Toronto Teacher Mom: Sketchnote

Top 10 Tips for the FSL Classroom

Last month when my summer break first began, I attended the AIM International Summer Institute in Niagara Falls and had an amazing time connecting with French teachers from across Canada and the U.S.A., and even as far the Netherlands and Australia. It was an invaluable professional development opportunity and I thoroughly enjoyed learning from other language teachers, both new and experienced, as well as listening to our keynotes and presenters. During the plenary session on our second day, we listened to a presentation on AIM and the CEFR with Jennifer Moodie, an FSL teacher on special assignment with the TVDSB. She clearly outlined how the Accelerative Integrated Methodology integrates so seamlessly within the Common European Framework of Reference and shared many humorous insights into her French teaching practice to which I could so easily relate. At the end, she shared a number of tips for the FSL classroom that I felt were so fabulous, I was compelled to create a sketchnote sharing my favourites. Plus, it was the perfect excuse to put my new iPad and Apple Pencil to the test.

Though these were shared with AIM teachers in mind, I feel that they could benefit any FSL or foreign language teacher. Here are my top 10 favourite tips for the FSL classroom from Jennifer Moodie's list, along with some insights into my personal experience as a second-year AIM teacher that I hope you will find helpful:

Always speak French. This one is obvious but so often overlooked. Students won't learn French if the teacher speaks English all the time. But if they are immersed in it, they will have very little choice in learning it in order to express their needs. My mistake? Speaking at a level that was way beyond what they could comprehend. This is why I love AIM so much, since students quickly learn basic pared down language full of high frequency words with which they can express themselves and understand others. I also make a point of communicating with other staff members and visitors en français in front of the students, even outside of class and during recess.
Exaggerate facial expressions and tone of voice. This helps students to understand what you are saying, especially when introducing new words or to differentiate between questions, exclamatory and declarative statements. I tend to liken it to miming, where a mime relies heavily on facial expressions to convey meaning.
Ask questions containing the answer. When students are given possible choices within a question totale, they feel more confident to answer because they know one of the options will be correct and they will have less of a chance of getting it wrong. Vicky Mercier, a wonderful FSL teacher here in Toronto who uses the AIM methodology, shared an additional tip with me: If you ask a total question such as, "Est-ce que le ciel est jaune ou bleu?" where the correct answer is the last option, students will have a greater chance at getting it right because they tend to select the last option they hear. For beginning learners who worry about making a mistake, this is a great way to boost their confidence and thereby encourages them to take risks later on.
Model and scaffold in abundance. I am fairly confident that many FSL teachers do this already and do it well. But what I would like to emphasize is that, when scaffolding, we need to meet the needs of the individual student where they are and provide the necessary supports regardless of ability. So often I would expect students to, more or else, keep up the pace and do each activity as assigned. For students who struggled to do so, I would adjust the activity to lessen the complexity or difficulty. But what about the students who finish early because they find it too easy? In the past, I couldn't possibly fathom having students move ahead to the next lesson without my teaching the whole class how to do it first. With AIM, the activities are structured in such a way that scaffolding is almost effortless and I feel confident that students who need more of a challenge can continue at their own pace.
Give plenty of time to practice. The way AIM lessons are structured, students are given time during each class to work with a partner or within their group to complete an activity and practice their oral French skills. This is great way for students to consolidate their learning based on the lesson(s) of the day since they love talking with their friends.
Emphasize verbs and teach them horizontally. We all know that a sentence is not a sentence if it doesn't have a verb and yet, when I used to teach using a more thematic approach, I would give students vocabulary lists full of nouns. When students have a repertoire of verbs and know how to use them in context, they can pretty much talk their way around any nouns they may not yet have learned. (See tip #9.) For example, if they forget the word for "pen", students can say, "Je cherche une chose qu'on utilise pour écrire." The teacher can then reply with, "Est-ce que tu veux un crayon ou un stylo?" What is meant by teaching 'horizontally?" Well, before I would teach verbs vertically ie. Je parle, tu parles, il parle. Teaching them horizontally is like teaching them within context, within a passage. You can then work on changing perspectives (ie 3rd person to 1st person) to teach/practice conjugations.
Use choral response as often as possible. With AIM, the teacher often gestures while the whole class speaks in unison. While it tends to get loud, the benefit is that it greatly maximizes the amount of time students are speaking the target language and gives them plenty of modelling before they are sent off to practice with their peers. Even if one student asks a question during the lesson, the expectation is that the whole class responds while the teacher supports with gestures, giving the beginning sound or using visual aids. Another benefit is that students who are worried about mispronouncing words or who don't know a certain word won't feel isolated or embarrassed since the whole class is engaged and too busy to notice.
Teach students how to ask questions. My youngest students are among the most inquisitive of all so it only makes sense to empower them to be able to ask questions. Very early on, they learn how to use "est-ce que" in front of a statement to turn it into a question. But asking questions quickly becomes a part of the daily routine, from "Comment ça va?" and "Est-ce je peux aller aux toilettes?" to asking "Où est (student's name)?" when student volunteers hand out French folders and "Combien de cartes est-ce que tu as?" when counting how many cards they earned in French class at the end of each month.
Teach and practice circumlocution. When students have a repertoire of essential vocabulary and high frequency words, they can rely on circumlocution strategies to "talk around" vocabulary that they have either forgotten or have not yet learned. While using a dictionary could work, it isn't always practical. Instead, students can keep the conversation flowing by using words they already know to find a different way to express themselves, describe the object in more general terms or, my favourite, using opposite words. It's kind of like what they do on The ~~$25,000~~ $100,000 Pyramid game show!
Use gestures and visual aids. I can't even begin to tell you how much using gestures in my classes has improved my students' comprehension levels. While gestures are not the be all and end all of the AIM methodology, it plays a huge role in ensuring that students are focussed and engaged, and are acquiring the target language. How many times do we wave to a baby and say "hi" repeatedly? It is within our nature to communicate with gestures and a baby who is first learning to talk relies heavily on gestures and other aids such as picture books to help understand the meaning of new words. Interestingly enough, there is even talk about how gestures could be used in Math class, too. At any rate, I have drastically cut down on the amount of flash cards I need. My hands are my flash cards now!

Monday, August 13, 2018
9 Comments

Sketchnoting for Educators with Sylvia Duckworth

EdTech

If you've been following my blog for a while, you will likely know how much I admire Sylvia Duckworth and all of the great work she does with her students. She is also an amazing advocate for educational technology and has inspired many educators along their path of self-directed professional development, myself included. The recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence, Sylvia has also been featured in Professionally Speaking, the magazine of the Ontario College of Teachers and has presented workshops and keynotes at several conferences.

We first connected on Twitter and it was because of our virtual professional learning network that I found out about her workshop featuring GAFE Tools for FSL, which further inspired me to pursue my Google Educator certification, and later Google Certified Educator: Level 2 certification. So eager to learn how she created her sketchnotes, I approached her after the workshop to ask which app she uses. She was so kind to take some time to share some insight on sketchnoting and since then, I've been hooked.

While I've only dabbled in the art, I now have a greater appreciation for the amount of time and effort that goes into one of Sylvia's sketches. I first tried creating a simple sketchnote that featured internet safety guidelines and it took me for-e-ver! But, if there's one thing I will remember from her recent live webinar on sketchnoting, it's that anyone can draw and that it gets easier with practice. To prove that anyone can draw, watch the following video of Graham Shaw's TEDx talk. Sylvia shared an excerpt from this video during her keynote at the last Toronto GAFE Summit and it was so fun to see everyone's drawings.

In the sketchnote above, I highlight some additional tips for sketchnoting, such as using a grid on the bottom-most layer which helps with proportion and writing on a straight line, and using the zoom feature to fine tune and add details. I have also included the video of her webinar below which I encourage you to watch, even if you think you're not good at drawing. In fact, that's the exact reason why you should watch it. You don't even need a sketching app. You can try doodling on paper.

There are a lot of sketching apps available now but I chose to stick with the Tayasui Sketches app for iOS. I purchased the pro version because I wanted access to all the cool features, which includes adding multiple layers. Drawing on multiple layers is one tip I would add to the list because it makes it easier to erase or edit certain parts of a drawing if it is on a clutter-free layer. I haven't really tried any other styluses other than the Adonit Jot Pro Stylus. It took some getting used to but I really like it now. The only problem I have had is leaving it on the sofa uncapped and then, when someone sits on it, the clear plastic disc at the tip pops off. It won't work without it but luckily I've always managed to find it.

Sketchnoting for Educators with @SylviaDuckworth @ICTEvangelist #ADEchat

If you would like to learn more about sketchnoting, hop onto Twitter on Tuesday, May 23 at 8pm GMT for the next Apple Distinguished Educator #ADEchat: Sketchnoting in the Classroom. And if you want to be among the first to learn about an exciting new project that Sylvia is working on with Head of EdTechTeam Press Holly Clark, sign up here: bit.ly/Sketchnotes17.

Saturday, May 20, 2017
4 Comments

Reflective Blogging

Education

According to George Couros, a well-known Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership consultant and school principal from Alberta, reflection is part of your work as a teacher. His blog post entitled, "Another Reason to Blog; Proactive Through Reflection" underlines the importance of making the time to thoughtfully reflect on our teaching practices and narrowing our focus. As I begin on another journey by way of a second additional qualification course on Integration of Information and Computer Technology, I am tasked with sharing my own reflections through blogging.

While I am no stranger to blogging, I have to admit that I haven't written many blogs that reflect upon my own teaching practices. With that said, I welcome this opportunity to share open reflection on my learning throughout this course. I completely agree with Couros that reflection is an essential part of our role as a teacher. In this way, we can model to our students the how and the why of self-reflection.

If there is one thing I have learned from blogging throughout the past ten years, it is that you can only get better with practice. You see, English class was one of my least favourite subjects. As a student, reading and writing proved to be more difficult than I cared to admit. In fact, I hated writing. I struggled with organizing my thoughts on paper and always wrote the bare minimum. While my English grammar improved thanks to my extensive undergraduate studies in French, Spanish and Italian, it wasn't until I made a regular habit of blogging that I finally felt confident in my writing skills, which, by no means, are perfect. My personal goal, therefore, is to embark on a journey of reflective blogging as I continue my professional learning in the years to come.

Learning Experience #1: Program Development

During our first learning experience in the course, it was interesting to see how different schools set up their technology differently, whether it be using a centralized model where technology is stored in one location such as a computer lab or whether they follow a model of technology integration. One observation that keeps standing out in my mind is the varying degrees of access to technology and the types of technology that have been made available in some schools. It has inspired me to better advocate for the need to supplement the current ICT resources in our own school so that all students have an equal opportunity to put their 21C skills into practice.

This first learning experience was also a great way to connect with other like-minded educators who understand the need, and the benefits, of pursuing professional development in the area of information and computer technology. In particular, as a blogger of ten years, it was really nice to see so many fellow educators taking the leap into blogging. I know how overwhelming it can be at first but imagine how empowering it will be for students to learn from someone who has experience in blogging and customizing their own site! Well done!

Learning Experience #2: Special Needs and Technology - Part 1

Necessary for some, good for all.

If there is one thing I've learned over the past year, it is that technology that has been designed to assist those with special needs can indeed benefit others as well. Take, for instance, the voice typing tool in Google Docs. For those who are unable to physically type on a keyboard, this tool is indispensable. However, for my FSL students who may be reluctant to write in French, they can easily change the language and dictate their responses directly into the document. What I love about this is that the tool automatically adds accents when needed and the students don't have to worry as much about spelling. They can simply focus on getting their thoughts and ideas recorded in writing.

Learning Experience #2: Special Needs and Technology - Part 2

In the video highlighting Westfield Technology College, headteacher Andrew Penman states that his staff is very skilled at "making the right interventions, supportive, proactive, able to take the child forward but without doing the work for them." This quote has struck a chord with me because, as much as I hate to say it, I have seen special needs students struggle with a task so much so that the educational assistant or the teacher intervenes to do most of the work. This is why it is important to question how we can best service these students and how, as teachers, we can best accommodate with the help of ICT and modify as needed so that all students can take ownership over their own work. One other quote that stood out was, ICT is seen as "a liberating and motivating tool that helps pupils achieve their maximum potential." If we can make these tools more accessible and provide students with the necessary training, we can grant them greater opportunities to enhance their learning skills and 21C competencies, and help them take a more active role in their learning while taking pride in their work.

One task that I enjoyed in the second learning experience involved selecting a software program and creating a brochure summarizing what the program can do for students and how you could use this program within the classroom. I selected Comic Life 3, a program I have yet to use but I found intriguing in the ways it could benefit students with special needs and engage all students in general.

As we mark the halfway point of the course, I have been able to learn so much from my colleagues by way of course discussion forums and through Twitter as well. It is inspiring to work with fellow members of the Ontario College of Teachers who are dedicated to students and student learning, as well as demonstrate a drive to be current in their professional knowledge in order to best determine appropriate pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, resources and technology in planning for and responding to the needs of individual students. I look forward to continuing on in this journey and the possibility of pursuing an IICT specialist.

Self-reflection is the school of wisdom. - B. Gracian

Learning Experience #3: Supporting Staff IT Development

As much as I am very eager to support my staff as they begin to explore Google Apps for Education and ways they can begin to implement these tools in the classroom, I find I often struggle with how I can possibly succeed in doing so in a way that will be effective and yet won't require a huge time commitment outside of school hours. The short of the matter is, there likely isn't. The thing with professional development is that, in order for it to be truly effective, it should self-directed and ongoing. How many times do we sign up for an ICT workshop and learn so many great ideas but, as Mary Ann Wolf points out, our interest wanes when we return to the classroom and "the reality of the thousands of other things that ha[ve] to be done"?

Over the past year and a half, I have dedicated endless hours delving into the wonderful world of Google by working through modules in the Google for Education online training centre, participating in GAFE-related workshops, attending a GAFE Summit, completing GAFE trainer exams, implementing GAFE in my FSL classes, working with an amazing group of TCDSB21C Innovators, creating tutorials, preparing an introduction to GAFE presentation for my staff during a Professional Activity Day, exploring the benefits of HyperDocs, and obtaining a certificate as a Certified Google Educator: Level 2. While I may not have followed through with two thirds of the amazing ideas I have come across, I have chosen to continue exploring and revisiting these ideas by seeking out further professional development, learning from my Professional Learning Communities and setting goals for implementing ICT in the classroom.

No one asked me to this. I wanted to do this.

While most of my self-directed learning took place outside of the work day, I have no regrets because I honestly believe in the necessity to integrate information and computer technology in the classroom in order that our students will be better prepared for the future. What I have recently come to terms with is that, as much as I am fluent in how to use Google Apps for Education, the greater challenge I must face is not in how to disseminate this knowledge to my colleagues but rather, how to be a catalyst for change and inspire them to transform their lessons and grant their students as many opportunities as possible to enhance their 21st century competencies. This, my friends, is why I continue to teach.

Learning Experience #4: School Wide Instruction

During the final learning experience, I was able to explore the qualities of a good leader and, for the first time, I actually see myself as a potential leader in the years to come. I am fairly certain that pursuing the possibility of being a leader in an administrative one is not an option I am quite open to but rather, I see myself as a technology leader and/or trainer. I know my strengths and weaknesses, what my limits are, and I can adapt easily to change, so I'm already halfway there, right? Plus, through participation in the discussion forums, I realized that I have ideas and knowledge to contribute, though not quite visionary, but I am willing to continue growing with and learning from my professional learning communities that offer endless wisdom and inspiration in our shared goal of empowering our students to excel in the 21st century.

Thank you to our course instructor, fellow participants and everyone in my learning networks for your amazing support and mentorship in this fantastic journey!