In my opinion, the theories behind the planned lesson are interactionism and behaviorism.
Interactionism
This can be seen from the conversations between the students during pair work and also class discussion (peer feedback). Through interactions with their peers, students are able to learn from each other, and also, by giving them the opportunity to justify their opinions, they would better be able to articulate their thoughts and practice the English language.
Behaviorism
This can be seen particularly in the acts of repetition in the lesson. Basically, the teacher first explains the concepts to the students, whilst the students are expected to listen and then practice with their partners. The classroom is more teacher-oriented and students are not able to be active learners because their teacher has laid everything out for them.
Strengths
I find that the use of ICT tools is a good idea because it captures the students' attention and also makes the lesson more interesting and engaging. In Chapelle & Jamieson (2008), it states that the classroom is the place where students are more likely to be exposed to the different methods of learning the English language, Thus, the vast use of ICT in the lesson plan, such as the use of videos, audio recorder and e-portal, exposes the students to the different methods of learning the language, instead of learning it under the typical classroom setting of textbooks and workbooks/sheets
Another strength of the lesson plan is the scaffolding provided by the teacher. She provides immediate feedback (or rather, students provide immediate feedback to each other, while she supervises) to the students, and also provides them with a rubric in order to prepare them for the oral reading.
The explicit explanations and instructions given by the teacher allow students to have a better grasp of the concept that is being taught. It also makes the lesson more focused (which is crucial for learners of language) and students would definitely find it easier to understand the lesson.
Weaknesses
Personally I find that the video of Joey is not relevant to the lesson at all. I think that it demonstrates more on pronouncing (exaggeratively) plosives than on (proper) pronunciation and intonation per se. The teacher should choose a more relavant video that suits and meets the lesson objectives.
The "one size fits all" mindset can be observed in this lesson. The teacher does not provide differentiation and instead decides on what the students take away from the lesson. The teacher is also the one who decides what should be used in class, and this makes the lesson very teacher-directed. Teachers should instead allow students to "choose learning materials according to their needs and interests" (Towndrow, 2007) because by doing this, students would be actively involved in the learning journey.
I agree with your views that the teacher does not render differentiated instructions to better cater to the students and their diverse learning needs.
ReplyDeleteTo add on to your points mentioned;
Incorporating technology (ICT)would indeed make the lessons more interesting and engaging as it adds variety, interaction, flexibility and individuality (Towndrow, 2007). And yes, this would set it aside as an atypical classroom setting with more than just books and worksheets.
Renee ;)
Feeka - good critique! Here are two questions:
ReplyDelete1) You state that one of the strengths of the lesson is that: "The explicit explanations and instructions given by the teacher allow students to have a better grasp of the concept that is being taught. It also makes the lesson more focused (which is crucial for learners of language) and students would definitely find it easier to understand the lesson."
I agree... but I wonder also about the limitations of this teacher-centered mode of explanation and instruction, bearing in mind the tenets of constructivism and dialogic learning. Teacher-directedness can provide focus, but I'm not convinced that "students would DEFINITELY find it easier to understand the lesson." Different students respond to teacher-centered instruction differently. What do you think?
2) You state that "the use of ICT tools [e.g. the video clip] is a good idea because it captures the students' attention and also makes the lesson more interesting and engaging." But you also argue (and I agree with you to some extent) that "Personally I find that the video of Joey is not relevant to the lesson at all." Do you think that there is sometimes a tension between the use of ICT as a "motivator/stimulator" and the use of ICT to fulfill specified learning objectives?
warren
Hi Warren!
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I think I may have over-generalized there. Heh. I agree that different students have differing responses to teacher-centered instruction. Some students may feel that these instructions are crucial in guiding them to the right direction whilst some, quite possibly the more independent-learner types, may find it too restricting, especially to their individual creativity. Furthermore, with these explicit teacher-instructions, students are not given the opportunity to construct their own understanding and beliefs of the language. Also, there would be limited (or maybe none at all) room for students to experiment with the language that they are trying to learn, and this of course, has implications on their understanding and learning of the language.
Secondly, yes I do think that there is sometimes tension between the two. Sometimes, teachers may forget the main purpose of incorporating ICT into the classroom, which is actually to motivate the students to pay attention during the lesson, and to make the lesson easier to relate to and to comprehend. However, when incorporated into the lesson, teachers must be cautious of the content of the tool itself, in this case, the video. It has to be linked to the specific lesson objectives of the lesson, not merely as a funny show that has elements of pronunciation. In the first place, I don't think that the video shows the proper way to pronounce plosives (spitting at your audience), and it also does not highlight importance of intonation or pace, which is a message behind the bulk of the lesson. Thus, I think it is important for us to realize that though ICT tools can be used in the classroom to stimulate and motivate students to want to learn more, it must also be relevant, such that students would be able to see and experience a smooth flow to the lesson.
I really hope I'm making sense!
:S