I had the students watch the video of Pobre Ana on Friday. Normally I do not have students read this novel until December in level 1 (Actually, in the past couple of years I have only read the book with a small number of students because most of the class had already read the book independently by that time of the year).

The sequence has always been read the novel, discuss, do activities and quizzes, and then show the video. But on Friday I was up to my neck in paperwork so I did an experiment to keep the little rascals busy while I acted like a bookkeeper for part of the class period. I had them watch the video and write down the sentences they understood. It worked well. I showed the video (there was no closed captioning) and had them write full sentences that they heard different characters say.

Students at both ends of the spectrum were able to do this activity because we have focused on high frequency words in the personal interviews. They recognized and understood sentences with words and structures that they are acquiring, so it was a decent measure of their understanding. They had to hold the sentence in their heads long enough to write it on their paper. Although the were writing, I consider this more of a listening activity. They were not writing original material, just transcribing what they heard.

Here are the results from two students that are engaged in the class. Neither had taken a Spanish class before 6 weeks ago. The first is that of a student that has been labeled gifted and talented, the second is by a student that has an IEP and has been labeled ADHD. Both demonstrated understanding of the same video, just at slightly different levels. Interestingly, the student with the IEP wrote more; she went above and beyond. I suspect that she is engaged in the class because she gets to get up and move, because teaching with CI is flexible enough to cater to the strengths of a kid like that, and because I treat her with respect.

This CI stuff works, my friends.

Here is a translation of the first paper:

  1. I am very intelligent.
  2. I have problems with my friends.
  3. I am very pretty.
  4. I do not have any money.
  5. (This) is my house.
  6. She works in the hospital too.
  7. I don’t like my brother.
  8. My brother is not very smart.
  9. This is my bedroom.
  10. My clothing isn’t very nice.
  11. Are you eating chocolate? I don’t like it!
  12. My name is Roberto.
  13. I don’t like my sister.
  14. Good morning, class.
  15. My name is Jose Gomez.
  16. Do you like Mexico?
  17. Do you have a boyfriend?
  18. How old are you?
  19. Do you have a boyfriend? I do not have a girlfriend.
  20. I am fifteen years old.

Pobre Ana Listening Piper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pobre Ana Listening Breeana