Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Fun games for kids classes.
Here are some fun games you can play in class to practice a range of skills.
Classroom games for juniors book
Here is a great resource, which i came across. It offers some great activities and tips so check it out.
Classroom games for juniors
Classroom games for juniors
Sunday, August 20, 2017
A few speaking activities
1 Carousel
Students write a headline about their week or a 3 word opinion of a topic.
draw 2 cirlces (one inside the other).
Give students number 1 or 2
1s stand in the middle circle
2s stand int he outer circle.
They face each other and talk about their headline and ask questions
after 1 minute 2s move clockwise to a new partner.
2 Guided dialogue
Students are given unformed sentences using the language they have learnt.
what/you/do
I/Karate
They have to form full sentences. This can be done as a group or whole class activity.
Ask students to write their own dialogue in pairs or groups.
3 Barometer
Write numbers 1 to 5 left to right across the room.
1 Means completely disagree
5 means completely agree\
The other numbers are for mixed opinions.
Show controversial statements, give students 30 seconds to think and move to what they think.
Ask students why?
This is great for starting debates, meta-cognition and using linkers.
4 Describe and draw\
Students work in pairs back to back.
1 student has a picture and the other has paper.
Student A tells student what to draw and student B draws it.
They then swap. This engages listening too and is great for new vocabulary.
Students write a headline about their week or a 3 word opinion of a topic.
draw 2 cirlces (one inside the other).Give students number 1 or 2
1s stand in the middle circle
2s stand int he outer circle.
They face each other and talk about their headline and ask questions
after 1 minute 2s move clockwise to a new partner.
2 Guided dialogue
Students are given unformed sentences using the language they have learnt.
what/you/do
I/Karate
They have to form full sentences. This can be done as a group or whole class activity.
Ask students to write their own dialogue in pairs or groups.
3 Barometer
Write numbers 1 to 5 left to right across the room.
1 Means completely disagree
5 means completely agree\
The other numbers are for mixed opinions.
Show controversial statements, give students 30 seconds to think and move to what they think.
Ask students why?
This is great for starting debates, meta-cognition and using linkers.
4 Describe and draw\
Students work in pairs back to back.
1 student has a picture and the other has paper.
Student A tells student what to draw and student B draws it.
They then swap. This engages listening too and is great for new vocabulary.
A useful workshop
For those who tackle learning through the connectivist or PBL (Project based learning) approaches it can be difficult to engage your students creative side or to get the most out of this. Below is a workshop that I created and ran, which will hopefully provide some insightful ideas.
The workshop explores why creative and critical thinking are important, how we can incorporate them without going out of our way, and offers useful reflection and activities for teachers. Below is the workshop presentation and the activity list.
Critical and Creative thinking and projects.
Activity list
The workshop explores why creative and critical thinking are important, how we can incorporate them without going out of our way, and offers useful reflection and activities for teachers. Below is the workshop presentation and the activity list.
Critical and Creative thinking and projects.
Activity list
Professional development opportunities: Future learn
I would really like to recommend a great website for professional development. Futurelearn is a free online platform created by the Open University. It offers a range of courses in Education and other disciplines. The courses are run by other universities globally and prestigious organizations.
I recently took a course called understanding language which was co run by Southampton University, and British Council. This course explored how we learn first and second languages, approaches, andpedagogical approaches. Learning is broken up into units or weeks and is conducted through video lectures, audio interviews, debates, quizzes, and reflection. This course re runs regularly and is highly interactive. You learn from professors, practitioners, and course mates.
I am also taking teaching literacy through film: a course looking at how we can engage students of English with reading and writing through making and analyzing films. It is similar to the above two courses in learning approaches but aims to give teachers practical ideas to engage students with an often tricky area.
I recently took a course called understanding language which was co run by Southampton University, and British Council. This course explored how we learn first and second languages, approaches, andpedagogical approaches. Learning is broken up into units or weeks and is conducted through video lectures, audio interviews, debates, quizzes, and reflection. This course re runs regularly and is highly interactive. You learn from professors, practitioners, and course mates.
I am currently taking Education for all: Disability, Diversity, and Inclusion which explores barriers to learning faced by children and young people with disabilities. It covers learning, physical, and mental disabilities, and it looks at teaching, parenting, communities and how we can make them more inclusive without great expense. It uses case studies, video lectures, discussion, interviews, and published works by professors in the University of Cape town.
I am also taking teaching literacy through film: a course looking at how we can engage students of English with reading and writing through making and analyzing films. It is similar to the above two courses in learning approaches but aims to give teachers practical ideas to engage students with an often tricky area.5 great new school year lessons.
The new school year is just beginning. Teachers will have new classes, new challenges, and much more facing them. Here are some great ideas to start your new school year with a bang.
1) Star game - Show students a personal side of you with this.
On the board draw a star and write your name in the middle.
At each of the points write something about you (keep it simple no more than 2 words)
Students have to guess and ask questions.
You can also ask students to do the same, come to the front of class and take it in turns.
2) Two truths and a lie - Maybe you've played this game before or maybe not but it is great for showing a more personal side.
Write 2 things on the board that are true and 1 thing that is false.
Students have to guess which is false.
Ask students to play and find out more about your students.
3) Class contract - Show a video on advice for life like the one here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfsyrNKhNTE)
Ask students to write down 3 pieces of good advice they hear
Ask students to give themselves and each other advice for the comingschool year.
Get students to choose the top 10 most important.
Write it down on an A3 sheet of paper.
Get students to sign it.
Put it on the wall every class.
4) rules board race
Get students to write down as many rules as possible in teams on the board one after another.
The team with the most rules wins.
Choose 10 and use them as the rules.
5) Mingle - This is a great way for students to get to know each other personally and for you to listen to what they have to say.
Students are given a list of 10 verbs in a column of a table, they have to form questions with them.
Ask them to think of 3-5 more questions.
Students then stand up, move around the room and ask each other questions.
1) Star game - Show students a personal side of you with this.
On the board draw a star and write your name in the middle.
At each of the points write something about you (keep it simple no more than 2 words)
Students have to guess and ask questions.
You can also ask students to do the same, come to the front of class and take it in turns.
2) Two truths and a lie - Maybe you've played this game before or maybe not but it is great for showing a more personal side.
Write 2 things on the board that are true and 1 thing that is false.
Students have to guess which is false.
Ask students to play and find out more about your students.
3) Class contract - Show a video on advice for life like the one here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfsyrNKhNTE)
Ask students to write down 3 pieces of good advice they hear
Ask students to give themselves and each other advice for the comingschool year.
Get students to choose the top 10 most important.
Write it down on an A3 sheet of paper.
Get students to sign it.
Put it on the wall every class.
4) rules board race
Get students to write down as many rules as possible in teams on the board one after another.
The team with the most rules wins.
Choose 10 and use them as the rules.
5) Mingle - This is a great way for students to get to know each other personally and for you to listen to what they have to say.
Students are given a list of 10 verbs in a column of a table, they have to form questions with them.
Ask them to think of 3-5 more questions.
Students then stand up, move around the room and ask each other questions.
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