In September 2009 I started my third year at Tallis and the first year as a Teacher of the Deaf.
It's been a huge personal journey my time there - journey that is nowhere near a finish line. I am using this space to reflect on some of the successes and failures that I have experienced.
The learning process never ends and I'm looking forward to what's coming next.
COME ON, CHALLENGES!!!
It's been a huge personal journey my time there - journey that is nowhere near a finish line. I am using this space to reflect on some of the successes and failures that I have experienced.
The learning process never ends and I'm looking forward to what's coming next.
COME ON, CHALLENGES!!!
Things I enjoy doing / making with my deaf students
Channel 4 Deaf News
Kobe Earthquake
This movie was made with my two year 8 boys - Dayo and Unathi. Their Geography teacher, Mr Douglas Greig, gave the class a choice of assessment tasks for the 'Natural disasters' unit. One of them was a news report on the Kobe earthquake.
The boys got excited about it and the Kobe Earthquake dominated their lives for a couple of weeks as we were preparing, filming and editing during single hours of Geography and Learning Support.
I must say, this is by far my favourite project. We had so much fun making it! The boys were fantastic. Yes, they needed a lot of help with the language and putting all the information in order. However, the way they personalised this movie makes it their own and still makes me smile when I watch it.
This project made me realised what a huge difference can technology make in the deaf students' learning and what potential it brings into the Deaf Education.
The boys got excited about it and the Kobe Earthquake dominated their lives for a couple of weeks as we were preparing, filming and editing during single hours of Geography and Learning Support.
I must say, this is by far my favourite project. We had so much fun making it! The boys were fantastic. Yes, they needed a lot of help with the language and putting all the information in order. However, the way they personalised this movie makes it their own and still makes me smile when I watch it.
This project made me realised what a huge difference can technology make in the deaf students' learning and what potential it brings into the Deaf Education.
The Tempest
Shakespeare's plays are impossible to understand by my deaf students whose delay in language prevent them from accessing complicated or archaic sentence structure. Yet, they are still hungry for knowledge and willing to learn. Who said they can't enjoy Shakespeare? Well, this spontaneous production by my year 9 students proves that you do not need many props and lengthy preparations to make a difficult play fun and accessible.
Here come Prospero, Ferdinand and Miranda on an island battered by wild storms!
Here come Prospero, Ferdinand and Miranda on an island battered by wild storms!
Anti-smoking advert
English lesson - the power of adverts. Can you make your own?
Certainly, the deaf students can and with some creative help from Mr Hawes (sound / editing), Ms Milsom and Ms Piwko (props / acting advice/ on-plan directing).
The end effect is... well, amusing:-)
Playing with Frank
(Science lesson)
OK. This page was about reflecting so here is mine on something that at first I though was a complete failure...
Sometimes you just have to let go of the 'perfect' idea of how you want your students to work and what you want the finished product to be. Forget it!
JUST LET THEM BE AND PLAY.
One Child Policy in China
Another visual explanation by Year 9 students. This film was accepted as the students' modified assessment for a Geography 'Population' unit.
It is an excellent example of a successful liaison with the mainstream teachers at Thomas Tallis school who are open for ideas and allow the deaf students to present their knowledge and understanding in a more visual way.
It is an excellent example of a successful liaison with the mainstream teachers at Thomas Tallis school who are open for ideas and allow the deaf students to present their knowledge and understanding in a more visual way.
1998 Flood in Bangladesh
This one we filmed within an hour (props prepared beforehand). It's partly my journey to simplification in making. I am learning that some things just need to be done quickly as there is no time to spread equally over every activity we do with students. It doesn't have to be perfect as making is learning.
