MFL Alive Conference Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone 29 February 2020 • Simon Green • simon@challengingideas.co.uk
Friedrichshafen, Germany 1876 • Teachers are those people who help us to solve problems • that without them • we would never have had. 3
Three big questions • Who is doing all the work in your classroom - you or the students? • What happens to the learning when the teaching stops? • Can less teaching make for more learning?
Is languages proficiency a gift?
Mindset and MFL
Fixed mindset Growth mindset Intelligence is static Intelligence can be developed Desire to look smart Desire to learn Tendency to …… Tendency to …….
Fixed mindset Growth mindset CHALLENGES Avoid challenges Embrace challenges OBSTACLES Give up easily Persist in face of setbacks EFFORT Effort is pointless Effort is path to progress CRITICISM Ignore useful Learn from critical feedback criticism Feel threatened Find inspiration SUCCESS OF OTHERS by success of from success of others others
Fixed mindset Growth mindset Plateau early and achieve Reach ever higher levels of less than full potential achievement Deterministic view of Greater sense of the world freewill
Do students view intellectual ability as a GIFT? Or is it something that can be developed and expanded through practice?
There is vulnerability when ability and intellect are seen as fixed When challenge comes, ability is questioned. If there is struggle there can be no gift
In summary: students need • Feedback • Focus on key concepts • Challenging tasks
On average teachers talk between 70 – 80% of class time
Challenging tasks
Every sentence must contain eight words only
Every sentence must contain eight words only Five words must have only four letters
Here in body, but mentally far, far away… .
How do you know the gender of any noun in Fr/Ger/Sp? • Do the exceptions help or hinder?
16 French nouns ending in -age • What is the gender? • What do you think is the gender and why?
masculin ou féminin? • visage • garage • orage • fromage • bagages • sondage • voyage • langage • chauffage • âge • étage • collage • stage • village • potage • courage
How useful is it to know that there are only six nouns in French ending in – age that are feminine?
Regardez l’image sur cette page : un lion plein de rage échappé de sa cage sur la plage s’enfuit à la nage
When people pass through a doorway to move from one location to another ….. ….. they forget more information than if they do not make such a shift.
It is quite clear that memory for recently experienced information is affected by the structure of the surrounding environment.
Vocab test How did you learn that?
Aristotle : memento loci
memento loci
memento loci kitchen bathroom main bedroom outside (back) second bedroom hall outside (front) living room dining room secret place
Me at a party
I E
Flexible learning groups A A D E A A F F B B F F C C G G H H K L J J M N
The Pareto Principle • 80% of all results flow from 20% of actions • 80% of problems come from 20% of causes • 80% of output is produced by 20% of input 38
The Pareto Principle • The vital few • What three actions can I take that will make the greatest difference? 39
The Pareto Principle • The trivial many • What else can I delegate or defer that may have limited consequence? 40
A rising tide lifts all boats
Recommend
More recommend
