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Teaching material > Opinions anyone?
Opinions anyone?
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tw_karen
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Opinions anyone?
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Hi guys,
My principal has an idea. He wants to copy some of the local public schools by making a "situational classroom." This classroom would have fixed props that could not be moved. It would be that theme forever. For instance, the elementary school we went to look at had a ticket booth and fixed seats for a train. The students would buy their tickets and then sit in the seats. Essentially, they play with their new vocabulary.
Our school is not an elementary. We are a junior/senior high. The foreign staff (the ones who would be implementing this idea) are against a situational classroom. we feel that at an elementary level the kids still want to play, by junior high they are a little too old and certainly by senior high, they don �t play anymore. In addition, the elementary school staff admitted that in fact the one public senior high with the situational classroom, has in fact been a waste of money because there is no motivation on the students � part.
I realize that how a teacher presents a lesson makes a big difference regarding the success of a lesson; however, it �s hard for me to accept the possibility of this new classroom.
What I would like to know is...
Does anyone teach in one of these situational classrooms?
I would also like to know your general opinions on a situational classroom at the junior/senior high level.
Thanks in advance.
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29 Jun 2010
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yanogator
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Hi, Karen,
I �m speaking totally from ignorance here, but I do have an idea. First, I don �t like the restrictive nature of the classroom having a single theme. With that said, though, I think great use could be made of vocabulary in this situation. You could use the train to "travel" to different parts of a city and learn vocabulary about various situations - with most of the activity taking place off of the train, in an improvised situation. Even on the train, though, the students can talk about what they are going to see and do when they reach their destination.
Anyway, my main point is that when the students are too old to play (I �m 56, and I haven �t reached that stage yet!), they can role play. If you change the presentation from playing to acting, it becomes a major adult activity which should engage them easily. You can even refer to the classroom as the theater. In addition to improvising conversations, they can write and perform small skits and scenes.
Now, away from the train idea, which was just one idea that you saw, I think that if part of the room were divided into very general-looking areas, it could be used for a variety of situations - offices, apartments, a house and a park, etc. (even a train). This would give your "actors" a huge amount of freedom in using their room.
I think that if you and your colleagues brainstorm, you can become innovators in the concept of "situational classrooms", and be the envy of all the other schools.
Just some thoughts,
Bruce |
29 Jun 2010
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dturner
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Not to sound like a pessimist, but I have reservations about this idea. I agree that by junior high kids don �t know to be treated as �younger � and if they sniff anything related to being treated or lessons looking at all like they are for younger students they will not buy in. On the other hand, if the middle students feel like they are doing something that a senior high student would do they will buy into in a minute. I remember back in high school we had a new teacher who �d come up from elementary and had his elementary ways of teaching. We thought he was foolish and that his teaching styles were too primary for us senior high students.
I think this idea it is a waste of valuable resources -- being human and monetary. You will spend ages trying to get this program off the ground just to find that the kids and most of the teachers and students don �t think its a good idea. If you do decide to try it, have �focus groups � where you interview students, parents and teachers before you move ahead. In that way, you will see exactly what will work and what won �t. Good luck!
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29 Jun 2010
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class centre
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I think that the teacher is supposed to adjust the room to the lesson plan needs and be able to put something or rearrange something in the class only according to it. Otherwise, that " situational classroom" will only restrict the teacher �s freedom and creativity. I wouldn �t like to have it in my class.
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29 Jun 2010
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tastybrain
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I take it you are teaching in Taiwan. I �m an American living and teaching in Taiwan. I �ve taught at these schools as a substitute (I did so today, in fact) quite a few times. I can tell you how it works.
Basically, as you describe, props for a certain theme are set up. These could be a doctor �s office, a convenience store, an airport, a bank or the like. Generally the room is also filled with lots of real-life props (realia) which lend a genuine atmosphere to the room. Most lessons we teach are cookie-cut for a one-time class to a group of students (say 10 or so, thought sometimes less) who the teacher will never see again. They experience the classroom only once. This is because they have to pay for the privilege to go through the "English Village." They have passports and get them stamped as they complete each 40-minute class. Students from different school districts around the county come and go through the English Village experience. Most of these students are in grades 1-6. I don �t ever recall seeing any junior-high or high-school age students. These classes generally ask the students to roleplay and the older Taiwanese teenager �s get the generally less willing they are to participate meaningfully in such activities (at least in my experience).
Now, it is conceivable for such classrooms to be used for normal lessons or expansion activities, but not for them to be used for normal learning situations. It would be extremely distracting to try and teach most normal classes in one of these rooms. If the school has extra rooms and wants to use these classrooms as supplemental things, I could see the sensibility in it. Otherwise, it just doesn �t seem practical for everyday teaching. In fact, the full-time English Village teachers who teach as such schools do have normal teaching classes but those are held in normal classrooms, not in the thematic ones.
Actually, teaching these classes has it �s advantages. Little to no class preparation is necessary as you teach the same lesson to every group and you only teach them once and never see them again. Plus all the props, flashcards and lesson plans are all there for you already. Classes are also short and sweet. From a true learning perspective though, it �s not very ideal. Students get a minimal experience (though a memorable one) with the language and while it is real-life it is so short-lived as to be less than useful.
Does your principal want to do it temporarily or permanently? I worked at one school where we copied the English Village idea and had a three-day event where we invited outside students as well. Again, it was all for show. It also took tons of prep time and decorating. It was a real pain in the arse getting ready for it, though we did still manage to have some fun.
Do you work for a public or private school? A cram school?
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29 Jun 2010
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donapeter
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Wow......what an idea! I think we need some 3 or 4D devices to get into the mood!
This kind of things cost a lot and I wish we had the money. And the students to appreciate it!
I would also use some computer programs with replicas or part of the replicas to make the decor more real-like.
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29 Jun 2010
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tw_karen
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Thanks everyone for your opinions.
@ yanogator: If it goes through, I think that perhaps I will take the acting route especially at the senior high level. Thanks for that idea!
@ dturner: I totally get what you are saying. They can smell when things are not age appropriate!
@ class centre: It will not be changeable. It would be the same theme... FOREVER!
@ tastybrain: YES! He wants to replicate the "English Villages" of Changhua. They told us that the students get to go there two or three times a year which doesn �t exactly work for us, since we see each student technically 44 times in one year. We are not a bushiban, but a private "real" school. He is looking for ways to attract more students and to show off a new building on campus that is almost complete.
The best I can predict is that - if we follow the English Village scenario - we can pre-teach the topic for three to four weeks and then role play for one week... in the whole year! At over one million ntd (32,000USD), that is an awful lot of money to put into something that can be used once a year... and once we use it with the grade 7 �s, will they as grade 8 �s want to use it again?
@ donapeter: The presentation is fantastic. The props are VERY real! It is like walking into another world.
Thank you everyone once again. I will share your ideas and thoughts with my coworkers and I guess we will see how this progresses from there.
Thanks,
karen
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29 Jun 2010
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