Adult ESL Listening Skills Class Essay

Warm-Down/Review:

Distribute the take home quiz, which is designed to further test vocabulary and grammar comprehension as presented within the movie.

Family Interaction:

Encourage students to discuss issues with family members and find areas of commonality on major themes or paradigms.

Technology:

There are numerous ways in which technology could specifically contribute to this lesson, depending on the resources of the particular classroom. Most assuredly, we would need a good quality film projector and screen; alternatively, personal computers to watch the film. However, if we wanted to do an in-depth analysis of specific scenes, replay, etc.; it would be best to use a high quality DVD player or computer for analysis. Additionally, for student interaction or home activity, they would need a way to watch or at least listen to the movies; YouTube.com might have clips, but they would still need access to a computer. A Smart Board would be helpful for analysis, but not necessary. Other technological innovations might be useful for diverse populations (see below). Students may be asked to find locations and/or events pictured in films by using Google Earth or other online encyclopedias. PowerPoint for presentation is an option.

Diversity:

Depending on the special needs of the student, this unit may be adapted accordingly. For students with a language other than English, worksheets will be adapted and their particular culture focused towards their area of expertise. Learning issues will be handled via the buddy system, extra worksheets and explanations, and more oral interaction. Much of the work in data mining, physical disabilities can be accommodated as well. Again, depending on the physical or psychological issues, we might need to accommodate special learners with microphones, tablets, etc.

Pedagogical Background:

Theoretical basis for lesson- Most contemporary scholars note that the key to a successful classroom is being able to adapt to various learning styles.Each teacher has a different style, and each student the same. When there are 25-35 students per classroom, teachers comment that it is sometimes difficult to match styles at the appropriate time. So, besides diversity in the classroom, we now add another template to the mix -- that of differences in learning style and cognition. These are rather broad generalities about the stylized cognitive processes, but all fit into the paradigm of "learning style." What is critical is to note the difference in the way the newer cognitive models establish baseline hierarchies in the process:

Old Version of Cognition

New Version of Cognition

Note that while there are similarities in style, the new focus on cognition involves less factual knowledge, and more steps to evaluating that knowledge, and instead of the entire purpose being the evaluation of the data, the new model realizes that, for humans, it is only a top step. For teachers, it is about guiding to the right question and allowing the students to seek the answer. For students, to learn to move up the hierarchy toward evaluation instead of remembering (Bloom's Taxonomy, 2006).

Once the evaluation is complete, it is time to synthesize that data and create something new, novel, or at least a newer approach to a process. Instead of knowledge (rote memorization and accumulation of facts), intelligence is taking what we know (experience), applying it to the task or issue at hand, but the creating and evaluating that information for new paths and judgments. Intelligence in the modern world is less what you know and more how you apply what.....