Powerful Professional Learning

One of the goals I set out for myself this year was to be more purposeful in my blogging.  I don't think I have been too successful!  It always seems that this is the last thing on my overflowing plate.  But, I am going to try!  Really try to be more diligent in my attempts to reflect on my teaching craft.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been engaged in an on-line course through the International Baccalaureate Organization about Inquriy.  None of the topics are new to me, but I am investigating them from a new perspective.  This has been a really good exercice.  I have been able to make connections to the work I am currently doing with the literature and research that is either new to me or I've read before.  I am really enjoying reading the work of Kathy Short from the University of Arizona.  I have finally been able to make sense of some parts of our Primary Years Planner (PYP) that have been causing me consternation.  It's refreshing!

This past weekend, I attended the Association Canadienne des Professeurs d'Immersion (ACPI) conference in Calgary.  It was a great conference!  The theme was RESEARCH and its impact on FI.  One of the most interestning and provocative topics was the use of first languages (L1) in the learning of a second language in an immersive setting.  The one common thread of all the research presented is it is extremely important that the language model in the classroom use the target language AT ALL TIMES! The use of the L1should be purposeful and moving the understanding of concepts forward.  It should also be negociated with students so they know when it is appropriate to use their first language in class.  Lots of food for thought!

I left the conference with my head spinning with new ideas of how I could make the work better for students, both in my classroom and in our school.  Now, I just need to find the time to create and impliment these new ideas!

Inquiring into phonics and grammar

Spelling is always a challenge in a French Immersion classroom.  It is very important to take the time to do some direct teaching of spelling patterns and phonetic combinations in both languages.  BUT, how might we incorporate inquiry into spelling and phonics?

Well, this past week my student did just that.  It might not be the most impressive inquiry, but hopefully they will have gained some ownership of the concept of spelling patterns for 2 very complex sounds in French [é] and [è].   Here's what we did:

1. I loaded 2 videos from www.imagier.net on our 5 au quotidien page.  These videos simply list words that contain different sounds.  The words appear and are pronounced by a native speaker.  Simple!  
2. My students watched the videos several times. Many of them repeated the words as they listened.  This was somewhat surreal, as it created a sort of bizzar choral piece.  Imagine several children, all wearing headsets,  saying different words containing the same sounds.  
3. After they had listened to the words, we generated a list of different words they had heard and remembered. 
4. We then read each word to determine if it contained [é] or [è].  Here we added a kinesthetic element.  Every time we heard [é] in a word, we used our left arms to make the accent aïgu.  We used our right arms to create the accent grave for words containing [è].  This was very popular and we repeated it several times with words from around the classroom and others that popped into our heads.
5. Once we had determined which words contained which sounds, the students examined the words to see if they could determine the letters that made up each sound.  
6. We created an anchor chart for both sounds. 

We'll see how this goes!  Hopefully it will be helpful for most!

New beginnings and collaborations

Today was the first day of school.  There was a palpable energy in our building as we waited impatiently for the students to arrive.  I am fortunate to already have some ideas about my students.  I have worked with them before, albeit not as their homeroom teacher.  This is a blessing because I will not have to struggle to put the names to the faces.  I do not yet "know" them, but at least we are familiar with one another.

It is always an amazing mix of excitement, anxiety, hope and fear as I begin to build relationships with a new group of students.  I am excited to begin a new journey of discovery with fresh eyes (taking licence with Proust!). I am anxious to get to know my students in deep ways.  I am hopeful we will become comfortable with each other quickly so as to build the trust necessary for our work to be truly meaningful. And, I am fearful that someone will slip through a crack I cannot see. What if I cannot meet their needs?

Many questions ran through my head as I greeted each child at the door.  What ideas will intrigue this group of kids?  How far will they go with their thoughts?  Who will challenge me to go more deeply myself?  Who will steal my heart?...They all end up marking our hearts, but some just make that mark more deeply.  Will they be able to follow my concrete-random ways? 

Today we started a new collaboration with another class in another part of the province.  While I have no idea where this collaboration will take us, I am excited to try new things and explore different idea with grade 4s whose world might be very different from ours. 

My brother (the other teacher in this endeavor) and I do not teach in the same language.  His class works only in English and mine is French Immersion.  We do not teach in the same ways because our teaching and learning experiences are very different.  I have a feeling this will make for a fabulous collaboration.  Only time will tell.