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Post by acjade on Jun 24, 2005 11:39:08 GMT 7
I've been asked to write a few suggestions for the dean of the English Department re oral english classes. One of my suggestions will be that I have my own classroom. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated. And of course any other suggestions you can think of.  |
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Post by Lotus Eater on Jun 24, 2005 11:41:29 GMT 7
SMALL classes - no more than 10 per class!
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Post by acjade on Jun 24, 2005 11:43:21 GMT 7
SMALL classes - no more than 10 per class! It won't happen officially but in fact occurs on a regular basis once the class dog catcher has marked the role. |
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Lager
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Posts: 1,081
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Post by Lager on Jun 24, 2005 12:10:36 GMT 7
What do you mean "your own classroom?" Usually the students stay put and you go to their room.
Suggestions? Tell em you just want to watch TV all the time---you being the foreign expert can choose the DVD's. Or maybe an existential class where you tell them life is meaningless and so they should do nothing,
That will be up their alley.
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Post by acjade on Jun 24, 2005 17:08:02 GMT 7
What do you mean "your own classroom?" Usually the students stay put and you go to their room. I could have a lot more fun with a room of my own and er.... say 200,000RMB a year. |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Jun 24, 2005 22:13:20 GMT 7
I'll ditto the small class thing. I can't think of another single factor that can make more of a difference given that the book and teacher are adequate.
How's your textbook?
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Post by acjade on Jun 25, 2005 5:29:59 GMT 7
We don't have one. There is a slimey text consisting of material downloaded from the internet and collated by the former dean. It's not so much a waste of paper textbook as a money making enterprise. All freshmen are required to buy book 1 and book 2 which come together in a pack - all for the rip off price of 100kwai. It doesn't even make for so-so reading. I've been less bored reading the blurbs on cereal packets. But seriously guys, if there was one change/ innovation in your english department what would it be? Give me some ideas to live for. |
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Post by George61 on Jun 25, 2005 6:08:53 GMT 7
I got my own English classroom at my last school....had to do it up myself, of course. No money to spend on it, therefore no Tech equipment like the other classrooms. It worked fine. I used a lot of pictures pasted on the walls, etc.
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Post by acjade on Jun 25, 2005 6:15:43 GMT 7
I got my own English classroom at my last school....had to do it up myself, of course. No money to spend on it, therefore no Tech equipment like the other classrooms. It worked fine. I used a lot of pictures pasted on the walls, etc. How did you convince person in charge to give you your own classroom? I need some data/ negotiating pointers here, George. |
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Post by George61 on Jun 25, 2005 6:23:23 GMT 7
It was a new school, few students, spare rooms. I just asked!
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Post by acjade on Jun 25, 2005 6:28:01 GMT 7
Back to the drawing board i guess. We have 20,000+ students. Don't know if there are any officially vacant classrooms but there's a lot of empty space on different floors most of the time.
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Post by Hamish on Jun 25, 2005 7:44:43 GMT 7
I have my own classroom at our school, and the only key.
I just explaind to the dean that it would make things better educationally if i could put up some stuff on the walls and he said "OK."
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Ruth
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Post by Ruth on Jun 27, 2005 20:57:01 GMT 7
I vote for your own classroom, too. THEY will be on YOUR territory, instead of you entering theirs. I don't exactly have my own classroom, but I teach a class made up of students from several classes (what a delight; they WANT to be there). These kids come to the language lab that is no longer a language lab (machines broke 2 years ago). Crippler and I use this room when we want to do powerpoint lessons on the screen. Other teachers use it to sleep or chit chat when we aren't in there.
When the students come to you they don't have the distraction of all the other books on their desks and the temptation to do other work during your lesson. There's a psychological factor, too, about it being your space they are entering. And you can decorate with a theme, hang posters, or prepare for lessons ahead of time.
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Post by con's fly is open on Jun 27, 2005 23:22:22 GMT 7
Jade, I finally thought of something useful to say:
Go to a bookstore in the big city and check out a bunch of textbooks. A ood one will make for a great class with less prep time; a bad one will make your life HELL.
A day of slogging through the dizzying array of English instructive rags will pay off, believe me.
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Post by Mr Nobody on Jun 28, 2005 7:43:30 GMT 7
Yeah, guys, gimme some ideas of text books. "my" school has also asked for suggestions. When I said I didn't like the one, they said what was wrong, I said the conversations weren't natural, they said, yeah, ok, only chinese authors. Which one would you prefer?
I went .................................................................................................
So help here, guys.
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woza17
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Post by woza17 on Jun 29, 2005 16:17:10 GMT 7
Your own classroom with movable desks and chairs. And good acoustics. Start saving your egg cartons.
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Post by acjade on Jun 29, 2005 22:01:20 GMT 7
Your own classroom with movable desks and chairs. And good acoustics. Start saving your egg cartons.  You have me intrigued.And I have egg cartons? I buy my fresh produce from the village including fresh eggs and they sell them by the half kilo and give them to me to carry home in a plastic bag. But I'm sure they'd give me the cartons if I asked them. Can't wait to practise that conversation. You want the cartons? Dwei. You really want the cartons?  Dwei. And sanx for the suggestion Woza. I don't know what it means but I trust your advise. I'll have an interesting time collecting them.
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Post by con's fly is open on Jun 29, 2005 22:53:12 GMT 7
If you fix egg cartons to walls, it kills echoes.
I was in Woza's classroom. The acoustics were so hideous she oredered the class outside, something I bet she wishes she could have done all year.
Or at least swipe 600 egg cartons.
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woza17
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Post by woza17 on Jun 30, 2005 6:44:08 GMT 7
Con you are one bright boy.
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Post by George61 on Jun 30, 2005 7:12:39 GMT 7
Only if the egg cartons are the papier mache type. I don't think the clear plastic cartons I see here would work werry well!!
But they would look nice!
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Post by Mr Nobody on Jun 30, 2005 9:07:50 GMT 7
Yar. Try glueing them to soft chipboard of the pinboard variety. A friend and I used it successfully for a small temporary sound studio. Don't know how it would work on something as large as a classroom though.
The cartons need to be soft paper, it is partly the shape and partly the material. Only egg cartons I have seen here have been plastic bags, but then, I ain't been looking either.
If, as in Oz, fruit comes on trays (in the cartons) of similar material, similarly shaped, they should also work, and cover more area with each one, and be more durable, although probably not as effective. Maybe hit a fruit market or something.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Jun 30, 2005 9:16:25 GMT 7
I saw a truck load of the egg cartons you are talking about here yesterday. They were even better than the ones back home - fit 18 eggs and flat - no lid. Sorry I didn't steal them for you. Try places like Home Club or the larger supermarkets - I have seen eggs in cartons there.
Also seen the cartons used for acoustics in larger rooms than sound studios - they seem to work OK. Once was a stage at a town hall - did help as the acoustics there were foul.
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gengrant
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Post by gengrant on Jun 30, 2005 10:39:03 GMT 7
wouldn't you be able to find acoustic material somewhere where they sell construction materials? just a thought, but that's a lot of egg cartons to try and tack up... |
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Post by acjade on Jun 30, 2005 22:46:11 GMT 7
wouldn't you be able to find acoustic material somewhere where they sell construction materials? just a thought, but that's a lot of egg cartons to try and tack up...  Ai ah!!! I do not, I repeat I do not need acoustics. I'm not that guy from Crazy English. Trust me. I do NOT need acoustics. |
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