This ning was created by Jessica McCulloch and is a great way for teachers of Chinese to communicate with each other on a regular basis. By putting up issues that everyone can see, the number of ideas that can be disseminated is almost unlimited. If you have time, try this one and see what you think. Although it was originally established for teachers in Victoria to keep in touch with what is happening in the world of Chinese teachers, anyone can get involved. There is also a related wiki which has lots of ideas and on which you can also add your ideas.
I have been neglecting this blog for a while – trying to keep up with all the new things that need to be done have made it quite difficult to devote time to writing about teaching Chinese. It has been enough just to think about what needs to be done tomorrow to be thinking about anything deeper than that. However, it is interesting to note that there seems to be just so much more available now for teachers to use than there was when I first started teaching. In fact, the only things I had when I arrived at my new school was a calendar with lovely pictures of China and some black and white drafts from Zhongguotong!!! When I think back to those times, caring for three young children, working full time and trying to create materials for next day at school, I often wonder how I did it!!! Now we hear that the federal government is providing funding for new materials once again. I would love to hear from other teachers about what resources are lacking at the moment. There have been a few primary resources that have recently been published but most of the text books are not suitable for primary schools here. Chinese Treasure Chest is a useful resource – I look forward to the second volume which includes a range of topics we use in the primary Chinese classroom.
I would also encourage teachers to register on the hanyulaoshi ning. It is a great way to get discussions going and as it is especially aimed at local teachers, is able to provide a forum for others who are in similar situations and know what the environment is like.
Have just spent the past few minutes joining a new group: my edna LOTE. However, I still don’t seem to have gotten the hang of all this stuff. It is most embarassing when you see your name on the front page, not making any sense. Wish I could delete it but don’t think that is possible. Anyway, too bad. Seems like a good group to be part of, with many links to sites on the internet that could be really useful.
Well, what do you know! Reloaded last night and the video is working okay now. Must have been a glitch in the system. There was a note last night to say there had been a problem with the edublogs site, so perhaps that was causing the ptoblem. Whatever the reason, it is fine now. I will keep looking to see if there are any others worth putting on the blog.
It is interesting to see what other people see when they open my blog. Up to today, the youtube video was visible whenever the blog was viewed. However, I notice tonight that it does not show at home when I look at it. Not sure what is going on. Perhaps our broadband is quite busy so it is having difficulty downloading it quickly. Will check at school tomorrow to see if it is working from there.
When you are teaching younger children, songs are always a popular inclusion in the program. Not only do they give students the opportunity to learn chunks of language, but they can often be fun as well. If you are not a great singer, or resources are hard to find, take a look at Youtube. I found this one and thought I would share it with others.
For a number of years now, I have been using quia.com to create games for my students. The students really like the games, and since we have been able to add images, they will just go and play them when they have finished their work. The beauty of adding these games to my school website is that students can actually play them from home. They can also share their learning with their parents, which has been great! The parents really appreciate being able to sit down with their children and see what they are doing in Chinese.
Follow this link to see one of my activity sets: COLOURS
Quizlet is another site that I have looked at and also created a set of vocabulary items. However, I don’t find it quite as good for the younger students. As lists of words, they don’t have the same appeal as the QUIA games. But I can see that it could be extremely useful for older students who don’t need so much visual appeal. With QUIA, it can be time consuming adding the pictures and the sound files, but, in the end, the product is good and can be used over and over, from year to year if necessary. They are especially useful for students new to the school who have never studied Chinese before. They provide a source of information and a series of activities that new students can access from home and do a little catch up.
It is important to note, however, that QUIA requires a subscription fee of US$49.00 per annum for an educator. Quizlet, as far as I can tell is free. So this could be a consideration if you would like to create games for your students.
LANGUAGES ON LINE is another site created in Victoria, Australia. Games can be adapted for your various units of work. It provides the outline, you add the input. This is free too.
Can you believe it! The day has come and gone already. Yesterday we held our own Olympic activity day. In collaboration with the PE teacher and the drama teacher, we organised a morning of fun activities for students in Prep to 4, with assistance from year 5 and 6 students. I prepared students to deliver welcoming speeches in both English and Chinese along with the athletes’ oath. Went very smoothly and the students did well. When the photos come my way, I will add them to this blog. We took videos as well – will need to look at it and edit where necessary. Great day anyway, and a nice change. Students loved it and by including some of the traditions of a real Olympic games, they became more aware of the historical and global significance of the event. We ran a short torch relay and lit the cauldron as well! Four girls performed a ribbon dance to traditional Chinese music, just to add to the atmosphere. Thanks Tiina!
We have been busy preparing for an Olympic activity morning this Friday, which just happens to be 8th August! Have finally made a torch for the relay, the girls are ready to perform their ribbon dance, and the speeches have been prepared and practised by the students. I have interviewed those who wished to be part of the opening ceremony and have selected four to introduce the day. Two will read their speeches in English, two students will read their’s in Chinese. Apart from the welcoming speech, we decided we needed an athlete’s oath. I am just so glad I was involved in translating the Olympic language teachers’ resource kit into Chinese. Certainly made life so much easier! The music is reading for the dancers, the games are prepared, so now we just let the games begin.
Depending on your individual situation, teachers of languages, especially in the primary school, often feel isolated and inadequate. If the support for the program is minimal, resources few and a dedicated space not made available, it does not take long for LOTE teachers to lose heart. However, if there are a number of us in similar situations, we can at least try to provide some support, be it ideas for classroom management or teaching resources. Hopefully, we can provide both. If you are happy to share your experiences with other teachers, check out the Chinese Teachers’ Wiki, on the right under Blogroll, and let’s get started!
