugs each and every day for a year!!! So when you were the one who told me that oatmeal was delicious, I never thought that I would like it. I never knew that you were the one who, each and every day, could even make oatmeal wonderful, that you were the oatmeal princess. I never that it could be my favorite breakfast each and every day….with anything….as long as you were with me……and that you were the one who was right. And now you remind me of it each and every day!!! Enough already!!!!!!

with love,
Laurie

Embedded Readings ....More on the Concept...

Laurie Clarcq — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:41:00 GMT

Folks are wondering....

What is an embedded reading?

An embedded reading is a reading in three or more levels. The first reading is at a basic level, easy for any student to read. It is usually a summary of the story/article etc. Each succeeding level adds sentences with additional information. These sentences may also include additional structures or more challenging structures. The final version is the most challenging. However, each version contains the basic version (and subsequent levels) within it. This scaffolding of the story builds success.

We have been discussing these on Ben's blog and several folks have offered their insight and experiences. Michele shares her approach to using student work to generate ideas for the story used in her embedded readings. It is an area where we can each utilize our own strengths and adapt readings for our own students. So the next question is....

What makes embedded readings interesting to students?

A) Comprehensibility/Success
Each level adds new information AND repetitions
C) The structures are combined with student-generated information/ideas/storylines

I think, so far at least, that A and B are required. This allows us to create embedded (or scaffolded) readings for literature (I created one for the story La Noche Boca Arriba) or articles in L2. It is a very helpful step. One of the criticisms of TPRS is that we don't prepare our students to read "real" materials. Embedded readings can be the bridge between 100% comprehensible readings and (used to increase language acquisition) and actual materials that our students will address in testing situations, college-level coursework, and of course, real life.

Option C, however, really allows us to bring the concept of personalization into reading. Like Michele, my first attempt at embedded readings was based on student writings. They loved finding their own ideas in the reading.

I'll try to use the next few days to ramble on a little bit more about embedded readings.

with love,

Laurie

It Ain't Easy...Bein' Sick

Laurie Clarcq — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:35:00 GMT

For the last week and a half I've been fighting mano a mano with a sinus/double ear infection.   Between the two days with subs and the fact that talking sends me into long-lasting coughing spasms, my students and I switched from our usual dose of verbal interaction to activities that are more reading-centered and group/pair-oriented.

I like all of the activities. I think that they are educationally sound. I think that my students are getting a lot of good, quality, written Comprehensible Input. But I am astounded at the difference in the classes.

First of all, discipline is off. I have to employ signals and silences more often. I really don't enjoy that. Neither do the students.   It isn't a lot of extra tension...but it is enough to change the classroom atmosphere.

What is REALLY missing, however, is the strong sense of "being in this together." When they work in pairs or groups, when they work at an individual pace, there is no sense of colleagiality. There are no group "inside" jokes.   The class feels very different without that!!!

When I am "conducting" the class, and everyone is working on the same story/idea/conversation/topic, it is like being on a family car trip. Sure, there is a little bickering. Yeah, it's annoying when someone has to stop and go to the restroom.   No, everyone does not like the radio station.   But..... there are shared moments of hilarity and common experience that create an atmosphere like no other I've taught in.

I can't wait to get back after a week of vacation (next week). Hopefully the coughing etc. will have subsided and we can get to work on using as much Spanish as possible hanging out together.   The story of Ana and her adventures in Casi Se Muere are just more interesting when we read it, and talk about it, together.   Not just at the same time in the same room.   But really together.   It goes from being Ana's story to our story that we read about Ana.

Oh we'll still do activities that allow students to work 'out of the group"......but not as often.   We need that together time.   It's who we are. We all miss it.

with love,
Laurie

Lots of Pieces to Put Together

Laurie Clarcq — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:27:00 GMT

We've just worked our way into the novel Casi Se Muere (Blaine Ray). It seems to work out well this time of year for my freshmen (in their second year of Spanish). The first chapter is a review of sorts for them. They read Pobre Ana last year and the chapter revisits Ana and her family. The second chapter is about the country of Chile (Ana's new destination) and we actually use that as part of our midterm exam. Chapter three is her arrival and first few days in Chile. Chapter Four? Well that is where all of the action begins!!

This year I think that I am going to do the song Bidi Bidi Bum Bum (Selena) between Chapters 4 and 5 to go along with Ana's budding romance. Towards the end of the book, we'll look at Juanes' Odio Por Amor as part of the "anti-bully/forgive your enemy" message in the book. This year's group loves music but balks at reading, so I am hoping that this will make the experience a little less anxiety-producing for them. I've never added songs in the middle of the book...I'll let you know how it goes!!

with love,
Laurie

Not Exactly a Do-Over But....

Laurie Clarcq — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:47:00 GMT

I am so glad that it is the beginning of a new semester. It's a great excuse to crank it up a notch. :o) Not in speed.   In focus.

A couple of years ago I began giving Thursday quizzes. I am often telling my students that Thursday quizzes are for me.   I look at the Thursday quizzes so I know where I am going the following week. Midterm exams are the ultimate Thursday quiz!!!

I'm lucky enough, after a couple of decades in the classroom, to have notebooks and files full of potential activities.    Truth is, most of us have access to more activities than we could ever use in three lifetimes. Between texts, ancillaries, conferences, and the wonderful world of the Internet there is no shortage of things to do come Monday morning.

The question is....which ones really matter?

This weekend (because I rarely leave my teaching brain at work, even when I leave my papers and gradebook there) I'll be rolling that question around in my mind....reading other blogs, checking out listserv posts....so that come Monday I can do a sort of sorts.....Use, Toss, Save for further consideration...

What do you most want to hold on to?

with love,
Laurie

Laughter and Tears (or When Games Work)

Laurie Clarcq — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:34:00 GMT

Many of you know that Karen and I have a series of workshops on games in the classroom.   I so wish that I could have shared a "fly-on-the-wall" clip of my class this morning with you to show you when, how and why games can be such a powerful part of the classroom.

This morning I divided (actually, they self-divided, I directed as needed) the class into several groups. Each group had a different game to play.   The groups played for about 10 minutes and then we rotated so that each group got to play several games.

Below is an explanation of how I set things up....but that is not what I want to share.

First, there was the laughter.   Tons of it. What a wonderful thing to hear first thing in the morning.   Not laughing at....laughing with.    They were relaxed and happy, enjoying the simple games and comaraderie of their classmates.    After a stress-filled midterm week, it was a refreshing change for all of us.

The tears were mine....and kept to myself until the class left the room.   Why?   Well.....first there is the student whose mother is very ill.    He is so exhausted that he nearly always falls asleep in class.   He likes to "hoodie up" and hunker down.   By himself. He rarely speaks.   Today he was laughing and smiling for thirty minutes.

Second, there was the eighth grader, who is often set apart from the 9th and 10th graders in the class. He comes up from the middle school and today he was totally in his element, laughing and silly and part of a group having a great time.

Third, the student who tries very hard NOT to participate was calling the Bingo game. In Spanish. Why?   Because, as he stated, he has the best pronunciation of all of the guys in the group. (Did I mention that this is a class of 18 boys and 3 girls??)

Fourth, the student who likes to come in late, hide in the very back of the room, and dream about hunting and fishing was in the front of the room blasting his team through a Who Wants to Be A Millionaire game on the Smart Board. Totally involved.   Having a great time.

Fifth, on the way out one of the girls said to me..."You know, inside, we are all still kids."

Yes we are.

And who better to realize it than the heart of a child?

Ok...now if you want the "details" of game set-up, here is a little information:

The logistics of creating games that work is another post. Actually it's a book we are working on :o). The quick story of this morning is this:

*We had played all of the games before as a class so they knew the games and the rules.
*They were short, simple and involved structures/vocabulary/information that was familiar.
* I let them, for the most part, choose their own groups....because they are at a point in the year where I knew that they understood the rules of the class and would PLAY the games without my having to be in charge.
* They switched games after 10 minutes....not enough time to get bored.
*I did not get all crazy about English as long as they were playing the games which were in and about Spanish. (I'll save that for later...this was the first time that they had played in independent game groups)

Creating the right atmosphere for games is the key element.....and I'll try to get back to that another time.

with love,
Laurie