Team negotiation of the solutions to Tangram puzzles in L2

ASSURE Model Instructional Plan

Team negotiation of the solutions to Tangram puzzles in L2

Lee Putnam            

Grade K-2
Mathematics (Geometry and Spatial Reasoning)

Lesson Length  50-Minutes

Analyze Learners

The number of available computers will limit the number of students accommodated by this lesson.  Ideally the ratio between the students and computers should be 2:1.  However, students can be grouped into teams that share a single computer. It may be necessary to implement accessibility features of the computers operating system in order to mitigate challenges for students who have physical disabilities that can be accommodated.  Not all physically disabled students will be able to be accommodated. Students are expected to have basic computer operating skills (mouse and keyboard).  This lesson plan is primarily visual and kinesthetic therefore it will be most beneficial to students who are visual or kinesthetic learners. This lesson can be easily adapted to accommodate classrooms that do not have computers.

 

State Objectives

The students will interact with one another and be monitored by the teacher a distance using computer video teleconferencing as the communication interface. The student will learn to identify the geometric shapes square, triangle, and parallelogram.   4.2 Investigating the Concept of Triangle and Properties of Polygons The student, by solving Tangram puzzles, will develop geospatial reasoning. 4.4 Developing Geometry Understandings and Spatial Skills through Puzzle like Problems with Tangrams The student will learn the names of the geometric shapes square, triangle, and parallelogram in L2. The student will learn the names of the colors red, pink, blue, green, and yellow in L2. The student will learn to negotiate the placement and orientation of the shapes using simple commands such as left, right, up, down, and rotate in L2.

Select Methods, Media, , and Materials

Methods The teacher will introduce the geometric shapes, square, triangle, and parallelogram. The teacher will introduce the names of the colors of the puzzle pieces: red, pink, blue, yellow, and green. The teacher will explain how the children will work in teams, communicating only in L2 to complete each puzzle. Media A computer with the ability to access the internet and run flash media or a tablet (Android or iPad) with an installed Tangram application. Materials The lesson can be taught without electronic media using purchased Tangram sets or by using paper cutout pieces.  http://ideas.gstboces.org/programs/tangrams/printables.cfm

 

Utilize Media, Materials, and Methods

Preview the materials Review the concept of the Tangram puzzle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangram Preview the online game that you will be using.  http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/tangram.swf http://ideas.gstboces.org/programs/tangrams/ Prepare the materials If you will be using an online version of the game, ensure that each computer to be used can access the site and that the game run on each computer. If you will be using paper cutout Tangram pieces, then prepare them or alternately preprint the shapes on colored card stock so that the children can cut them out as a part of the lesson. Prepare the environment To facilitate the L2 communications and community learning components of this lesson the students will need to be grouped.  The minimum grouping size is two and the group size can be increased as driven by limitations imposed by the number of computers available. If computers are to be used, cluster seats so that while one student operates the computer the others will be able to watch that student.  The student that operates the computer can be rotated for each new Tangram puzzle.  If students are in pairs, then they should switch for each new Tangram puzzle. If you will not be using computers, then cluster the desks so that students in a group will share a common workspace in the center of the group. Prepare the learners Puzzles by their nature are engaging and it should take little effort to motivate the students toward solution of a Tangram puzzle.  Begin the lesson with a brief history of the origin of Tangrams and explain the component shapes. Point out the three shapes and the concept of similarity that exists between the three sizes of the triangles.  Demonstrate how a Tangram puzzle is solved.  While doing so use the commands: place, above, below, to the right, to the left, rotate, and flip in L2. If the students will be using a computer application, demonstrate the use of the interface for that application. If you will be using paper Tangram pieces, the learner preparation stage would be opportune for the students to cut out their pieces. Provide the learning experiences Having demonstrated how to complete a Tangram puzzle, now is the time to discuss with your students the community and L2 communication requirements of the lesson. Point out that one student is to instruct the second student in the placement of the Tangram pieces in order to solve the puzzle.  The solution of the puzzle is to be accomplished by using only L2.  If a student is unclear about how to communicate an instruction, then they should attempt to negotiate the communication without using L1. Each group is to complete as many puzzles as they can within the time allotted and record (draw) their solutions.

Require Learner Participation

Lesson duration 50-minutes Setup and student organization 10-minutes Form students into groups and settle them into their work positions.  Have them start the computers and open the application. If paper is being used, pass out the materials. Explanation and demonstration 10-minutes Provide a brief history of the origin of Tangram puzzles. Demonstrate a Tangram puzzle solution. Present the L2 vocabulary: square                         place                        red triangle                        above                       blue parallelogram              below                        yellow                                     right                          pink                                     left                            black                                     rotate                        green                                     flip Explain the rules that the students will use while completing the lesson: One student will give the instructions to solve the Tangram puzzle. One student will operate the computer application or construct the Tangram. All communication will be in L2.  Other students may help the instruction giver and the assembler negotiate the communications. The answer for each completed puzzle will be drawn. Student execution 20-minutes Once the students have begun, give them as much liberty to complete the lesson as is possible.  The goal is to foster as much community learning within the groups as possible. Monitor the progress of each group, noting group dynamics with and emphasis on L2 communication.  Coach as necessary to ensure that all groups are making progress. Review of the results and class discussion Review a sample of the problems that have been completed.  Have the groups share their drawings. Have the groups explain the strategy that they used to communicate construction instructions. Review the L2 vocabulary by having individual students demonstrate the vocabulary that they have learned. Solicit the students opinions on the lesson:  did they enjoy it, do they think that they learned about Tangrams, do they think that they learned about geometric shapes, and do they think that the lesson helped them to communicate instructions.

 

Evaluate & Revise

Evaluation methods for each of the following are included: Student Performance Create a rubric based on the objectives that you listed in the second part of this lesson plan as detailed as possible. Media Effectiveness How you evaluate the effective use of the media that you select for this lesson? Instructor Performance How your performance is assessed in this lesson? You can have students, co-workers, your supervisors and others to evaluate your performance. Provide detailed information. Student Performance Students should complete a minimum of 4 Tangram puzzles within the time allotted. Students should have documented all of the Tangram puzzles that they solved. The teacher should have needed to coach minimally, not more than once per student. Students should be able to recall and understand 70% of the vocabulary. Media Effectiveness Did the computers and application that you selected work for the lesson? Did the students have any problems with the application interface? Did the computer and application act as an adequate distractor that lead to facilitation of the community learning experience for the students? Instructor Performance The true measure of instructor performance and the effectiveness of the lesson is how well the students learned the objectives of the lesson. Compile document anything that the students pointed out during the review and class discussion that might improve the lesson.

Community Language Learning Under A Principles Based Approach

History of Multilingualism

It is estimated that more than 60% of the world’s population is either bilingual or multilingual. From a historical perspective it appears that multilingualism was the norm rather than the exception.  Five hundred years ago the most common second language was Latin.  Political changes in the sixteenth century influenced the rise in popularity of the French, Italian, and English languages.  Now English is the most prevalent second language learned around the world. (Richards & Rodgers, 2001)

The earliest recognized methodology for language learning was the Grammar Translation Method, which dates back to the sixteenth century.  Grammar translation remained the predominant language learning methodology until the birth of modern language learning methodologies during the mid-twentieth century.

Community Language Learning

Community Language Learning (CLL) is a language teaching methodology developed in the 1950s by Charles A. Curran and his associates. (Richards & Rodgers, 2001)  Dr. Curran is a Roman Catholic priest, a moral theologian, and a specialist in counseling.  He holds a Sacrae Theologiae Doctor with a specialization in moral theology from the pontifical university system of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Community Language Learning methodology was developed while Dr. Curran was a professor of psychology at Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois.   Being a psychologist with a specialty in counseling, Dr. Curran appears to have drawn heavily on his background in the development of what has become a holistic natural approach to second language acquisition.

Community Language Learning uses principles found in the Rogerian school of counseling which is often referred to as person-centered psychotherapy (PCT).  In PCT a client is given the opportunity to develop self worth. (Cepeda & Davenport, 2006) Community Language Learning uses the Rogerian counseling metaphor to redefine the role of teacher as that of the counsellor and the role of student as that of the client.

One of the basic principles of the CLL methodology is the formation of interpersonal relationships between the teacher and students that are designed to eliviate anxiety and facilitate language learning.  As a holistic approach, the aim of the CLL methodology is to involve the learner’s whole personality in the language acquasition process. (Nagaraj, 2009)

CLL Tasks and Activities

Translation:  A learner whispers a message to the teacher who translates the message and in turn whispers it back to the student who them repeats the teacher’s translation.

Group Work:  Learners work in small groups to prepare a topic or conversation that they will then share with other groups.

Recording:  learners record their conversations in the target language.

Transcription:  Learners transcribe what has been recorded.

Analysis:  Learners analyze and study those transcriptions.

Reflection and observations:  Learners reflect on their experience within the group or class.

Listening:  Learners listen to monolog delivered by the teacher discussing the activity of that class.

An Example CLL Session

(Carlson, Cashin, Snow, Moua, & Kim, 2012)

 

The Approach

In his book, Counseling and Culture in Second Language Acquisition, La Forge, a student of Charles Curan, suggests that acquisition of language is a social process.  He rejects the information communication theory model of sender-message–receiver in favor of the social-process model. (Richards & Rodgers, 2001)

La Forge argues, “. . . communication is more than just a message being transmitted from a speaker to a listener.  The speaker is it at the same time both subject and object of his own message . . . communication involves not just the unidirectional transfer of information to the other, but the very constitution of the speaking subject in relation to its other . . . Communication is an exchange which is incomplete without feedback reaction from the destine of the message.” (La Forge, 1983)

The social-process view of language is described in terms of six subprocesses:

•   The whole-person process
•   The educational process
•   The interpersonal process
•   The development process
•   The cultural process

In Communicative Syllabus Design, Munby postulates that there are two classes of human interaction; symmetrical (between equals) and asymmetrical (between unequals). (Munby, 1978)  He goes on to suggest that in an initially asymmetrical interaction, present in a learner-knower relationship, the learner progresses through five stages:

Stage 1 – dependency

Stage 2 – self-assertion

Stage 3 – resentful and indignant

Stage 4 – tolerant

Stage 5 – independent

Charles Curan suggested that a state of consensual validation, the development of a positive evaluation of the other person’s worth, must exist between the learner and the knower for language acquisition to occur. (Richards & Rodgers, 2001) The acronym SARD can be used to express four psychological requirements for successful learning:

S – security

A – attention and aggression

R – retention and reflection

D - discrimination

In the conclusion of his paper, Application of Community Language Learning For Effective Teaching, Mr. Nagaraj states, “Community Language Learning is the most responsive of the methods which is reviewed in terms of its sensitivity to learned communicative intent.”  He goes on to say,” It is applied in various settings; it is used as an aid for language learning, under the radar, academically.”  (Nagaraj, 2009)  His conclusion is not unexpected with regard to its reference to the sensitivity of the approach.  It is also interesting to note his reference to the method’s application being “under the radar” which suggests that CLL is not formally accepted within the conventional academic environment.

Principles-Base Approach for English Language Teaching Policies and Practices 

In their white paper, A Principles-Base Approach for English Language Teaching Policies and Practices, Ahmar Mahboob and Namala Tilakaratna state that language policy and planning is a complex task with many stakeholders.  They propose that policy makers adopt a set of guiding principles designed to inform the process of policy development in a structured manner. (Mahboob & Tilakaratna, 2012)

They propose six principles be adopted to create structure within the language learning policy development process: collaboration, relevance, evidence, alignment, transparency, and empowerment.

            C R E A T E

Collaboration

Collaboration should take place within and between all levels of the policy development hierarchy thus empowering all those involved in the process with influence on that process and a stake in the final product.

Relevance

Relevance ensures that the policies, practices, and the materials that the policy directs or encourages attain the goals for which they were intended.

Evidence

Policy development should be based on evidence, not on experimentation.

Alignment

Alignment is a key element of determining the success of the policy in that it ensures that the outcomes are aligned with the goals of the policy.

Transparency

The policy objectives, goals, and outcomes should be visible, accessible, and justifiable to all stakeholders.

Empowerment

The ultimate goal of a project should be the empowerment of local communities, teachers, and students through collaborative, relevant, evidence-based, and transparent practices.

(Mahboob & Tilakaratna, 2012)

Principles Based Approach and Community Language Learning

You may recall that I noted earlier that Mr. Nagaraj stated that the CLL method is often implemented “under the radar.”  This suggests to me that CLL is a method that is not often embraced by policy makers and is therefore not included in established English Language Teaching policies.  Clearly this state of affairs is not congruent with the principles proposed in PBA by Mahboob and Tilakaratna.  Based on the Principles Based Approach implementation of CLL should not have to be and should not be hidden.  Rather a teacher’s desire to implement CLL within the curriculum should be able to be openly communicated to policy makers who in turn should be open to those suggestion.

The first Principles Based Approach step to be undertaken when attempting to implement CLL in a curriculum would be collaboration between the teachers and the hierarchy of policy makers.

There is a question of relevance.  That is, does CLL meet the goals that the policy makers have set or intend to set.  If those goals are driven by competency evaluations that rely heavily on quantifying vocabulary acquired and on grammar accuracy, then it is not likely that CLL will prove to be relevant.

I have not been able to locate a study that would provide any evidence of the effectiveness of incorporating CLL in an ELT policy.  If that evidence does not exist, then it would be contrary to PBA to incorporate CLL in an ELT curriculum.

Alignment would be the key to achieving relevance of CLL to the ELT policy goals.  In this case it is likely that goals would need to be adjusted in order to align CLL with ELT goals.

Past practices of implementation “under the radar” were clearly not transparent and may have created a prejudice against the acceptance of CLL by policy makers, who, might feel that their power has been usurp.

A teacher’s need to "operate under the radar" clearly indicates the total absence of the teacher's empowerment by those in policy-making positions.  A lack of empowerment at any level is clearly not in keeping with intent of PBA and would need to be corrected in order for any policy that incorporates CLL to succeed.

 

Works Cited

Carlson, H., Cashin, K., Snow, G., Moua, M., & Kim, W. (2012). Community Language Learning [Video]. Retrieved 11 14, 2013, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4G9uY8Vq2Y

 

Cepeda, L. M., & Davenport, D. S. (2006). Person-Centered Therapy and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy; An integration of Present and Future Awareness. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training , 43 (1), 1-12.

La Forge, P. (1983). Counseling and Culture in Second Language Acquisiton. Oxford: Pergamon.

Mahboob, A., & Tilakaratna, N. (2012). A Pinciples-Based Approach for English Language Teaching Policies and Practices. Retrieved 11 18, 2013, from TESOL International Association: http://www.tesol.org/read-and-publish/newsletters-other-publications/tesol-white-papers-and-briefs

Munby, J. (1978). Communicative Syllabus Design. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nagaraj, P. (2009). Application of Community Language Learning For Effective Teaching. The modern journal of applied linguistics , 1 (3), 175-181.

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Reason for this blog

This blog was created to be used for the publication of my essay assignments for the University of Guam, School of Education, ED661 class.