Gathering Data Through all the Senses
"Students reference their teacher’s guidance in organization, study habits, character traits and values (like persistence, striving for accuracy, etc.). They have internalized these traits beyond just talking about them which has led to personal growth on the part of the student." (Johns Hopkins, n.d.).
Table of Contents
Introduction
In life it is useful being able to be aware of our surroundings and to use everything at our disposal to understand the actions and words of those around us. This can be especially beneficial when learning another language. As Costa and Kallick (2000) state, "Most linguistic, cultural, and physical learning is derived from the environment by observing or taking in through the senses" (p. 8). In class, I work to maintain a class in the target language. That means that in many instances, the students will not initially understand what I am saying. However, this is an immersive method of acquiring a language. When we begin to develop in our first language as babies, we do not learn the language in careful grammar structures and vocabulary sets. Acquiring Spanish through immersion requires students to be aware of what is going on in class, paying attention to actions, clues, expressions, etc. It requires them to use all of their skills and senses to find meaning, such as reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
I find this method of acquisition so important because life outside of the classroom is not comparable to a carefully-guided activity in a textbook. Students need to know how to handle situations where they may not understand everything around them or what others are saying. It gives them skills to manage situations where they or others do not speak the same language, whether that is in the United States or abroad. It also helps them empathize with those that do not speak English in the US.
Student Habits of Mind Response
Self-Assessment
Once we addressed the habit, what it entailed, and why it was important, we looked at the students' own use of it. We looked at their answers on the self-assessment under Gathering Data Through All of the Senses. The statements under the habit were: "I like to get actively involved in what is going on around me, regardless of the activity; and I learn in many different ways." The results for this habit varied greatly, with many students checking Most of the time and Frequently and many students checking Sometimes
and Not yet when reflecting on their own habits. I noticed that many of my students that marked that they gather data and are open to information were students that learned quickly and absorbed the language.
On the other hand, some of my weaker students that struggle with learning Spanish put that they do not gather data through all of the senses. We further discussed the results and related them to class, and the students saw how being open to information can be beneficial in learning a new language. We also talked about daily life and how this habit can keep people aware of what is happening around them. Below are four examples of student responses.
Student Self-Assessment Responses
Applying the Habit
To teach this habit, I had the students find a partner. They then spent a minute observing each other. Then they turned around and changed three different things about their appearances. Once they finished, they would turn back around and take turns guessing what three things changed. Many of the students were creative throughout the activity and found tricky ways to change their appearance in an attempt to stump their partners.
Activity Prompt
The students work on the group activity.
After the activity, the students filled out a few questions regarding their experience during the activity. We then discussed their responses in groups and as a class. Many students were able to guess their partner's three changes, and many were unable to guess them. Many of the students described the activity as slightly uncomfortable because they had to stare at their partners (or be stared at), and most of the students found the activity fun. The student below mentioned that he was not uncomfortable in participating in the activity. He recognized the importance of being observant and remembering information. This is useful in Spanish class, as there are hundreds of words necessary to reach an intermediate level of proficiency. Oftentimes in Spanish Level One and Two class, there may be many words that the students do not know yet. However, it is a useful skill to use the words that they do know, as well as what is around them, to get their point across. The student also talked about a time that he learned a song on the guitar by listening to the song and watching a video. Music and videos provide an enjoyable and authentic way to learn languages. It is one of the tools that I used to learn Spanish, as well as other languages.
Student sample #1
The student below wrote how she felt silly staring at someone, but she guessed all three changes correctly. She wrote that this habit can help people remember different things but also that it helps people recognize and learn new things about others. This is beneficial in life, as you can make others feel good by recognizing changes that they make to hair, clothes, etc. It is a way to build connections with others. It is also generally beneficial to be observant in life. Knowing what is happening can lead to making safer decisions, whether that is driving or knowing whether a decision appears dangerous. This is a skill that many people are losing, as we are more and more distracted by electronics. Texting and driving, walking outside while looking at our phones, etc. all can lead to accidents or safety concerns. It is always good to be aware of our surroundings. When connecting this habit to Spanish and other languages, it is important to be observant while traveling. There are so many problems that can arise by not paying attention to our surroundings while traveling. To minimize these problems, it is important to gather data through all of the senses while in another city or country.
Student sample #2
As we discussed why it is important to gather data through all senses, the students talked about being able to remember/learn more, safety, and help in understanding people in different languages. When my students go traveling, I want them to be able to handle themselves well even if they do not understand what people are saying around them. I want them to be able to read signs, look at pictures, listen for similar-to-English or previously-learned words, etc. to stay safe and understand what happens around them.
Reflection
At the end of the lesson, I had the students reflect on their experiences during the class and how they can apply this habit both inside and outside of school. The students talked about how they can gather data through all senses and improve their understanding in classes or build positive relationships with other students by complementing different hair styles, clothing, etc. Outside of school, the students felt that they could spend less time walking around with their phones, and pay more attention to the world around them. In the future, the students wanted to use this habit to be able to read others' body language and travel to different countries.
Student Reflection Questions
The student below stated that he uses his senses every day to listen to others. He also wrote that he uses multiple senses when he participates in activities, sports and work. Gathering data through all the senses can help us be more observant when we are studying, participating in activities and sports, and when we are at work. Being aware of our surroundings can help us become more self-aware and learn how to read others' body language.
Student Reflection #1
The student below also wrote about using her senses to gather information about other people. A lot of what people say is non-verbal. We can often pick up on others' feelings and reactions by observing their expressions. This can help us in our relationships at school, work and in daily life.
Student Reflection #2
The student below also talked about the benefits of using this habit to learn more about their peers at school or in other settings. He also talked about how it is useful in big life events, such as buying a car or house. It is always good to be observant to know if you are getting a good deal or not, especially with something like a house or car that will impact you for years.
Student Reflection #3
Further Reinforcement
Since teaching students to Gather Data through all of the Senses, I constantly reinforce this habit by creating an immersive environment where students must use all of their senses and skills to understand meaning during class. This includes movie/video, song and story lessons (all in the target language). This sets the students up for success in situations where they may not understand what is said around them. That could be in a Spanish setting or in another language. They are learning to use all the tools they have available to find meaning when it is not initially obvious to them. Below is a song lesson that we did in class that required the students to use multiple senses and tools. The students listened to the song Un año and filled in the blanks of missing words on the whiteboard. They had to use their listening skills, as well as reading skills, context clues, prior knowledge and others to be able to decipher the missing words and the meaning of the song.
PowerPoint slides for Song Lesson One Year
More Examples
Below the students gathered meaning listening to a song in class called Un Año. We worked on looking for words that the students knew first. We then looked for Spanish words that looked similar to words in English (cognates). From there we used context clues to find the meaning throughout the song. By the end of the lesson, the students had an understanding of the song
The students listen to a song in Spanish. This requires listening carefully and using context clues.
Similar to song lessons, the students have learned to gather meaning through their senses when listening to story lessons. I included gestures, pictures and comprehension questions for the students to find meaning. Once they had an initial grasp of the story, they participated in scaffolded activities and then read the story themselves. When reading the story, they first looked at known words and cognates. Then they used context clues to understand the text and learn new words.
The students listen to a story in Spanish. This requires listening carefully and using visual and context clues.
Like song and story lessons, the students participated in video lessons like the show Extra. I regularly paused the video and asked comprehension questions in Spanish. Afterwards, the students took part in a number of activities and a reading of the episode. This way they practiced their reading comprehension on top of listening comprehension.
The students watch an episode in Spanish. This requires listening carefully and using visual and context clues.
References:
ACTFL. (n.d.). USE OF TARGET LANGUAGE IN LANGUAGE LEARNING. Retrieved October 27, 2019, from https://www.actfl.org/guiding-principles/use-target-language-language-learning.
Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (2000). Describing 16 habits of mind. Retrieved from http://www.habitsofmind.org/sites/default/files/16HOM2.pdf