"Marshmallow Challenge": How marshmallows can help address the challenge of multi-level classes
Suzanne Bardasz
Abstract
Imagine being asked to build the tallest structure with 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 piece of tape, 1 piece of string, and 1 marshmallow in 18 minutes. Not only that, but imagine doing this with a group of 3-4 other people while communicating in a different language. This is the task that the presenter had her science writing students carry out in order to understand the process of writing a methods section for a science paper. This activity came from a TED talk about teamwork given by Tom Wujec in 2010 and was also inspired by SLA studies that suggest that social interaction helps with language acquisition. In this presentation, the presenter will describe how she took this sample marshmallow challenge and used it to address her challenge of teaching a multi-level science writing class. Although the presenter will describe her experience of doing this challenge with her class situation, it is believed that this marshmallow challenge can be used with students of any age level, language level, and classroom environment. After describing the details of this challenge, time will be given for participants to brainstorm and discuss ideas on how to use this challenge and other similar activities in their classroom. From this presentation, it is hoped that participants will be inspired to come up with other creative ideas that will help them successfully overcome challenges in teaching multi-level classes.
Bio-sketch
When she is not busy building marshmallow structures with her students, Suzanne Bardasz teaches English and Science Writing classes at KAIST. She has been at KAIST and in Korea since 2008. Before coming to Korea, she taught ESL and EFL to students of all ages in the United States and Poland. Suzanne has a Master's Degree in TESOL from SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont.
