Tag / CI

Recently, a teacher asked in an online forum how the Danielson assessment system can be "worked" within a Comprehensible Input-focused classroom.  So I've included my rubric interpretation here. My disclaimer also should be that I rate myself high, but with rationale, and then ask my administrator to prove I'm wrong. But I want my administrator to give me specific things I should improve if they don't feel I'm doing the best possible job.  (Obviously, I totally know I can improve in many areas. But I'm not going to make it easy on them.) Please also remember that just because these can be connected...

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I've noticed a recent trend among other TPRS/CI type folks to put together a list for big conferences like ACTFL of all the sessions that may be of special interest to those of us focusing on COMPELLING, CONTEXTUALIZED COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT. So, for those similarly-minded folks, here are a list of sessions at the upcoming annual conference of the Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers that might be of interest.  These are sessions presented by CI teachers, as well as some personally recommended sessions by presenters who have good stuff to say, regardless of their CI-ness.  Of course,...

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This year I read El capibara con botas by Mira Canion in my Spanish 1 class.  We started this book on roughly our 8th day of every-other-day of block scheduling classes.  Which means in a typical HS schedule, this was about Day 12.  I can't stress how impressed I am that Mira was able to write a   book that is comprehensible this early in the year.  There are very few books that would be approachable this early in the year.  The only other one I know of is Pobre Ana by Blaine Ray. What...

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In today's edition of thank goodness people are generous, I bring you the best new idea I didn't think of, and basically didn't understand until I saw it in action: Running Dictation. To give credit where it is due, I have to thank Martina Bex, who got it from Michele Whaley, who got it from Jason Fritze. What is running dictation? A great activity for my energetic and squirrely freshmen in Spanish 1, although clearly would be great at any level (I can't wait to try this with my 4's next...

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In a workshop recently, Mike Coxon said he was told by a professor that the key to success in education was "CASE:  Copy And Steal Everything".

Of course, you want to make sure to give credit where it is due and respect other teachers' copyrights and intellectual property.  So in this first homage to that philosophy, I bring you the best new thing I've stolen--Strip Bingo.

No.  Not THAT kind of strip.  Although kids will appreciate that name! It's funny!  But be careful if you send a bunch of kids home telling their parents that they played Strip Bingo in class...could...

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Among several proficient and reputed experts of TPRS (Teaching Proficiency Through Reading & Storytelling), there has been some discussion about how one defines oneself. There is no shortage of acronyms to go around, of course, but recently there has been a significant number of teachers dropping the TPRS label and instead referring to themselves as CI teachers.  CI?  No, people are fans of this site enough to have become CI teachers in my honor.  In this case, CI stands for Comprehensible Input. Comprehensible Input isn't a technique.  It isn't a method.  It isn't even a philosophy. Stephen...

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