Visualisation and engaging behaviour for Setswana FAL learners

Visualisation

We discussed how folk tales (being a verbal way of learning) require a large amount of visualisation. We spoke about how this may be difficult for students. This might explain why some students were able to give the definitions (the ones who were able to visualise) while others weren’t (the ones who found visualisation more difficult). 

Verbal story telling is traditionally done by the grandmother. These days this is done less. Groups of children would sit in a circle and listen to stories. Very few students knew that it was grandmothers who told stories like this, highlighting the gap in experiences between generations.

Behaviour

We noted how students were over all very well behaved. This may be due to the circle nature of the discussion or whether it was because it is a new arrangement in the class.

• Students were continually tracking the speaker and were not physically moving much.
• There was no shouting out – hands were raised politely when preparing to answer questions.

Opportunity for students to each speak plus the opportunity to get up and go and write down notes once they had got something right was a good combination for the following reasons

• It allowed students to have a purpose when they were walking to their desk
• It allowed students to have a purpose when needing to write something down so they didn’t forget to write it down, or get distracted halfway through
• If students forgot what they needed to write down, they could listen to the others who were still busy reciting.

English-home-language learner

• Very engaged
• Seemed to understand most of the lesson
• Asked person sitting next to her to clarify when needed
• Once asked in English for the question to be repeated
• Spoke 4 times in Setswana

Specific markers when observing a language class

Plan

Observe Nhlanhla Phakathi teaching Grade 8.

Focus on observing: 

1. Student behaviour in class, including
2. Work ethic and engagement
3. English home language student in the class

More specific markers:

1. Possible engagement strategies
2. Bringing of correct equipment
3. Writing down important things
4. Noise making and trouble makers
5. Friendships
6. Sleeping students
7. Cold call - response of the class

The lessons

Day 1: 

Introduce fairytales in general

Start in a circle (Link to relationship with grandmothers. Grandmothers traditionally tell fairytales, not mothers. Fairytales traditionally told in a circle setting. Link to differences in generations now days. Students aren’t as close to their grandparents anymore)

Discuss definition of a fairytale

• Verbal definition (link to the traditionally verbal nature of fairytales)
• Then go to write definition in their book once they can repeat it verbally

Discuss 4 types of fairytale (people, animals, people and animals, nature)

• Verbally initially
• Then go and write down the 4 types once they can repeat verbally 

Day 2:

Example of a fairytale

Discuss in groups

Identify main characters – To justify the “type” of fairytale

Grade 6 Summative Assessment Feedback

The Intermediate Phase has spent time presenting an overview of recent Units and have focused specifically on the way assessment played out in these Units. Group reflection has raised the level of thinking about effective assessment.

Environmental focus develops Setswana and English vocabulary

Today in the Setswana/LO/IT lesson study CPD we watched some beautiful video clips on: 

Using an Environmental conservation focus to develop Setswana and English vocabulary and -  Using an emerging, real-world issue to facilitate student involvement and learning.

We watched, analysed and discussed several video clips addressing recycling and environmental conservation issues. These clips were produced by the Gr.7 Lebone students. Students worked in groups to create short environmental awareness video clips. The presentation in these clips was done in both Setswana and English.

 

We discussed a whole range of issues but ended up asking some questions about:

• How do we utilise student’s presentations to facilitate learning in the audience – how can we facilitate better engagement of the audience members – when groups are presenting for assessment purposes?
• Does the use of technology bring automatic engagement in learning?
• What are some of the legal implication of using video clips in the classroom?

All in all it was felt that the lesson outcomes and objectives where achieved and that a lot was learned about how to engage students in their own learning via the use of technology. We also touched on issues of managing, scaffolding and structuring group work via regular “check- in’s” and defining and assigning roles to students.

Feedback session: Grade 8, Introduction to Light

General lesson feedback

Technical details:

Often a successful lesson gets tripped up by technical details that go wrong. In this case, some of the light boxes didn’t work as the previous class had blown the bulb. We discussed how important planning is. We all reflected that it is important to make sure there is enough time for setting yourself up before a lesson.

Also make sure that students don’t have the opportunity to play with equipment they might break – if it is necessary then tell them clearly how to use it properly. Give clear instructions on what is going to happen while they are still in classroom setting.

Miscellaneous

Set the tone up to be a bit chaotic. A new classroom for a practical is not always ideal.

Use teach like a champion techniques to improve the classroom management and therefore the learning.

Phrasing of questions can lead to answer “does the water bend the light?” “Yes”. Student knows the answer is “yes” not because they understand the work, but because of the way the question was asked.

Positive feedback

ED has a very comfortable rapport with the kids. They felt very free and confident.

The use of notes to write down the “correct” definitions was very useful. The kids were more comfortable writing them down from the board than from verbal recall. They were more engaged writing them down than if the definitions had been given to them outright.

Specific lesson feedback

Language in science and Terminology

• Perhaps use pictures in the descriptions of the definitions.
• Unsure if they understood even though they wrote the definition down. NP was still confused!!
• Suggestion: Do each term separately. First discuss the term and definition, then do the practical investigation, then discuss using diagrams. During the discussion, link to everyday examples.

Visualisation of abstract concepts

• Practical can be confusing, especially because in some cases, all the processes happened in one of the observations. That should have been discussed. That one object can have absorption, reflection and refraction.
• As a remedy to this: once again, do each term separately and discuss clearly with diagrams when winding up.

Foundation Phase - Shayer Lesson Reflection from a UNW Potchefstroom Newly Qualified Teacher

 

Mentee's own lesson reflection

The lesson went well however there are a few things that stood out for me:

• Student's attention:  Their concentration and cooperation was not a hundred percent which is one of the things that had an impact on their learning.
• The state that the student's are in plays a role:  In this case they went hiking (physical education) and after physical education it was lunch.  We then continued with the Maths lesson and this had a huge impact on their concentration level.  The children were tired and it was difficult to get their attention.
• Me giving a Shayer lesson for the first time: It was a challenge to think of ways to pose questions because if I tried breaking down the question into easier statements or questions, I felt like I was giving the answers away. This was identified when the students didn't understand the questions I prepared/planned.
• The lesson was a success because the students reached the lesson objectives/outcomes. However, Episode 2 was only partly understood.
• The problems I identified with Episode 2 is the types of groupings the students chose. Most of the students chose groupings of 2 and 3 without thinking of other ways in which the objects could be grouped, such as in groups of 5 and 10. They were concentrating on giving their objects partners, without thinking of different groupings that could be arranged.

Mentor and mentee reflection (together)

•  Students' attention:  Over using certain behaviour strategies makes the strategy lose its impact. In order to get the learners attention, different styles and techniques can be used, such as using some of the strategies from Teach Like A Champion or whole brain teaching by Benjamin Franklin. Using these different styles/techniques will help students to listen attentively.
• Setting clear instructions:  Make sure that the students understand what they have to do. This could be done by asking learners questions based on what you have just asked them to do. Doing this gives the teacher the idea whether the students understand the instructions, or not. There are several ideas that the teacher could use to find out if the students truly understand such as recalling, repeating, etc.
• Reading instructions carefully:  It is always important to read the questions carefully. The outcomes of Episode 2 were partially reached due to the fact of misinterpreting the statement. In this case the students had to be given two identical diagrams in which they identify two types of groupings (grouping objects in two different ways, using the easiest types of groupings such as one in groups of 2's and one in groups of 3's), the objective/outcome was not reached because different diagrams were given to the students to complete. Hence the students came up with only two types of groupings and didn't think of other ways they could group the pictures. They were only concerned about giving each picture a partner.
• Partner work: The students were not interacting with one another, they were working individually rather than in partners. This is due to the fact that students are not used to working in partners and sharing ideas as partners. In order to improve this we should engage students in partner work more often and make them aware of the importance of partner work and listening to one another.
• Time:  The time spent on the lesson plays a role, as a deliberate intervention, aiming to enhance the student' attention and concentration. Try to minimise the length of the lesson by increasing the pace of the lesson, asking only a few learners to give feedback and carry on with the lesson.