The correlation / benefits between Dutch as a language subject

and other learning subjects in Suriname education system

Shankar Vitesh
Cohort - 1

Project Mentor(s)
PADMANABHAN SESHAIYER (Ph.D.)

ABSTRACT

In our Education system is Dutch the language in what we teach every other subject. One
of the main topic in Dutch as teaching subject is reading and analyse a text. If students
will not be teached and motivated to do this critically than (s)he will have problem doing
the same for other subjects like geography, history or biology. First of all students dont
like reading books, this is one of the main issue we have to deal every college. Suriname
is a multilingual country ( we have more than twenty native languages). Often students
dont understand the learning subject like geography, history or biology, etc. not because
its difficult but because the student is struggling with Dutch as language (vocabulary).
For this project I initiated a quality research based on an enquete on reading interest and
reading behavior of my geography students at Henry N. Hassankhan
Scholengemeenschap (Class HAVO 401 & 402) where I research of they are aware of
the influence of Dutch as language subject for other learning subjects like geography,
history and biology and how we can enhancing ICTs as tool for better school results.

This final project report is submitted in partial fulfillment of the

1. Introduction 3
3. Our Project Design and Execution 9
4. Conclusion and Future Work of our Project 11
5. Acknowledgements 15
6. References 16
7. Appendix 17

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1. Introduction

My project overview

Reading is needed in every stage in our life, but it is not about simply reading. In

this, it is about understanding reading and critically analyzing a read text. The motivation

on reading behavior of a student begins in the early childhood1 by creatively reading a

story by the parents for his child before bedtime. If it's done good, in the grown up

period, the child will make a habit of reading books. In every stage of the education

process of a child but also in every stage of life you need to read and understand what

you read. You can practice this by tell the story to another one. This will increase the

vocabulary of the student and also the understanding other teaching subject.

Explain the Rational for choosing the project and why it is appropriate or relevant

for Suriname. And why now? Deliberate on the nature of the project and various

aspects of the project.

Often student are struggling with the dutch vocabulary2, that makes that the did not

understand the text in the teaching subject like geography, biology, history, etc. When

they have to read and explain a topic or concepts in its own words, its a great problem

for many of them. Its relevant in Suriname because Suriname is a multicultural and

multilingual country, we have more than twenty native languages and Dutch3 is the

1
http://www.kinderboekenfestival.org/feiten-over-voorlezen/

2
http://www.kinderboekenfestival.org/feiten-over-lezen/

3
http://taalunieversum.org/inhoud/suriname/documentaire

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language in what we use to teach and take test. After the second semester when students

see that they cant made for the recent school year the leave the school and no one

promise that the students will come the next school year and this can leads to a dropout.

Sometime when we as teacher have personal chat with such a student, we come to know

that it not alway the learning behavior of the student that leads to drop out, but also the

education system, like if you have problem with Dutch as language you will have

problem with following the rest of the learning subject and it will be difficult to to

understand. I believe that when the reading behavior of students will be promoted in a

creative way by the Dutch subject, this will increase the vocabulary of students and

enable students to develop and explain better concepts to other subjects. If we teach

students to recognize other similar words in difficult terms, they will easily be able to

derive the meaning of these words. This will have its advantages in all subjects in the

education process. We can use ICT tool very well to help improve this project.

Summarize of our driving question and

As a geography teacher take a test of my students after a semester about The basics of

geography and the earth as space, where they learned the terms like spatial interaction,

spatial cohesion, localized phenomena in a landscape and about distance, generalize and

different type of explanation. Simply words that you can relate out of Dutch and tell the

concepts in relation with geography. I gave them a text and they had to mention in what

part of the text the learned terms were described. This part of the test the test the

experience as difficult, because they never experience to analyze a text in this way in

geography or biology or history. Students are always told in Suriname that subject like

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geography, biology and history are subjects to learn out of your head and make a test.

Now when you as professional teacher teach your subject in the right way, students

begins to experience it as difficult. Not because of the subject is difficult but they never

learned to use Dutch vocabulary as the way we used to teach the other subjects, the never

learned to be creative and critical in read text in other subjects.

Providing evidence/history/background for our project

As teachers we see this happening daily in our class Through talks with professional

teachers during the breaks you hear the same story about readings.or own observation and

feedback after a test from the students. There is lots of evidence to find for reading

process of kids till 12 years, there is an organisation (Kinderboekenfestival)4 that

improved that creativity in reading can increase reading behavior and understanding of

subjects in our education system. In the geography test mention before out of 52 students

only 30 students get full marks for that part of the test. The day I gave the feedback about

the test they were surprised of the simple answers and that was also an eye-opener for

them how Dutch ( the reading part) as language can be used in other teaching subjects.

Present an outline on how the Project Report is structured

Step1: Observation and Brainstorming

Step 2: Brainstorming en compilation of enquete

Step 3: Conduction and analyze enquten

4
http://www.kinderboekenfestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/KBF-2016-Evaluatieverslag.pdf

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Step 4: Writing project

Step 5: Brainstorming output and finalize project

2. Our Project Planning

Begin with the end in mind and plan for this end result.

Students can see and used the benefit of reading and analyzing text and concept as part of

Dutch subject in other teaching subjects like geography, biology, history, etc. and using

ICTs effectively and efficiently in this process to increase their school results.

My project goals

Increasing reading behavior of students before and after a lesson

Summarizing a lesson using ICTs ( mind mapping and comics)

Describe the learning outcomes

Students should be able to

Explaining concept and terms of differents subjects in own words by

recognize and relate other similar words in difficult terms and concepts.

Recognize and explain process easily concepts and terms of differents subject by

using ICTs like mind mapping and comics tools

Increasing Dutch vocabulary that results in easy way to explain and relate

Describe assessment criteria

Students have to

read the next theme of the geography lesson, The difference between agriculture

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 and other means of living.

Write down the terms in this parts of the lesson and explain in own words

Make a mind mapping about the spoken differences and write down example in

Suriname

Make a comic related about the inputs in agriculture

Explain how to integrate content and learning to accomplish the Big Idea.

Present an educational framework you plan to use

Know and Believe:

Plan and experience by assessment

Reflect and Analyze assessment

Reconceptualize plan / assessment

Why is this framework the optimal choice for your project.

Because student already have the skills in reading and analyse text

I have to motivate the believe that they can use it otherwise in

combination with ICTs. Let them experience the tools and make a choice what is

better for them. every plan has to be reflect and analyze to make improvements to

do it better.

Generate/Rank Hypothesis

Students who use the reading skills and techniques taught in the Dutch

language subject for other learning subjects as geography, history and

biology will have a higher rank in understanding and explaining topics and

concepts than students who dont use the reading skills and techniques or

dont like reading.

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Present a background on the tools, skills and competencies to be integrated in the

project

Students have the reading skills and reading techniques in Dutch subject and they know

to work with a computer ( basic skills in Windows and Ms Office). The ICT tools

Storyboard That (comic) and Popplet (mind mapping)will be presented and explained to

them. They will learn how to use the ICT and reading skills in other learning subject in

this case geography.

Present milestones and timeline for your project.

Describes project launch, sequence of activities and benchmarks

I was working in a group with Wiratma R, Ajekie R and Pallees M, but I separate

of the group because not every group member has the same priority to do this

project in time, they all want to focus first on the individual assignment deadline

and after that doing this group project. I was not happy with that and June 27,

when I see the time is running and if I dont take action I wont be able to do this

assignment on time. I talk to the group by app, I gave them my opinion and I

dont get any response of them. That why I decide to an new project alone.

Till June 27: Work in group, but separate ( with all respect for each other) to do

my own project, because I cant work on their tempo

June 28 2017: Enquette research

June 29 & 30: analyze enquette data

July 03 : Training students in Storyboard and Popplet by the ICT teacher

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 July 04 : working on Assignment during geography lesson

July 05: Evaluation assignment with my geography class

What is the scope of the project?

Make students aware of the benefits of reading skills and techniques that they

learn at the Dutch language subject can be used in other learning subject that can

improve their vocab, understanding and explaining topic and concepts by

enhancing ICTs in the subjects ( done in 1 week)

Identify the tasks and activities and resource/materials needed

Tasks / Activity: Enquette research and analyze

Training students and

Assessment and evaluation

Materials: Enquette forms, Geography textbook,

ICT-Room with min 15 computers, beamer

3. Our Project Design and Execution

Describe the Process

Identify a problem among my students

Talk about this specific problem during the lesson and doing the survey to get more

information

Working together with the ICT-colleague to enhanced ICTs in this process and make

students see the benefits. This ICT- colleague is not a trained teacher as we of IIED-

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students, the ICTs are also new to her and she like it. I informed her and she trained the

same students during the ICT-lesson.

After I discussed the assignment with the students, they worked on it in groups of two. I

viewed and discussed the outcome with the students.

The moment to reconceptualize this plan has to be done another time along with ICT-

teacher to get more benefits.

Describe the Execution

I do this project at Henry N Hassankan Scholengemeenschap with my

geography studenten of class HAVO401 & HAVO 402 ( total 48 students)

First I do a survey with these students and tell them about the project I want to do. After

analyzing the survey outcome, I planned with my ICT- colleague a training about Popplet

and Storyboard That. She trained the students and after that I discuss the assignment with

the students. they have to this assignment in groups of 2 with the next geography theme.

We will discuss the assignments an I will evaluate this process with them to know what

their experience are and what the think of this kind of involvement of ICT and reading

skills in geography.

Describe the Product

Benefit of using reading skills and technique of Dutch language subject in other learning

subject enhanced with ICTs

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4. Conclusion and Future Work of our Project

o Personal Reflection

Did your Big Idea work? Explain your findings

This big idea work for the students. They know the relation between using the reading

skills and techniques taught during Dutch lessons and other learning subject, but after the

assignment they experience it better and they were very happy they learned the ICTs to

use this skills

better and

make

improvements

our project effective?

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 To answer this I question I evaluated this project with

the

students

and

here

some

data

Ho

wel

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 did the project flow?

After separating from my group it believe I will be successful alone but was not

sure, it was everyday a stress moment but I dont, I dont give up. My students

and my ICT colleagues were cooperative and thats also the big reason this

project flow very good

What were the challenges and successes?

Challenges: in these last semester of this school year there low attendance in the

class, some student give up and dont came optimal. And the time period that was

left to finished this project (10 days from June 27)

How cooperative will be students an colleague in this last semester where

everyone is busy finish lesson on time for the final tests.

Success: I dont give up and every stakeholder were cooperative and seeing the

outcome and the satisfied faces of my students give me a overall feeling of

success. I hope that the matter I decided to work alone from some point in this

traject, will not be a problem for the professor. I had no other choice to do this.

How can the project be improved?

When I will reconceptualize this project I will work with one ICT at a time,

because it was difficult for students with both interest to choose one ICT.

Present an assessment plan for the project design

Did the project meet standards? Yes it does, I used a geography lesson of the

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 senior high school using skills students learned during Dutch language subject.

Did the project engage students? Yes, I do a survey (enquete) with my

geography students, the same students get an assignment to work and use ICTs

Did the project encourage higher-level thinking? Sure, students learned to use

skills and techniques taught in one subject to use in other learning subject (

subject integration). they learned to use their vocab to relate and explain concepts

and terms not only in geography lessons but also in other learning subject as

history and biology.

Did the project integrate ICT effectively?

Sure, I use Storyboard That and Popplet

Did the project make an impact in Suriname?

I make an impact among my students, they are glad they have learned the ICTs

and how the can used their vocab better. How they can relation concept and terms

in geography to the vocab the know to explain it.

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5. Acknowledgements

This project was not be successfully complete without the cooperative participation of my

geography students (class H401 en H402) and ICT colleague, mrs Juman, at the

Henry N Hassankhan Scholengemeenschap. at Lelydorp, Wanica. Further on I especially

want to thanks a special person, mr Venlo J, for helping me entering data in google form.

I take the survey on paper and entered data later in google form to win time.

I am grateful to all my friends (Wiratma Remie, Pallees Mildred and Ajekie Romana), I

worked with during this traject of final project assignment and separated from some point

in this traject, because they learned me to believe strongly in myself that I can handle the

stress that come up with deadlines and that I can do it also on my one.

I want to thanks professor Padhu Seshaiyer for his guiding during the lectures of

module 17 and other modules during this ICT course and give us the opportunity to learn

with a final report in this way.

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6. References

Professor Padhu Seshaiyer, Lecture Module 17 at IOL May 2017

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7. Appendix

Survey and survey results link

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uQO8IM2shTVm0sfDdw5ER1mqS2oPNydhVipJr
GibMjM/edit#responses

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