Lights are appearing while I’m walking through this path. Every single thing is getting sense and connects, more important than with all the previous knowledge, with the real experiences I have lived.
A meaningful learning cannot exist if first it really means something to us. As a student I can remember lots of meaningful learnings, which are all related to feelings. “Attention”, “perception” and “connections” are words that take me to my own examples of learning.
Someone could think that it is just needed to call the attention of a kid to achieve the objective of learning. And probably a few people try to teach that way. It could work, if the process of perception and making connections worked in every person without stimulus. I’m sure there are students that can manage it, but there are others that cannot. Certainly, it is a duty of the teacher to stimulate the perception and the creation of links, by carring out proper activities.
“Students choose any special occasion and write 5 invitations. Remind them to give the detail of time and place, and the type of celebration. They then swap with their partner and write a reply”. ( David A. Hiv, English 7 Explorer, Activity 4, page 89).
The teacher is giving the students the opportunity to choose the celebration they prefer. Of course the students are going to get interested in this activity. After that, they must create and reply invitations, in which they must apply their knowledge. In top of that, they are certainly making connections with their own experiences, by working on special occasions, which, the most of the times, are plenty of special feelings. A kid would invite someone to his/ her own birthday party, for example. This kid will imagine the cake, the balloons, the presents, the games... everything, just by creating an invitation. This way, calling the student's attention first, achieving the perception and leading the student to make connections with his/her own experiences, this activity will turn into an effective lesson, and a meaningful learning experience.
I agree. I like this activity. I think it involves the three stages of a good presentation technique. What would be the best age to work with this? Is this activity only for children?
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think this activity is only for children. As the students can choose the celebration they prefer, it could work in adults too. Depending on the age of the students, we can simplify the vocabulary or turn it into a higher level.
ReplyDeleteI likw your phrasing
ReplyDelete