CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CM

SUBJECT ASSIGNMENT: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The subject assignment consists of doing eight short exercises. To do so, leave the activities statements where they are and just answer below them. This assignment must be done in groups of three or four (the corresponding tutor will choose the group members during the tutorials) and the work must fulfil the following conditions: Length: between 8 and 10 pages (without including cover, index or appendices if there are any-). Type of font: Arial or Times New Roman. Size: 11. Line height: 1.5. Alignment: Justified.

The assignment has to be done in this Word document. In order to make the correction process easier, please, do not write the answers in bold, and it will then be easier to distinguish between them and the activities statements. On the other hand, the assignment must still fulfil the rules of presentation and edition, and follow the rubric for quoting and making bibliographical references as detailed in the Study Guide.

Also, it has to be submitted following the procedure specified in the Study Guide. Sending it to the tutors e-mail is not permitted. Both members of the group have to send the assignment.

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In addition to this, it is very important to read the assessment criteria, which can be found in the Study Guide. The assignment mark is 100% of the final mark, but the participation in the activities performed during the tutorials can improve this mark.

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Assignment:
Do the following exercises and justify or explain your answers where appropriate.

Task 1
Look at Urs list of patterns of interaction below. Decide whether each interaction is either more student-centred or more teacher-centred. Justify your answers. Group work: (student-centred) In a group work activity, the students have active participation, so it promotes STT and reduces TTT. Besides, they work collaboratively, and even weaker students feel more confident and comfortable to participate. The teacher just monitors. Close-ended teacher questioning: (teacher-centred) In a closed-ended question the response of the students can be answered just by a word or a phrase. This fact does not allow much interaction from the students.The teacher is the one who controls the conversation. Individual work: (student-centred) The students work independently, in their own learning process and at their own pace. There is less direct teacher control and more learner autonomy. Choral responses: (teacher-centred) The teacher models the activity and the students just repeat mechanically, which does not permit any spontaneous interaction. Collaboration: (student-centred) The students work collaboratively, usually in pairs, so they work on conflict resolutions, negotiate meanings and take responsibility of their own learning. The teacher intervenes the least. Student initiates, teacher answers: (student-centred) This kind of interaction is more student-centred because the students need to think and finally ask the questions they consider important. Full-class interaction: (student-centred) All students are involved in the task. Students debate, give opinions and make comments about different topics.The teacher only intervenes when strictly necessary. Teacher talk: (teacher-centred) The teacher is the only one in charge of communication. There is not an exchange of ideas and opinions. Self-access: (student-centred) Students do everything by themselves and they are responsible of choosing the activities to develop. This is a self-direct students learning.

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Open-ended teacher questioning: (student-centred) These questions allow students to express what they think and justify their answers. There is not only one right answer, so it encourages them to participate and to be engaged with the activity.

Task 2
Categorise each of the following errors under one of these headings: grammar; pronunciation; meaning; appropriacy. Justify your answers. How you come to school? Grammar: Theres no auxiliary Do after the subject. I go always to France for my holidays. Grammar: word order, the adverb must go before the verb. I dont like travelling by sheep Meaning: it is used sheep instead of ship. (Mike speaking to his boss) Thats a load of rubbish, mate. Appropriacy: Mike is being rude to address his boss. She suggested us to go home. Grammar: It is necessary to use the subject pronoun We right after the verb suggest (She suggested that we go home). Oh, of course! - youre Peter, arent you? (rising intonation on arent you). Pronunciation: The tag question should be falling intonation to express confirmation in the sentence. (student in pub) Give me a beer. Grammar: Grammatically incorrect, not article A as beer is an uncountable noun. She went to the library to buy a book. Meaning: L1 interference. In this case the Spanish word librera

Task 3
Look at the following situations and decide if you would correct or not. If so, say when you would do so. Explain your answer. 1. Students are writing a paragraph about a holiday in ones or twos. Yes, we would. Sometimes writing is a kind of activity that is challenging for the students and requires guidance, especially at lower levels. We would correct while monitoring their mistakes.
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2. Students are discussing the question of pollution in small groups. We would correct just if the mistakes interfered with communication. Otherwise, we wouldnt interrupt the process. 3. Students are debating on the rights of women in an open class focus. No, we wouldnt. Our role would be just the one of a moderator in order to permit students produce. 4. Students are discussing role-playing a public meeting after reading a text, and are preparing their side of the argument. Yes, we would. This is the moment in which the teacher plays the role of a facilitator. 5. Students are giving the answer to a listening comprehension exercise in class feedback. Yes, we would. As this is a listening comprehension activity, it is necessary to confirm whether they are right or wrong and it would be during the feedback. 6. Students are checking a grammar exercise in open class. Yes, Definitely. Because you are focussing on grammar not on communication. We would correct this right after the answers. 7. Students are giving the teacher examples of the target structure used to and the teacher is writing these examples on the board. No, we wouldnt. We would just write down their examples and get them check if there was a mistake after writing the statements.

Task 4
Below is a list of classroom procedures (activity types) which will, in theory, allow for individualisation in the language classroom. To what extent does each cater for individualised learning? What advantages and what drawbacks can you
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identify with each procedure if you were to use them with your own classes? (Ur, 1996:236) Explain your answers. 1. Readers. Students choose individual simplified readers, of varied level and topic, from a school library, and read quietly in class. It caters to a great extent because it contributes to the autonomous learning in terms of increasing vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension. Advantages: Since students are free to choose what to read, they learn to be independent as well as responsible for their own learning. The students choose their own readers freely according to their level of comprehension and interest. It helps them to enrich their knowledge since it provides meaningful input.

Drawbacks: They might choose the wrong level of reading and demotivate in the end. No guidance can lead into a misunderstanding of the reading. 2. Response to listening. The teacher plays a recorded text on a topical issue, and asks the class to note down points they understood. It doesnt respond to individualized learning because the teacher is the one who gives the audio material to the students who are supposed to listen to. Advantages: If students go under a listening process, they would improve their audio ability and expand their vocabulary bank familiarizing with native speakers pronunciation. Thus, they would be prepared for real life situations. Drawbacks:

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If the listening is too challenging, it will discourage them from doing the task and they will demoralize. Apart from that, the fact of not having linguistic features, such as facial expressions, gestures and body language will probably make it less successful.

3. Workcards. A pile of workcards prepared by the teacher is put in the centre of the class, all practising the material the class has recently learned, but each different. Each student chooses one, completes it and then takes another. It is not an individualized learning process as this is proposed by the teacher. Advantages: It encourages all students to progress and close any learning gaps. This activity helps to reinforce a previous learning and enhances students pace, ability and interest. It involves all students participation.

Drawbacks: It would be an unachievable activity for a weak or real beginner student who can feel frustrated or demotivated. 4. Textbook questions in class. The class has been given a set of questions from the textbook to answer in writing; each student does them on his or her own. It is an individualized learning process in a certain extent as the students are given an activity chosen by the teacher, which has to be answered individually by the students. Advantages: They can express themselves freely. They have time to prepare in draft before answering, so it can build self-confidence. As it offers opportunities for exploration it enhances creativity, and can also develop their own patterns learned previously.

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Drawbacks: There is no guidance while the students are working on their answers. They wont reflect on the answer together and agree to get a final version.

5. Worksheets. The teacher distributes worksheets which all practise the same grammar point, but containing various sections with different kinds of practice tasks and topics. The students choose which sections they want to do, and do as much as they can in the time allotted. It is an individualized process because students are allowed to choose the worksheet they want. Advantages: Students can complete the exercises without much teacher involvement and also reinforce the concepts learned previously which help internalize them. Drawbacks: Students see grammar in isolation which may not stay in long term memory. The statements are out of context.

6. Textbook exercises for homework. The teacher gives three sets of comprehension questions from the textbook, of varying difficulty, on a passage that has been read in class; each student is asked to select and do one set. It is individualized process as students are able to choose one of the three exercises and students do it by themselves. Advantage: It reinforces and helps learners to retain information taught in the classroom as well as increasing their general understanding of the language. It also enriches vocabulary and promotes the use of dictionary. Students develop self-discipline and they learn to do things on their own.
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Disadvantage: As this is an individual work, students may find it difficult to understand and can feel demotivated. 7. Varied tasks. The teacher has prepared a number of work-cards based on different language skills and content. There is a cassette recorder in one corner with headsets for listening tasks, and another corner available for quiet talk. Students select, work on and exchange cards freely. It is individualized process to a certain extent due to the teacher has prepared the material, but the students have the possibility to choose the card of their interest and develop it on their own. Advantage: Prompt students to develop the skills they want to work on. Since students dont work under pressure, they feel free to express themselves as they are not self-conscious about making mistakes. Disadvantage: Students can use the native language or talk about different topics not related to the exercise. Students may not have a clear idea of what they have to do. The quiet talk is difficult to monitor.

8. Research. The teacher asks the students to form groups of four in order to carry out a web-quest, based on an environmental issue. Each student is given a specific role and asked to find out particular aspects of the topic from internet sources, to later share with the other group members. The group will then arrive at a consensus, formulate a collective report, and present their findings to the class. It is individualized process to some extent because each student is given a piece of information to research and then they work collaboratively.

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Advantages: Students work cooperatively. A great number and diversity of alternatives can be developed. Better understanding and acceptance of the final decision. Members develop knowledge and skills for future use.

Disadvantage: Time consuming, Disagreement can lead to quarrels. Strong students may dominate and control the discussion.

Task 5
a) To what extent do you agree with each of Urs statements in your materials? What are your own views on the issue of mixed-ability? Do you think that mixed- ability groups always result in more successful SLA for learners? Or can the opposite seem to be true? Why? Draw on your own experience as a teacher or learner in order to prove or disprove each of her statements, providing concrete examples of classroom experiences/activities. Can you add any other advantages to her list? b) What other considerations have now come into play regarding this issue, especially those which have made the phrase mixed-ability seem almost old-fashioned or unnecessary? a) We disagree with Urs statements to a great extent. Everything he has applied can be got easily with homogeneous groups, which have the possibility to interact each other. In a foreign language class, if the students do not manage the language, they will not be able to share their opinions, make comments transmit life experience, for example. Urs ideas are good, I think, but not for learning a language. If so, the language schools would not place the students in different classes according to their levels and would work with mixed ability groups. So we consider that mixed ability groups do not result in more successful SLA for learner. According to our experience, we work with homogeneous classes (which means, not exactly twin students) and they do
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interact each other as they are able to communicate. A weak student would not be able to participate expressing his opinion, interest or ideas. Working with less mixed ability groups does not avoid getting each other much better. This point applies for both types of groups. As they are not twins, talking about the level of the foreign language, it is created also an atmosphere of co-operation and finally, creativity, innovation and professional development has to be always part of a teacher working or not with a mixed ability group. b) Having a mixed ability class is challenging because we have to use different techniques and in some way modify or teaching practice. There are some things that we need to consider when teaching mixed ability students. For example: group work, so that strong students can help weak ones; the material needs to be the made considering the different levels; extra activities for students that work fast, as well as, grouping and focus factors. Homework need to be also taken into consideration. If all the students have the same homework task, it will be too easy for some students and too difficult for others. If the task is too easy, the clever students don't learn anything. If the task is too difficult, the weaker students don't learn anything either.

Task 6
Say whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. Justify your answers. 1. If you give instructions for activities in the mother tongue, you deprive students of an important opportunity to be exposed to natural L2 use. We agree. Any time for teacher talk, such as giving instructions, is an

opportunity for students acquisition of the target language. So, if the teacher uses the mother language for activity instructions, the students will be losing a major source of target language input. 2. Students should be allowed to ask the teacher (in English) if they may say something or ask something in their own language and all other use of their mother tongue should be prohibited. We agree up to a certain point. It can be permitted for example for asking about an activity instruction or for something which can be difficult for them to explain.
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3. Teachers could sometimes use mother tongue texts with students, but comprehension tasks should always require students to produce English. We disagree. Students should always use texts in the target language to

develop their language skills. 4. If students translate the meaning of new vocabulary they will develop the mistaken idea that there is a one-to-one correspondence between words in English and in their own language. We agree because the meanings of every English word depends most of the time on the context. If you memorize one meaning of any word it can cause a misunderstanding of the word in different context. 5. Instructions should always be given in both languages - but in English first. We disagree. Students must receive the instructions in English to be exposed to the target language. 6. Translation should never be used with young learners. Young learners should be exposed to comprehensible input which also involves non-verbal aspects of communications such as mime, gestures, visuals, actions and intonation.

Task 7
Are the following statements true or false? Justify each of your answers. 1. Teacher thinking refers not just to the way we think as teachers, but also to what effect the way we think has on our teaching. True. Teacher thinking has to do with thinking and how it is involved in teaching. Teacher thinking includes reflective teaching so we need to be aware of the results that our own teaching has. 2. Our beliefs as teachers affects our classroom management more than any other factor in the classroom.

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True. Teacher thinking is an overall term that refers to the way we think, the way we are and the way we do things in the classroom. 3. Examining our pre-, inter- and post-active decisions as teachers is the best way to investigate our thinking as teachers. False. These three phases leaves many important variables untouched to investigate our thinking as teachers. There are some other factors of key importance. 4. As teachers we are doomed to repeat teaching behaviour that we learnt through our apprenticeship of observation. True as we internalise years of exposure to different teaching models, whether we like them or not. Therefore, it is important to be conscious of our histories and overcome the tendency of those teachers who taught us. 5. There is always a mismatch between a teachers espoused theories and his/her real classroom behaviour. False. Because it does not happen ALWAYS but FREQUENTLY. Special context or factors influence the way teachers behave in the class which does not match the way he thinks. 6. Teachers beliefs, which are formed early in life, are very difficult to change. True. These beliefs have been internalised since childhood. Therefore, it is hard to change as one gets older. However, if we see that our beliefs are affecting the learning process of our students, it can make you change. 7. A teacher will usually have a deeply-rooted (possibly unconscious) view about who his/her learners are, and this view is related to how the teacher believes languages are learned. True. Languages are learned using different strategies, therefore the beliefs we have about the learners may be taken into consideration to plan an effective lesson.

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8. Taking into account the affective climate in a classroom is likely to affect a teachers classroom management decisions. True. Many teachers decisions consider the affective climate as a way to build a good atmosphere in the classroom. Management decisions are not the exception.

Task 8 (To do individually)

Take any other two issues from the materials for example:
segregation of low-track students, the usefulness of web-quests, group dynamics (the 6 types), the relevance of the new key competences to language teaching and

classroom management
the way in which the market shift to young and very young learners has

changed the way we think and teach

Multiple intelligences any other which has attracted your attention

and discuss them separately. 1. Say why you have chosen the topics from a personal perspective, 2. Explain their importance with reference to the general framework of classroom management and 3. Try to predict how the topic will evolve in the future. Try to be concise, but each topic should occupy roughly one page, or three paragraphs for each of the two topics.

WEB-QUEST Some years ago the word web-quest was unknown. Nowadays is part on every teacher and student life. Web-quest is a way to work using websites in order to make good use of the information in the web, so students do not spend time looking for the information. Instead, they use the information. It is a student oriented activity, since the students work independently and it support learners thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Furthermore, classroom management refers to knowing how to harmonize different aspects in the learning and teaching process. For example: teachers and learners believes, the content, methodology, discipline and also the psychological aspect.
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Through the use of web-quest teachers can organize students work in order to get a positive result and therefore a positive environment. I have chosen this topic because it is a very useful tool and I really enjoy working with it. From my experience, I can say that it gives good results. First, students learn to be autonomous and taking care of their own learning. Additionally, they develop their thinking in higher levels (analyzing and synthetizing information). Moreover, they have the opportunity to learn from each other and last but not least, what I have notice by working with web-quests is that students are completely engaged in the activities, since the use of technology is very attractive for them. Web-quests raise students motivation through learning. In future, I am sure web-quests are going to be used in every single fill of education, beginning with kindergarten students to post graduate students. I also believe that, new ways of working with web-quest are going show up and probably there will be more training for teachers in order to make their work more effective.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
Multiple intelligences is a topic that I have always liked. I teach in a school where there are thirty students per room. There, I can see clearly all kinds of multiple intelligences. It is fascinating to see kids that are from the same age learning in many different ways. Having this variety of intelligences mixed in a classroom demands preparation on the side of the teacher. That is why I have chosen this topic, not only to tell about my experience but also to reflect about the relationship between multiple intelligences and classroom management. Everyone now is familiar with the work of Howard Gartner. His research helps us understand that not all the people learn in the same way. He identified seven different intelligences: visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic and logical-mathematical. When teachers are aware of these differences, they are better able to teach, supporting success for all the students. When the student's needs are met, they are engaged in their learning. When students are disinterested, they become bored. By understanding the learning styles of the students as well as their intelligences the teacher can differentiate the curriculum enough to offer something of interest for everyone. Taking multiple intelligences in to consideration while planning the lessons, help teachers have an optimal classroom management.

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I believe that in the future more intelligences are going to show up, there will not only be seven but more. Even there are extra intelligences, for example, naturalist, spiritual and existential. New ways of teaching regarding this topic are going to be proposed. Students as well will be aware of their learning styles and they will make use of their own techniques in order learn. New ways of assessing students will have to be taken into account as well. Now it is clear that people learn in different ways but most of us tend to evaluate them in the same way, so maybe there is a need to differentiate the evaluation in terms of multiple intelligences.

Name and surname(s):

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