The Benefit of Tasks and the Textbook Trap

Hola a todos:

These recent weeks have been quite hectic, but I am back. I've learned a lot in the past few weeks, though. In my last post, I discussed the creation of tasks to help students see a purpose for the language. The more I am doing this, the more I am seeing the positive effects it is having on my students. 

Last week, a sixth grade math teacher mentioned that her students came into her class and kept saying "this class is the most popular math class out of all the kids in our Spanish class!" She wasn't exactly sure what that meant, so I explained to her that our task for that day was to figure out which math class had the most students. Since my sixth graders were working on time and many of them have different math classes, I thought it would be cool to have them discover which class had the most kids. I put up all the possible times for the math classes that day, and the kids went around and asked each student the time of their math class. In the end, we came back together and they reported which class had the most kids. I was so happy to hear that the kids left thinking "we used Spanish to learn something about our math class" instead of "I learned how to tell time in Spanish today." 

I've been thinking a lot about my objective boards. At the proficiency academy last summer, I learned about the importance of daily objectives (if you're not doing this, consider it! It really makes a difference). I also learned that each objective should always have a language function and that it should most likely be different each day. At that time, I thought "but if I work on something new each day, I'll be moving too quickly and not giving enough input." I think I get it now, though. The objective should reflect the language function and the task for the day, and the task might be what makes the objective different. What do my fellow language facilitators think about that? Am I on the right track? 

I also had a very helpful discussion with my boss today--shoutout to Dr. Jorge Allen--about feeling trapped by the textbook. This year, I have been trying very hard to let the students take control over the vocabulary that they learn. After all, if it's not vocabulary that they want and can use, why teach it? However, I was trying to do both; I was trying to let the students take control over their vocabulary and mandating the vocabulary in the book. Hence feeling trapped. I don't give vocabulary quizzes or anything, so it hasn't been horrible, but it hasn't felt right, either. 

I've also noticed how afraid my eighth graders are to speak and to use the language, but my sixth graders are trying to speak only in Spanish whenever possible. Where does this disconnect happen? I don't think it's because they're older and care less (for most of them). Perhaps they are scared to speak because they got used to explicit grammar tests and being corrected all the time. They aren't accustomed to using the language and focusing on communication. I am certainly a recovering grammarian, but I gave them the opportunity to speak without being corrected today, and I was so proud of them. And when they came across vocabulary that they wanted, THAT'S when we added new vocabulary as opposed to me mandating it.  I definitely need to give them more opportunities for interaction like this to feel comfortable speaking--not just writing. And I need to remind myself: input, input, input.

As always, please share your thoughts and ideas. 

Thanks,

Timothy