LtL2


 * DIARY **

Lluis Miquel

The activity of keeping a classroom diary is really interesting and really makes me think about how difficult it would be applying it in my English class: The Classroom Diary. That is why I’ve thought about an activity I daily put into practice in my English class and which I think could be similar to that Classroom Diary. What do you think? All your comments will be welcome. 1.- Activity: The Classroom Diary. 2.- Group profile: Mixed-ability group of adults doing any of the three levels of English available at a CFA. 3.- Short description: I will explain the class that I am going to write in the blackboard a __#|word__ related to our previous lesson, for instance “On Monday”. At the same time, I’ll play a song on the stereo that will last around 4 or 5 minutes. Students have to write a short paragraph while they listen to the song explaining all the things that they remember from the previous lesson: vocabulary, grammar, any remarkable anecdotes, etc. Once the song has finished time for the activity expires. 4.- Objectives: Build up and reinforce any grammar or lexical knowledge. Finding out if our students really understand the contents included in the unit. 5.- Assessment: Once the song has finished we should ask our students randomly for their productions. I don’t really think we should evaluate with a number this type of activities. However, it is true that we should reinforce those students who do it better and make the effort to make things better with a positive. 6.- Adaptation: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This activity can be adapted to all levels. High-level students will be able to express themselves and low-level students will only be able to write some words they do remember from the previous lesson.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like the idea of linking reflection to music. It is very powerful. I also like that you think of it as a 5 minute activity. I would probably consider classical music, so that they do not get distrated.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think the clue to effective learning diaries is the way we and our students face error treatment. My students can use catalan to write their learning diaries. If I did not make them compulsory, half the students in my class would not consider doing them. It takes some practice to understand they can be __#|fun__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maria Ascension <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like it. I have tried something similar to stimulate creative writing. I play a piece of classical music or a music that can suggest something to the students, and after a first playing they start writing while they listen to it again. I takes about 10 minutes and often the outcome is worthwhile.

Glòria

I also like the idea of linking reflection to music. I did it once with my primary students and they wrote and draw some words from the story we had heard the previous lesson. It is nice and it works. When we finished we did a kind of contest in groups trying to get the longest list of words (or pictures).