On the theme of giving directions, today's class was the culmination of three days of focusing on public transportation, from learning the cardinal points to articulating how to use SMS to estimate bus arrival times.
So what worked and didn't?
In the mix were 3 to 4 who couldn't write basic words. Others, on the other extreme, just didn't want to get promoted. Totally asymmetric. So it was a bit brutal getting through stage 1 of the jigsaw activity. It was hard trying not to get all antsy about what next. But then they got to do dictation, and everything straightened out .... on its own!
We didn't get as far as artefact recording or e-portfololio updates, but one thing was clear. The Dictation Triptychs work! Especially for text savvy students, especially those highly literate in their L1 and all obsessed about filling in pesky blanks, the handout pulls them along, and the room explodes in furious learning.
Much fodder for tomorrow's lesson plan.
