On Monday, students received pages 7-9 in My Language Porfolio and I explained to them that this was a self assessment and that they now had the chance to see and put to evidence what they accomplished as far as learning in FSL during case 1.
I was tickled to see their pride as they checked off the I CAN statements with confidence. The only things we missed were I can write French names and read a class list of names.
I love this tool. We were able to do a skim of all of the oral concepts we'd been learning and could easily see as a teacher who was succeeding and who wasn't because of the way we all interacted with the content. Instead of having to really spend one-on-one time with students to hear their oral skills, it was a simple and accurate process to repeat key questions from the unit or ask if they knew how confidently they can say expressions or read the texts. I can spot the MINORITY of students who struggle in a class where it's usually the opposite where most of my kids struggle and only a few succeed. I easily filled out the Teacher Observations sheets for each student and it was difficult to pinpoint anyone who was struggling. They seem to all be able to communicate each of the goals and statements with confidence. It would be interesting to hear another class who piloted to compare. But that is our dilemma as FSL teachers more north and in smaller towns...we are isolated from each other and have no occasion to hear other classes and to compare how students are doing.
For information - my school's demographic is one of many transients, lowest provincial test scores in ON in both languages and math therefore we are a good group to test the progress possible with Club Mystère...if these kids can learn...anyone can!! And I am very proud to say, though we are just starting...I can see learning class to class!
Monday they will stat Case 2- with great anticipation...
Mme Denis
I was away this week for two days as I had the good fortune to be invited to our area's CEFR workshops lead by teachers from Big City boards as we northerners put it. A spectacular two days! All to only help me better appreciate the Club Mystère and it's roots in the CEFR.
As a bonus, when I worked in a group writing up lesson plans...I sat in awe as I listened to another obviously experienced teacher who was full of insight and spoke with so much confidence...yes, none other that one of the keen writers for Club Mystère: Anne Normand! I convinced her ( it took a bit of cohersion) to let me take a photo of her so the kids could see someone brilliant who helped create the programme they love so much.
Thanks Anne, for teaching me so much that day and inspiring me not only to continue to be an FSL teachers but to believe even more in the CEFR changes that seem less of a mountain to climb now. Especially with tools like Club Mystère to help me learn as I teach.
Anne Normand- team writer
This programme is setting about to use more oral language...in comparison to what I tried in the past are they actually speaking more French?
Well, I would have to say I am mostly proud and impressed with the level of enthusiasm and positive attitude towards this French programme. That, we as FSL teachers know, is half the battle.
My students always loved my French class, but this is much more long-term engaging.
The short variety of exercises makes it ideal for FSL teachers who have from short 40 minute blocks or longer 60 minutes. I completed the case 1 in about one month but I cheated and used some of my drama blocks. Also, the kids did some extra activities to make connections and to allow for more oral uses of language conventions that I would be teaching but the timing was good..ex I used the chance to bring in possessive pronouns with mon nom est and ton nom est, teaching these were masculin but we will se ma and ta and sa and son.
The thinking that went into this is not taken for granted. Every little detail from having the three missing students' names start with L....and T..... drew conscious effort on the part of the student to READ and LISTEN carefully and they had to participate actively and with cognitive effort...right up to the way the activities will reach all the kinds of learners in the class. All students were successful. All students are confident parts of the lessons and class. It's wonderful to see that.
Every concept and oral vocabulary taught is used now by the students orally. They quickly set up into activities like the introduction games, spelling their names and already they can confidently use the letters in French. They are using the strategy cards SC1-4 vocabulary which are up on my bulletin board and they now use them orally without looking at them as a reference.
In only 3 weeks, we have improved alphabet comprehension. They knew to recite a few letters but had never really been taught. Now, they sing it (traditional melody) in French and can think of, recall and use letters to spell words orally.
They love Hugo and the way I use him, he seems part of the class. One hectic day as I greeted them at their class ( I forgot him!) they yelled : "Où est Hugo?"
They are looking forward to case 2 and asked if we could do this all year. I don't know how I am going to fill those shoes in my class when we are done case 3?!
Well, if I learn from example I am going to minimize my vocabulary and reuse many ways as they have done with Club Mystère. This taught me to give the students more time. But they way that learning concepts ( les lettres) are integrated into the mysteries is key to keeping their engagement.
I always taught with themes, or robust tasks in French but I will never be able to redo the video clips and audio, or on the scale that Club Mystère has done.
I am throughly enjoying using this. I did follow all activities, though admittedly due to things like my PD and supply teachers I moved the order around of some activities that were relevant to whole unit...so that means there is a lot of room for flexibility. There was no real reason to, nor is there any inclination on my part to skip anything. I am used to skimming products...not this one.
Teachers who may feel a little less confident in their pronunciation have all of the audio they need to support the content and even I as a Francophone needed the audio on names of communities.
One day we played autobus and I asked them to make up names. They were asking for more French names. This to me is true to my heart as I feel that the cultural appreciation has been developing during this unit. Kids are all of a sudden PROUD to find out they have French last names and that we can pronounce their names in French ex. Daniel.
We are all looking forward to filling out our Portfolios and I am am excited to do the assessment sheets and move on to CASE 2!!
Mme Denis
Thursday, after we solved the mystery on paper because these kids were too anxious to hold them back from the momentum- they were ready. So, as a form of assessment I pulled all of the games together for a period: autobus, inner circle, épelle ton nom and l'alphabet. Well, I was so pleased to watch how much everyone had learned these last couple of weeks! It was a great reward for me, an opportunity to use the activities to assess each student and it made them very proud and even a little surprised about their own abilities already.
I took a video of their alphabet which they really want to sing to the traditional tune. They are adorable and so happy.
Friday we will hear audio clip 6 avec la solution and watch 1a et 1b for absent students and the three who did not complete solution.
Now Monday we work on their Portfolios and Passports!
Mme Denis
What a fantastic day.I am terribly regretfull I didn't video record these kids today.
Lesson 6?
We were following the review activities for dialogue circle in circle introductions. I had a student return to class from going out of the country and had missed a lot.
That is one thing to consider. How to review and revisit without spoiling the flow of the mystery.
I was doubly glad to have made a rule from the start which was to define the tasks of a detective. That a detective follows clues, maybe writes them down even but never shouts out his or her predictions, hypotheses, or makes off the cuff conclusions without all of the clues and proof. I have some kids on pins and needles holding their hands over their mouths and even acting out and anxiously trying to point out their deductions. Despite how sure they were...they MUST follow all the clues to achieve my expectations. Thank Goodness I kept repeating this since it gave me the chance today to go backwards, show clips and play audio for student who missed a week. It made students very proud to show off what they could say out loud to their peer who was absent. They were proud to sing along to and hold their clues to themselves as they helped the student get caught up.
So, today was lesson...hmmm if I remember correctly is 6 ( I don't have binder with me and I'll put proper references tomorrow to pages and sections) but we were reviewing map with audio clip # ? and then I added listening to La Classe de Mme Bellehumeure audio 3?? because they were really starting to pull out the deductions and were impatient to solve the mystery. Last class, I noticed that once they had the anthology in hand and could see the words they'd been hearing, they really READ the names and communities over and over. That was noticeable to me. I don't think I have ever seen kids reading over EVERY LETTER AND SOUND pattern intently. Their goal was to make letter connections to the clips. They sure did! Amazing.
So I had to let them take hold of the reigns. They had heard the audios now of the class list, communities and wanted to make some connections visually. They asked me to put student names on the Ontario map so I placed pins on towns approx. where they were on provinces and they pinned name of student. They noticed right away no name was in Ontario! Oh NO...that was it. They were too excited.
I handed out p.19 and they listened once more to the class list and checked off maddly the names they heard. Only 3 students out of 20 missed the momentum and didn't check the correct names. One is an excellent reader so it was just the speed of the activity... the other two are usual students who struggle.
I gave instructions to p. and they filled in missing student names and detective X. It was actually very exciting. I was having a great time watching every one of my students intently listening and reading and checking off. Engagement...live and 3D!
Also to note that it was nice and easy to correct 40 sheets. Tomorrow they will hear the audio with Luc Têtu's name.
I look forward to my grade 4 class more than ever!
We had a little bump in the road but I think it was two things. But a lot went very well.
1) these grade 4's haven't been confidently introduced to the Canada map yet. Some kids who knew and could point out their and other provinces learned from their parents. So the map set them off a bit.What I did to assist that was put up a large map, write provinces on them to read in French then they gained more confidence in that many names were cognates.
I also added name flashcards and names of communautes so they could stand up if Animated clip 1b said the name that the student held then they would repeat it. Tomorrow they will stand up when La Classe de Mme Belhumeur Jour 1 audio clip 5 will play names and communautés.
I see a stronger link and connection for them to read and see the words in front of them to facilitate connections. Maybe it's because I spent Sept to Dec with a lot of phonemic awareness and they are gaining skill and confidence in reading words then correcting pronunciation with direct assisstance from our phonemes. Ex they would read a word in pure English like valentin ( sound English then I would remind in makes sound in lapin then they correct)
We pinned names on map on spots of their communities and this was it...then the thinking went FAST. Oh, they pointed out missing names. I was a bug and held back L..... T...... so they would have more excitement in the epiphany!
Tomorrow we work more on the alphabet activities, review in circle within a circle and review the autobus game. Thursday they get pages 19 (Lesson 6 Case 1) and will track names by Thursday the mystery will be solved and on paper.
To share what I thought was remarkable was the Detective X- alphabet then où est "A" voici A , je suis Alamina! They learned this so fast....but they really needed alphabet on board to make sound visual connections.
Here is small video of their enthusium, confidence, and they are singing after the second time!!
The only other thing that comes to mind is this: I would love all the anthologies scanned on a memory stick for the purpose of more class interaction, pointing to the people explaining for example: "Je peux utiliser les indices" it helps us discuss and see together as a class. When I put them in books...they curiously flipped ahead, didn't follow along ( two per book) and IEP students turned off entirely. Having the book scanned is more inclusive. It allows me to direct all students and let them have a role in the activity to enrich or adjust.
I also think of teachers on carts who could not carry all the books for each grade, they could have all on a memory stick. It would give us quick, carriable meterial.
Clip 1a--
We worked on the introductions and I was amazed at how much fun they had with it. I went further with "Où est Liam?. Voici ( and all students point to Liam) est ici! Each student felt so proud to be called out.
Here is a simplified list of comments from students. I put forward that they were all members of the `board having a voice about what they liked about the clip and lessons so far. They were quite mature and loved critically thinking about what they were learning:
* I loved that I understood everything on the clip...there wasn't a ton of French, but I just learned it and understood everything
* the animation was very good, like shows we watch on YTV!
* I was surprised about the clips and how much fun the mystere is...I thought it was just going to be more paper and books kind of learning.
* I like the characters<
* we all love Hugo!
* I like having conversations
* I never knew all of this...in one day!
* Hey I recognize that! RK Publishing we have books like that in our class!!
( see these kids are so keen on critical literacy and media..they have not done much of it but are ready for this as I do this with them with this Club Mystère and in Drama)
Well, that is just the first day. We were...I am sad to say...unable to follow your lesson plans because they wanted to watch it and discuss it over and over. So I let them lead. They are all excited making predictions and we are already reciting Je peux...utiliser les indices...it's super fun and it is the FIRST time in 22 years teaching I have actually used a lesson someone else made and follow it and be impressed and excited. I am used to having to create something each day...new and engaging. You did that for me. I am almost jealous I can't take credit for the brilliant lesson!
Tomorrow we skip right to next clip since they are eating it up...keep in mind we are Catholic and they have been exposed to FSL since grade one. But all of this was still new and very interesting for them.
The clips are very impressive.
Mme Denis
