Superman

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5 thoughts on “Superman”

  1. So, no, it’s not targeted, but the narrow repetition and episodic/circular plot were intentional for my Ss and for the teachers I’m training. (Also, notice that ‘calls’ is not at the top of the frequency list, and I used it before we even ‘got thru’ the Super 7 – Ben’s idea of hi-energy /dramatic words.)

    When I first introduced the story, I took out a few play phones I have, [remember I am the Elementary Prop Queen], and as we pretended to dial up, I wrote the Hebrew word for ‘calls’ on the board. It wasn’t sitting there in advance to circle or PQA, but there was some natural circling as we established the facts:

    ‘Did Superman call Minnie Mouse, or did he call Garfield?’ and later, “Wait a second! Who called whom? Did SM call MM or did she call him? Ahh, that’s right SM called MM; He called her, and what did he say? And then what did she say? Ohhhhhh.”

    What never ceases to amaze me is how the simplest ‘storyline’ can engage and hold wonder for folks who are in the right mindset – playful, worry free, wanting to tune out the world and be in the moment. I guarantee that the adults in the room (there were like 4 of us) had just as much fun as the 30+ kids that Wednesday night after ‘regular school!’
    This Hebrew experiment I’m doing affirms everything I’ve seen in my grades 1-4 Spanish classroom. My 3rd-7th grade supplementary Hebrew school gig feels like an UN-class for the kids, and they have told me so!

  2. When the students feel like it isn’t even a class for them, but rather that they are just having fun and hanging out, then we can say that something really great has happened. The instruction aligns now fully with the research. The curriculum is the langauge, so curriculum, instruction and research, and I am sure assessment – all align nicely. The rough edges of teaching a language thus become smoothed out because of that alignment. Alisa I understand that you are far less concerned with getting certain words taught than with making lighthearted communication happen. Another way to say it is that you are teaching the kids and not the words. Would you call that non-targeted. I would? But what would you call what you are doing – T or NT? Either way, it’s TNT. This is reform. You are blasting through bedrock. All those people who are always visiting your classroom? They are attracted like moths to the flame of genuine reform in our profession.

  3. This is so on point. Since I started to work in a independent progresive school, I have been checking, reading and looking at how language instruction is aproached in some other private and super open-minded schools, and to my surprise the language component always has sort of traditional, non-research aligned, treatment. It is ironic because the whole philosphy of human-centered, creativity and innovation in a safe environment seems not to apply in their language classes.

  4. Carmen, that is soooo true! What hypocrisy!
    But it’s a sin of ignorance, not of intent. My son attends a private progressive school – he’s an 8th grader – so off to public school next yr (Thank goodne$$$). Listen to this mess: They get sporadic and very exploratory Spanish up through grade 5. Lots of art projects, murals, holiday fiestas. Some chanting:}
    Then, allofasudden, they drop Spanish like a hot potato, and they pick up Latin in grades 6-8. As classical grammar translation hideously monotonous and devoid of meaning as you can imagine – punctuated by Quizlets on the 1-to-1 iPads! Yay!
    Sometimes it’s just that private schools (like Hebrew schools) train (or not) apart from us public folks – they are outta the loop – they get stuck in their old Progressive Ways – and until the light bulb goes on (a training, a workshop, a conference, a new teacher, a cranky parent or group, a new admin or board), they are in the dark. Recently a fellow from the board called all the parents of the upcoming 8th grade grads to ask about the overall experience. (Whut? as my son prepares to leave?)
    Anyway, one question was about the academic programming. When I mentioned the poorly articulated WL program, he was all like “oh, yeah, that, we know.” It’s just not a priority, though, until someone takes it on!
    There’s a new headmaster coming next year – maybe under her leadership they’ll start asking the important Qs – but my family will be long gone.

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