Comments on: Brain Friendly Grammar http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/ The life and times of an English teacher in Mexico City Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:13:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Bell Work Online http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-586 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:25:25 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-586 A very thoughtful and creative post with great references and graphs. I don't have much to add, unfortunately, as I rarely teach in-depth grammar in my honors classes. Instead, we use textbook rules and examples within the context of literature we're reading. Then, I make my students prove they've learned the lesson by giving several highlighted examples within the context of a written assignment. This has always worked beautifully. A very thoughtful and creative post with great references and graphs. I don’t have much to add, unfortunately, as I rarely teach in-depth grammar in my honors classes. Instead, we use textbook rules and examples within the context of literature we’re reading. Then, I make my students prove they’ve learned the lesson by giving several highlighted examples within the context of a written assignment. This has always worked beautifully.

]]> by: Aaron Nelson http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-584 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:04:10 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-584 Katie, Thanks for returning to this topic again, and please forgive me for taking soo long to get back to you. Glad you found flickrstorm to be useful. It's so easy to use, that I've even gotten a few students into it to help them with their presentations. In short: it rocks! Katie,
Thanks for returning to this topic again, and please forgive me for taking soo long to get back to you.

Glad you found flickrstorm to be useful. It’s so easy to use, that I’ve even gotten a few students into it to help them with their presentations. In short: it rocks!

]]> by: Aaron Nelson http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-583 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:59:24 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-583 Miss Profe:Please, please, please forgive me for the long delay in getting back to you. I've had about zero time to do anything other than approve comments...so please forgive. Your end point is vital: grammar and language learning takes a long time. Sadly, our courses rarely...if ever...reflect this truth. Speed is king, and "how long will it take me to speak this?" the FAQ of choice. (Atleast in my experience.) I think teachers and schools need to work hard at creating more space...more time for students to really "get" the stuff we teach. What do you think? Miss Profe:Please, please, please forgive me for the long delay in getting back to you. I’ve had about zero time to do anything other than approve comments…so please forgive.
Your end point is vital: grammar and language learning takes a long time. Sadly, our courses rarely…if ever…reflect this truth. Speed is king, and “how long will it take me to speak this?” the FAQ of choice. (Atleast in my experience.) I think teachers and schools need to work hard at creating more space…more time for students to really “get” the stuff we teach.

What do you think?

]]> by: Katie http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-582 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:43:55 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-582 Hi Aaron - you may well see the incoming link, but I thought I'd stop by to let you know I (finally :)) returned to this topic. In fact, I don't have a whole lot to add to your tips - I think they are good! The graph and research cited provide good confirmation for things that I think come up in practice. Despite my blog, I'm not the most web resource savvy teacher, and I think the flickr storm site is a great resource. I will try the unexpected pictures in class sometime - thanks! Hi Aaron - you may well see the incoming link, but I thought I’d stop by to let you know I (finally :) ) returned to this topic. In fact, I don’t have a whole lot to add to your tips - I think they are good! The graph and research cited provide good confirmation for things that I think come up in practice. Despite my blog, I’m not the most web resource savvy teacher, and I think the flickr storm site is a great resource. I will try the unexpected pictures in class sometime - thanks!

]]> by: Miss Profe http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-578 Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:36:40 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-578 Thank you for your post. I did, BTW, read the Scrivener article, which was insightful. If each of us is truly honest, we as language teachers struggle with the teaching of grammar. I certainly do, and for the reasons that Scrivener discusses. You make some very important points about teaching grammar that really resonated with me. The first is the premise of "less is more" or depth over breadth. The second is providing lots exposure through re-use and recyle. The third, and is related to the second, is getting students to own the material. When we green-line the teaching of grammar, as you state in your post via your wonderful graphic, the ownership piece is more likely to occur. One last point: Both you and Scrivener make the point that learning grammar takes a long time, and our stuents may not actually get it for some time long after we have taught them. Thank you for your post. I did, BTW, read the Scrivener article, which was insightful. If each of us is truly honest, we as language teachers struggle with the teaching of grammar. I certainly do, and for the reasons that Scrivener discusses.

You make some very important points about teaching grammar that really resonated with me. The first is the premise of “less is more” or depth over breadth. The second is providing lots exposure through re-use and recyle. The third, and is related to the second, is getting students to own the material. When we green-line the teaching of grammar, as you state in your post via your wonderful graphic, the ownership piece is more likely to occur.

One last point: Both you and Scrivener make the point that learning grammar takes a long time, and our stuents may not actually get it for some time long after we have taught them.

]]> by: Aaron Nelson http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-577 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:37:17 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-577 Hey Katie, Thanks for stopping by! Please do tell me what you think about this post...I need all the input I can get! And two brains are better than one! Hey Katie, Thanks for stopping by! Please do tell me what you think about this post…I need all the input I can get! And two brains are better than one!

]]> by: Katie http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-576 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:46:16 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2007/06/14/brain-friendly-grammar/#comment-576 Hi there, and thanks for mentioning my post! I'm glad you think the Scrivener article is interesting - and I've only had time to look quickly at the idea you propose here but will check it out in more detail soon. It sounds good! Hi there, and thanks for mentioning my post! I’m glad you think the Scrivener article is interesting - and I’ve only had time to look quickly at the idea you propose here but will check it out in more detail soon. It sounds good!

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