What's Happening in Class?
Grammar Field Day
Grammar sections 1,2,3,4,5,8 and 9 celebrated their final day of class with a competition in Henkle Gym on May 8, 2012. The event was modeled after field days in American schools at the end of the year when there are often relay races and class competitions. Each class prepared a “grammar chant” to open the games. Some of the groups had great movements with their chants that helped show the meaning of the words. Then each section participated in races like the "egg on a spoon relay," a clothing race, and a three-legged race. In the clothing race, for example, a student would run to the middle of the gym, put on a shirt, skirt, scarf, gloves, hat and belt and then run back to the line and answer a grammar question. When that person answered the question correctly, the next person would put on all of the clothes, run to the line, take off the clothes, run back and answer their grammar question, then the process would repeat. The first, second and third place team captains collected ribbons for their teams. At the end of the races, half of the group chanted: “Grammar, grammar” while the other half said, “that’s my game.” (indented line shows the 2nd group response). Here’s the whole chant:
Grammar, grammar
that’s my game.
Lover-of-grammar
is my name.
2,4,6,8
What do we appreciate?
Grammar!
Grammar!
We all feel the same (all say this)
Everyone got candies at the end as prizes. It was an enjoyable way to end the semester and reinforce concepts students learned in class. Click here to see a photo gallery from Grammar Field Day.
Class Visit to HALO
On Friday, April 13, 28 ASP students from Professors Melanie Jipping and Christine Nile's classes met with a group of “Helping Achieve Lifelong Objectives” (HALO) participants to talk about personality, employment and future goals. HALO is an organization that works with young adults in Marion and Polk Counties who have dropped out of school to attain their GED, start job-training, do internships, and work on other career-related goals. The ASP students had been studying a unit on employment in their Reading/Writing and Listening/Speaking classes, and this visit provided them with a chance to use what they learned outside of the classroom. ASP students prepared a short Power Point in small groups that showed their part-time jobs in Japan, while HALO participants shared an activity where everyone could explore their personality traits and possible dream jobs related to these traits. They concluded the visit with a shared pizza lunch hosted by HALO. It was an excellent opportunity for cultural sharing during which both ASP students and HALO participants could discuss their perspectives and experiences. Click here to see photos from this activity.
Speaking/Listening Class Visit Harritt Elementary School
TIUA Professor Tamara Smith recently took her Speaking/Listening class to visit Mrs. Taylor's fourth grade class at Harritt Elementary School in Salem. When the ASP students arrived at the school, they were greeted by three fifth-grade students who had earned the right be tour guides for their school. Harritt Elementary School is a bilingual school where both English and Spanish are used and taught throughout the day. Many, but not all, of the students at Harritt Elementary come from families where English is their second language.
The 5th graders, Noah, Joaquin, and Ben, guided the ASP students through the cafeteria and explained the lunch program and the role that most all of the 5th grade students have in assisting with the lunch and the recycling program. The ASP students also toured the school library and then went to Mrs. Taylor’s class. In the classroom, everyone shared names, favorite sports, favorite animals and other favorite things. ASP students also shared pictures from elementary schools in Japan.
Homework for the ASP students after returning to TIUA was to write about similarities and differences between Harritt Elementary and elementary schools in Japan.
Click here to see photos from the visit.
Prof. Averill's Grammar Class Visit WU's Theater
Professor Jane Averill’s Grammar class visited theater professor Bobby Brewer-Wallin in the Willamette Theater on March 6. He showed the students the black box theatre, explained the history of the building, and then took everyone to the costume studio where he spends most of his time. He answered questions the students had prepared. They asked about his past job at Disneyland, what he likes about his job, how long he’s been teaching at WU and what his dream is. He showed them the costumes he and students are making for the next play, The Adding Machine, opening on April 13. He explained how the costumes help the audience understand the characters. For example, he talked about how he used colors that didn’t match well to express the chaotic atmosphere in the office. A group of students decided to go see the show in April.
Click here to see photos of the visit.