For this week's grade 3 class we did an information gap activity involving colors. Some students were looking at the TV while others were looking away. The students looking at the TV answer the question and the students looking away ask the color, then color the symbol the appropriate color.
1. Copy the symbols. 2 spaces are left blank and you can choose to draw any symbol you choose in these spaces.
2. Ask and listen to the answer using TLC:
What color is it? (m, Q, 13, 7, R, ☆, ♥, etc.)
It's red. (blue, green, yellow, purple, pink, etc.)
3. Color the objects. If the objects don't have a color, the person answering the question will decide the color.
4. Trade places.
Photos and Videos:
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| Template to Copy |
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| Information Gap A |
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| Finished Product |
The Class:
The first class was a complete failure. Instead of having one student color and ask while the other student answered the questions. We decided to allow them to alternate. Instead of using the video projector, we decided to put a larger color sheet on the front and back wall. Some students were facing the back wall and others were facing the front wall. Students simply copied the colors and didn't talk to each other. They copied the pictures they saw and missed the point of the activity. It was quickly decided this was not how the activity was going to work. We couldn't even save it when we gave instructions in Korean and asked comprehension check questions in Korean.
The rest of the classes were successful. Instead of having them ask and answer at the same time we had one student ask and the other answer. Then after, they swapped. The students asking couldn't see the monitor, the students answering could, however they didn't have color pencils and their sheet was in their desk. Students quickly got the idea and played it right. After they swapped, the activity went flawless in most classes. Little Korean was spoken and all but the slowest learners were doing it without pointing to the symbols and colors. In some cases students didn't know about drawing their own symbols, choosing their own colors or the English names for some of the symbols that weren't letters or numbers. I thought that was okay because I wanted some personalization and was willing to accept the risks.
The Reflection.
Allowing personalization by having them choose colors for some of the symbols and allowing them to choose some of the symbols worked well. I will allow more personalization next time. Since it was their first time doing such an activity, I wanted to give them some choice, but not too much. Blank spaces and choices just add confusion initially. I am glad I added some, and I hope they were, too. Most students chose interesting symbols and not just more letter and numbers. Some students spiced up their letters and symbols because they weren't satisfied with my stick drawings. Other students sought out to use more colors that weren't taught like sky blue and green tea. I think they really enjoyed having more choice.
Using the video projector instead of just taking a photo allowed me to make changes and introduced a technology that is not an everyday thing in the classroom. Some students had fun running up to the front and making hand gestures under the camera. As long as it wasn't too distracting, I ignored it. It is their classroom, too.
I am glad I managed to save the activity and only wasted one of my 6 classes. I felt sorry for those guys and so did my co-teacher. She did the activity properly again with them when I wasn't teaching the class because she liked it. At first we thought we would abandon the activity for everyone. Thankfully I worked out a situation quickly. It is amazing to see such young beginner learners work on their own and actually use the TLC in a meaningful way. I hope we can do activities like this more often.
The only things I would change are adding more personalized choices in the future now that they have exposure to this kind of activity and I have more experience running the activity and know it can work with these little guys.
I don't think I taught any of my students, they were practicing and teaching each other. I only facilitated and set them up to do this. I think allowing them to use English more independently is the best goal to strive for in my situation. I think I am making meaningful progress here and I don't want to change anything at the moment as long as I keep on developing activities that work out this well. I can add more independence and choices and eventually move on to other style activities and two way information gaps. I suppose they have to start with one-way before they can move on to two way. They probably don't know they are capable of it, but with more experience they will get the idea and become ready for even more challenging activities. Maybe if they get used to working with their partners in this sort of environment, I can move on to cooperative group activities in the future. At the moment I will hold my ground and move slowly, I don't want to overload myself or my students.
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