This is a new blog I am kick starting in collaboration with my volunteer friends from the Queens Library Adult Literacy center. This blog will have multiple contributors all of whom currently are tutors at the Queens Library. Again I am happy to welcome other friends and readers of this blog who have had experience tutoring at any level to feel free to get in touch with me if they have the will to be a contributor.
This has limitless possibilities. I hope to reach a critical content and active user mass from my current organization before I formally reach out to other educational organizations.
I have had the privilege of being exposed to Deepam and Pudiyador through friends like KK and Manix. Both of whom have done significant work in the field of after school programs for kids. Deepam focuses on computer literacy for kids while Pudiyador is in a search for all round approaches to educate children through extracurricular activities and projects.
Voluntary Tutor training isn't easy and I hope the insights the new blog captures would provide a one stop shop to help guide willing hands to learn to teach.
Mean while I will continue to cross post across both this and the learning tutors blog.
http://learningtutors.blogspot.com/
peace,
Ajay
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Adult Learning Experience from the eye of a rookie tutor : Post 3 Language Experience Technique
This is an exciting technique that I came across during my tutor training. It works for any level beginners.All this requires is a stimulus or a cue that gets your group talking freely and emotively. For instance my first Language Experience cue was to read aloud an article from the Coumbia Spectator about Diwali celebrations in the Columbia University campus. On another ocassion the stimulus was reading aloud a news article titled "Walks to Remember", about a holiday fashion show at the Kids Center; a Pediatric treatement center for special kids.
The first article was a random seasonal pick. Or rather the talk of the town at that time. It worked fine as the Nepali lady in my group was some what familiar with Diwali and was able to talk about the festival and describe it to the rest of the group.
The rest of the group then fed of what they learnt from her and the article; and then reflected on their new learning.
The second article was more of an informed pick. This was during my fourth or fifth session with the group. I had known by now that while one already works with kids as a nanny the other one aspires to be a trainer at a school for special kids.
"In the Language Experience technique students dicatate a story to the tutor. The text that is created provides familiar and immediate reading material in the students' own language."
The text generated can be used for a variety of other excercises.
All this while the group feels self validated for having worked their own material and refined it over and over to a fine product at the end of a few sessions.
As you can see the language experience is a very powerful and versatile tool in the hand of a tutor. But just this one tool does not make a complete session of two hours. In the next post in this series I will look at the components of an entire lesson plan for a session.
Peace,
Ajay
The first article was a random seasonal pick. Or rather the talk of the town at that time. It worked fine as the Nepali lady in my group was some what familiar with Diwali and was able to talk about the festival and describe it to the rest of the group.
The rest of the group then fed of what they learnt from her and the article; and then reflected on their new learning.
The second article was more of an informed pick. This was during my fourth or fifth session with the group. I had known by now that while one already works with kids as a nanny the other one aspires to be a trainer at a school for special kids.
"In the Language Experience technique students dicatate a story to the tutor. The text that is created provides familiar and immediate reading material in the students' own language."
The text generated can be used for a variety of other excercises.
- Reading aloud.
- Generating sight word cards
- Ask the group to decide upon an appropriate title for the story they have come up with.
- The group then copy the story in their notebooks making for a great writing session.
- The story when typed out neatly can be handed out to the group on the next session for more working and refining.
All this while the group feels self validated for having worked their own material and refined it over and over to a fine product at the end of a few sessions.
As you can see the language experience is a very powerful and versatile tool in the hand of a tutor. But just this one tool does not make a complete session of two hours. In the next post in this series I will look at the components of an entire lesson plan for a session.
Peace,
Ajay
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year Post - Udaan
bhichee huein hai lamhon ki lawn par
nange pair unpar chalte chalte itni duur agaein hain hum ki ab bhul gaye hain : joote kahan utare the
aedi komal this jab aaye the
thodi si nazukh hain abhi bhi
nazukh hi rahe gi
in khatti meethi yaadon ki shararat
jab tak inhe gudgudathi rahe
sach! bhool gaye hain : joote kahan utare the par lagata hain ki unki ab zaroorat nahi "
-- the first poem rohan narrates to his friend in the Movie Udaan. It so aptly wraps up my state of mind this New Years weekend.
Had a mess at home when the coke bottle erupted, had to clean up with paper towels. Had my camera handy. Fortuitous.
Massively hungover by the new year eve's drunkeness this simple meal went the distance.
Peace and Happy New Year
Ajay
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