As in our textbook Performer2, the Unit 8 dealt with forms of art, tattoos & painting, I decided to modify the assignment “Choose a famous painting or photograph that your really love or hate & discuss it with a classmate” by adding to the oral and written task also a digital one.
Working in groups and assigning to the rest of the students a reading task that was meant to keep the class in silence – instead, as you can hear, there was an inevitable hubbub in the background … my classes are definitely not silent places 🙂 – we recorded their descriptions using the app Fotobabble and my iPad. ( here’s my vocal tutorial) Of course, having 29 students I couldn’t record everybody and students should do it by themselves; nevertheless, since they’re now under a lot of pressure with daily tests in other subjects, I decided not to claim the extra effort of a further website sign up and opted for recording just a few. Mind: not the linguistically “stronger & best ones” – no need to show off!! what for? we appreciate diversity and we learn by making mistakes – but chosen at random using a Random Picker. We had fun! The only flaw is the short time (one minute) allowed to the “free version” which implied simplifying their descriptions and sometimes led to an abrupt ending. There’s plenty of time to improve! Plus, next time we’ll be using a different app.
The first is a photo by Mc Curry Peshawar, Pakistan, 1984, whose stunning exhibition we could see in Pordenone.
The lovers by Magritte
Starry Night by van Gogh
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
Guernica by Pablo Picasso
Ecco le mie baby girls – e 2 boys 🙂 So proud of you all!!
