[ola] Props to the journey
- From: Darcy Rogers <rogersdr25@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2013 15:31:01 -0800 (PST)
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
Other related posts:
