Reflecton of Week 7

Learner's autonomy... This is something very important in our school that specializes in learning disabilities. There are 8 pupils in each class and all of them have different LDs: dyslexia, dysgraphia, lack of concentration, hyperactivity and so on. As a result, they all need individual approach and much more attention than their peers in regular schools.

As a rule, the classes are heterogeneous. Some kids are native speakers and have an excelent command in spoken English, but their spelling, grammar and reading comprehension can be rather poor. Some are quite good learners but they get distracted very often and sometimes it is difficult to catch them again and make them participate in class. And the third group of kids are non-readers who can understand spoken English but they read and write with a lot of mistakes which causes misunderstanding and frustration. Therefore each of them needs autonomy to study.

As I have written in the Nicenet, it can be gained in some ways.

a) Traditional method

The teacher works with each sub-group in the classroom according to their level, gives a set of tasks and the kids work. Afterwards she checks what they have done while other sub-groups are still working. At the same time the teacher is helping each of them.

Thus, I usually start with the students of the highest level. I explain them what to do (mainly a text for reading comprehension or some grammar exercises in order to practice the material they have already studied and this time they do some more exercises. While they are working, I can work with the kids of a secondary level. The weakest students can still practice alone - mainly in writing letters and/or reading rules. After a while I change the activities and work with the group of the lowest level while two other sub-groups are still working. Each kid needs autonomy, of course, in order to check his own ability and to make sure he or she has been making progress. I certainly give them success-oriented materials.

b) Only one computer in the classroom

Sometimes I practice this method. I connect a laptop to the projector and show the kids something specific. It might be a film or something connected to the Everyday English, so that the students of all levels will watch it and discuss. I can divide the class into two groups, strong and weak students can work together, and the first ones can help the second ones. In this way they learn to collaborate.

Then I give them activities for individual practice, connected to the video they have just watch, and they do the exercises in acordance with their level. While they are learning autonomously. I am helping and checking what they are doing. At the end of the lesson I check their works frontally or sometimes they check each other's ones.

c) Studying in the computer room

This is a brilliant opportunity for the autonomy. While doing speific activities online, everyone works alone and checks his/her own results just pressing a specific button "check the answers". Kids can also pick up unknown words in the online dictionary or using the "Google Translate". Besides, they can do some extra activities if they do it quickly. Some students are too slow, some are to quickly, so studying in the computer room gives them a chance to do tasks in accordance with their own abilities and level of knowledge.

Nevertheless, the teacher's presence in the computer room is compulsory. I mean, he or she must give the instructions and make sure that the students really study and don't do any side activities, such as using facebook or other sites of social communication. Moreover, the teacher can organize a competition in the end of the lesson, e.g. "Which mistakes did you make?" "Who did without any mistakes?" The last on is a winner. I think these activities motivate students to make more amd more progress.

P.S. I have shared an article about the learner autonomy in Israel
http://padlet.com/wall/WebskillsF2013/wish/17284622

and a video recording http://padlet.com/wall/WebskillsF2013/wish/17284572