Chris H. TP 5

This was my final tutoring group meeting with Ryan and Nikolas. Following a similar format to the tutoring sessions beforehand, we again presented the tutees with an audio segment. This time, the subject was a multi-perspective, historical account on the Civil War, the battle of Fredericksburg, with witness accounts from white property owners, Confederate soldiers, and slaves. I think that the context of the video drew in the tutees quickly, as it involved a key element of American history and, moreover, impressions of battle. Again, we asked the students to write down words and phrases that they did not understand, or could not gather meaning from in the context of the documentary. One particular part, which I noticed was the most challenging for all of them, was a recorded teacher in a museum speaking on the historical significance. The dissonance of the audio sample, which was not digital like the rest, made it just slightly more difficult to pick out the words. This certified in my mind the profound importance of clarity in listening samples to students, and how even the slightest distortion can turn familiar words into foreign words in their mind. Our quizzes were generally successful with the students, and facilitated conversation on the meaning of confederation versus federation, militia, and, funny enough, the word dastardly. Words such as glisten and exhibit were also highlighted as words unfamiliar in the audio sample and I felt that the tutoring session overall was a great success. At the conclusion of it, the students turned to youtube and showed us some of their music from their native countries, including West African rappers such as Bebir and DJ Arafat, and Myanmar street musicians in local festivals.