Upon walking into to the main stage of the CFL, I was surprised to see two giant balls being passed around the room. Eventually, one would pop but these balloons subsided any fears that this lecture was going to be boring. Gary introduced himself and began the lecture by having us do some concentration exercises mostly through playing the game Simon Says. He then began his actual lecture and the evening ended an hour and a half later.
Overall, I think this was a very worthwhile lecture but the things he presented were basically ideas that I had already been introduced to. In a way, I guess that is sort of like the learning process in schools. For example, you may learn how to multiply in third grade but you have to relearn how to use it for the rest of your life. A lot of things in education revolve around the word "repetition" and this lecture definitely presented that thought. One thing that I found interesting and might include in my future classroom was his reading exercise that increases speed. Implementing this four minute exercise would depend on the age group but I think it would be especially useful in ESL classrooms.
3 comments:
Beth,
Indeed, you sound enlightened. Thanks for keeping up with this blog. You should add a few pictures and jazz up the look of your blog. Also, be sure to comment on your group members' blogs.
Jim
Beth-
I too agree about that this lecture was very interesting. I think as a fellow (possible) ESL endorsement it would be intriguing to apply his excercises for those students where english is their second language.
Lara
I was intrigued about how he opened the lecture, with the balls? It seemed as if he presented a less threatening, more informal environment so that the students could relate to him, and relax. Maybe it meant that you would have more time to have fun? Either way, I'm glad you enjoyed the lecture. Nice post!
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