Teaching large classes is one of the most challenging situations many teacher around the world go through every day. I am teaching 30 young learners in each of my four groups and find it extremely difficult to address the needs of every individual in every class. How can I give every student an equal opportunity to learn? How can I follow up the progress of every student on every single activity? How can keep in touch with the students on daily/regular basis? How, how, and how? I have been trying to mix up several solutions to form one comprehensive educational utility. I agree with Dilip and Kazumi "there is no one best solution to use for the problems the teacher face."
However, I have found, through practice, the combination of presentation and assessment features in the PowerPoint that are empowered by VBA extremely time saving. Once the e-lesson designed, the computer relieve the teacher from the heavy burden of correcting, grading, and documenting.Adding up emailing technology, the Outlook used to send the students' data, responses, grades, and whatever the teacher deems important. Moreover, a small database, created by Access, is used to store, analyse, and print the students' data according to the teacher's criteria.In my viewpoint, employing these software form a complete e-learning cycle that is completely free of charge.
Using them in teaching large classes would save a lot of time and allow the teacher to spend the most of time designing new learning experiences, contexts, and situations. Have a look at my blog and check my proposed e-lesson to see exactly what I mean.I admire Jonathan idea that we, teachers, have to maintain, as much as possible, a sense of closeness with our students to guide them through their learning. Through automated, well prepared in advanced, teacher's responses/feedback, the student feel what the teacher's thinks of him and what is really expected to progress more.
What do you think?
Best wishes,
Amjad
Bahrain
3 comments:
Hi Amjad!
I have always read your posts with a great and pleasure desire, because each time you come up with a concrete outcome.
Regarding the topic "Teaching large classes" I would like to add:
Well it's a real challenge to deal with such a great amount of students but it's a great pleasure if you see them work towards one common goal that is to enhance this wonderful language, English.
So it's our duty to find and implement the most functional ways and techno tools and make an admirable English lesson.
Well you had mentioned some of them beginning with emails and continuing with Outlook.
We cannot forget that change begins with each of us and one of the first things we need to modify is our routinized way of teaching.
regards
Stela
Dear Amjad,
Your posts are wonderful, especially the image that you attach with the post is very suggestive. The large classroom image you have posted is very symbolic. I can see several students with laptop screens on and a few with pen and paper. I showed this image to my students. I said, I dream of such a class where all the students will come with laptop - no papers - Save Earth - Save Tree - use Technology - Save environment.
Dilip (India)
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