What about talking a bit about 'Indicazione per il curricolo'?
Blogs, the Web might become a way to change things...
Yet, Is it really possible to think about such a 'change' while there are 'people' who still strongly believe there's no ...whatsoever difference between designing a curriculum on exit competences rather than one on objectives (actually resulting in vague 'contents')?
Last Tuesday, I spent more than half an hour to try and 'explain' to my maths collegues that starting from 'expected competences' was different from listing a number of 'objectives/contents'.
What do you think?
Can we really work for a Change'?
Dani
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6 comments:
Hi Dani,
I appreciated your comment regarding the difficulty with defining and facilitating goals in English language instruction. I would like to share an experience (one I have quite frequently in fact!) at a small, 'bilingual' school in which I consult outside of Venice. When I arrived there was no clearly defined English language curriculum -- that is, reading, writing, science or social language goals. They were doing math since the teacher was certified in that; she has been teaching without books. The "Engish curriculum" was to push the kids, grades 1-5, through the Cambridge Exam prep books. From a company in America I was able to obtain phonics, reading and math books. I have science books, but science is not really on the curriculum. . the materials, well-priced and beautifully presented in all areas, will come from Delta next year. In the meantime, the directors are not convinced that if the children do not do this certificate, that they will be competent in English. Unfortunately, this is an attitude that prevails in a fairly widespread fashion. English is something to be studied, not lived and the notion of using the language for learning is still a 'foreign' concept (by which I mean, not generally accepted). So, I appreciate your frustration and the seemingly endless amount of time one must spend to demonstrate the efficacy of such an approach. Unless we keep pushing for change in the general "English language" classroom, students will continue to fall further behind than in those places which understand that English is a living, vital form of communication that can be used in sync with classroom mother-tongues. . what a continued waste of minds and time if we do not manage to effect change!
Nancy
Dear Nancy,
what was meant to be a 'community' finally seems to result into an exchange between you, paola, me and a few (very few?) others bloggers - WHICH is not what I expected. Never mind.
I do appreciate you are part of it. Your contributions are always very 'real' - and recognisable as such.
You're absolutely right: most think languages are something to be studied, While the only way to really learn them is living them...
A couple of days ago I had a lesson in a third year (scuola media)-8th hour, in the afternoon - and I proposed a reading about 'Social habits' in UK' (rather a stupid topic isn't it?). When I asked them, "starting from the title, what do you think we're talking about...?" Someone answered "abitazioni sociali"...and 'impolite' became 'impollinato' or even 'inquinato' (I felt like laughing and killing them at the same time...)Yet, when we got to a paragraph about seling/buying cigarettes and alcoholics...Everyone was so willing to tell us his/her experience that they really tried and somewhat told it English...they helped each other, they mediated when their mates didn't remember the word of got it wrong...In the end, we all knew about how it worked in Italy, Iran, China, Ucraina...as regards the fact they shouldn't sell cigarettes and alcohilics to people under 16 - and yet they do it (all over the w, it seems).
When they really want to say something, they also find the language to say it. Maybe it's not 'perfect' English (not al all...) but they are able to make themselves 'clear cut' as you'd never expected them....
Great lesson (and much greater because I'd never believe it could happen?
Dear Dani,
yes indeed you're right on the point that "what was meant to be a 'community' finally seems to result into an exchange between you, paola, me and a few (very few?) other bloggers - WHICH is not what I expected. Never mind".
:-(((
Immediately after last year's project, l was repeatedly asked to create this "community". What can l say? A community is democratic, made up of a number of active participants who are willing to share and exchange professional information and experiences. This is what makes it different from a training course where a leader/trainer provides input to carry out learning tasks and activities and participants follow. In a community, every participant takes the lead and stimulates other members. It's not just a one-time access and simply subscribing is not the point.
In any case, a few active members can make the quality of a community. Thanks for being there and feeling the need/will to share with us.
http://the-ve-blog.blogspot.com/2006/04/communities-of-practice-cops.html
hello ladies-in-the-community! :-)
well, first of all I have to agree that the spirit is very different from what we all probably expected it to be... not a nice feeling to enter and see thet there aren't any new posts or comments. Probably it's also a matter of time, isnt't it?
After feeling the same for the blog I have created,:-((, I must admit I have been wondering whether these new virtual spaces work on "voluntary contribution" or if there has to be a task to be completed and handed in by a certain day and time for them to work. And maybe the same would be true for our students should we use them in educational terms? Or would it be that they would not be "real" any longer the moment they are part of classroom work?
English is something to be lived, not studied - Nancy, so true! And Dani, your tale show that if we give our students "real" topics to be involved in, feedback and participation will flow... just let's not leave life outside the classroom.
Nancy, I have left a message for you in my blog: sorry not to have come to your presentation at GlobEng - the organising burden was so involving that I only managed to follow the plenaries... Hope you enjoyed the conference, though, and at least this time we met f2f!
Love to you all
Paola
Dear Dani, Dear All,
sorry for not being so active as I would like to be but I am attending an e-learning course with Ca Foscari University which is very hard in terms of time and work to carry on.
However I am following your threads and visiting your blogs almost everyday.
If I have not yet created mine it is only because I know you need time to make it look meaningful and interesting like yours are.
I think this community is worth existing and I am sure it gives lots of visitors many deep suggestions for their professional life.
Let's go on then and thanks to all of you.
Antonietta
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