The problem with teaching French immersion is
Posted by: cmalbeuf on: April 24, 2010
the lack of resources at PD sessions. I’m like white on rice when it comes to the display rooms at conferences. I never have the money, but I’m always facsinated by what is (not) there. At the conference this weekend, for example, I found myself drooling over a particular table laden with resources I would have loved to buy on two conditions. 1) Had I had the money 2) Had they been in French. Going into the profession, I’m finding myself somewhat disappointed by the lack of resources such as posters and bulletin board sets and decoratives that are in French. Either I don’t know where to look, or they just truly do not exist! I wonder what I would have to do to start making and selling my own…
Information Overload – Part 1
Posted by: cmalbeuf on: April 24, 2010
Today was the first day of the Saskatchewan Reading Council Literacy Conference. Talk about an information overload. Between two keynotes and two breakout sessions, I don’t know that I will sleep tonight with all of the information racing through my head.
Keynote 1 – Non-Fiction: A Guided Force in Literacy, Presented by Tony Stead
Tony’s keynote was most engaging and full of insightful tips that I will most certainly be able to take into the classroom. The focus of the first part of his presentation was on the Writers Workshop and how it is divided into two parts, first a classroom investigation lasting 1-4 weeks followed by an individual investigation lasting 1-4 weeks. When it comes time for the individual investigation, it is important to give children a restricted topic choice so as to avoid a situation of choice overload. Tony also discussed the importance of students needing to be active as researchers. The one strategy I think I will try to implement in my classroom that I took away from Tony’s presentation is his Did You Know book strategy. In the Did You Know book, students compile facts about assorted topics, or books can be created on more guided topics. Books can also be comprised of visual and textual literacy.
Breakout 1 – Writing Gone Wild, presented by Rebecca Grambo
I had the privilege of introducing Rebecca for her Breakout presentation, and as such I had the chance to speak with her before the presentation. Her passion for her work comes out in everything she says. Her breakout was about how she took her passion for animals and photography and transformed it into works of non-fiction that aren’t boring. Through a narrative-type story, she presents scientific information about her topic to her readers.
Breakout 2 – Making a Difference: Engaging FASD Readers, presented by Dr. Linda Wason-Ellam and Rae Mitten
Having taken a course on Inclusive Education in my last semester of Education, focusing on students with special needs and how to accomodate them in the classroom, I felt this would be an excellent presentation to attend, especially given the fact that FASD was NOT one of the exceptionalities discussed through our course. A lot of misconceptions I had about FASD were cleared through this presentation, and I also gained some good basic knowledge on how to accomodate FASD students in a regular classroom. What I found most interesting about the presentation was that many of the strategies discussed and presented for reading and problem solving in reading is that they are strategies we should be teaching ALL of our students, not just our exceptional students or our FASD students.
Keynote 2 – The Daily Five, presented by The 2 Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser)
For many conference participants, myself included, this was one of the highlights of the conference. I have a copy of the Daily Five, somewhere in my room back home that I have yet to read. It was supposed to come to Regina with me, but somehow it did not make it. This keynote, however, has me all the more excited to read the book and hopefully implement the Daily Five in my classroom in the fall. One of the big things that was said during the presentation but that makes complete sense is that the number of years = the number of minutes (Dr. Ken Wesson). Students cannot stay actively engaged at upper cortex levels for more minutes than they are old. A seven year old student cannot maintain higher brain function for more than seven minutes at a time without losing focus. The Daily Five seems so simple to implement when you see how Joan and Gail go about it in their classrooms, but as a newcomer to the profession, it seems so daunting to implement such expectations in a classroom.
Tomorrow morning Gail and Joan have a second Keynote at breakfast, followed by our 3rd breakout session and the Final Keynote session. After the conference, I move home to Saskatoon, so my update will probably be late getting up, but it will get here eventually!
Farewell University, Hello World!
Posted by: cmalbeuf on: April 23, 2010
- In: Challenges | Collaboration | Inclusion | Pratico-Pratique | Research | Teaching | University | Work
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Tuesday April 20th, 2010 I officially finished my Undergraduate Education degree. However, I’m still living within the walls of the University until Saturday. Why? I chose to volunteer for a Literacy Conference hosted by the Saskatchewan Reading Council which runs until Saturday at lunch time. Some say I’m crazy, but I think it was a great way to start of the transition from student teacher to teaching students.
As I began my final semester of University, I found myself with the offer of a full time, permanent teaching contract offer. Of course, I accepted without hesitation as it was for the school division I had always dreamed of working for. Though my contract does not start until fall of 2010, I am scheduled to begin subbing as of next Monday, April 26th. I already have two days lined up for the end of next week, with the hopes of early next week filling up as well. Despite having spent the last four months in the classroom, I can’t wait to spend the next two back in the classroom, because I know the experience will not be the same, and not necessarily better, only different and a new one every single day.
This semester, of all the semesters in University, I found myself pondering the more theoretical points of education, rather than the more pratico-pratique aspects of it. Our Fondations of French Immersion class allowed me to delve into the rather complex realities that I will face as a proud French Immersion educator in Saskatchewan. Our Teaching English as an Additional Language class gave me a glimpse of the realities of multicultural classrooms and the challenges we face with a lack of assistance in the classroom. Our Inclusive Education class opened my eyes to the many ways we can accomodate students who face difficulties in the classroom while still making them feel welcome and a part of the group.
Though I will miss being in university, having somebody or multiple somebodies to provide me with a multiplicity of interesting educational literature, I feel that I am ready to go into the world of teaching, not alone, but rather as a collaborator. Collaboration is what results in the success of education. Without the sharing and teaming up of educators at all levels, education would not be what it is today. While I might be moving on and meeting a new group of colleagues, my old colleagues will always know where to find me, and will always know that I am ready to collaborate with them.
Farewell to university, to student life, to cafeteria food and late nights. Hello to the real world, work, bills, early nights, early mornings and a new adventure every day!
