| Vol.1 no.6 |
May, 1999
|
| Vol.1 no.6 |
May, 1999
|
Exams are here. Orals, cassettes, copies, review, planning and getting everything done on time. I hope the examens de service were OK. I can't change them now but if you have constructive criticism for another time, let me know. Three are from BIM concertation (4th and 5th grade, secondary 1) and the fourth (secondary 2) is from RREALS. Special thanks to Julie, Gaston, Eric and Sindy.
The secondary principals have asked that there be "collective correction" in secondary 3. It will be in Windsor on the afternoon of the 22nd of June. Official details will be sent out later.
The survey at our April 19th meeting helped develop some guidelines for planning professional development but a clear plan is still wisps of thought.
At the secondary level, teaching strategies and the MEQ programmes were highest on the teachers' list followed by using computers. As many as three planning days and three class days were proposed for meeting needs in professional development. Suggestions were rare but hinged on filling needs... Most teachers were interested in learning about material for the new programme as it becomes available and several were interested in experimenting. The examens de service were very popular and REACH-OUT especially the paper document received a thumbs-up. Teachers are generally looking for material in each skill but speaking activities were the most often singled-out. Suggestions for a New Teacher's Kit included information on BIM exams as well as individualised and advanced activities.
At the primary level, the MEQ programmes and teaching strategies were highest on the teachers' list followed by using computers. One planning day and two or three class days were proposed for meeting needs in professional development. Suggestions focused on Windsor as a place to meet... Most teachers were interested in learning about material for the new programme chosing to do so after school and several were interested in experimenting. As at the secondary level, the examens de service were very popular and REACH-OUT especially the paper document seemed popular. Teachers are generally looking for material in each skill and few singled-out one skill or another. Suggestions for a New Teacher's Kit included evaluation grids.
You probably know how the government will have a deputy minister make a speech on some contentious issue and then await the reaction of the public, well I'm thinking in terms of offering general professional development(PD) and/or working committees according to special interests. Intensive, ESL-LA-enriched, rattrapage and primary teachers (grade3-4) would be invited to form committees to develop strategies to meet their common needs.
Basic PD would be offered in the MEQ programme to the concerned levels as it becomes available and in parallel, PD in teaching strategies (including integrating les TIC) could be introduced in a cyclic way over a three year plan. That is to suggest taking a tour of popular teaching strategies the first year and refining and elaborating over the following 2 years. So, what`s the reaction? Should the minister resign?
As for the 21st of May, as CP, I hope you can make it to the WebShop on using computers in teaching and learning but as an animateur of CEMIS des Sommets and on behalf of the Groupe de Travail Régional en ALS, I invite you to attend this year`s show and tell from 8:50 to 11:30 at du Tournesol. There will be twelve workshops and presentations offered by teachers at the primary and secondary level as well as a keynote presentation by James Rainville, a well-known ESL teacher, university lecturer and CEMIS animateur from Trois Rivieres.
Some of you may remember a similar event last year for the then future des Sommets ESL teachers. This year, WebShop is open to all ESL teachers in the three school boards of Région 05. Hope you can make it!
April 22nd and 23rd, I attended a meeting of RREALS in Québec City. Elizabeth Johnston and Michael O'Neil were there from the MEQ. They spoke of their work on the new programmes and the 'perfectionnement' they will be offering in co-operation with RREALS in late September to initiate the CP`s and 'responsables' from each school board. Also, I heard of special PD funds that should be available for next year.
There was a presentation of a computer programme available on CD-ROM, Langmaster. It is interesting and inexpensive, about $350 for a lab of 16.
Commentary:
Computer programmes have the advantage of being progressive, planned and easy to access on single computers. Things become more complicated and expensive when we try to match them to our ESL programme and share the CD-ROM over a network. An encyclopedia like Encarta is fantastic but now that it is two CD's, manipulation becomes a problem. Clip art cd's provide material for teacher preparation and for students to enhance reports and develop creative uses for vocabulary study, but again 200,000 images spread over 8 cd's may seem a bargain but all that 'stuff' is not easy to work with.
Besides the method software that attempts to meet the needs of a wide variety of learners from adults to children, learning adventure cd's provide a viable alternative into an emersion environment using games and problem-solving techniques to guide the students' progress. The Learning Company has several titles such as The Oregon Trail, Maya Quest, Amazon Adventure, etc. The famous Carmen series includes history, geography and even grammar-loaded cases to solve. However, how much computer time do you have for the students and is the program worth the expense to equip a lab?
Aside from specific needs and situations, I personnally prefer using Internet resources. Tom March who develops the pedagogical uses of the Internet through WebQuests provides this description: More than information, the Web is about people, ideas, and sharing. Yes, the Internet is huge and full of other than good material, yet it also has the best, most up-to-date, authentic and honest material for any classroom.
You will find an informal evaluation of several CD-ROM`s compiled by Annie T. annexed.
The April meeting of RREALS is also when the yearly mandates of the members are distributed. I have inventoried the material and will be sending out a copy to the schools. A list of material from past years (over 100 documents) is available to order. Eventually past exams will also be inventoried and cross-referenced with the cassette bank. A list of 177 cassettes from the our ESL Cassette library is also included in this issue.
PS. How`s it going with BIM?
The SEVEC summer exchange programme is in its planning and recruiting phase. They will be visiting secondary schools and some grade 6 classes in May. Bill Hogg who co-ordinated the programme last year, is back with three new monitors including Mireille Paradis (stagaire) and Caroline St.Louis (La Ruche). You may contact them via Le Transit where they will focus the summer activities at (819) 843-3319.
Jean Cloutier who I am replacing as CP has been named principal at Brassard.
On May 6th, I attended an ESL-LA Consortium meeting with Bob Williams (L'Escale) who does the mandate for the CS. We were treated to the presentation of a poetry handbook with activities suggested for levels one to five all in a two-inch thick document that will be sent out to each school with ESL-LA. Certainly something to look into! We were also initiated in a two hour workshop to motivation factors. Part of a 5 day development plan, the focus was on helping teachers identify what is motivation, what affects motivation and what role we can play in our students' motivation. (There are things we have no control of and can`t change.) Most mandates will be handed-out at the June 3rd meeting however new covers for past modules were provided. Some older modules have been updated or 'beautified' and will be re-distributed
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bibliothèque |
Bibli. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
secondaire qui veulent commencer à explorer les possibilités de l'internet
comme outil pédagogique en classe. À cet atelier des suggestions de sites à
découvrir seront données. Maria Pullara CSRS <pullaram@hotmail.com>
VTRIP; -description of the Virtualtrip project.(objectives,goal,etc) Caroline Boissel CSS <cboissel@hotmail.com>
An innovative pedagogical tool that combines co-operative, project-based learning and integrated computer competencies into varied and engaging short or long-term experiences.
Sec 1 activities: Julie Malouin CSS juliemalouin@hotmail.com
Integrated ESL projects completed with secondary 1 students. - Powerpoint animal mini-encyclopedia, Internet crossword project, presentation project, etc.
Sec 2 activities: Julie Malouin CSS juliemalouin@hotmail.com
Integrated ESL projects completed with secondary 2 students. Web pages, etc.
Sec 3 activities: Sylvie Duquette <ducky4ever@hotmail.com> & Bob Williams <unclebob50@hotmail.com> CSS
Links and suggestions for Internet projects and activities.
Match & Master: Bob Williams CSS <unclebob50@hotmail.com>
Introduction to the co-operative Match & Master activities prepared using MSPublisher as well as getting the point across with MSPublisher posters.
Searching and finding!: Jocelyne Demers CSRS <jess@abacom.com>
How to search on the Internet WEB searchers, addresses and how to really use them.
Primary rules! And links. Jocelyne Demers CSRS <jess@abacom.com>
SAFETY rules on the Net and why we should really supervise our student.
Addresses, themes and primary objectives.
Puzzlemaker
B E A U T I F U L C H S R I L
A T I M L D A D O Q L E A N U
T Y H O B C N N N E O N L D F
H I N G T I F O L I O S U E T
L G N I I I T B L V K I C P H
E Y V T D A A I E B I T S E G
T E D E E D R R O N N I U N U
I H N N N L W T I U G V M D O
C T C E A E L H S F S E E E H
S O P H I S T I C A T E D N T
I E T G G N I O G T U O U T S
D S H O R T E T T E N U R B Y
S T H A N D S O M E N W O R B
E V I T C A R T T A S T U C K
G E N E R O U S N O B B I S H
ACTIVE
AMBITIOUS
ATHLETIC
ATTRACTIVE
BEAUTIFUL
BLOND
BROWN
BRUNETTE
CONFIDENT
DEPENDABLE
FAT
GENEROUS
HANDSOME
INDEPENDENT
INTELLIGENT
KIND
LONG
LOOKING
MUSCULAR
OUTGOING
OVERWEIGHT
RUDE
SANDY
SENSITIVE
SHORT
SNOBBISH
SOPHISTICATED
STRAIGHT
STUCK
THE
THIN
THOUGHTFUL