Internet Preparation

I found out by the final test that I gave on the Novel Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card that only about one third of my students knew the book well. One third had read it to some degree and one third had not read it at all. I am attempting to remedy that situation with the next book.

I am teaching Lord of the Flies probably only the second time in my 20 years of teaching. It becomes a day by day affair. To gently prod my students to read I test them on a chapter per day. To find that chapter I go to Google. Type in "Lord of Flies Chapter 5 quiz" and see what I come up with. Fortunately there are a plethora of tech savvy teachers out there who post their tests on line. Often they post without answers. So I must take the tests as well as the students before I hand it out to them.

So this past period my preparation time I have wildly searched the Internet for simple tests, chapter by chapter that I can give my students. I also look for lesson ideas, especially ways to do group work where the students will actually learn something. I have found over the years that such work must be carefully planned or the stronger student always does most of the work.

Last night I watched a movie with Truckee, Entre Mures (Inside the walls) or The Class as it has been translated. A Cannes award winner presents a multicultural class in France and the trials of one French teacher in his class. I could not help but be critical of his teaching technique, at the same time found the presentation realistic. He would stand in front of the class and throw out questions about grammar. The would exchange wry comments with each other. Some students would ask sincere questions and get thoughtful answers from the teacher. Some would banter lightly, ask absurd questions or bait the teacher. One student says, "I heard around campus that you are gay. There is nothing wrong with being gay. Is that true?" Then the teacher verbally dances around the question. Finally the teacher says that he is not gay. I found it hard not to take the teacher point of view as well as be very critical of him the whole time.