| One of the main problems with most lesson planning | | | | revealing in terms of identifying the more ingrained |
| material is adapting it to specific classroom needs. | | | | mistakes that the student suffers from. |
| Over several articles, we will list the typical problems | | | | 2) A class with between 2 to 5 students. |
| which normally make activities unusable for a teacher's | | | | In this case, there are not enough students to create 2 |
| specific class, and how to get around the problem by | | | | lines of competing students (a minimum of 3 students |
| adapting the way the activity is presented. We will | | | | per line is needed for the game to work well) |
| identify principles for adapting activities to allow nearly | | | | Solution: Make the sentences slightly more complex, |
| any lesson plan to be usable, regardless of your class | | | | and simply have the original teacher's sentence travel |
| profile. | | | | from one student to the next and back to the teacher. |
| To illustrate the these principles, and how they can be | | | | The students are thus playing against themselves to |
| applied, we will take a simple warmer activity: | | | | see how many they can get right. |
| Name of activity: Chinese whispers. | | | | Principle: When an activity requires more students, it is |
| - Divide the students into two equal groups. | | | | always possible to scale down or simplify the system |
| - Have the members of each team sit in a line, with | | | | the activity needs. |
| opposite teams facing each other. | | | | 3) A class with an odd number of students. |
| - There should be as much distance between the two | | | | The problem here is that one of the two lines will have |
| lines as possible. | | | | an unfair advantage - the one with the least number of |
| - The teacher sits at the head of the two lines and | | | | students! This is a big 'no, no' in competitive classroom |
| whispers a sentence to the first person in each line. | | | | games. |
| - This student has to pass the sentence on to the next | | | | Solutions:a) You need a minimum of 3 students per line |
| student by whispering, and in this way the sentence is | | | | to make this activity work, so if you have 7 students, |
| passed down the line. | | | | ask one to volunteer to take the teachers place. |
| - When sentence reaches the last student, he/she | | | | Students often enjoy this role more than joining in the |
| stands up, runs to the teacher, and repeats the | | | | activity!b) With nine or more students, work with a |
| sentence to the teacher. | | | | combination of an odd number of lines, and the above |
| - If it is the same sentence the teacher said to the first | | | | suggestion of replacing the teacher until team numbers |
| student and is correctly repeated, the team wins a | | | | are balanced. |
| point. | | | | Principle: The teacher can always be used as an |
| Part I. The problem of student numbers in a class. | | | | 'expendible' part of an activity, being included, or not. |
| Here are solutions and principles to adapting activities | | | | Passing on the teacher's role to students is also a |
| to all the different variables in student numbers: | | | | valuable teaching technique in its own right. |
| 1) A class with only one teacher and one student! | | | | 4) A large class. |
| Here, there are no students to pass the sentence on. | | | | The ideal number of students in a line is about five. But |
| Impossible to adapt? No! | | | | for groups of 30 or 40 students (not uncommon in |
| Solution: adapt the activity by creating 'virtual' students: | | | | many countries), large numbers of students returning |
| - The teacher says a first set of sentences (between | | | | simultaneously to the teacher with the repeated |
| three and seven) to the student. The number of | | | | sentence can make it impossible for the teacher to |
| sentences depends on their complexity and the | | | | declare a winner, as students talk over each other! |
| student's competence. | | | | Solution: |
| - The student listens and then repeats them into a | | | | Make the sentences considerably more complex. This |
| voice recorder. | | | | slows down the rate at which it travels down the line |
| - The teacher then says a second set of sentences, | | | | and effectively staggers the rate at which students |
| which the student then also repeats into the voice | | | | come to you. You may also include queuing up before |
| recorder. | | | | repeating the sentence as a rule. |
| - The teacher then plays back the first set of | | | | Principle: Adjust the complexity required of the |
| sentences that the student recorded. | | | | students to pace an activity, and include peripheral |
| - The student listens and is recorded repeating them | | | | rules to overcome problems that crop up. They can be |
| again. | | | | invented n the spot - the students never mind! |
| - Then the teacher plays back the second set of | | | | 5) A group with students of an uneven level. |
| sentences that the student recorded. | | | | Here the problem could arise from a less competent |
| - The student listens and is recorded repeating them | | | | student/s causing a disadvantage to a team due to |
| again. | | | | slowness or a high level of inaccuracy. |
| - Finally, the student repeats the sentences for the last | | | | Solution:a) Instead of a 'first past the post' approach, |
| time, without recording, and sees how much variation | | | | set a generous time limit for the sentence to reach |
| from the original teacher's sentences has been | | | | you. This will increase the chances of a weaker |
| created. | | | | student performing well.b) Instead of having individuals |
| Principle: Here, the recorder has 'multiplied' the number | | | | pass on the sentences, have pairs of students passing |
| of students, allowing the information to be passed on | | | | on the sentences. This is actually a very fun alternative |
| (like in the original activity). Use other supports | | | | to consider anyway - particularly with large student |
| (recorders/the written word/role play cards etc.) to | | | | numbers. |
| replace the fact there are no other students, and have | | | | Principle: Decide if a race or a time limit activity is best |
| the single student multitask! | | | | for your purposes. Always use student pairs to |
| Note: If you try this activity, you will find it is very | | | | overcome differences in capabilities. |