[ola] Re: Props to the journey
- From: JoAnna Coleman <joannac@xxxxxxx>
- To: "ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2013 23:57:55 +0000
Darcy - gracias por animarnos otra vez!!!!
JoAnna Coleman
Spanish Teacher
Wilson High School
503-916-5280 ext. 75231
joannac@xxxxxxx
http://profecoleman.wordpress.com/
________________________________
From: ola-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <ola-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Darcy
Rogers <rogersdr25@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2013 3:31 PM
To: ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ola] Props to the journey
Hello all! I have been watching the posts going around and I feel honored and
privileged to be part of such an amazing, earnest passionate group of people. I
don’t know if I have ever seen such a dedicated group of educators in my life.
The questions that people are asking and the goals that you all have to create
the best classrooms possible are not only inspiring, but transformative.
The main topics that seem to be coming up lately all seem to revolve around 3
main themes:
1. Grammar use
2. Use of L1
3. Planning (units vs textbook vs ‘progressions & threads’, etc.)
I would like to challenge and encourage you all on the journey. Some of you may
or many not have heard the story of how this came about, but for some reason I
think it is important to know. It is very similar to Arnold’s experience in
that after having taught traditionally for a few years, I took a group of
students to Mexico. Their inability to function and be comfortable in the
second language (L2) brought about a series of events that transformed my
classroom. My goals shifted, my intent shifted and more than anything, my own
personal learning shifted. (I believe many of you know this moment I’m talking
about, that’s why you’re here).
I was lucky enough to live in an area where there were trainings happening
around ACTFL levels and communicative based practices. I took 2 different OPI
trainings. I learned about Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and brain research
about the importance of movement and student interest. I was then lucky enough
to work at a school where the 10 Principles of CES (Coalition of Essential
Schools) were their guiding values. This was the last piece: the students. The
school placed a large emphasis on getting to know the student, personalization
and best teaching practices (which includes student accountability, critical
thinking, reflection of learning and student interaction). Many times, there
was no transference of any of these principles to the language classroom.
Second language often felt like the bastard child, since we were just dutifully
trolling through the textbook. If you could, however, create a classroom that
looked different; that actually resembled how language is acquired, that
brought together the ACTFL levels, SLA, personalization, communication,
building community and movement all at once, well wow! That has been and is the
intent of OWL. It is not a way of telling teachers how to do something, or even
creating a system of rules of what OWL is: it is a way of attempting to combine
what we all know to be best practices in to one classroom. A way to establish a
set of values that can guide our conversations. That is the journey.
Since the conversation about how our classrooms could look began, there have
been some interesting and exciting things discovered by educators in our
community:
1. The circle. The idea of student equality, creating community and promoting
interaction (SLA): take away the back and front of the room, put all students
in front of each other, eliminate physical boundaries and encourage language
production and actual face-to-face communication.
2. Movement. Students who move are more engaged (brain research). The beautiful
thing about combining it with the circle is that it builds community and allows
for new vocabulary to come up in an authentic way. This looks different at
different levels.
3. Communicative focus. This meant leaving the grammar behind. To be clear,
this does not mean an absence of grammar. Grammar is in everything we do, and
in order to move up language levels, it must be addressed; however, it looks
different.
4. Student as curriculum. This is the most abstract concept. The idea is not
new: Student-centered, yes. Student-focused, yes. But this is different.
Actually taking the student and making them the curriculum is a new step. This
is the scariest of all because it requires stepping away from the textbook and
stepping away from pre-prepared units and actually allowing students to talk
about what their interests are. When truly done in a way that is cohesive with
SLA and ACTFL, then it is fulfilling, meaningful, and produces results. This is
the uniqueness of what we are talking about achieving.
5. Artistry. An environment that a teacher can create where the classroom is a
cohesive community of students and teachers working together to achieve
language learning.
Within all of those concepts, there are embedded questions about L1 use,
grammar, the textbook and units. I am going to be sending out a series of posts
today addressing those issues that I hope will encourage further conversation
and reflection within our professional development community.
Thank you all for your incredible minds and hearts!!!
Darcy Rogers
Organic World Language (OWL)
Phone: 541.601.4509
Fax: 541.776.4099
Website: www.organicworldlanguage.com
Facebook: tinyurl.com/organic-language-facebook
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