Learning Centers in High
School? Absolutely!
Successful Centers for the Interactive
Foreign Language Classroom
Presenter: Tracy Flynn Spampinato
Wakefield High School, Raleigh, NC
Wake County Public Schools
tspampinato@wcpss.net
KLINIK
I.
Background information—How the idea for „Klinik“
developed
II. Rationale for Centers at the High School Levels
III. How it works in my classroom
IV. Managing student work—Organizational Tips
V.
Strategies for floating teachers … or "how to do
more with less"
VI.
Where to find resources
VII. Pros and Cons
VIII. Questions, Exchange of Ideas
I. Background information—How the idea
for „Klinik" developed
a. Challenges of teaching multiple preps/ 2 foreign
languages
b. Needed something to meet the needs of all the
different levels within one class
c. Lots of ideas, but how/when to implement them?
d. Wanted to keep students engaged, enthusiastic, but
also to take ownership of their learning
e. Loved the idea of "centers" which
elementary teachers have been
using since the dawn of time!
Starting point:
4 basic skills of learning a language:
Speaking, Reading, Writing, Listening…
Add Grammar, and that’s how I
created 5 dimensions around which
to create a "center“ or “station.”
For German Class:
Called it „Klinik"—play on words…
In German, the Klinik is like a hospital
…where you go
to get better…!
II. Rationale
1. Promotes independence and forces students
to take ownership of their learning
2. Students become more responsible, or learn
the consequences
3. Provides time for enrichment AND
for remediation
4. Allows time for teachers to work with
students individually or in small groups
5. Provides time for students to be creative
with the language
6. Allows for choice! Students choose what
they want to do and when they want to do
it (within the specific framework set up by
the teacher)
7. Allows for differentiation!
8. Makes your program unique!!
My Level 3 students boast about the
Klinik day to the younger levels, and
the students in levels 1 & 2 look
forward to experiencing ,,Klinik"
III. How it works in my classroom
,,Klinik" is once a week
First 10 minutes of class students write in their journal
-Students get their individual folders and immediately
get to work
There are 6 dimensions with a variety of activities set up for each:
I. Sprechen/Speaking
II. Lesen/ Reading
III. Schreiben/Writing
IV. Grammatik/Grammar
V. Hörverständnis/Listening
VI.Vokabel/Vocabulary Station
This is my classroom—I don’t change the desks
or the layout for Klinik, unless I already need
to change the desks for other classes.
I. Speaking:
A.Role-play (skits)
B.„Stammtisch"
C.„Glücksbeutel" (grab-bag)
D.„Bildbeschreibung"—Describing a picture or
narrating a picture sequence like on the AP
There is also a box of
exam
speaking cards where
students can pick out
which speaking tasks they
want to turn into a skit.
In this file tote
students can find
which picture sequence
cards they want to
describe.
This is the box
with the speaking
cards for skits,
dialogues, writing
topics.
Here are the
pennies for the
Stammtisch
activity.
This is where
the picture
sequence cards
are kept.
These girls are
doing the
,,Stammtisch”
activity.
Notice students
giving up pennies if
they speak English!
II. Reading
A. „Lesestückheft"—a binder with a collection of reading
activities
B. Magazines/ Newspapers (read an article of interest,
fill out the info-sheet to accompany it) These could
be magazines you already subscribe to, or online
magazines
C. Buchlesen—Story books, novellas, etc.
D. On-line activities which support the
text which have reading components
Reading Corner—where most of
the books or magazines are
located.
This student
is reading a
book…with
the help of
a dictionary.
III. Writing:
A. „Kreatives Schreiben„/ Creative Writing
B. „Bildbeschreiben“/ Picture Description
C. Dialogues
D. Picture sequences—great for Pre-AP
E. Essay topics related to instructional themes
IV. Grammar
A. Supplementary grammar worksheets organized
into a file (i.e. stem-changing verbs, past
tense)
B. Students may work on current grammar
homework that was assigned during the week
C. "Remediate and retake" a certain # of
grammar assessments during the semester.
D. There are also a number of online sites which
provide for grammar practice of all levels.
This student is
retaking a grammar
assessment after
having completed test
corrections and
supplemental
worksheets.
This student had been
absent when a new
grammar topic was
taught—he is catching up
on notes.
V. Listening
A. "Radio-plays" which are available to my students:
Romea und Julian ; Reisefieber
B. „Lieder-Lückentexte"= Cloze activities and other
activities for a variety of songs in the TL
C. Online activities which correspond to the text, or
are provided by the textbook co.
D. NEW (for me!) Podcasts!!
This student is
doing an online
listening activity;
he is using his own
headphones in this
picture.
This file tote contains the worksheets which
accompany the radio plays. Students come
and pick up whatever worksheets they need.
I have a couple of
CD players
checked out from
the library stored
in my classroom
for students to
use.
This student
is watching a
video for a
listening
exercise.
I check out the laptop cart
from the media center every
other week.
IV. Managing student workOrganizational Tips
1. Time to collect materials & develop ideas which will work
given your school & teaching environment
2. Have a detailed description of all activities, be very
clear about the nature of each option
3. Know how you want students to demonstrate that they
are "doing the work/learning"—what will be the
evidence?
4. Identify how many times a week these
activities are feasible for your class—once a week?
Every other week?
Management Cont’d
5. Decide how do you want to assess these activities
6. Allow students to keep folders or files in the room
7. Circulate! It should be clear to your students that
you are aware of whether or not they are working.
Decide if you want to offer a mid-semester check-up
or some sort of weekly check on their progress.
8. Be open to students’ ideas—sometimes students will
have great ideas that you can work into the centers
9. PILOT YOUR IDEAS!!
V.Strategies for floating teachers … or
"how to do more with less"
1. Schedule time in the media center
2. No $$? No worries! Try to build activities around what you
already have or around whatever resources your book provides
3. Can you switch classrooms for one day with a teacher you get
along with? Maybe a teacher who has computers in the room or
just a better layout?
4. Keep it simple—perhaps limit the amount of activities per
dimension
5. Find out if you can leave student files/folders or other materials
in a secure location in the classroom, or load materials in a
box/crate on your cart
6. If you have to "lug" materials around, consider
splitting activities up—one week you offer reading
and writing activities, another week offer
listening and speaking activities
VI. Where to find resources
A. Internet!! Endless supply of materials on the 'Net
Online magazines, newspapers, podcasts, videos, most
is all free
B. Embassies frequently offer free materials
C.Textbooks:
Does your textbook series have a "Pre-AP" workbook?
Many do. You can find a lot of good reading
selections from these workbooks.
--Are there reading selections in parts of your book you
never get to? Use those!
Use reading selections from other textbooks
D. Newspapers in the TL from the community
E. Music!
Use your favorite songs in the TL
Resources Cont’d
F. My personal favorites:
Teacher's Discovery (www.teachersdiscovery.com)
Applause Learning (www.applauselearning.com)
G. Write a grant, or petition the PTSA for $$ to
acquire supplies
H. Ask around—let people know the kind of materials
you are looking for, and see if anyone is willing to
donate old materials
I. Share resources with other teachers in the building or
district—split costs!
J. Share ideas—one coworker could create activities for
one dimension, you do a different one, then swap!
VII. Pros and Cons
+ PROS
- CONS
1. Promotes independence and forces 1. Pressure to meet pacing guide/
students to take ownership of their
curriculum needs—some teachers
learning
may feel that Centers take away
2. Students become more responsible,
from an actual "teaching" day
or learn the consequences
2. Other teachers in like-subjects
3.Provides time for enrichment AND
(PLCs) may resist the idea of
remediation
Think—Students
centers, therebywith
making it
difficult/impossible
for a single
disabilities!
Allows you
4. Time for teachers to work w/
create centers
students individually or in small
to teacher
provide to
alternative
2. Lackof
ofassessment,
support from department
groups
forms
school
5. Time for students to be creative and or
meets
the needs of
3.
Feeling
of
inadequate supplies or
with the language
multiple
intelligences!!
materials
6. Allows for student choice
4. First-year or beginning teachers
7. Differentiation!
may be overwhelmed as it is;
8. Encourages teachers to be more
perhaps not ready to implement
creative
ideas yet.
9. Great idea for split-level classes
10. Makes your program unique!!
VIII. Questions? Exchange of Ideas
Danke!
Merci!
¡Gracias!