Dirk sent this: So even though I am in a school setting where I have some classes that are too small for good CI, I am still trying many new things and doing my best in class to make it meaningful and understandable CI Spanish. I have 2 classes of about 30 8th graders who […]
I am so glad that, in addition to my white board space, I have a rolling white board with two sides of writing space. The artist stands at the side of the board and disappears behind it whenever some new detail is added to the CI. That artist, by the way, must observe the same rule
One time I sent a student out of the room for use of English and she came back with some chips and a drink after a nice long walk around the building. That’s not what I meant to have happen. So, when I give students time outs for English now, I keep them in the
Below is an option to the “Suggested Block Schedule A” posted here a few days ago. It is another way to experience 90 effortless minutes with the kids while staying in the target language. So how does it work? It’s just one big ass One Word Image (see benslavic.com/resources/workshop handouts for how to do a
I just edited/updated this on the resources/posters page of my site on the recommendations of a few teachers in Maine: When You Read In A Foreign Language Also on that page under “Other Useful Information” I have added six texts: Suggested Weekly Schedule Suggested Reading Class Format Suggested Block Schedule A Suggested Block Schedule B Sample
There are those TV commercials where, in a splash of plastic water, someone goes into another place. We should do that in our classes. We should break the plane. What does that mean? It means that we should leave the safety of our position in front of the classroom and, in full CI stride, break
http://www.comcast.net/video/teacher-s-tirade-on-video/1613428013/Comcast/popular/
Hope sent this: Hi Ben, Corinne suggested you would have insight to grading free-writes. What are your thoughts? Hi Hope: I learned about bar graphing from Carmen via the moretprs listserve some years ago. We all took what we wanted from that discussion (around 2004 – you might search the list for some of those
Below is a 90 minute lesson plan that allows us to go in to our classes and be mindless and not worry about anything at all. It suggests a set of automatic steps that will still hold our students’ attention for the entire class period. I use it whenever I want a class to move
I like to keep a list of activities that are proven to work in a reading class, regardless of whether it is a block class or one of normal length. It is a sequence that flows. Here it is: 1. The students read a chapter in the book or embedded reading. For me, this lasts
Deb that question we briefly discussed at the workshop and that you posted as a comment got this response from Jennifer: Ben, I just came across this study that nouns and verbs are learned in different parts of the brain. I was just reading a post on your blog wondering why despite multiple reps, some words
I’m back from Maine. On Thursday, I modeled the various CI activities that I like to do to build up to stories, and then on Friday I modeled an Anne Matava story (“Don’t Drink The Water!” – thank you Elissa!). Anne then did a story in German – so fluid – I think she could
