The progress of monitoring the game plan seems to be going at a slow pace since I hardly have time to implement anything new in my class. Students and teachers are very busy preparing for tests so I cannot impart any new ideas just yet. However, I believe I can have a great start at encouraging students to be digitally responsible by allowing students to send me emails. I currently have a 9th grader who initiated a double-entry journal with me called a kokan notebook. Inside the book are entries made by myself and the student. Frankly speaking, I am learning as much from this student as much as she is learning from me.
The next step is to encourage the student to create the digital version of the kokan notebook. I have also asked the Japanese teacher of English to inform students that I am available to assist them with oral communication skills. It is at this point I will need to use my camera to take small video clips of students having dialogue with me in English. The purpose of the videos is to help students build the confidence they need to speak more English in the most natural form. I believe this game plan will is ongoing so even after this course I will still be working on the plan and adding to my professional development.
I realized that sometimes educators become too overly ambitious about implementing a new concept or plan but then these changes will gradually materialize over a period of time. Although it is difficult to get my students to participate in any programme outside of class because of their busy schedule, I will not be discouraged.
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Hi.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a Kokan notebook?
Do you students have access to computers on a consistent basis? If so, have you considered setting up "pen-pals" with students in an English speaking country? You can do this for free through the Internet on epals.com. It's a fabulous tool. Check it out. Maybe it is something that you can use for your students to practice their English.
Digs
Hi Digs!
ReplyDeleteA kokan notebook is simply a notebook that is used to document dialogue between two or maybe more persons. This was introduced to me by a third grader whose English ability is high. Moreover, her interest for learning English is even more driven since through the book we can tal about anything from sharing aspects of our culture, to personal interest, and guidance with proper use of grammar. We also share pictures to underscore our passion about something. I have also recently added a section to my post by giving the student a quiz to solve. This student also uses the kokan notebook with a Japanese teacher. I believe journaling with a teacher can stimulate learning in many ways and the outcome can even be greater. I just wish other students would be bold and set aside time to converse with me through the kokan notebook.
I have considered establishing a pen-pal system with students but I would first need to source students who are willing to do it and those who are not so busy. Most Japanese students have considerably long exhausting hours at school doing studies or extra curricular activities even on weekends and holidays. So I would need to find students who have the time. However, this would be a wonderful way to allow students from different countries to share things of common interest. I will be looking at epals to see how it all operates. Thanks again for your suggestion Digs.
K. Kerr
Hi.
ReplyDeleteSo, is the Kokan notebook like a spiral or a journal format that you use to kind of have a conversation going back and forth between you and the student? Or is it a website tool? It sounds a lot like a journal interaction that a lot of us use.
Digs
This Kokan notebook sounds very interesting. It sounds a bit like a learning log that we use in AVID. Students are able to use metacoginitive skills in order to evaluate what they have learned and how they have leaned it. They also reflect on how the teaching and learning experience might have been improved.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the situation of a tight schedule, I can say that I have similar concerns. Right now my school is on a mission to keep external administrators happy by demonstrating evidence of cooperative learning and copious amounts of student work displayed, (which I happen to love), but technology, and how to use it in the classroom, is probably one of the lowest issues on the list of things to do.
Good Luck!