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Date of Class:July 2, 2014
Day of Class:Wed.
Time of Class:12 noon – 2 pm
MC: David
DJ:
Assistants:
Module:English for Getting Around
How Many Learners:9
Score:6+7+7+7+6+10=43
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):
We had a lot of people come in after class started. I started out telling what I did yesterday, and had people write it down, then I had people tell what they did, how they got there, and had the other learners write it down. Then we practiced saying things aloud, with learners telling their stories and others echoing back to them. I also had them write down and sing with me Blue Skies.Date of Class:June 25, 2014
Day of Class:Wed.
Time of Class:12 noon – 2pm
MC:David
DJ:none
Assistants:none
Module:English for Getting Around
How Many Learners:5
Score:6+7+7+7+7+10=44
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): I tried a few new things today. We talked about trips we’ve taken, and learners dictated stories about how they come to the US from their countries of origin. We did a transportation brainstorm. I used pictures of Portland bridges, a Portland map, and bridge names on slips of paper, for a matching and putting-in-the-right-order game. This was challenging for even the more English-fluent learners, and provided a chance to work on pronunciation and local familiarity. Then we had a bridge name scramble, also challenging. I was going to finish with a simple song about trains, but we ran out of time.Date of Class:June 18, 2014
Day of Class:Wed.
Time of Class:12 noon – 2pm
MC:David
DJ:none
Assistants:none
Guest: Brian Martin, CIty of Gresham
Module:English for Getting Around
How Many Learners:3
Score:6+7+7+7+7+10=44
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):
Brian Martin came from the City of Gresham. We worked on the survey they’re having, about transportation. I used it as a dictation and students asked a few questions.Each of us talked about how we got to the library today, and we used those as dictations, and said them aloud. We had a bridge name brainstorm and I brought pictures of all the major bridges in Portland; we wrote them down and said the names. Then we finished by writing and singing This Train.Date of Class: June 11, 2014
Day of Class: Wed.
Time of Class:12 noon-2pm
MC:David
DJ:
Assistants:Andrea
Module:English for Getting Around
How Many Learners:8
Score:6+7+7+7+7+10=44
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):Nice, multicultural, multilevel dynamic. It was Andrea’s first time to observe this class. We told stories about where we’re from, where we live and how long we’ve been here: it was great to hear different people’s stories. We named and pointed to stops on the MAX, did a street name brainstorm and played a place-name concentration.Date of Class: June 4, 2014
Day of Class: Wed.
Time of Class: 12 noon – 2 pm
MC:David
DJ:none
Assistants:Cassandra
Module:English for Getting Around
How Many Learners:5
Score:6+7+7+7+7+10=44
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): Used Tri-Met maps of the rail system to do a listen & point, & document search, leading into brainstorm and write names of towns and places around Portland, naming different transit centers and then streets. Then, we did a dictation about asking when a certain bus is coming. We told and wrote down how we got to Rockwood Library today. We talked briefly about: ’til and until. We played concentration using slips of paper with the names of different places around Portland, and finished! Then finished with a dictation and sing-along of Ella Jenkins’ version of Mary Mack, which contains some fun uses of language about trying to get somewhere, and asking for something, and watching others going somewhere.Date of Class:May 28, 2014
Day of Class:Wednesday
Time of Class:12 noon – 2pm
MC:David
DJ:
Assistants:Cassandra
Module:Talking to the Boss
How Many Learners:5
Score:6+7+7+7+6+10=43
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): We did a dictation and role play about asking for a day off from work. We told stories from our own work lives ( I started with one of my own) and used them as dictations and choral responses. I tried a new activity that I made up: I brought a tennis ball and had us in a circle, throwing the ball and asking and answering with short questions & answers (“Can I? Yes you can.” “Should you? No, I shouldn’t. Do I? Maybe you do.” etc) as quickly as possible. We then used these phrases: no, I didn’t. Yes, I would. etc on slips of paper for a game of concentration. Finally, we sang Anything You Can Do. We had some fun and I saw some real progress from learners, especially with the activities requiring speaking out loud and without a lot of thinking. I’d like to work more on smoother transitions between activities.Date of Class:May 21, 2014
Day of Class:Wed.
Time of Class:12 noon-2pm
MC:David
DJ:
Assistants:
Module:Talking with the Boss
How Many Learners:6
Score:
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):
There is no more box of PPT materials: it seems to have disappeared. We had one new learner. We used a dictation and role play to become clearer on how to use can, do, did, will, would, could, and should. We used our own stories as dictations: think of a time when you were working and you asked for something, but didn’t get it. Then, we used brief scenes from the film Salt of the Earth and asked ourselves: if you were in the situation, what would you do?Date of Class: May 19, 2014
Day of Class: Monday
Time of Class 6- 7:30 pm
MC:Mary Louise
DJ:David
Assistants:Nancy
Module:What Do You Do?
How Many Learners:6
Score:5+8+6+7+6+8=40
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): Mary Louise’s unplanned class. We did “What is she/he? What does he/ she do? He/ she is a/an athlete, barista, teacher, etc” in various ways: writing, speaking, role play. Then we had a few games: mixed-up names of the students to be unscrambled, followed by concentration using a few phrases and words we’d learned.Date of Class: May 14, 2014
Day of Class: Wed.
Time of Class: 12 noon- 2pm
MC:David
DJ:
Assistants:Cassandra
Module:Talking with the Boss
How Many Learners:10
Score:7+7+6+7+7+10= 44
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): We had a big, enthusiastic class. I tried a dictation emphasizing the different between can, do, did, would, should, could, will, and have. I had them use positive and negative in a game-like role playing activity that helped them learn how to ask and answer, for example: Did you go to the store? Yes, I did. Could you go to the store? No, I couldn’t. This seemed a bit repetitive after a while, especially for some higher-skilled learners, and I wasn’t sure how helpful it was, or if another way would be more effective for teaching this. Still, it was something new. Then, I dictated and had them role play using various outlandish statements: Can you fly to the moon? Can you climb Mt. Everest? etc. and had them practice responses: Yes, I can. No, you can’t, as quickly as possible. Finally, I had us all do the song Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better using the video clip from Annie Get Your Gun, and then imitating it.Date of Class:May 7, 2014
Day of Class:Wednesday
Time of Class:12 noon-2pm
MC:Patrik
DJ:David
Assistants:Cassandra
Module:What Do You Do?
How Many Learners:8
Score:4+6+7+8+7+8=40
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):
David observed Patrik today. We did a lot of writing, and role plays around the room: Are you working right now? Are you looking for work? Did you work yesterday? Are you working tomorrow? Patrik dictated some sentences from his own life: I work in a call center. Then, he had me and Cassandra do the same: I sing three times a month. I work Fridays 9 to 6. etc. We had one new learner today. This is the most students I’ve seen Wed. at noon in quite some time.Date of Class:May 5, 2014
Day of Class:Monday
Time of Class6-7:30 pm
MC:Mary Louise
DJ:David
Assistants:
Module:What Do You Do?
How Many Learners:5
Score:8+7+7+8+9=47
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): This was Mary Louise’s second silent class. We did yell and spell with a focus on clusters of letters and numbers that may be confusing or sound similar (A, H, 8)(B, V, P)(S, F, X, 6) (C, Z, 3) We worked on basic introduction skills using dictation, then role play: Hi. My name is ___. What’s yours? Nice to meet you. And then we did: what’s his name? what’s her name?, because last week, there was some difficulty for our learners. We had a dictation of vocab words, verbs to describe things we do: write, read, type, run, swim, drive, etc. and worked on asking and answering: Can you swim? Yes, I can. No, I can’t., using dictation, call and respond, role play around the table, and finally we stood in a big circle, and stepped into the middle silently for yes and stepped out of the circle for no.Date of Class:April 30, 2014
Day of Class:Wednesday
Time of Class:12 noon – 2 pm
MC:David
DJ:Cassandra
Assistants:none
Module:Talking with the Boss
How Many Learners:6
Score:4+8+7+7+8+10=44
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): I was supposed to be watching Patrik today, but he wasn’t here, and I didn’t contact him or Cassandra yesterday to check in, thus my lowered score in Preparation. I completely winged it, and I would consider this a REAL unplanned class for me! Cassandra, as always, was so helpful. I did manage to look at the exercises Brooke sent, and I made up several exercises on the fly using the templates Brooke suggested. For example, I had them write down several different prices: $6, $75.15, $115, $150, and had them write: This costs___. It costs what? (repeat price). That’s a bargain. or That’s a rip off. Then, I had them listen and do with job verbs, such as clean, write, type, read, fly a plane, drive, answer phones. I had them write the verbs, then stand up and practice asking each other: Can you drive? Yes, I can. and No, I can’t. Then we tried invitations. I dictated and had them write:Can you go with me to the ___ on ___? Yes, I can. and No, I can’t. I have to ____. I had them write several things they could invite someone to, or be invited to: the beach, the movie, the park, the party, the dance, all seven days of the week, and several reasons why someone might not be able to accept the invitation: clean, work, babysit, etc. Then we did a role play. Finally, I had them do another dictation and dialogue: I used to work in a hotel. Now, I work at a school. Next year, I’ll work in a college. I modeled, and I had Cassandra model this, and then I had the students talk using this template. This wound up being very conversational! We learned about what each person has done, does now, and hopes to do! It was really nice, and there was much laughter and learning about each other. Patrik is absolutely right about not preparing, though it sounded crazy at the time: now, I really do feel more confident!Date of Class:April 28, 2014
Day of Class:Monday
Time of Class: 6pm-7:30pm
MC:Mary Louise
DJ:David
Assistants:Nancy
Module:What Do You Do?
How Many Learners:3
Score:48
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):
This was Mary Louise’s first silent class. She did really well communicating a lesson to me using no words, with only a few brief points of real confusion. We had a dictation: “My name is, what is your name? Nice to meet you.” She had a lot of pictures of people in their jobs: teacher, doctor, carpenter, chef. We had some dictations and choral response: She is a teacher. He is a gardener. etc. Later, we put all the pictures on a small table and played a game: Who is the teacher? Who is the police officer? Then we had a listen and do, about jobs, work and abilities: Dance, sew, write, read, type, clean, answer phones. Then we formed a circle: Can you sew? etc, in which stepping into the circle was accompanied by “Yes, I can” while stepping out was accompanied by “No, I can’t”Date of Class: April 23, 2014
Day of Class:Wed.
Time of Class:12 noon – 2pm
MC:David
DJ:Cassandra
Assistants:
Module:At the Bank
How Many Learners:4
Score:7+7+7+7+6+10=44
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific):
Four learners, one of them new. Clock broken, so I lost track of time until Cassandra told me it was 2:10! I will have to make sure, if this happens again, to tell any assistants in advance that they’ll have to remind me of that, and to please tell me when we have, let’s say, 10 minutes of class left. I did a dictation with dollar and cent amounts. We worked on how to write these amounts, and also how to say them aloud. Also, how to say, and write the numbers and words for large numbers, difference between hundred, thousand, million, and billion. We did a dictation and role play about being in the checkout line at the grocery store, using fake money and an insert from Albertson’s. We did a coin grab with a big pile of coins: “How much is 79 cents?”, and then used a bank deposit slip to practice making a deposit.Date of Class: April 21, 2014
Day of Class: Monday
Time of Class: 12 noon – 2pm
MC: David R.
DJ:none
Assistants:none
Module:At the Doctor
How Many Learners:2
Score:48
What happened (as short or as long as you like, but be specific): Two students, one of whom was new. This was one of my unplanned classes, so I improvised a lot. I used my own body to teach names of different body parts; writing exercises (Are these my eyes? No, those are your ears.) to differentiate between questions and answers, between singular and plural, and between this and that, these and those. I had printed out and brought in a doctor’s form, and asked learners to find different words, to repeat words after me, and to understand what questions were being asked on the form. We did a simple dictation and role play, based on an old joke I remembered (“Hello, Mr./Ms.__. How are you?” “Oh, doctor, not so good.” “What seems to be the problem?” “It hurts when I do this.” “Well, don’t do that.” Then I asked them to write out names of the body parts we’d been talking about, and we went over those together.