Blog Task 4: 8th June 2009
In the following report I will inform you of a teaching project which has existed for 7 years now. The “Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium” in Münster has invented this new type of teaching a foreign language and their project is called “Fremdsprachenwerkstatt” ( just have a look at it if you want). The school equipped a room with new media and all technical devices needed to start this project. Lessons in foreign languages, especially English, are structured in such a way that the students get to know different forms of communication and are able to work with them. Different ways of communicating are essential in nowadays’ international communication; therefore the students have to be aware of their usage. This project is “learning by doing” -orientated so that the students can learn and practice almost on their own. Theatre plays are composed; they write letters which are published online and the students give presentations in pairs, which can be videotaped, afterwards analyzed and corrected and then they can perform it in class.
Concerning this “Fremdprachenwerkstatt” the project has been extended to other subjects, for example politics. Students from an 8th grade had the idea to prepare presentations and then publish them online to make them available to a majority of interested people. The students had to decide which person they want to pay their attention to and finally present online.
Besides the use and knowledge of new media, the students had to work in teams and had to corporate with other classmates which strengthens the coherence in class and encourages the students to learn English in different ways.
This class applied for an advancement award named “Unterricht Online 99”and finally won the second price for their project.
I personally really liked this way of teaching foreign languages in relation to new media. This project is a very good innovation in schools and I would also use such a project when I will work as a teacher. It is a perfect alternative to our ordinary frontal teaching method; moreover the students have fun and learn in a more motivating atmosphere!!
So, I really recommend this online report to you, it is very interesting and you gain a quiet good insight into a teaching project.
Here you can have a closer look into the project itself!
Hello Christin! Your blog entry is very well structured and interesting. I also think that the “Fremdsprachenwerkstatt” project is a good approach to new teaching methods and I would use such a project in my own classes, too.
Best regards,
Philipp
Hi Christin!
I really like the project you described. I think it to be important for the students to work with new media as much as they can in school.
What I also like about your Blog Task is that you give the links to look further into the project. Thank you for writing about it I think I really like it.
Bye
Kristin