tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44311144080375230522024-03-18T21:16:03.155+02:00A different side of EFLDimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-17961834727376519872024-03-18T08:18:00.004+02:002024-03-18T08:18:56.102+02:00Blissuflly unAIware<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Blissfully un</span></i><span style="color: #c00000;">AI</span><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">ware</span></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Time for serious planning and integrating!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1rc79H8FEGGU6ZStekCnsLZ02h9zkXGgjrbIGze_T1i2Ed0oNQlTQDkYlm3UJrTQmXz23oXr_ACdFPVqiYS7qqgBZqvuVytqaCylCxPm9fuQ5bo7APzqRTm9JZM7sk7ZUDDm3PmT-ybPDGZoIkdhaFhbe-TOxa4R46jv-jH7iAjFWqQAc5u7HuInv3Cv/s1277/1710739893979.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1277" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1rc79H8FEGGU6ZStekCnsLZ02h9zkXGgjrbIGze_T1i2Ed0oNQlTQDkYlm3UJrTQmXz23oXr_ACdFPVqiYS7qqgBZqvuVytqaCylCxPm9fuQ5bo7APzqRTm9JZM7sk7ZUDDm3PmT-ybPDGZoIkdhaFhbe-TOxa4R46jv-jH7iAjFWqQAc5u7HuInv3Cv/w640-h360/1710739893979.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Been there, already experienced it twice and
now it feels like a déjà vu. Every time a groundbreaking change in the field of
education emerges, we are taken aback, gripped in awe and wonder, then rush to
have a few seminars and hastily use some of the new activities or tools and
then… back to business as usual. It all fades into oblivion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I saw it with the introduction of the
communicative approach in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the 90’s, and
with the rise of learning technologies and
online learning during the lockdown. Activities and tools hurriedly squeezed
into our teaching without planning and without real integration into our
syllabus. Like fireworks that lit the
sky for moment and then it’s back to complete
darkness in a teaching landscape that often reminds of 19<sup>th</sup> rather
than 21<sup>st</sup> century in terms of methodology and approaches adopted. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">A matter of choice<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Is the same going to happen with Artificial
Intelligence in education? We seem to be
at a turning point. AI is ubiquitous and apparently there are three choices, we
could opt for:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We can turn a blind eye on what is happening
around us and pretend it doesn't exist. But then, we would not be able to
guarantee the work handed in by students is not copied and pasted from an AI
tool and students that would not gain any knowledge from the work assigned. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We can integrate AI into the curriculum, aiming
to facilitate learning and help learners boost their language skills.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We can ban the use of AI at school. The
question arising though is: “Will this prevent students from accessing it at
home?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Personally, I would opt for the second one.
Though I feel that there are several pitfalls to avoid. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">A fad that will disappear or a field worth
investing time and effort in ?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We can treat AI like a trend that will soon
disappear into obscurity and be content with a few catchy activities in class or
we can see it from a completely different perspective. For those who wish to help their learners and ensure
that AI can help them build their skills, I would suggest the following steps:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Get to know the potential of AI <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Before introducing it in class, educators
should explore the potential of AI and consider potential benefits for
learners, dangers such as security, challenges like equipment limitations, and
the methodological approach they need to adopt. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The potential is practically endless and ranges
from assisting learners with impairments and learning difficulties to areas
such as pronunciation, the 4 skills (Speaking, Listening, Writing, Reading),
and critical and creative thinking, It can skyrocket exposure to language and
adapt content based on the personal needs of individual learners. Finally, it
can provide valuable feedback in real time both to the learners and <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Plan before you integrate<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">What are the learning goals that you have set
for your learners? How can AI tools and apps cater for my learner needs? Can
they be integrated into the syllabus? What are the difficulties I expect my
learners to face? Can we overcome them together? These are some of the
questions, educators can ask themselves so that they can incorporate
meaningfully into the syllabus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Train and set rules<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Ensure that you allot ample time at the
beginning of the year or the course to train your learners how to use the tools
effectively and above all set clear rules about when and how they should use AI
in their assignments. Encourage older learners to cite AI when they use it in
their assignments and make sure that the line which they should not cross is
very clear to everybody. Place emphasis
on personal data, respect to their peers and the learner community, and their
own intellectual property, in other words, their ideas and the content they
create. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Make the most of the feedback<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">AI offers an unprecedented opportunity to educators:
they can access data related to their learner performance on a wide range of tasks,
in real time and in forms that easily processed and stored. These statistics usually
indicate a very accurate picture of the class/individual strengths and weaknesses.
Thus educators can plan remedial lessons and adapt the syllabus or even create
a personalized syllabus that can accommodate their learner’ needs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">It goes without saying that encouraging
learners to make the most of the instant feedback they receive from AI tools
and apps can help them to become more autonomous and develop their learning
skills.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">From a leader’s perspective<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">If you feel that you are inundated with data
and you cannot see how all this can be incorporated into the syllabus or
curriculum, you do not need to reinvent the wheel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The following model was adopted successfully at
Doukas school in Athens, more than a decade ago and was extremely successful in
introducing and seamlessly integrating innovative practices (the use of a
personal device by each student instead of a coursebook) from 4<sup>th</sup>
grade onwards at primary school. <b>George Drivas</b>, the head of the FL dept.
at the time, implemented it placing
emphasis on encouraging and supporting educators to introduce new techniques
and practices in their daily teaching and share their experience in
peer-to-peer support sessions thus disseminating best practices and sharing
experience. The same model could easily apply to integrating AI into the
syllabus so that it can have a positive impact on learning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9dIUGNCKwihnN37c3xu-zUrQKja2VYwl7DqAfaQYQIT30cPHINlq3Pab7DHQkGpjDfbuypTQ7sM0lC4BJfUB52a5is6tM2mJMAF4KmFyAZqQMISCzE9YCoZYq6w-L_iFEvd12JjTQdNBtXdDgIAc9jiMkvQsT8WNBlgxPFMj8xLWXBpQNfG8EbR6DF97/s1502/Making%20electronic%20dreams%20come%20true.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="1502" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9dIUGNCKwihnN37c3xu-zUrQKja2VYwl7DqAfaQYQIT30cPHINlq3Pab7DHQkGpjDfbuypTQ7sM0lC4BJfUB52a5is6tM2mJMAF4KmFyAZqQMISCzE9YCoZYq6w-L_iFEvd12JjTQdNBtXdDgIAc9jiMkvQsT8WNBlgxPFMj8xLWXBpQNfG8EbR6DF97/w640-h486/Making%20electronic%20dreams%20come%20true.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Source: "Making electronic dreams come true" D. Primalis 2012</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Final thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Artificial Intelligence is only a tool that can
facilitate learning and boost learner engagement. It can be a valuable
assistant to the educators who wish to promote differentiated and personalized
learning provided that it is integrated prudently into the curriculum with
realistic expectations and clear aims to accommodate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Dimitris Primalis <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Sources:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">https://differentefl.blogspot.com/2012/07/making-your-e-dreams-come-true.ht</span>Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-12457602450423505802023-08-21T21:03:00.012+03:002023-11-02T09:45:56.446+02:00Asking AI the right questions<p><span style="color: #20124d;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Asking AI
the right questions <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">and how
this can help English language learners<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #20124d;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What do ancient Greek philosophers, the “Hitch Hiker’s Guide
to the Galaxy", and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have in common? They all use
questions to seek the answer. Speaking of questions when referring to Teaching
English as a Foreign Language, a prominent one is: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can English language teachers exploit the
strategies used in prompt engineering ( the art of asking questions ) to
facilitate language learning? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitA_yuwZB7lXaFa-uCBZAZTcMOh17sssJHJ5fcHPpPbZ_BygEQ0KXPEDbeYdFwzvr5LZtNiUzvb2ixje97-f9Tv1HM9XFNpbqTcpO_Jdj0B5exUm28aJzVVRWJFc15Sg67dA-LdYn82ameDrpoIzhDvxXLy_xBjXjxsmoRxDydYQcR8bj0nrW05kQ0n2_E/s1024/_b7900b74-b1bc-4f6f-acd7-c7085f96ce5a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitA_yuwZB7lXaFa-uCBZAZTcMOh17sssJHJ5fcHPpPbZ_BygEQ0KXPEDbeYdFwzvr5LZtNiUzvb2ixje97-f9Tv1HM9XFNpbqTcpO_Jdj0B5exUm28aJzVVRWJFc15Sg67dA-LdYn82ameDrpoIzhDvxXLy_xBjXjxsmoRxDydYQcR8bj0nrW05kQ0n2_E/w400-h400/_b7900b74-b1bc-4f6f-acd7-c7085f96ce5a.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Image created with Microsoft Bing Image creator</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The importance of asking the right questions<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Humans have always sought to acquire knowledge and find
answers to their questions. In 1978, Douglas Adams on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his BBC radio broadcast and later in his
book, presents in a humorous way the mishaps of the above quest when humans ask
a supercomputer the existential question of life, the universe and everything.
After seven and a half million years, the computer leaves them speechless when
he utters the answer which makes no sense : 42. The implication is that the users
did not ask the right question, therefore, they could not find the answers
they’d been looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can watch
this part of the film on the link below:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZLtcTZP2js"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZLtcTZP2js"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ZLtcTZP2js" width="320" youtube-src-id="5ZLtcTZP2js"></iframe></span></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZLtcTZP2js"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">If nearly half a century ago, this sounded like science
fiction, today there are super computers that can answer our questions provided
that we ask the right question, or as IT people call it, engineer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>thoughtful prompts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Search Engines and Generative Artificial Intelligence, like Bing and Chat GPT that has recently seen <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>its popularity sky-rocketing among students
and teachers globally, are based on a set of algorithms that allow the users to
create text, image, voice or video based on data that computers have. Admirable
though this may sound, there is a problem: the more general the prompts are,
the more likely they are to fail to meet our expectations for specific answers,
like the example on the humorous video shared above. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What are the ingredients for effective prompts?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>question <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that comes to mind is “How do I manipulate the
wording of a prompt to have better results?” You <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>can deal with that by giving details
regarding:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">content </span></li><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">context</span></li><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">tone</span></li><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">aesthetics</span></li></ul><span style="color: #20124d;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">For instance, if you ask Bing or ChatGPT to write <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a text you should define the reader, what the
text is about and the tone. When it comes to creating artwork like images with tools like Microsoft Bing Image Creator, then
aesthetics like “create a picture in Japanese anime style” can make a big
difference to the outcome. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Is it easy to achieve right away? For most of us, it isn’t
so experts advise users to hone their skills and keep redefining the prompts –
a practice familiar to most English teachers who encourage their students to
adopt process writing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What strategies can be adopted for thoughtful searching?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The user needs to :<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> be </span></span></span>specific</span></li><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> provide context with example(s) </span></li><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> break things down (into easily understood
messages)</span></li><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> use clear language with proper grammar and
vocabulary<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(AI can understand jargon and
colloquial language but the results will not be the best possible)</span></li></ul><span style="color: #20124d;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Reading the above strategies one cannot help thinking that
these are the strategies we urge our learners to adopt when they want to
express their ideas, when they need to plan their writing, and support their
ideas with examples (the Achille’s heel of most students I have taught). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">If you thought that similarities stop there, the best part
is following:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">How can prompt engineering be expanded?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The experts recommend the following scenarios to achieve
this goal. While reading, think if any of them applies to teaching English as a
foreign or second language.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span lang="EL" style="mso-ansi-language: EL; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Role-play scenarios </span></li></ul><span style="color: #20124d;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Give the reasoning engine (AI tools like
Chat GPT) a scenario: “Imagine you are the manager of a company and you want to
set up a new factory in an area where residents react fearing that the plant
will pollute the area with waste. Write a speech for the meeting with the
residents and explain the benefits of having a factory in there are. Address
their fear of pollution by explaining how new technology minimizes such risks.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span lang="EL" style="mso-ansi-language: EL; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Analogy </span></li></ul><span style="color: #20124d;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -24px;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">F For example: “Explain<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> photosynthesis </span>using a sports analogy”</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">(Try it, it’s fun!)</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; text-indent: -18pt;"> Debate style questions</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">For example, you can ask AI<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to “ present arguments for and against
adopting exclusively alternative sources of energy” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span lang="EL" style="mso-ansi-language: EL; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Creative exercises </span></li></ul><span style="color: #20124d;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Ask the model to brainstorm, ideate, or write
fictional scenarios related to your query. For instance, “I am writing a story
about space travellers. Help me brainstorm some restrictions and laws of space
travelling to other planets “<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EL" style="mso-ansi-language: EL;"><o:p><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Can EFL teachers exploit these strategies with their
classes?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Apparently, since Language Learning Models are used by AI,
many strategies and activities are very close to language teaching. Teaching
students how to “manipulate” the phrasing of the prompts <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- in fact, it is a writing exercise- and in
some cases using AI as an assistant to help them improve their skills. For
instance, we can train them to write more specific prompts by asking them to
work in groups and produce prompts. Then, use AI to produce text, image or
video and ask the class to evaluate the outcomes and give the prize to the best
prompt engineers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">We can encourage learners to explore role play scenarios at
their own time and pace at home and then use their knowledge from this
experience to work on a project. For instance, they can have a chat with a
historic figure from the past and then create a video with an interview with
this person (there are AI tools that can animate pictures of portraits and
learners can lend their voice to the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>famous person that is animated)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Some more thoughts <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Whether we like it or not, our students will almost
certainly use AI. The question raised is: “Are going to pretend it does not
exist and let them use it in the wrong way or guide them through ways that can
help them improve their language skills with the help of Artificial
Intelligence. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Writing this post, I realized that we often
“compartmentalize” education by reducing our scope and looking at education not
as the broad picture but often focusing excessively on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>specific parts of the jigsaw puzzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure that most of you are wondering: Do
we, English teachers, need to teach our students AI and digital citizenship
skills? This is something that I will discuss on my next post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Have a great academic year with your students and lots of
fun working with Artificial Intelligence to develop their language skills!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Dimitris Primalis</b></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Sources <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">“Generative AI: the evolution of thoughtful online
search”,Ashley Kennedy, LinkedIn online course<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy</span><o:p></o:p></p>Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-25358994860321495732022-08-04T10:13:00.002+03:002022-08-11T13:01:25.159+03:00When devices are left to their own…devices!<br />
<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: verdana; font-weight: normal;">When devices are left to their own…devices!</span><br /></span></span></h1><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: normal;">How can technology work in class? </span></span></h1>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB-SVteVzlDQ6FTVLc1FJq4P4MnNmcoV2Ysr-PuS6tQeC0ocdsnES2yn5klg4fiy6rMCWWnGtxm_FYBdvz2uCYvL3LEAAeIvXrkYPLBIsg96WGxjpbJ9ogtNM793ie0cnzMTWnbScqOaoh68Bysx-yOGxOKPjC5Qa8Vqjen55HMd5wCXK6_Q53xRzTw/s853/When%20technology%202.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="853" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB-SVteVzlDQ6FTVLc1FJq4P4MnNmcoV2Ysr-PuS6tQeC0ocdsnES2yn5klg4fiy6rMCWWnGtxm_FYBdvz2uCYvL3LEAAeIvXrkYPLBIsg96WGxjpbJ9ogtNM793ie0cnzMTWnbScqOaoh68Bysx-yOGxOKPjC5Qa8Vqjen55HMd5wCXK6_Q53xRzTw/w640-h360/When%20technology%202.gif" width="640" /></a></div><br /></o:p></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Every now
and then, I can see articles popping up on the media with huge, eye-catching
headlines like “School ditches tablets”. Flashy stories come as no surprise.
But what comes as a surprise is educators endorsing them without a second
thought, without using their critical thinking skills. </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Condemning in public technology seems to be quite trendy lately but is it justified? The very definitions of Learning Technologies encapsulate the role of educator and the instruction, placing them at the heart of integrating technology into the syllabus.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;">Before playing the blame game and starting heated discussions, let's take some time to reflect not on the superficial question "Is technology bad or good?" but on "</span></span><b><span>How do we use technology in class?"</span><span> </span></b><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><span><br /></span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Do we really use it to serve a specific purpose/learning aim or do we use it as the dictionary entry below describes?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 37.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #303336; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 36pt; letter-spacing: 0.9pt; padding: 0in;">leave
someone to his or her own devices</span></b><b><span style="color: #303336; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 36pt; letter-spacing: 0.9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #212529; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #4a7d95; font-family: "Playfair Display"; font-size: 19.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiom"><span style="color: #4a7d95; text-decoration-line: none;">idiom</span></a></span></b><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #212529; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Lato",sans-serif" style="color: #212529; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.5pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="color: #265667; font-size: 16.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Definition of </span></b><b><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #265667; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 16.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt; padding: 0in;">leave someone to his or
her own devices</span></i></b><b><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="color: #265667; font-size: 16.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #303336; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Open Sans"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">: </span></b><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #303336; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">to
allow (someone) to do what he or she wants or is able to do without being
controlled or helped by anyone else —often used as <b><i>be left to
one's own devices </i></b></span><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #225f73; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">The students were </span><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #225f73; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Open Sans"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">left to their own devices</span></i><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #225f73; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"> when
the teacher failed to appear on time.</span><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #212529; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Source: Merriam –
Webster online dictionary<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">If one replaces the word "students" with "devices" in the example given in the above entry, one might get an idea of how technology is often used by educators. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Apparently, having used - and often abused technology during emergency teaching in the pandemic- we tend to use devices or software as fillers or patches, without thinking much about how these can accommodate learner needs. Consequently, learning technology is often rejected outrightly by learners, educators and parents alike as distracting, alienating learners or acting as an impediment to the teaching process. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Integrating technology into the syllabus to engage learners and boost motivation has nothing to do with witch-hunting or orthodoxy. It is a tool like any other - including the educator's voice and gestures- that can enhance learning if used in the right way. The key question here is not whether we should use technology or not but <b>"how can we use it effectively to the learners' benefit?"</b><br /></span>
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">There is no recipe or step by step guide to do it but below you can find some questions that stimulate reflection on how we currently use technology and whether we do it effectively or not:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do we use it as a mere substitute of books?</span></span></span></h2><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span>In other words, do we use the tablet in class to ask </span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">our students to read PDF files without any interaction? If this is the case, then we give technology a bad name. If on the other hand, we use mutlimedia texts (texts enriched with sound, video, animation and links that can offer valuable insight to the reader), then students have the opportunity to learn making the most of LT's (Learning Technology's) potential. Combining such a multitext with a mini gamified quiz based on what learners have studied can pleasantly challenge learners and offer valuable feedback to the educator. For instance, a brief </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">®Kahoot, ®MS Forms or ®Quizizz quiz with instant feedback appearing on the learner screens can be very engaging. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do the tasks we design incorporating technology support learner interaction?</b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;">No matter how exciting an app might be if there is no interaction between learners, then the lesson is doomed to be tagged as utterly boring. Even popular online games with spectacular graphics entitle players to engage in the game in pairs or groups. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;">Make the most of the class layout and ask learners to work in pairs or groups; to discuss potential solutions to a problem; create content and present or negotiate the outcome of their pair/groupwork with the rest of the class. This will serve both linguistic and class management goals with learners focusing on a task and producing the target language rather than browsing irrelevant websites or exchanging messages on the social media platforms. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Are students required to use their critical thinking skills?</b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Doing the same old mechanistic tasks in a different environment won't save the day. Filling in the gaps, transformations and multiple choice exercises may be more fun with technology but this can be assigned as an asynchronous task and offer instant feedback combined with explanations to the learners. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Technology lends itself for searching, assessing, synthesizing, and interacting. How about showing learners a story and asking them to find out if this is real or fake news? What if you ask your learners to find data about an environmental problem and then present their solutions on how to deal with it effectively through a video and/or blogposts/ posters/ infographics? What if you arrange a joint project or debate with a school from another country?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do the tasks stimulate creativity?</b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Do we ask our learners to copy-paste information and present it in front of an uniterested audience or do we challenge them to share their own views? LT gives learners unique opportunities to create content and share it with the local and international community in various forms and genres: blogposts, articles, podcasts, videos, games, interviews, posters, infographics and there are more arising as technology advances. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>Are learners given feedback?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Very often students are asked to create a presentation, create a project or carry out another task using technology but are not given feedback which diminishes the value of their work. If the task is a revision quiz, technology can accommodate instant feedback accompanied with written feedback explaining for example why the distractors in a multiple choice questions are wrong (see first question above).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">If it is content creation, like a presentation, a project or a post, then you can make comments on the draft e.g. on a </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">®MS Word File, or provide feedback on a separate field provided by platforms like ®MS TEAMS (Assignments) that only learners can see. Alternatively, you can give oral feedback recording your voice and sending the audio file, or create a video or even try screencasting which allows you to give feedback using a virtual whiteboard, your voice and image and send it to your learners. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Why try that? Because it will save precious classroom time; it is a discreet way to deal with linguistic issues, away from noisy classroom environments; students appreciate the fact that you address them personally - from my exprience, they tend to regard written comments on paper as impersonal and too formalistic.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>Final thoughts</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Using technology in class is not panacea or Pandora's box. If we plan ahead and we know exactly what we want to achieve with our learners, then it can stmulate their interest and engage them in class. If I was asked a "golden rule" on how to use it, I would say that in a lesson "technology is the special effects but pedagogy is the protagonist".</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Dimitris Primalis </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">August 4th, 2022</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<br />Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-91123529595395462442022-04-10T07:30:00.004+03:002022-04-10T07:30:25.792+03:00Formative assessment through asynchronous activities<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Formative
assessment through asynchronous activities<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Simple ways
to find out more about your learners’ progress<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Monitoring
learner progress throughout the course can be a useful source of information for
the teacher. Even though we tend to rely heavily on tests (summative assessment)
to grade learners, summative assessment can give us an opportunity to have a
clear picture of the impact of our teaching so that we can adapt it or shift
focus on areas our learners need to work on. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yaEe5misLsDBIT7LASKFpRQN3GoNO7C_CmPdyimx1KatntffP4r5Ise9S2WL_ZGX3YcOEZkrKgRPoFOeJdAC6VWxhIglQZ2-MDte1N_70dlor14Sig3CIQ_4g7j-4A9TVuUJ_RoEDKg_8gUxifS1cseJRMuoBrFJqUEww3qrOLmNH765gBU5HckoSw/s1280/%CE%92%CF%8C%CF%84%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yaEe5misLsDBIT7LASKFpRQN3GoNO7C_CmPdyimx1KatntffP4r5Ise9S2WL_ZGX3YcOEZkrKgRPoFOeJdAC6VWxhIglQZ2-MDte1N_70dlor14Sig3CIQ_4g7j-4A9TVuUJ_RoEDKg_8gUxifS1cseJRMuoBrFJqUEww3qrOLmNH765gBU5HckoSw/w640-h360/%CE%92%CF%8C%CF%84%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Asynchronous
learning can offer quite a few opportunities for such assessment even with
young learners. Teachers can assess learners at their own time away from classroom
distractions and keep a record of the learner progress individually and as a
class, without much effort. Below you can
read about some ways that you can exploit
asynchronous learning with popular tools used widely on a global scale. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Word clouds
at the beginning and end of a unit</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Invite
learners to brainstorm on a topic at the beginning of a unit or a story by
forming a word cloud. For instance, “Write 4 words to describe the character of
the story” or “ What are the benefits of healthy eating?”. Students can be
given the link to enter the words at home and you can present the final outcome
in class. At the end of the unit repeat the task. This will allow you to assess
in an indirect way the extent to which learners have enriched their vocabulary.
There are several tools that you can use
to form a word cloud. Below you can see a sample using </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">®</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Mentimeter. The learners
were asked to write up to 4 words to describe Mr. Hoppy – the main character of
Roald Dahl’s</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Esio Trot”.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Comparing the two clouds has given me a good
picture of the learner progress.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR4QinHjWjsz2-tMm3GGp7cRrDW6fPunaNRbBuFDKlv193SQOsx-tSypfYm8M-A2U9iKbAJpU29MClsmEAq3sAGppd9dzXRycV7F8Sxjl_lidAbnvJcWjaiEpdxfGwao_aHCBh_BTZVQD9Vnao2c8aIFYgmV211MagygeM1CrOGUXiTdJLYH-okPAZ6g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="975" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR4QinHjWjsz2-tMm3GGp7cRrDW6fPunaNRbBuFDKlv193SQOsx-tSypfYm8M-A2U9iKbAJpU29MClsmEAq3sAGppd9dzXRycV7F8Sxjl_lidAbnvJcWjaiEpdxfGwao_aHCBh_BTZVQD9Vnao2c8aIFYgmV211MagygeM1CrOGUXiTdJLYH-okPAZ6g=w640-h346" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6rOCkYpPm848hxmgZMpqP5Qp_B-LPWFfpmNGHdOg9uVf78YEiqxdGQU71xe8VhRdAVEXFxt8LNoy4k_HPVfpO8MGtT9OF7vgWyGfyNztVYB_HL_f2wkAvAQXvtz54sIvOcT-WYYC62Dkhsb15O_dv79ccCS0Ar3y7xthE1RDBEOi2PWOieaWawy9JIQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="975" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6rOCkYpPm848hxmgZMpqP5Qp_B-LPWFfpmNGHdOg9uVf78YEiqxdGQU71xe8VhRdAVEXFxt8LNoy4k_HPVfpO8MGtT9OF7vgWyGfyNztVYB_HL_f2wkAvAQXvtz54sIvOcT-WYYC62Dkhsb15O_dv79ccCS0Ar3y7xthE1RDBEOi2PWOieaWawy9JIQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Expressing views or reflecting in writing</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Students often
welcome the idea to reflect on current issues or learning and express their views and
feelings. You can either invite them to
share their thoughts or opinions on a virtual “wall” e.g. on “Posts” on an </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">®</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">MS TEAM or an LMS (Learning Management System), a digital notebook such as </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">®</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">OneNote or a document they can share with you. The content
they will produce is valuable since – unlike the guided writing practice given
in class- it gives a genuine picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each
learner in a freer practice activity. It will also allow you to give delayed
feedback or plan remedial lessons focusing on specific areas. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4C_5b5szfQmb4R7JAhFr5IgEFNeh170nxKnS10gUWCHFrdPngWVYk0j6cHD0hp4tqJ43doJsN7NPNGkZJ3vGdzlWp0N7-X_20Axyn6nkWX-f3wniAbFAXamZ6_KV8zgQmdxjeDqgRG8O-wnwP8Q36VsG-w0_d9_c2ZQpSgIB6rcBZK-IDzI_yXY4fA/s1341/Screenshot%202022-04-09%20085807.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1341" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4C_5b5szfQmb4R7JAhFr5IgEFNeh170nxKnS10gUWCHFrdPngWVYk0j6cHD0hp4tqJ43doJsN7NPNGkZJ3vGdzlWp0N7-X_20Axyn6nkWX-f3wniAbFAXamZ6_KV8zgQmdxjeDqgRG8O-wnwP8Q36VsG-w0_d9_c2ZQpSgIB6rcBZK-IDzI_yXY4fA/w640-h294/Screenshot%202022-04-09%20085807.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Tools such
as </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">®</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">OneNote provide personal pages that can be seen only by the individual
learner and the teacher as well as collaboration spaces where learners can
share their work with others. With students who do not feel confident to “expose”
their work to the rest of the class, you can provide personalized feedback on
their page and then encourage them to share the edited draft with the rest of
the class on virtual space that can be read by their peers. In addition, reflection on their progress and how
they perceive the learning process may help you support them effectively by
adapting your teaching or offering tips and hints on how to deal with difficulties
they face in specific areas.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Gamified
activities<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">®Kahoot, ®Quizizz and many other similar online
tools rank high in students’ preference because they offer a sense of gaming in
learning. Few, if any at all, learners would resist the temptation to do a quiz
on one of the above-mentioned tools, as part of their homework. Apart from
motivating learners, another benefit is that the teacher can have the data,
sometimes very analytically – depending on the tool and the version – which will
allow them to assess the level of the class and individual students in specific
grammatical or lexical items. Even though asynchronous quizzes and tests cannot
be considered as reliable as the ones learners take in class, they can still
chip in to form the greater jigsaw puzzle picture of the learner profile.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Listening Comprehension with videos<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Students love videos. Assigning for homework a video with a few comprehension
tasks can be exciting for learners. You can use either ®MS Forms <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a name="_Hlk100466088">®Ed Puzzle</a>. They both allow multiple choice - they can
provide instant feedback to learners- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or
open-ended questions while you receive the data and you can easily do the
statistics or draw conclusions about the level of your students when it comes
to listening comprehension and writing (if you opt for the open-ended answers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>®Ed
Puzzle enables the teacher to incorporate the questions on the video and pause
on selected scenes so that the learners can reply. It is a safe platform but
there is a limit on the number of videos in the free version and you need to
declare the name of the school you are working for. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_g3Dh9bVCITXxSQNqWPT3fb5T811u4eHLmH2yVvSNwfPtKuxYaJwfTbpjOZrEFEHqXxTQ93RylKnvzXY3DZMCWgwiWZVzBVZfIp4Djg7O8WzwwcrsxQDuFq7O2ArjaolypYaeEV1q0rHLtA6BdCYczvzvfj-RPuAuxI4MxHJNdohJi4vvJTRwNZo0tw/s1862/Ed%20Puzzle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="1862" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_g3Dh9bVCITXxSQNqWPT3fb5T811u4eHLmH2yVvSNwfPtKuxYaJwfTbpjOZrEFEHqXxTQ93RylKnvzXY3DZMCWgwiWZVzBVZfIp4Djg7O8WzwwcrsxQDuFq7O2ArjaolypYaeEV1q0rHLtA6BdCYczvzvfj-RPuAuxI4MxHJNdohJi4vvJTRwNZo0tw/w400-h201/Ed%20Puzzle.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Closing
thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">It is can argued
that asynchronous activities may not be a reliable indicator of the learners’
level and progress because students may be helped by parents, private tutors or
even share the correct answers with their peers. They may be right but experienced
teachers tend to compare data and can easily tell if learners have completed
the tasks with or without help. The type of assessment discussed on this post can
offer supplementary data that – added to other forms of assessment – can provide
a clearer depiction of learner’s strengths and weaknesses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Learning
technology can facilitate formative assessment by providing accurate data which
is easily stored, accessed and analyzed by the teacher at their own time and
space, away from the distractions or biases of the classroom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Dimitris Primalis<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></span><p></p>Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-74296906788638374272021-03-14T08:50:00.004+02:002021-03-14T11:35:30.070+02:00Online lesson fatigue? What's gone wrong? Can I prevent it?<p> </p><h1 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Online lesson fatigue?</h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-COpASRyJx9U/YDOEKsr56xI/AAAAAAAAFVY/3ehWLvQgyrsscx_V2DQaAUPLOqs_WPJxgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What's gone wrong? How can I prevent it?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcBG3eaUxmU/YDOEj6jwyqI/AAAAAAAAFVg/6ceR122hwpMxleAIuwMfbKMEDEO4TBSjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Online%2Blesson%2Bfatigue.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcBG3eaUxmU/YDOEj6jwyqI/AAAAAAAAFVg/6ceR122hwpMxleAIuwMfbKMEDEO4TBSjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Online%2Blesson%2Bfatigue.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">It’s been
nearly a year since online teaching was adopted - practically overnight - and
it has been on and off ever since, for most teachers all over the globe. The
initial praising by learners and parents who appreciated teachers’ hard work seems to have been
replaced by a feeling of fatigue, both for learners and teachers. According to
Stanford researchers, it can be
attributed to 4 causes related to the technical features of video conferencing
(<a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2021/02/23/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions/?fbclid=IwAR03k_D1zl5q4ByLT7J5p0hQBASSkinq-H8vYuxs1VS9lal0-eBeCbsQcm4"><span style="color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Four
causes for Zoom fatigue and their simple fixes</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"> However, there are elements of lesson planning
that may contribute further to online lesson fatigue. Below you can read some possible causes of
fatigues and some suggested solutions. Though they may not be panacea, they can
help you improve the lesson or prevent further fatigue. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span face=""Calibri Light", sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Excessive
TTT </span></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Excessive
Teacher Talking Time (Teacher Talking Time) can tire learners in a “brick and
mortar” classroom, let alone a virtual one.
Often teachers feel that the only tool they have is their voice but in
fact, they can make the most of the tools given by inviting learners to
contribute with their views in the chat box; applying different forms of
interaction through breakout rooms and inviting learners to share their work in
the forms of presentations.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #404040;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #404040;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span face=""Calibri Light", sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Balancing
synchronous and asynchronous</span><span style="color: #404040;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Not all tasks
can or need to be done synchronously. Long texts, checking vocabulary and
grammar exercises can take a long time of the lesson which often results in
learners switching off their cameras and their minds. Dividing the tasks that
need to be done synchronously (during the teleconference) or asynchronously
(students do them at their own time and pace) is a necessary part of online
lesson planning. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">An array of
tools like Forms, Quizizz, and Kahoot
allow you to turn tedious tasks into game-like activities (gamification)
that can give learners instant feedback and the opportunity to do them as many
times as they need. In addition, the teacher can receive (often detailed)
valuable statistics based on the learners’ performance and exploit it to
provide further feedback focusing on weak areas. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span face=""Calibri Light", sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Use of
visuals, video and audio prompts</span><span style="color: #404040;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Engage
learners with visual or audio stimuli. Apply techniques that stimulate their
interest such as: play video sound off and invite them to infer the dialogues; share
on screen cartoon strips or memes without captions and ask learners to write
their own in the chatbox; play sounds or brief audio clips and ask learners to
guess the background and the next parts of the story. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #404040;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #404040;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span face=""Calibri Light", sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Challenge
students </span><span style="color: #404040;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Appeal to the
learner’s critical and creative thinking skills. Start the lesson with a riddle
or question that may intrigue them. In an educational system where students are
constantly spoonfed and asked to do meaningless drills, asking them to use
their brain is a change that is more than welcome. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #404040;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #404040;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span face=""Calibri Light", sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ownership
and collaboration</span><span style="color: #404040;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Students often
feel that they are left out of the learning process and they are treated as
robots that do repetitive tedious tasks. Giving learners the opportunity to
choose between two tasks helps stave off that feeling. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Students also
appreciate pair and groupwork, particularly now that they are locked at home. Using
tools that promote collaboration can help learners to produce language. For
instance, you can share with your students an online MS Word document or a Powerpoint presentation
and invite them to create their project on this file. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span face=""Calibri Light", sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Incorporate
short tasks </span><span style="color: #404040;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Don’t forget
that you students have probably spent many hours in front of a screen before
your lesson and their attention span is short. Plan a series of short tasks
rather than a long one. The change is more than welcome and learners are highly
likely to respond better.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;"> Hope you have found the above points useful. No
matter how many difficulties arise, you can rest assured that your learners
appreciate your hard work and support. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Calibri Light",sans-serif" style="color: #404040; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #404040; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=75000 lumo=25000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 191;">Dimitris
Primalis<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><p></p>Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-61756160177926706522020-12-12T07:38:00.001+02:002020-12-12T07:38:46.768+02:00Break out of the online routine: Tips and Hints on how to use "breakout rooms " with MS Teams<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> Break out of the online routine!</span></h1><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Tips and hints on how to use "breakout rooms" with MS Teams</span></h1><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtqMQCBGGIM/X9L-qrDujWI/AAAAAAAAFNk/N87DECVsT4kqPgGbFSg3-QEcqERmoECGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Breakout%2Brooms%2Bcover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtqMQCBGGIM/X9L-qrDujWI/AAAAAAAAFNk/N87DECVsT4kqPgGbFSg3-QEcqERmoECGQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Breakout%2Brooms%2Bcover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: Lato, serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">One of the problems of online
teaching is that interaction is usually limited to plenary form i.e. Teacher to Students or Student to Teacher (and class). “Breakout rooms” accommodate the
need for pair work and group work by creating smaller virtual rooms to host
pair or group meetings during the main session.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">Although the feature is user friendly,
-it only takes a few clicks to set them up- many educators feel uneasy with the
idea of allowing learners to be allowed to act autonomously online. For this reason, this post will not focus on
the technical details – you can watch <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/video-hub/master-virtual-breakout-rooms-in-microsoft-teams-meetings/m-p/1689437">here</a> an introduction- but on how to apply effectively
the technique with your online classes. </span><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 104%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">Give clear instructions</span><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">Once your students are in the
breakout rooms, they are highly likely to forget your instructions. Give clear
instructions and check understanding by asking one or two students to explain
what the class has to do. Alternatively ask concept check questions. This is to
ensure that you will not have pairs or groups lagging during the activity. It
will also allow you to focus on observing the level of language rather than rushing from one (virtual) room to
another to repeat instructions</span><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 30.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">Set a
deadline</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 32px;"> </span><span style="color: #677480; font-family: Lato, serif; font-size: 16pt;">The sudden sense of privacy,
after prolonged exposure to plenary sessions, is likely to tempt learners to
chat about trivial issues. Setting a tight time limit will help them focus on
the task. You can make a written announcement, which is visible to all the
rooms and participants, shortly before the deadline expires or remind them the
instructions if necessary. </span><span style="color: #677480; font-family: Lato, serif; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: Lato, serif; font-size: 24pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Assign an end-product</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">This will give students a
purpose and combined with the time limit (see above), it helps them concentrate on the task and make the most of the time given. It will also give you a clear picture of
the work done during the activity and allow you to give learners delayed
feedback based on the end-product of the activity. Students can also send you their notes or end-product through the chat. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 24pt; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"> </span></span><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">Move from
room to room</span><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">Your brief presence in every
room can be reassuring for learners who may need support during the task. It is
also a way to remind them that you are present even if they are in a separate
virtual room and that you can mingle with them, more or less in the way you do
in class when learners work in pairs or groups.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: Lato, serif; font-size: 24pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Create a
genuine information gap</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">At the end of the day, it is
methodology and pedagogy that count. If the task you have assigned is not
communicative; it does not require collaboration; there is no need to bridge a
gap with information with the contribution of all the members of the group,
then no matter how impressive “break out rooms” are.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #677480; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 24pt; position: relative; text-indent: -0.25in; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #677480; font-family: Lato, serif; font-size: 24pt; position: relative; text-indent: -0.25in; top: -0.5pt;">My experience</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">My pupils loved it and
welcomed the opportunity to work in pairs and group after months of working
individually or as a plenary. Covid19 restrictions and social distancing hindered
pair or group work, but now they are given the opportunity to interact with their
peers and exchange ideas and views. In terms of language practice, it allows
them to practice and the teacher can observe the strengths of the class and
they areas they need to work on. </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;">If you are still in two minds, all you can do is try it with your class and enjoy a break out of the online lesson routine!</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: Lato, serif; font-size: 16pt;">Dimitris Primalis </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #677480; font-family: "Lato",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Lato; mso-fareast-font-family: Lato; mso-text-raise: .5pt; position: relative; top: -.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><br /></span></div>Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-25016548569071002112020-11-22T07:57:00.002+02:002020-11-22T07:57:33.972+02:00Quick Video Activities for engaging online lessons: Part 2 <br /><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztrm5id2U_w/X7gFwm7h12I/AAAAAAAAFIU/WyZSbS9YS38iFvpfKzDUyOVrkknXLWvkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/quick%2Bvideo%2Bactivities%2Bpart%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztrm5id2U_w/X7gFwm7h12I/AAAAAAAAFIU/WyZSbS9YS38iFvpfKzDUyOVrkknXLWvkgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/quick%2Bvideo%2Bactivities%2Bpart%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Do classrooms need to be isolated from the real world? Real life incidents and current affairs often lend themselves for heated debate in the classroom and can stimulate interest in classes that have long given up trying.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This set of activities aims to help learners (B1-C2 CEFR levels) develop :</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">1. speaking and writing skills</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">2. reading and listening skills </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">3. critical and creative thinking skills</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">4. environmental awareness</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Should this ad be banned?"</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Watch the video with your learner. Explain that " Rang-tan" is short for orangutan. Pause to elicit how the girl feels. Ask students why they think the orangutan is in the girl's bedroom and where they normally live. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Ha6xUVqezQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="3Ha6xUVqezQ"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: arial;">Disclaimer: The resources on this post are mentioned for educational purposes only. The author of the post does not own or claim the copyright.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #1d2129; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Explain that department stores and super markets in the U.K. usually choose to convey a message that raises social awareness in their Christmas commercials. This advertisement was adopted by a chain of super markets ("Iceland") in the U.K. but it was not allowed to be broadcast on the mass media. This raised controversy and became widely known as "Iceland's banned ad". Ask learners to think of the reasons why this happened. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Follow up tasks</span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">1. Read the article on the TV advert below and voice your opinion on a FlipGrid board (B2-C2 CEFR levels)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/09/iceland-christmas-tv-ad-banned-political-greenpeace-orangutan">https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/09/iceland-christmas-tv-ad-banned-political-greenpeace-orangutan</a><br /></span><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Defend Iceland's decision </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Defend the decision not to broadcast it</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. Watch one or more of the following videos, take notes and present the main points in class. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p074jwbm/the-deadly-food-we-all-eat"><span style="font-size: large;">The deadly food we all eat</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUkRvP83AjI">TV programme: Discussion on the ad </a><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oxh8k2VKZg">Managing director defends ad</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">3.(B1 CEFR level) Write down the poem and find the rhyme. Invite them to write their own poem about wildlife and why we should protect it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. Create an ad or commercial to raise public awareness on an environmental issue. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a Flipped classroom context, you can open a class OneNote (online notebook), post the video there and invite learners to watch it before joining the online class. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">You can ask them to:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. Reflect on their personal page, writing their reaction and thoughts on the issue. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. Find information on the issue and prepare a short presentation for next lesson.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. Create a poster with facts about palm plantations to raise awareness. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. Divide them into two groups: Environmentalists and palm farmers. Ask them to write short articles on the issue from their point of view. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">5. Invite a group of learners to take part in a live debate during the online lesson. The rest of the class can complete a survey on Forms voting in facour of the most persuasive speakers. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope you enjoy the activities with your online classes!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dimitris Primalis</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-64441621151906981262020-11-15T08:47:00.000+02:002020-11-15T20:50:18.852+02:00Quick video activities for engaging online lessons<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jhQcJfBVo-8/X6feVl4fBAI/AAAAAAAAFCM/pKuoOlUVoqYC_jOmlC35TTnatItPKzcGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/quick%2Bvideo%2Bactivities.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jhQcJfBVo-8/X6feVl4fBAI/AAAAAAAAFCM/pKuoOlUVoqYC_jOmlC35TTnatItPKzcGQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/quick%2Bvideo%2Bactivities.jpg" width="640" /></b></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Meiryo",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: arial; font-size: large; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial Rounded MT Bold, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Online lessons can be challenging for teachers and students alike. Fatigue caused by extended exposure on the screen, and social distancing can make even the most efficiently designed lesson plan fail. Short activities that engage learners can offer an opportunity to spark interest and promote interaction in an online class. </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial Rounded MT Bold, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>This blog post, the first in a series, aims to offer activities and ideas to the teacher of English as a Foreign Language who is often overwhelmed by the workload of teaching online.</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial Rounded MT Bold, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><div><b><span face=""Arial Rounded MT Bold", sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 106%;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A millenial job interview</span></span></b></div><div><b><span face=""Arial Rounded MT Bold", sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uo0KjdDJr1c" width="320" youtube-src-id="Uo0KjdDJr1c"></iframe></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial Rounded MT Bold, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>Disclaimer: The resources on this post are mentioned for educational purposes only. The author of the post does not own or claim the copyright.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The following set of activities is based on the above video. They aim to help learners (B1-C1 CEFR level):</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Recycle or enrich vocabulary-related to personality and employment</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Practice speaking, listening and writing (through follow-up activities)</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Develop critical thinking skills</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Practice looking up word in online dictionaries</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>You can select which one(s) you should focus on, depending on the needs of your classes.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Pre-watching</span> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1.Ask learners to think of the necessary qualities for an applicant in the 21st century. Ask them to write up to 5 words on www.menti.com (www.mentimeter.com is a webtool that allows learners to form a word cloud with their input).</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>2. Share on screen the video and point to the title. Elicit the meaning of the word “millennial”. If they do not know it, ask learners to search the meaning in an online dictionary and write it in the chat box. Make it sound like a competition.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Tip 1: Praise the student who has found it first. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Tip 2 : Give them a tight time limit. In this way, they will not have time to browse aimlessly on the internet.)</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Tip 3: You may need to explain the word HR (Human Resources) and its function in a company.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>2. Divide the online class into two or three groups (depending on the number of students). Ask group A to watch the video and observe the body language of the candidate. Group B to observe the register and degree of formality the candidate uses. Group C to write down the qualifications and the skills of the candidate.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>While watching</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Pause the video frequently and elicit from each group their views on body language, register and qualification. Ask the class prediction on whether, the candidate will be hired or not with a brief justification. With my students it worked well with the following pauses: 0:10, 0:24, 0:35, 01:25, 01:51.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Post watching</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Invite learners to discuss one or some of the topics below:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>the reasons why the candidate was not hired</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>what message the director of the video intended to convey</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>how is technology involved in recruitment (see reading follow-up below)</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>skills and qualifications required by firms</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>what makes a successful job interview</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>-<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>are employers biased when it comes to hiring millennials?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Follow-up tasks</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Writing</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Write a letter applying for the position</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Write a blog post advising Amy (the unsuccessful candidate) how to do well at an interview</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Speaking</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Students can use Flipgrid to create a video to apply for a position and explain why they are the ideal candidates. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Reading</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed" style="text-align: center;">Asynchronous video interviews</a></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Closing Thoughts</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>All the above are mere suggestions on how you can exploit a video as a lead-in with your classes. You know better the needs of your classes and how you can adapt these activities to cater for the needs of your learners.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Enjoy the brilliant acting of the actors, the sense of humour, and the interaction this video will spark with your students. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Dimitris Primalis</b></span></p></div><div><br /></div><div><span face="Arial Rounded MT Bold, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-43221717961996482592020-08-16T07:14:00.025+03:002020-08-16T07:26:40.924+03:00Insights and thoughts on the new academic year..<p> </p><blockquote><span style="font-size: xx-large;">2020-21 Annus horribilis or mirabilis?</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Insights and thoughts on the new academic year...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1oW8GpCPuLU/Xzfnrj0gT7I/AAAAAAAAE0U/mK4bdMR6TIECdkq2B0r-4GRhhyUrufH0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Annus%2BHorribilis%2Bor%2BMirabilis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1oW8GpCPuLU/Xzfnrj0gT7I/AAAAAAAAE0U/mK4bdMR6TIECdkq2B0r-4GRhhyUrufH0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Annus%2BHorribilis%2Bor%2BMirabilis.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">The new
academic year is about to start and millions of educators around the globe wonder
whether this is going to be a horrible (horribilis) or a miraculous (mirabilis)
year for education. Noone can guarantee even the basics: whether lessons will be online, hybrid or face to face. Yet, as educators,
we need to ensure that learning takes places despite hindrances and unfavourable
conditions. Can we turn these challenges to opportunities for our learners though,</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> by making the most of what we learned from last years emergency teaching, and the current conditions and trends? </span></p><p><br /></p><blockquote><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The changes which occurred in the educational
process during the lockdown, no matter how unwillingly applied in lessons, may give a boost to
education to move into the 21<sup>st</sup> century in terms of approach,
methodology and tools.</span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"</span></span></span></h1></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">First, let’s
summarize some valuable insights we gained last year and we can apply this year:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 106%;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="" style="line-height: 106%;">Pedagogy precedes technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">Students were quick to praise the teachers whose online lessons had
clear learning goals and scaffolded learning with the aid of technology.
They were equally quick to dismiss teachers whose lessons used technology without
a clear aim. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Plan sensibly and give feedback<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the first days of the lockdown, there was excessive homework and relatively
little feedback. Now, we know that the amount of homework needs to be sensible
and constructive feedback can help learners and motivate them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Trust and support learners<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">During the lockdown, I was pleasantly surprised by the progress and high levels of engagement of learners
who previously were too timid or unwilling to participate in class activities. From
the feedback that I later received from parents and learners, it turns out that
students appreciate being trusted and given support by their teacher, especially
under challenging circumstances. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Explore and exploit <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Teachers realized that they can adopt technology and master new
techniques by introducing them gradually
into the class.They also discovered that taking a step at a time may be more
successful than trying to immerse themselves into a new approach overnight.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Seek and provide peer support <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">Switching to new practices like
online teaching can be overwhelming. However, wherever educators shared ideas,
experience and knowledge, the burden was lighter and support groups were d
formed ad hoc that absorbed most of the pressure and anxiety. This can set an
example for how future changes can be introduced successfully. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Maintain communication with all stakeholders (students, parents,
teachers)<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">Direct communication helped to deal with problems on the spot. It also
offered the opportunity to make learning goals more clear to parents and learners.
In addition, it fought the stereotype that educators are aloof creatures living
in their own ivory tower. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">Here are some thoughts on how we can make the most of the existing
opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Learners are familiar with technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">Our students are more than capable of coping with learning technology
tools. What we need to clearly signpost is the rules of the game and define the lines that should not be crossed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Parents have finally realized<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">The vast majority of the parents have realized that technology can be
educational and can contribute to learning. This year they are highly unlikely
to resist the use of educational technology. On the contrary, most of them
expect to see a seamless integration of technology into the curriculum to the benefit of the learners. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Customization to meet school and learner needs<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">Established IT companies as well as start-ups worked hard to customize
products and services and meet the needs of education under lockdown conditions,
based on the feedback they received from the educational community. Now, more
than ever before, there is a wide range of affordable tools and apps to
accommodate any need or learning goal! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="">Schools are more open to innovation and change<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span lang=""><span style="font-size: x-large;">The recent crisis has made school leaders more aware of the need to embrace
21<sup>st</sup> century pedagogy and support it with tools and teacher training. Thus, they are more likely to listen carefully to fresh ideas and problem solving suggestions recommended by frontline teachers. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><b><span lang="" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Some final thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Undoubtedly, this year is not going to be a rose garden with uncertainty
hovering over the heads of educators and making planning a daunting task. Last
year,those who hesitated or were not flexible enough to adapt their teaching
practice and use new tools to reach their students were left aside and their image was tarnished. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the contrary, the
educators who dared managed to help their learners.Thanks to them</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> the prestige of the educators
in the community was reinstated and teachers are now seen as the ones who strive to facilitate learning.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> The changes
which occurred in the educational process during the lockdown, no matter how
unwillingly applied in lessons, may give a boost to education to move into the 21</span><sup>st</sup><span style="font-size: x-large;">
century in terms of approach, methodology and tools. To a certain extent, we
are the ones who will define this year as horribilis or mirabilis. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Let’s make the most of the positive aspects of
the current trends, to the benefit of our learners!</span></p><br /><p></p>Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-49939966228286662802020-03-22T12:08:00.000+02:002020-03-22T12:08:28.947+02:00Online Teaching: How to make your lesson more interactive<span style="font-size: x-large;">Online Teaching</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">How to make your lesson more interactive</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z0C6LkwsI5E/XncNRzE6U-I/AAAAAAAAEbQ/crmyM5P7gxQCuEHLcPiu0Yr4cWWcU8gfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/interactive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z0C6LkwsI5E/XncNRzE6U-I/AAAAAAAAEbQ/crmyM5P7gxQCuEHLcPiu0Yr4cWWcU8gfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/interactive.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The “day after” is here and you have already
started going online. It may not be as scary and fraught with technical
problems as you thought it would be but still there is something missing…
INTERACTION!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">How can you overcome the feeling that you are
glued in front of a monitor and you cannot mingle in class, you cannot hover or
get a feeling of the class mood. Nothing can replace human contact but there
are ways you can liven up your lesson and keep attention span and interaction at
high levels. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In this post, I will suggest three ways: web 2.0
tools, polls, and the chat box.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 106%;">Polls<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Most platforms incorporate polls in their paid
version. If you use a free version, create a poll using MS Forms or any other
survey tool and share the link on the chat box. The poll could be on something
related to the lesson e.g. "what kind of food do you prefer ?"(healthy/junk) for 4<sup>th</sup>
graders who are being taught comparisons or current affairs issues that could
spark discussion such as “Should a curfew be imposed in our city?” for advanced
classes. Invite them to complete it and then share the result or even better,
send the graphs to a couple of students and ask them to present the results in
class next time. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 106%;">Use
the chat box <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">You can easily invite students to share their
reactions on the chat box (thumbs up or any other emoji, short replies). This
will give them the feeling that they are actively involved and you will have a
good picture of whether your virtual class is with you or they are simply
surfing the social media with their mobile phones placed in front of the
computer monitor. In addition, you can make the most of the one-to-one
(private) chat to give personal feedback to your students, encourage them, or
receive feedback on the quality of sound and video or even better asking for
clarifications or asking questions that would hesitate to ask in plenary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 106%;">Use
Web 2.0 tools that require interaction with students</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> </b>There are many tools, most of them
free. In this post I will give an example with two tools that most teachers are
familiar with, Kahoot and Mentimeter. The first one allows you to do exercises
with your students in an environment that resembles a quiz show and students
can use their mobile phones as joy sticks to choose the correct answer. The
second one allows students to form a word cloud or share their views online and
in real time. Both tools have more features but for a start, you can try the
ones I mentioned above and gradually incorporate the others (for teacher who
have not used them before, you will find useful tips further below in the
post).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you do it?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With Mentimeter<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Create
a presentation before the lesson. Choose word cloud. Write the question you
want your students to answer e.g. What are the benefits of online learning? Set
the number of words you want your students to enter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">During
the lesson, open the presentation and share your screen with your students.
Every online platform has this function but you need to make sure you have
found it before<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the lesson. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Tell
your students to follow the instructions on the mentimeter slide (it reads: “Go
to www.menti.com “ and then it gives them the code to access it. )<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Keep
sharing your screen with your learners while they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>enter their answers on their mobile phones. A
word cloud is constantly changing shape while they enter their answers<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When
they have finished, use the input they have provided to make comments and spark
discussion. Take into consideration that the bigger a word appears the more
students have entered it onto the word cloud. So you can find which views are
more common that others. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">From my experience, students are
thrilled with the outcome and they feel they have ownership of the word cloud
which means that they are motivated to participate and contribute. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With Kahoot<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Follow
the same procedure as above. Create a game based on what you have taught.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 52.5pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Share
your screen and sound and invite them to use their mobile phones.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">- Praise the winners and all the contestants.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></b>
<b style="text-indent: -18pt;">Tips</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The teacher uses a different site
to the one that students use. With Kahoot, it is www.create.kahoot .it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>while students enter the pin on </span><a href="http://www.kahoot.it/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">www.kahoot.it</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> . With mentimeter, you create the
presentation on </span><a href="http://www.mentimeter.com/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">www.mentimeter.com</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> while the students enter their code and
answers on </span><a href="http://www.menti.com/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">www.menti.com</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. Both tools provide a new pin/code every time
you use them. I have often made the mistake of giving my student an old
pin/code on a slide. It works better if you project directly the tool on your
screen and share it with your students. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>More tips</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If you avoid excessive use and you alternate
them, they will spice up your lesson and give learners a sense of participation
and engagement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you try them for
the first time, don’t hesitate help from a student that is tech savvy and can
be relied on. Make them co-hosts so that they can help if something goes wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Enjoy the lesson!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Dimitris Primalis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br /></div>
Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-62466397087875699512020-03-12T08:24:00.001+02:002020-03-12T08:24:02.409+02:00Teaching online for the first time: 7 tips for those about to sail into uncharted waters<br />
<h2>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teaching online for the first time</span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7 Tips for those about to sail into uncharted waters</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BCox_CTyz0/XmnLpU3OIUI/AAAAAAAAEZg/44b-JMkVjD4kjQvVtD2xR-_XU8clOvywQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/t%2Bonline%2Bfor%2Bfirst%2Btime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BCox_CTyz0/XmnLpU3OIUI/AAAAAAAAEZg/44b-JMkVjD4kjQvVtD2xR-_XU8clOvywQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/t%2Bonline%2Bfor%2Bfirst%2Btime.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Whether you regarded learning
technology a blessing or anathema makes little or no difference now. Your
students are at home and your mission is to help them keep learning at a
turning point of the academic year. The following tips come from my experience
using electronic platforms to train trainers and for webinars for EFL teachers
who can be a demanding audience. I'd say as demanding as your class. Here are
some tips that you may find helpful:</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">1. Explore, well in advance, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
potential of the platform. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Find out how you can upload
material, have camera and mic on and off, how you can switch slides and
mute participants. These may sound easy or trivial but it can be quite hard
to find out how to do it when you are on line and teaching.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">2. Practice</span></b><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Rehearse with peers or the school
I.T. team. If something is to go wrong, it’d better go when rehearsing. It will
also give you more confidence when you teach with real students.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
<b>3. Keep the audience involved</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">During the session, most students are likely to be in
their pyjamas on the couch or chatting with their friends on the social media. Ask
questions, incorporate polls and keep your Teacher Talking Time to the minimum.
You may ask them from time to time to share emojis on the chat box to indicate
reactions e.g. smiles or sad faces. I know it sounds challenging but you don’t
want to end up lecturing to a virtual audience that simply is... not listening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
<b>4. Keep an eye on the chat box<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Some students may be tempted to
use it like they do on the social media. Assign a task and while students are
doing it, have a look at the long exchanges. If the platform accommodates chat rooms
between learners, check them as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
<b><span style="background: white;">5. Compatibility of material</span></b><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Check the compatibility of your
device with the platform. I have often found that my powerpoint slide can look distorted to such an extent that learners can not read them. If you are planning to show a
video, make sure that you can upload it or that switching to a website to watch it can be
seamless without glitches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
<b>6. Give yourself space and avoid being “glued” in front of the camera.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Make sure that your chair is
comfortable and that you have enough space to move naturally and gesture when
you talk. It is also advisable to find a quiet room
without distractions such as pets or members of the family walking behind you. Cats
love walking on keyboards and mine once decided to be actively involved in a
webinar...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">7. Have a plan B<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Technology can help you do wonderful
activities with your learners but anything can go wrong. Have a back-up plan or
activity in case something does not work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Keep calm and confident. At the
end of the session, you may discover that you actually enjoyed it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Dimitris Primalis</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-80241717316783400352019-11-05T14:00:00.000+02:002019-11-06T13:40:33.287+02:00CLIL reading texts are too long and difficult to deal with… What should I do?<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 26.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My students complain that CLIL reading texts are too long and difficult
to deal with… What should I do?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Unlike traditional EFL (English as a Foreign
Language) texts, which are graded and fairly simple for lower level class,
texts in CLIL books are usually long and more demanding in terms of vocabulary,
structure and are usually different in terms of task types (e.g. students may
have to complete a Venn diagram). These features may bring to surface
complaints by students and parents and add further pressure to the
educator. How can you deal with it?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Make the most of the title and photos</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Ask learners to anticipate the content from the
title, subtitle, headings, photos, drawings or diagrams. Anything in linguistic
or paralinguistic form that can help them form hypotheses and stimulate their
curiosity. They can also act as a lead in for brainstorming and vocabulary
recycling.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Activate their schematic knowledge (their knowledge
of their world)</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Make the most of their existing knowledge. If the
text refers to music, play pieces of music and elicit vocabulary relevant to
the topic. There are thousands of animated videos on YouTube that offer a
simplified version of various topics ranging from global warming and
environmental issues to purely technical issues such as wedges and bolts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Set clear reading tasks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Be very clear about what you expect from learners.
For instance, “read the text and find the main idea”. It is also worth pointing
out that they do not need to know all the words <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
<b>Break down the text</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Younger generations are used to shorter texts,
thanks to the social media. A long text often seems to be a daunting task for
kids or teenagers who usually deal with texts at sentence or paragraph levels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Revisit the text the following day and assign
different tasks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">This will help learners build confidence as the
text is already familiar and seems more manageable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Create information gap activities<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Some texts are written in such a way that allow for
jigsaw reading. You can divide the class into two groups. Ask them to read
different parts of the text and then work in pairs to bridge the information
gap. This will motivate learners to find out more about the text and will also
facilitate the development of speaking skills. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Spend time in class<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Try to resist the temptation to assign reading for
homework and work on other skills in class. Reading is a skill that requires
you to invest time but there the return of investment is worth the effort and
time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Dimitris Primalis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-65570839949685519632019-10-18T06:01:00.000+03:002019-10-18T06:05:05.925+03:00I have no time in class for 21st Century skills… What should I do?<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 26.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 26.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I have no time in class for 21<sup>st</sup> Century skills… What should
I do?</span></b></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">A common misconception when it comes to helping learners
develop the so called 21st Century skills – including creative and critical
thinking, communication and collaboration- is that this puts strain on the
syllabus and takes valuable class time from language activities. In fact,
it is not a matter of finding extra time but how the lesson is planned and how
some activities are designed. Here’s an example below:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: black;">The
traditional way</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Most coursebooks have stories. Usually students read
the story and then discuss it with the teacher.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: black;">How
can I tweak it?</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></strong></span></div>
<div style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Choose a secondary character or an inanimate object
from the story. Invite students to discuss in pairs/groups how this character
or object would narrate the story. Would it be the same or different? Then ask
them to write a version of the story based on the point of view they discussed
earlier.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Share the stories on the school blog and ask learners
to write reviews on them, comparing them to the original story and highlighting
strengths and weaknesses.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">This will help
learners develop not only their language skills (speaking, listening, reading,
writing) but also creative and critical thinking, communication and
collaboration skills without devoting extra time for 21st Century skills.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">How can I facilitate 21st Century skills
development in class?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> From my
experience, you can do it seamlessly by introducing and applying:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pair
and group work</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Wh-
questions (what, why, how)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Information
gap activities</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Encouraging
evaluation and feedback</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Challenging
established ideas or routines</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Personalizing
content</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I am sure you
will discover more ways that work with your class. Looking forward to reading
your experience and ideas.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Dimitris
Primalis</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Originally published on 17th October 2019 on Linkedin</span></div>
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<br />Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-78562014083947878692019-09-12T23:00:00.000+03:002019-09-12T23:07:24.812+03:00Μπορώ και μόνος μου!<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EL">Μπορώ
και μόνος μου!</span></span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EL">Μεγάλωσα πια και δεν τα περιμένω όλααα από τη δασκάλα
μου</span><span lang="EL"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EL"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Γιατί ανοίξατε ένα τεράστιο στόμα;;; Πάει
πια ο καιρός που τα περιμέναμε όλα από το δάσκαλο ή τη δασκάλα και όλη η γνώση
ήταν γραμμένη σε μερικά βιβλία. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Τώρα </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">εκτός
από τα βιβλία και τους δασκάλους </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">μπορώ να μάθω ακόμα περισσότερα
</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">όπου
και αν βρίσκομαι </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">και</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> ότι ώρα θέλω </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">με
τη βοήθεια 2 πολύ σημαντικών συμμάχων!!! <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Καλά το μαντέψατε… </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">το
διαδίκτυο </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">και </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">τις
ξένες γλώσσες.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Δύσκολο; Μπορεί για τη γιαγιά μου και τον
παππού μου αλλά όχι για εμένα! ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Πως τα καταφέρνω;;; </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Easy</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">peasy</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">lemon</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">squeezy</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">
όπως λέει και η </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Miss</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Annette</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">. Η συνταγή δεν είναι μαγική. Είναι πολύ απλή και με εύκολα συστατικά:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Πολλές δόσεις κοινής
λογικής<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #1e5155; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #1e5155; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Την ικανότητα μου να
σκέφτομαι και να κρίνω<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Μερικούς απλούς κανόνες </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">surfing</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">στο διαδίκτυο (για να αποφύγω τους
“καρχαρίες”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EL"><v:shape id="Εικόνα_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1027" style="flip: y; height: 33.9pt; mso-left-percent: -10001; mso-left-percent: -10001; mso-position-horizontal-relative: char; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: line; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-top-percent: -10001; mso-top-percent: -10001; mso-wrap-style: square; rotation: 11329527fd; visibility: visible; width: 31.9pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
<v:imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:/Users/dprim/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image003.wmz">
<w:wrap type="none">
<w:anchorlock>
</w:anchorlock></w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Πολύ σεβασμό για τη
δουλειά των άλλων<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">‘Σερφάρω’ μακριά από καρχαρίες</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><v:shape id="Εικόνα_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_i1027" style="height: 28.5pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 41.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
<v:imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:/Users/dprim/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image004.wmz">
</v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Εννοείται ότι αποφεύγω </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">sites</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> περίεργα που
ζητάνε προσωπικά στοιχεία και να κάνω κλικ σε όρους χρήσης με «ψιλά γράμματα»
που κανένας δεν μπορεί να διαβάσει ή να καταλάβει. </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Δεν
θα την πατήσω σαν το Νικολάκη που </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #e6b729; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">κατέβασε το αγαπημένο
του τραγούδι χωρίς να διαβάσει τους όρους</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> και τώρα όπου
και αν πατήσει του εμφανίζονται συνέχεια διαφημίσεις και κάνει </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">10 ώρες για να μπει σε ένα </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">site</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Το </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">copy</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">-</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">paste</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>είναι για τους… άσχετους
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shape id="Εικόνα_x0020_6" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" style="height: 20.25pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 16.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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</v:imagedata></v:shape></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Σιγά μην κάνω </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">copy</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">-</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">paste</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">. </span><span lang="EL" style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Πρώτον ΌΛΟΙ το καταλαβαίνουν </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">στην τάξη ότι δεν είναι δικό μου και
δεύτερον </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">– </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #00b050; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">και πιο σημαντικό </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">– είναι χάσιμο χρόνου γιατί δεν έχω μάθει
τίποτα καινούργιο. Αυτά είναι για άσχετους, εγώ θέλω να μάθω!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<v:shape id="Εικόνα_x0020_9" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 100.15pt; left: 0; margin-left: 0; margin-top: 310.05pt; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-percent: 0; mso-height-relative: margin; mso-position-horizontal-relative: margin; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: margin; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-percent: 0; mso-width-relative: margin; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-right: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; text-align: left; visibility: visible; width: 109.5pt; z-index: 251660288;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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<w:wrap anchorx="margin" anchory="margin" type="square">
</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape><span lang="EL" style="color: red; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Όχι!!!
Δεν ανακάλυψα εγώ την Αμερική!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Φυσικά και αναφέρω που
βρήκα τις πληροφορίες στις εργασίες μου. </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Δεν έχω γίνει
ακόμα Αινστάιν για να διατυπώσω τη θεωρία της σχετικότητας και </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #ffc000; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">δεν θα
ισχυριστώ ποτέ ότι είναι δική μου. </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Αντίθετα θα επικαλεστώ
τις πηγές για να κάνω πιο </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">ισχυρά τα επιχειρήματα
μου</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> και να αποδείξω την </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #ea6312; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">αξιοπιστία
</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">της εργασίας μου!!!</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">
</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Πολιορκήστε το κείμενο… ‘Εφοδος!!!<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shape id="Εικόνα_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="flip: x y; height: 33.75pt; mso-wrap-style: square; rotation: 180; visibility: visible; width: 43.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
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</v:imagedata></v:shape></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Νομίζεις ότι θα φοβηθώ τις άγνωστες λέξεις;;;!!!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Ο μπαμπάς μου λέει ότι η
κυριακάτικη εφημερίδα του είναι πολύ δύσκολη για παιδιά. Εγώ όμως διαβάζω άρθρα
με αρκετές άγνωστες λέξεις και βρήκα τον τρόπο να </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">“ξεκλειδώσω
τον κώδικα”</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">και να τις
καταλαβαίνω</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">. </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #1e5155; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Διαβάζω τον τίτλο</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">, βλέπω τις φωτογραφίες και </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">διαβάζω όλο το
κείμενο </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">μια-δυο φορές για να καταλάβω τη γενική
ιδέα.</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #e6b729; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Μετά οι άγνωστες λέξεις
προδίδονται από το νόημα.</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #1e5155; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Αν
κάποιες εξακολουθήσουν να αντιστέκονται, τις πολιορκώ με τη βοήθεια του λεξικού
ή αν δεν είναι πρόχειρο, καλώ</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> ενισχύσεις από το </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Google</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">, το </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Bing</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">και τη </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Wikipedia</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">!!! </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Κάθε αντίσταση είναι μάταιη και τα
μυστικά του κειμένου αποκαλύπτονται<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>το
ένα μετά το άλλο. </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #6aac90; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Και για να είμαι και σίγουρος ότι
δεν θα με δυσκολέψουν ξανά</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">, όταν βρίσκω τις λέξεις
</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">διαβάζω και το παράδειγμα που δίνει το λεξικό </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">και </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">ακούω και την προφορά </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">αν είναι ξένες για να ξέρω και πως προφέρονται. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Ο Κωστάκης μου λέει
συχνά υποτιμητικά </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #ea6312; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">«Τι σε νοιάζει τι γίνεται εκεί έξω
στον κόσμο;»<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Είσαι σοβαρός,
Κωστάκη???!!! </span><span lang="EL" style="color: red; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Γιατί με νοιάζει;;; </span><span lang="EL" style="color: #b01513; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Γιατί ο υπολογιστής μου
είναι για να με ταξιδεύει στη γνώση και όχι να χαζεύω με βλακείες τύπου </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">angry</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">birds</span><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">. Αυτά είναι για
4χρονα…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #54849a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Γιατί ΕΓΩ μαθαίνω και
όχι ο γείτονας… και στο κάτω κάτω της γραφής…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EL" style="color: #9e5e9b; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 125%;">Γιατί είμαι <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ΚΑΙ ΕΓΩ</b> υπεύθυνος για τη μάθηση μου!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-57332000968371860762019-03-05T12:09:00.000+02:002019-03-13T22:19:34.890+02:00Information gap activities in a flipped classroom context <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Information gap activities have always
fascinated learners as they stimulate creative and critical thinking, they
encourage engagement and give them the opportunity to express themselves and
collaborate with their mates. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-buvWMOgYnGA/XH5vh67w6DI/AAAAAAAAEAE/YCUjZkwLMnUAbl0wKb2yf_g2UpjwbGkIACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_20180615_175700.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Dimitris Primalis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Yet, this kind of activity is often a headache for educators in terms of time
and class management. Learning technology however, can offer solutions to make
the most of such activities without major disruptions in the syllabus. Below
you can read a short definition of these activities and some activities that I
have tried with my students using OneNote, a digital notebook that can be
accessed anytime, anywhere. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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According to the British Council webpage "An information gap activity is an
activity where learners are missing the information they need to complete a
task and need to talk to each other to find it."<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Activity 1: video/audio<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Choose a
video that you think will spark discussion and stimulate the imagination of
learners. For lower level students, I prefer videos that have little or no
language so that students can interpret and draw upon paralinguistic features
such as gestures and facial expressions. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Create two
digital notebooks and divide the class into two groups. In Group A’s notebook, share an audio file (MP3)while in
Group B’s a video file of the same video (MP4) but without sound. In a flipped
classroom context, ask students to listen and watch the files respectively,
at home and take notes. You can invite them via email. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>In class, ask them to work in pairs or groups and reconstruct the story by sharing notes. The end product is the first paragraph
of a story. Ask them to share with the rest of the class, using OneNote again. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>This allows them to develop their creative thinking skills and benefit from
being exposed to different writing styles. Even though learners have all shared
the same information, no written paragraph is the same. Students add their personal
element in each one. For homework, ask students to finish the
story. You can share the best ones on the school blog. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Why do it in a flipped classroom context?</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>You save precious class time. What is more, weaker students can always listen as many times as they need to comprehend.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>In a traditional classroom, split viewing/listening can be a challenge because you would have to use two classrooms or have each group outside the classroom for at least a few minutes. This usually distracts other classes and there are usually complaints from other colleagues.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>You can devote more time to promote communication and collaboration in class. </b></span></li>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Activity 2: reading texts</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Alternatively, you can choose two texts referring to the same topic but expressing different opinions. You can divide the class again into two different groups and ask them to summarize the main points of each text and present them in class (this could be in the form of a powerpoint presentation or a paragraph). In class ask the students to synthesize arguments and views and create their own text on the issue reflecting their views. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Video, audio and text can be combined to provide sources of information to learners. What will make the activity successful is the gap that learners have to bridge by exchanging information and collaborating with their classmates.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Have fun!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Dimitris Primalis</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>References<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/information-gap<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br />Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-15143974294851626332018-08-06T14:04:00.003+03:002018-08-11T12:46:16.198+03:00Peer Assessment using school Learning Management Systems <span style="font-size: large;">Peer Assessment using school Learning Management Systems</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Many educational
organizations invest considerable amounts of money into “building” Learning
Management Systems (L.M.S.) or similar platforms to facilitate learning and
engage learners. Yet, their full potential is often unexplored or underexploited
by teachers. The following post suggests two ways in which such systems can be
used to support peer feedback; engage learners in process writing; help strengthen
bonds in class and share common goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1NtIEu_l5Ms/W26WXYp9vkI/AAAAAAAADzk/RQ1sQQgXBwUcB-rNdIRTFKtGOuSlfAycwCLcBGAs/s1600/feedback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1NtIEu_l5Ms/W26WXYp9vkI/AAAAAAAADzk/RQ1sQQgXBwUcB-rNdIRTFKtGOuSlfAycwCLcBGAs/s640/feedback.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Students often
present their projects in the form of powerpoint presentations. However, due to
time constraints, they receive feedback only by the teacher while the audience
has no say in that. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that quite a few
students pay no attention or find the whole process boring. This year, I
thought I had to do something about it so I created a discussion forum and
asked students to provide feedback at the end of each presentation. I explained
that the basic idea behind this activity is to make the presenters aware of
their strengths and weaknesses so that they can improve their presentation
skills before they have to do it in front of professionals at their work. I stressed
the fact that this is a classroom and we all share a common goal: to ensure
that the level of English of all the students meets the standards and criteria of
local and international companies in Greece and abroad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Even though, the
learners are primary school pupils (4<sup>th</sup> and 5<sup>th</sup> graders),
they seemed to grasp the rationale and one of them told me that her sister who
is an adult has to do presentations in English very often at her job. I made
clear that I will not tolerate any foul language and that we can all become
better as a class if we use peer feedback. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the end of the
first presentation, I gave the audience a few minutes to post their comments
which needed to cover strong areas and areas to work on. I saw a marked
difference in the learner engagement. They all paid attention and enjoyed the
fact that their opinion was deemed useful and appreciated by the presenter. The
only point I had not predicted was that most of them responded with emoticons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the end of the
session, I was happy that all the students had participated but was a bit puzzled
about how to make their feedback more constructive. It occurred to me that it
is only natural for young people to react with emojis because this is what they
do in their -outside the classroom – life. So the next day, I thanked them for
their participation but in a discreet way I expressed my concern about emoticons:
“Smiles and thumbs up are a nice way to show the presenters that you liked their
work but, unfortunately, they can’t know what it was exactly that you liked. For instance, was it the photos, the
text, or the way they organized it?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S3bOeePPm9k/W26bekQXnuI/AAAAAAAADzw/vKUKglfzHRgOgqBv9xEbJh0Wu6_LCs2YACLcBGAs/s1600/feedback%2B4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1366" height="280" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S3bOeePPm9k/W26bekQXnuI/AAAAAAAADzw/vKUKglfzHRgOgqBv9xEbJh0Wu6_LCs2YACLcBGAs/s640/feedback%2B4.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Contrary to my
worries, my comment went down well and the next time, they tried to be more
specific despite the linguistic limitations they have at this level (A1-A2
C.E.F.R.). What struck me most, was a student who would otherwise scarcely
engage in classroom activities. She had read carefully all the comments on her
presentation and asked me: “Why does X student say that he loved the font I
used while Y students says that I need to change it?” The explanation was easy.
The specific font looks great if you sit near at the front but at the back of
the room it is hard to read. The fact that she had read carefully the comments
which were written in English and she was actively involved in the whole process
was an unexpected reward for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then I felt that I
could try the same with paragraph writing. After teaching the basic structure
of a paragraph, I asked my pupils to write a paragraph giving their opinion on
a topic we had discussed in class, on the L.M.S. I created a discussion forum
and asked them to write it there. Early the next day I read them and gave them
feedback on the same discussion forum which is visible only by the class members.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The majority of my
students were thrilled. We read some of the paragraphs in class and analyzed briefly why
some were very good and how others could be improved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VS8Eu6ywvfs/W2grHcQk4wI/AAAAAAAADzM/qOPDWGletksq5E3uFv7-OuEsgKlgiYmsQCLcBGAs/s1600/Inkedpeer%2Bfeedback%2B2_LI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="768" height="228" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VS8Eu6ywvfs/W2grHcQk4wI/AAAAAAAADzM/qOPDWGletksq5E3uFv7-OuEsgKlgiYmsQCLcBGAs/s640/Inkedpeer%2Bfeedback%2B2_LI.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some pupils asked
me if they could read the paragraphs written by their peers and write comments.
The answer was positive on condition that they would not use emoticons and that
the comments would help writers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Closing thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some students
continued using emoticons but they did it to emphasize the comments they had
made using lexical items. The whole process was received with enthusiasm both
from pupils and parents who saw their children engaging into learning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I felt that the
feedback pupils had from their peers acted as acknowledgement and motivated
them to be actively involved in the process. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some students whose
paragraphs were not up to standard, gradually improved their writing thanks to the
discussions in class which raised their awareness and to the exposure to
different forms of writing styles. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A positive atmosphere
that created a secure environment – only constructive feedback was welcome –
and the shared vision of achieving the learning goal as a class contributed to
learner motivation and engagement and helped peers to build stronger bonds as a
group. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hope you enjoy these
activities with your students!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dimitris Primalis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-45811855790486926152018-05-05T07:33:00.000+03:002018-05-05T07:33:19.436+03:00Creative EFL activities for demotivated learners<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "kristen itc"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Creative language activities </span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "kristen itc"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 106%;">for demotivated learners<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Ever found yourself in a classroom full of bored teenagers
who are sick and tired of lists of adjectives and allergic to passive voice?
Learning technology and creativity might save the day…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This blogpost features two activities that you can
use with B1-C2 level classes to help them use productively adjectives, passive
voice and summarize texts with a touch of creativity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "kristen itc"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Amber or Silver alert<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Aim: Recycle adjectives and
descriptive vocabulary.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Teaching adjectives related
to personality traits can often be boring. This is an activity aiming at
helping learners to use these adjectives in a less conventional manner. All
students are familiar with announcements on the media about missing people in
which there is a description of the people who went missing. I showed the class
the following digital poster:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h_H75zKAcnQ/Wt7085rvPTI/AAAAAAAADuI/UediIjGKi5Ee3elmPJ_6hmsUUP7tihhqgCLcBGAs/s1600/silver%2Balert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h_H75zKAcnQ/Wt7085rvPTI/AAAAAAAADuI/UediIjGKi5Ee3elmPJ_6hmsUUP7tihhqgCLcBGAs/s640/silver%2Balert.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Apparently, the tone is
humorous but the students appreciated it as it was a welcome change to the
class routine. I asked them to create a similar poster for a celebrity or for
themselves. As a follow-up activity, you can ask them to present their poster in
class and explain why they believe the missing person has the traits in the
description part. Alternatively, learners can focus on physical description,
depending on what vocabulary has been taught in class.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">I used PosterWall.com for
this poster but it can be created easily with a powerpoint slide saved in jpg
form. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "kristen itc"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.7867px;">Create breaking fake news</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwC5o_CP47c/Wt7w43fPqfI/AAAAAAAADt0/i-zdfhTUG7UYkXGJ_N0M9wcmye4htSaOACLcBGAs/s1600/kardashian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwC5o_CP47c/Wt7w43fPqfI/AAAAAAAADt0/i-zdfhTUG7UYkXGJ_N0M9wcmye4htSaOACLcBGAs/s640/kardashian.jpg" width="640" /></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; margin-bottom: 7.0pt;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: blue; font-family: "kristen itc"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.7867px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">P</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ersonal and impersonal structure in
passive voice is often treated as the most boring task by the students. Grammar
books often focus on form without context and students often come across
examples like the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">They believe that Mary is a student.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It is believed that Mary is a student.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mary is believed to be a student.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp or </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://breakyourownnews.com/">http://breakyourownnews.com/</a></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">These are web 2.0 tools that allow
you to create an electronic newspaper clip
or a photo , </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">respectively, which resembles the breaking news format of
TV news bulletins. Try writing about </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">something that is related to current
affairs or has to do with the school’s context. I created fake news</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> about a
celebrity who was appointed Education secretary. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> After having taught the structure and done
some controlled practice activities, present the story and </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ask learners whether
they believe it or not. Talk in class about fake news , whether they are negative </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">or
positive and what effects they have on people. Then ask them if they can create
positive fake news.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> For example:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Georgia is believed to have been
nominated for this year’s Oscar academy awards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ask them to work in pairs for a couple
of minutes, write positive fake news
about their partner and </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">share it with them. They have to use passive voice and
check with their partner for any corrections </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">that need to be made. The most important rule of the activity is that students should not write </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">offensive or negative stories about their peers. The headlines have to be positive. Once pairwork is </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">over, ask the pairs to share their headlines with the rest of the class. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As follow-up activity, ask learners to produce
a news podcast or video or a newspaper article based</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> on the assumption they
made on their peers’ success. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Students enjoy it and are curious to listen
to their peer’s positive projection about them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hope you enjoy the activities!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dimitris Primalis</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<br />Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-49444086801978990552017-08-19T10:58:00.003+03:002018-01-09T11:14:58.623+02:00Reimagining famous paintings : Stimulating creative and critical thinking in the EFL class through an art project<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "edwardian script itc"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Reimagining famous
paintings</b></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; line-height: 105%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></b>
<br />
<h4>
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; line-height: 105%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Stimulating creative and critical thinking in the EFL
class through an art project</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 105%;"><br /></span></b></h4>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 105%;">S</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 105%;">pecial thanks to Maria Karantzi and Annette Morley for their contribution to the project! </span></b></span></h4>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Can art in the EFL class, trigger thought-provoking discussions and provide useful language content for primary
school learners? The following post is based on a project I did with my 5<sup>th</sup> graders
and displays some of the work done by the students.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Until I heard Maria Karanzti,
an arts and crafts teacher presenting, the only thing I could could think of
was to ask my learners do a tedious project on art. Something like:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Find information about your
favourite painting and present it in class”</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">But I knew that two things
were guaranteed: utter boredom in class and powerpoint slides with copied and
pasted information that my learners wouldn’t even have read before “presenting”
them in class.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">When Maria talked about the
trend of “reimagining” famous paintings, I thought I saw the challenge arising
for my learners. So the project was rephrased as following:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Find information about your
favourite painting and reimagine it. You can draw or use technology to make
your version of the painting. Write a short text and describe why you have made
changes and how you feel.”</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BW0RNKGbip8/WZb0nNlygQI/AAAAAAAADiQ/HN-vs2ao_CILf-YC4cw78QaKeZETs7rDwCLcBGAs/s1600/reimagining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BW0RNKGbip8/WZb0nNlygQI/AAAAAAAADiQ/HN-vs2ao_CILf-YC4cw78QaKeZETs7rDwCLcBGAs/s640/reimagining.jpg" width="640" /></span></b></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I showed in class Vermeer’s
girl and the humorous “Star Wars” version and explained the notion. We even
searched on </span></b><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">® </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Bing other “reimagined” paintings and the students found it
intriguing. To my surprise, none chose to draw it and they all chose to use
technology. Some used photoshop, others used apps that sounded alien to
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> The problem that arises
at this stage is that you need to collect the students’ work and give them
feedback. The most practical tool for that is </span></b><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">®</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">OneNote. You can create a
virtual notebook and invite students to share there, photos of their
drawings, information about the paintings and their reflective accounts on the
changes they made. If the school does not support Windows, you can use any
other collaborative web 2.0 tool like padlet or you can even have them in a USB flash drive. Once you have collected all the material, you can put everything
together in a video like this one:</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://vimeo.com/249504243">Reimagining famous paintings</a></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">The original idea
to create a virtual museum using </span></b><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">® </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Minecraft came unstuck as the 5<sup>th</sup> graders
who promised to do it, failed to meet the deadline. However, all the students
created their reimagined paintings. Beyond the artistic value, I was happy as
an EFL teacher because all the students produced texts in L2 – some short,
others longer and more elaborate. The structure which was <a href="https://vimeo.com/249504243">Reimagining famous paintings</a>mainly used was the
2<sup>nd</sup> conditional but there were also chunks of language which
were closer to freer practice and using the language more creatively.</span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">But that was not
all… As we were talking about the project, issues arose like:</span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>Is it a good idea
to reimagine paintings and create our own version?<br />
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Does it make us more creative or does it show disrespect for the artist and the
work of art?</i></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">These sparked
heated discussions in class and on the school's Learning Management System,
which were a source of inspiration for the next part of the project: An opinion
poll.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">I used </span></b><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">®</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Office Mix
to create the poll but there are also a number of Web 2.0 tools that can be used in
class. </span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">An English
teacher openly opposed the idea while the art and crafts teacher was in favour which gave me the opportunity to do a follow-up on the topic. I
divided the class into two groups. Group A interviewed the teacher who was
against and Group B the one who was a supporter of the idea. Then, the class
listened to both recording and wrote down the arguments of each side. </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">This was a great
opportunity for me to introduce small argumentative paragraphs with a topic
sentence, the argument and example. For instance:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">I believe that
reimagining famous paintings is not a good idea. First of all, we do not know
exactly what the artist wanted to show and how he or she felt. For example, I
can not feel the same like Munch when he painted the Scream.</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">This may not seem
much of an accomplishment but for 10-11 year old pupils, supporting their views
with reasons and examples is not an easy task.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Finally, after
doing a unit in the coursebook on art, I asked my students if they knew about
any special stories behind a painting or work of art. Even though I had
originally feared that my students had mechanistically copied and pasted
information about their favourite work of art, it turned out that some of them
had paid attention. A few days later, A. K. came to class with this video: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>So far, my students
had read, listened, spoken and written in English about a different subject
(CLIL) and above all were motivated and felt creative, taking initiatives like
the video produced by A.K.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Yet, there seemed to
be one more element missing. Their own personal creations. So I asked them to
create their own work of art and write a paragraph or shoot a video to talk about it. Here
is a sample of their work:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Video created by M.M.</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>My pupils had fun
and learned so many things that I intend to try it again this September. Would
you like to give it a go with your students? <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Dimitris Primalis</b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-69027465129830028212017-07-15T21:04:00.000+03:002017-07-16T10:58:42.342+03:007+1 tips to make CLIL work with your class<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JmiOsYOByCU/WS6eWgsOciI/AAAAAAAADdk/Q5p7nWa3m3gFt7J0Q4seIkqbyvhgs10wQCLcB/s1600/7%2Band%2B1%2Btips%2BCLIL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JmiOsYOByCU/WS6eWgsOciI/AAAAAAAADdk/Q5p7nWa3m3gFt7J0Q4seIkqbyvhgs10wQCLcB/s640/7%2Band%2B1%2Btips%2BCLIL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">CLIL (Content and Language
Integrated Learning) has been adopted by a growing number of schools and language
schools for a number of reasons, including more opportunities for language
practice, motivation for learners who are interested in subjects other than
English and developing 21<sup>st</sup> century skills. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4472c4; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-themecolor: accent1;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">Yet, many educators often feel
that the syllabus and previously followed practices, hinder CLIL and their
students are deprived of the opportunity to reap benefits from its
implementation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Indeed, habits from the past
may jeopardize the efforts of the leadership and the teaching staff to
facilitate learning and raise the standards.
The following tips may help towards creating an environment that will
allow CLIL to be fruitful and boost language production and reception :</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4472c4; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-themecolor: accent1;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #990000;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Balance testing with language
production time</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tests are
tangible, measurable and go down well with parents who feel that their kids are
closely monitored. In fact, many teachers saw their popularity rise among ever
concerned parents because they tested on a daily basis their children . Yet, quite often there is so much testing that there is not enough room left for students to be exposed to language, let alone produce it. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ensure there is a balance and move towards other forms of assessment such as
evaluating projects with the aid of rubrics and giving more feedback to
learners. These are often friendlier to the learners and they may even motivate
them more as they will be actively involved through peer correction or
negotiate the criteria to assess projects or presentations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #990000;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Make the most of technology</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">Learning
more about a natural phenomenon by searching it on the internet, carrying out a
poll or creating their own video or animation on the topic you are teaching
this week? These may be skills and activities that your students may be doing
in their free time in real life. Isn’t it about time the school integrated them
into the syllabus? By exploiting technology, students can reap numerous benefits
ranging from exposure to L2, having their schemata activated with diagrams and
flowcharts, to developing learner autonomy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #990000;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Avoid lectures, involve
learners</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Ν</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ο</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">! Pairwork, groupwork and
communication among students will neither ruin your class management nor
challenge your authority. On the contrary, this can be achieved easily if you
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RbBUC43gAM/WWpX4rgawFI/AAAAAAAADhU/tOq82jJOZFc_aUSQc5WEd4HpgMgAQ0cSgCLcBGAs/s1600/5346593937_6a9c5a8472_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RbBUC43gAM/WWpX4rgawFI/AAAAAAAADhU/tOq82jJOZFc_aUSQc5WEd4HpgMgAQ0cSgCLcBGAs/s320/5346593937_6a9c5a8472_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:ELT pics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
lecture throughout the lesson till the student switch off. This can get even worse
by asking them if they have understood and ]then you receive the usual “yes, Miss!”. From
my experience, the answer is always yes to such a question irrespective of
whether they have understood or not. Learning can be facilitated with student
engagement and different forms of interaction. Through these, students have an opportunity
to express themselves, have a personal stake in their learning and assume
responsibility to carry out a task rather than being passive recipients.</span></span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #990000;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Stop spoon
feeding your learners</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is often thought that being a good teacher means giving lengthy explanations about everything even before your students ask you. But there are two points to consider: a) you will not be on their side for ever so they need start forming hypotheses and b) CLIL is about discovering knowledge. Providing all the answers before your students try to figure them out, defeats the purpose. Devoting some time to help them develop their critical thinking skills is a mid/long run investment that will compensate you and the learners. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #990000;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Grammar
without context? Exploiting available resources</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">A large number of teachers feel
that they are not teaching enough grammar – compared to a grammar based
syllabus – and tend to teach grammar without context, often with piles of photocopied exercises. In extreme cases, they
teach the structure and all its aspects all the way down to the last exception
that even a grammarian may not be aware of.
This can impose a huge strain on the syllabus. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Surely, there is a video,a reading or listening text to exploit so that students can use the context to grasp it more easily. It is also worth bearing in mind that in some forms of CLIL, grammatical
structures are treated as “chunks” of language and I personally feel that sometimes they are easier to be
treated as such. In any case, assessing
the priorities of the class and selecting what needs to be taught explicitly and what implicitly can act as a compass that will save you time and
effort. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SL0Sxsk_iyE/WWpQb4xVmaI/AAAAAAAADhM/Fjwu1PczOrQxCftDmFdpjfmEmMTFbhoggCLcBGAs/s1600/7%2B%252B%2B1%2Btips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SL0Sxsk_iyE/WWpQb4xVmaI/AAAAAAAADhM/Fjwu1PczOrQxCftDmFdpjfmEmMTFbhoggCLcBGAs/s640/7%2B%252B%2B1%2Btips.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #990000;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Make the most of projects </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">Inquiry based learning may not
bring the desired results in terms of language accuracy and surely it cannot be
controlled by you. Plus, you may find some parents complaining that project work is time consuming. But it is through these projects that you can give your learners freedom to choose topics that are of interest to them, and give them the opportunity to immerse into new language and develop more autonomy as learners. Projects can be easily integrated into any syllabus and can be done by learners over a period of time without requiring any time in class. Learning technology enables teachers to provide personalized feedback while blogs, Learning Management Systems and school websites offer a splendid room for display and sharing with the community.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #990000;"><span lang="EN-US">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Don’t encourage
learners to translate texts word for word</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">Many parents ask students to read the text aloud at home and translate it word for word. Some teachers, either because they are aware of the above practice or they are used to more traditional approaches and methods (grammar translation) may be tempted to do so in class or assign it as homework. Considering though that CLIL texts are usually longer and more challenging than the usual EFL ones, it will not really help the students. On the contrary, they are likely to be demotivated by the number of new words and length of text. Developing word and text attack skills in class, doing pre-reading tasks that can activate learners' schemata and breaking the text into manageable chunks in the while-reading stage are not a waste of time. They will help your learners deal confidently with texts and later on, approach academic texts and books more efficiently.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">Be prepared to explain to parents and learners at the very beginning of the year that not all words in a text are important and that you aim at helping learners develop reading skills . This is likely to prevent many reactions and complains expressed by the above mentioned stakeholders.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">+1 Be consistent and patient</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">This applies to any new approach
that is being implemented. No matter how many difficulties you may face, repeating
the same steps on a regular basis, builds a creative routine that allows
students to feel secure, knowing what they are expected to do. Despite the initial shock, students tend to
adapt easily and as time passes by they tend to respond more enthusiastically. No new approach has ever seen measurable positive results overnight and it would be unfair to condemn your and your
students efforts without allowing for enough time to apply it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Some more thoughts instead of
conclusion</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">An educator’s constant concern
is to ensure that their learners will be able to cope with the challenges that
are yet to arise. Implementing change may take you out of your comfort zone and
require longer hours of work, observation, feedback and adaptation. However, it
can be motivating and rewarding in terms of exploring and exploiting potential
you never thought that you as a teacher, or your students have. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 12.0pt;">Enjoy the journey!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dimitris Primalis</span><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-12823963325600534772016-11-23T10:31:00.001+02:002016-11-23T11:25:32.271+02:00Sway your class into creativity and imagination<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b050; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Sway </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffc000; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 106%;">your class into</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b050; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 106%;"> </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 106%;">creativity</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b050; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 106%;"> and </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 106%;">imagination</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b050; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">3 ways to
use <a href="http://sway.com/">®Sway</a> creatively with an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) class</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">Many presentation tools can be used to spark
creativity and imagination in class but in this post I have chosen Sway – an
internet based tool – because it is easy to use, versatile, allows the user
to find photos </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 16px;">without wasting time</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt;"> and incorporate sounds and videos . Thus, learners can focus
more on the content rather than the aesthetic part.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "chiller"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 104%;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "chiller"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 104%;">Create a mystery story…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">Open a new presentation and choose 5 photos that
can stimulate learners’ imagination. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">Click on the link to see example:</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://sway.com/lFnoS8YEAWEUPrLj">An unforgettable night</a></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;"> Add creepy sounds like the
sound of a door slumming, thunder, the scream of a woman. You can find free sond effects on http://www.orangefreesounds.com/. Write on the board:
Who, where, when. Then invite learners to work in pairs or in groups and decide
who is involved in the story, where and it takes place. Elicit vocabulary
relevant to the story (i.e. sounds, descriptive adjectives, feelings). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">You can elicit the first paragraph in class and
write it on the Sway slides. Then invite learners to continue the story. Allow
them to use photos to illustrate the story and present it in class or share it
on the school blog. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "jokerman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "jokerman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%;">Narrate holiday experiences<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "jokerman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 104%;">Create a ® </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 104%;"><a href="http://sway.com/"><span lang="EN-US">Sway</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 104%;"> presentation
with 5 of your favourite holiday photos and explain why they are special to
you. Present in class. Click on the link below to see a sample</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 104%;">:</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 104%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; line-height: 104%;">My holidays</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPjeNXVfVR0/WDU6U3N0jII/AAAAAAAADWw/8uiCdisjlCANhxzJGfSyp0Yx7iIKJuwegCLcB/s1600/%257BD36FD460-268E-4208-9798-D41F4EE6963E%257D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPjeNXVfVR0/WDU6U3N0jII/AAAAAAAADWw/8uiCdisjlCANhxzJGfSyp0Yx7iIKJuwegCLcB/s640/%257BD36FD460-268E-4208-9798-D41F4EE6963E%257D.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b050; font-family: "lucida calligraphy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy";">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b050; font-family: "lucida calligraphy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Digitalize your hand made book<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Students often create
handmade paperback books with stories with their drawings. <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> Given
that most of the times they are tiny, sharing them with the rest of the class
is not easy because learners want to see the illustrations.</span></span><span style="background: white;"> Scan the content of the books or take a
photo you’re your mobile and uploaded them on a Sway presentation. Project
the presentation on the board while the pupil is reading his/her story to the
rest of the class. It makes narration more interesting and learners tend to appreciate
more the effort and time spent on the creation of the book. You can also share
the Sway presentation on the school blog. Click on the link below to look
at one of the stories:</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background: white;"><a href="https://sway.com/EEZ_imp0IgyYXKL5"><span style="font-size: large;">Mouse to the rescue</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7YPEh507IRw/WDU8mR99LCI/AAAAAAAADW8/7FPRsPbqoPk1PskYec2siFBKEtcq0ocuQCLcB/s1600/%257BAEA8AF3B-FC13-4BB3-A22E-F50C5AD332C9%257D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7YPEh507IRw/WDU8mR99LCI/AAAAAAAADW8/7FPRsPbqoPk1PskYec2siFBKEtcq0ocuQCLcB/s320/%257BAEA8AF3B-FC13-4BB3-A22E-F50C5AD332C9%257D.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"> My students loved all the above
activities, were actively involved in creating content and were particularly keen on sharing it with the
rest of their classmates. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">Have fun!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 104%;"><span style="color: blue;">Dimitris Primalis</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-14667224670413733092016-08-17T14:37:00.001+03:002016-08-19T19:49:41.381+03:00Holiday snapshots in class<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "lucida calligraphy"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%;">Snapshots
in class<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Use holiday photos to spark speaking and writing in
class</span><span style="color: lime;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Special thanks to Sophia Nikoletou for her contribution!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With the extensive use of smart phones, tablets and
digital cameras, more and more of your students are likely to have taken a
sizeable number of photos during their holidays. In this post, I will suggest
ways in which teachers and students can use these photos in order to practise speaking and writing skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Activity 1: <b>The inanimate object</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Choose a photo with an inanimate object and ask your
students to imagine what the object would say if it had a voice: “What can the
object tell us about what had happened before the photo was taken?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Below you can find an example. Students can use their own photos to illustrate their own stories. They can present their story in class by showing their photo(s) on a </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 106%;">®</span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif;">Powerpoint slide and record their voice narrating their story on the slide with the photo. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wvhbOz6X9S4/V7QRQCa1q2I/AAAAAAAADTc/4gSwiJF7n38DAs3wH2Iz0y9iOfmizu3XQCLcB/s1600/20160724_112748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wvhbOz6X9S4/V7QRQCa1q2I/AAAAAAAADTc/4gSwiJF7n38DAs3wH2Iz0y9iOfmizu3XQCLcB/s640/20160724_112748.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UiAMz0BmGZQ/V7QR0z9lrWI/AAAAAAAADTg/EbAfb4w6KBkwh7xa2VEDL9ch4aOJYx9vQCLcB/s1600/if%2Bonly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UiAMz0BmGZQ/V7QR0z9lrWI/AAAAAAAADTg/EbAfb4w6KBkwh7xa2VEDL9ch4aOJYx9vQCLcB/s640/if%2Bonly.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Here's a sample of the kind of writing it may inspire:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span style="color: blue;">"Standing at the small cafe' on top of the cliff, Henry was enjoying the breathtaking view of the island which seemed to be the perfect holiday destination. Suddenly, a distant voice pulled his eye from the coast to his wife, who was swimming under the cliff and waving at him. Henry grabbed his camera to capture the scene. He narrowed his eyes to take a close-up shot, but what he saw turned his excitement into panic. Christine was not waving but drowning!!!" </span></span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Alternatively, use an unusual photo as a lead-in to story writing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qYm5Plmxf0U/V7QT4MY33aI/AAAAAAAADUA/XuDui-xCOO4m2yRPgcnnGVvQzOVdmER9ACLcB/s1600/kites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qYm5Plmxf0U/V7QT4MY33aI/AAAAAAAADUA/XuDui-xCOO4m2yRPgcnnGVvQzOVdmER9ACLcB/s640/kites.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Activity 2: <b>Give it a title</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Choose a funny or unusual photo and ask students to
write a title or brief comment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--RKSy6PQO2U/V7QcTQblrYI/AAAAAAAADUU/lvyAma1u-60rHf3fn4psbU80sAotp4OGgCLcB/s1600/20160726_163043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--RKSy6PQO2U/V7QcTQblrYI/AAAAAAAADUU/lvyAma1u-60rHf3fn4psbU80sAotp4OGgCLcB/s640/20160726_163043.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying saucers invade Greek beach: Swimmer blames Mojitos<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Activity 3: <b>Tweet it</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Ask students to write a message accompanying the photo
as if they were going to share it on Twitter. The message should not be more than 140
characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mnEKikjq-HE/V7Qdz5x_lBI/AAAAAAAADUc/cYFAoFuN3uw-b868-dJgZlHCfr07q3jrACLcB/s1600/20160612_061911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mnEKikjq-HE/V7Qdz5x_lBI/AAAAAAAADUc/cYFAoFuN3uw-b868-dJgZlHCfr07q3jrACLcB/s640/20160612_061911.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US">Pristine
waters, Mediterranean food and idyllic view on Europe’s southernmost tip. Heaven on Earth #serendipity #Crete<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Activity 4: <b>Present with sway</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Create a </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 106%;">®</span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://sway.com/" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode", sans-serif;">Sway</a><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif;"> presentation with 5 of your
favourite holiday photos and explain why they are special to you. Present in
class. Click on the link below to see a sample:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20width=%22760px%22%20height=%22500px%22%20src=%22https://sway.com/s/9XdTMWWyCA7Pb7Gc/embed%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20style=%22border:%20none;%20max-width:100%;%20max-height:100vh%22%20allowfullscreen%20webkitallowfullscreen%20mozallowfullscreen%20msallowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E">My holidays</a></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Activity 5: <b>Use mobile phone apps</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Most students download apps on their smart phone that
create various effects on photos. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 106%;">®</span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif;">Prisma is free and turns photos into art
work. You can use these effects to compare and contrast the real photo and the one with the effects or you can have
sets of photos to start a story. The students can work in pairs or groups and they can narrate it or write it down or even create an e-book with the content they have put together.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ir7al_zPj70/V7QSK0vsMuI/AAAAAAAADTk/S3LUZxCa550ZwooSMCidbnR8CYc1Q6rZQCLcB/s1600/71bab6ca3e6056b06742c53d538d00c5resNet9_n1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ir7al_zPj70/V7QSK0vsMuI/AAAAAAAADTk/S3LUZxCa550ZwooSMCidbnR8CYc1Q6rZQCLcB/s400/71bab6ca3e6056b06742c53d538d00c5resNet9_n1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last night I had a strange dream. It was dark and rainy and my balcony door overlooked a cliff..</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDw9x-S_bxU/V7QSi6iSesI/AAAAAAAADTs/LNmLDFhnbo4C0eUf2nnaVS_dVrfh_DsaQCLcB/s1600/71bab6ca3e6056b06742c53d538d00c5resNet9_n1%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDw9x-S_bxU/V7QSi6iSesI/AAAAAAAADTs/LNmLDFhnbo4C0eUf2nnaVS_dVrfh_DsaQCLcB/s400/71bab6ca3e6056b06742c53d538d00c5resNet9_n1%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then, suddenly it got lighter and I could see outside my balcony. There were two rocks in the sea...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yzlAZTOyKBA/V7QS_lvCZYI/AAAAAAAADTw/qC9ZqF_OyaE1nAPOEd5V00HoSQ_-nHh9gCLcB/s1600/71bab6ca3e6056b06742c53d538d00c5resNet9_n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yzlAZTOyKBA/V7QS_lvCZYI/AAAAAAAADTw/qC9ZqF_OyaE1nAPOEd5V00HoSQ_-nHh9gCLcB/s400/71bab6ca3e6056b06742c53d538d00c5resNet9_n1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then the sun came out and the sea started sparkling under the sun...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NFnAgNGmQls/V7QTSsU0M6I/AAAAAAAADT4/oy3IQ4EJP6ozF0rJuLcND8UmM_0rZs7dACLcB/s1600/20160727_160447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NFnAgNGmQls/V7QTSsU0M6I/AAAAAAAADT4/oy3IQ4EJP6ozF0rJuLcND8UmM_0rZs7dACLcB/s640/20160727_160447.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It felt as if it was true... I could smell the sea and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">For those of you who may not have a smart phone or do
not feel comfortable using your personal photos, Eltpics, <a href="http://www.eltpics.com/">http://www.eltpics.com/</a>
is a website with photos from teachers for teachers.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Final thoughts</b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Personalizing learning and inviting learners to be actively involved with their own material can both act as a very strong stimulus to motivate learners and urge them to develop their creative thinking skills along with writing and speaking skills in L2.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Have fun and enjoy your learners' creativity and imagination!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dimitris Primalis</span></span></div>
Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-89955065498632563882016-01-10T14:20:00.000+02:002016-01-10T14:20:18.719+02:00Who says feedback can’t be Motivating, Involving & Xciting ???!!!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Who says
feedback can’t be </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">M</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">otivating,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">nvolving &</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> X</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">citing ???!!!</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Revisiting
feedback with the aid of technology from
a personalized learning perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Does the word
feedback conjure spine-chilling images of scraps of paper with red smudges,
stereotypical comments and a much awaited mark? And then a feeling of
bitterness on both sides?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On the students’
side, the feeling that it is only mistakes that are highlighted and there’s
rarely a word of encouragement or recognition of their hard work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On the teacher’s
part, the feeling that endless hours of work are not spared more than a quick
glance at the grade and practically nobody paying attention to the corrections.
All the hard work going down the drain…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With few
exceptions this has been the picture so far. Yet technology can change the game
and motivate and involve learners through personal or group feedback. Below you
can read 3 ways that you can change the feedback you give to your students. My
students loved them and it is very easy to use <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 104%; text-indent: -18pt;">.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 104%; text-indent: -18pt;">Use
video and voice recording to give feedback.</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 104%; text-indent: -18pt;">.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 104%; text-indent: -18pt;">Instead
of spoon feeding your students, challenge them with a poll.</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 104%; text-indent: -18pt;">.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 104%; text-indent: -18pt;">Create
content with your students and then ask them to give you feedback on their
product.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The tool I used is
called <a href="https://mix.office.com/en-us/Home">Office Mix</a>. It is an add-on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Add-on">Add-on</a> software that allows you to record what you have on your screen, record voice or
video and draw or underline. This process is called “screen casting” and there
are quite a few tools available on the market. Yet, what I found convenient with
Mix is that once downloaded, it is automatically added to the top menu bar
of your powerpoint and it is easy to use. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">1. Most students
find personalized feedback in front of the class embarrassing and they would
like to have it in a more discreet way. Because breaks are never long enough to
do it I tried emailing them the feedback they need using Office Mix. You can see a video below (View from 15th second).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pPrfMCzSnL8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pPrfMCzSnL8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Use the video or
voice recording functions to give personalized feedback to your learners. Click
Mix on slide recording on the top left
corner,</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xKxK5renVCQ/VpI8baTa3GI/AAAAAAAADMk/NxeMCCtvZbc/s1600/mix1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xKxK5renVCQ/VpI8baTa3GI/AAAAAAAADMk/NxeMCCtvZbc/s640/mix1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> record your feedback – you may use the pens on the left to underline or
circle areas and then click preview to check if you’re satisfied with your
recording. Then convert it into an mp4 video (see top bar) and send it to your
student. They will surely appreciate the fact that you pay attention to their
work and you provide personalized feedback. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">2. Few students like to be lectured upon their mistake but when they are given a
second chance to correct their mistake then it is seen as a challenge they are
willing to take up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I
often ask my students to share their work in digital form (either email it or
share it on the school’s Learning Management System).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If
you have their homework or project in digital form, insert it in a powerpoint
slide and then click on the top bar of Mix on Quizzes, Video Apps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HOD0eEc3aj4/VpI-nhMRoYI/AAAAAAAADMs/4p5cJpNR1gU/s1600/mix2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HOD0eEc3aj4/VpI-nhMRoYI/AAAAAAAADMs/4p5cJpNR1gU/s640/mix2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Choose
the type of quiz or poll you want to give them. My favourite is the multiple choice
one. They can choose the reason why their answer is wrong or even better ask
them to choose the correct answer and write why they chose the specific one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">They
are far more likely to respond to that kind of feedback rather than reading
detailed comments on their notebook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">3. Helena is a new student and can be described as a very weak in terms of
cognitive skills. Yet, she is eager to learn and seems to be learning through
doing things rather than being lectured. When she sang a song from the student’s
book that practices a function – “I’d like some ice cream, how about you? Me too”
– she did well but when it came to a freer practice, she could not perceive the
pronunciation mistakes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I
created 4 powerpoint slides ( you can see them in the form of the embedded
video below) and we recorded her voice using Office Mix. She insisted on
listening to her recording (click on preview recording) and asked to delete it
and try again. She was recorded several times until she felt satisfied with the
outcome. I promised her that I would turn the powerpoint presentation into video so that she can show her mother and
grandmother – her role models – her creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QS2j1PHdq54/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QS2j1PHdq54?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At
the end of the lesson, Helena was happy feeling creative instead of the usual
frustration learners suffer when given feedback. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>A
few closing thoughts</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Mixing
in new tools with old techniques and approaches can be fun and fruitful in
terms of motivation, involvement and assessment. Technology can pave brand new
ways to serve pedagogy. It is up to the educators to explore their potential and
integrate them seamlessly into our lesson to serve best our students’ learning
goals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Rage Italic"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 104%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Dimitris
Primalis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-30189420716855364882015-12-30T11:41:00.000+02:002015-12-31T00:00:21.644+02:00How to turn your powerpoint presentation into a video and boost your learners' creativity!<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Turn your powerpoint presentation into a video in </b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3 easy steps and boost your learners' creativity!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Powerpoint is the best known tool for presentations. Now you can use it to promote your and your students' work and attract your audience's attention by creating short videos like the one below:<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz_aVvpeVL9nuGhQYJbZWQZgZneJZP2iUpmdf95BXXMjQHx4gMi7zjb8QdNTBhHt16vLmxCnV93bl6PRsi0Lg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Step 1: Create your presentation and save it as ODP. You may want to add transitions between the slides which make it more impressive or add sound.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw5ECPl4zIi_d5SZlhQHn89Aa90pbKOhrfdIPZLcS5ZWBQdxdkjhShUNkq52GP-VYIllh_YYI-dHdV-6EXxew' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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Step 2: Click the presentation button at the top bar menu (see green arrow) and rehearse as if you were presenting the powerpoint. If you are not happy with the outcome, you can try as many times as you want. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UYvpJW_Dtd0/VoOkr6e14pI/AAAAAAAADMI/OL5jrpphnQ0/s1600/step2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UYvpJW_Dtd0/VoOkr6e14pI/AAAAAAAADMI/OL5jrpphnQ0/s640/step2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Step 3: Save the presentation either as MP4 file or as wmv file. It may take a while for the video to "brew" but the end product is worth the time. </div>
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<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxh5ECuZiGKUAVY424xdavQyUkfoMTZeccs1o7J45gs70K82YGIM2BDSbNCP57z9Y1yjEnyCvN-OW0K2vSF' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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Ideas for the classroom</h3>
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Students can create:</div>
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1. a trailer for their favourite film or book</div>
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2. their own commercial promoting their inventions or a good cause i.e. recycling</div>
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3. their own animated stories by using the new "synth" transition which creates animation effects </div>
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4. a vlog by inserting photos or videos from their holidays or daily routine .</div>
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<br /></div>
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For the mini video and screen shots in the step-by-step tutorials I used Office Mix which is an add-on easily downloadable and can be an invaluable tool for every educator. You can read more on my next blogpost in a few days. </div>
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Have fun with your class and boost their creativity with their own powerpoint videos!</h3>
<div>
Dimitris Primalis</div>
<br />Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-52728726684120839152015-10-10T19:51:00.000+03:002018-01-05T11:39:29.536+02:00Discrediting the fine art of copy-paste<div class="MsoNormal">
<h2>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 102%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Discrediting the fine art of copy-paste </span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<h3>
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">How teachers can help their learners to develop academic skills for their
studies rather than adopt “copy-paste” practices</span></span></b></h3>
</div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a
digital era when information is abundant, easily accessible, stored, reproduced
and retrieved without effort, there is a thin line between breaching copyright
rules – plagiarism in academic language- and synthesizing information to
produce one’s own intellectual work.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xi9BMUTPb9E/Wk8CAzcMxLI/AAAAAAAADpc/yyODJgxshYI9wJ2pTAcKhRYHK8KT67ACgCLcBGAs/s1600/have%2Byou%2Bever%2Bexperienced.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="634" height="226" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xi9BMUTPb9E/Wk8CAzcMxLI/AAAAAAAADpc/yyODJgxshYI9wJ2pTAcKhRYHK8KT67ACgCLcBGAs/s400/have%2Byou%2Bever%2Bexperienced.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Copying and
pasting text indiscriminately is
reaching epidemic levels and even respectable members of the academic community are often
found guilty of succumbing to the temptation. What exactly do we mean by plagiarism though?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Plagiarism
(noun): the act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit
to that person: the act of plagiarizing something <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>How is this relevant to English language classes and teaching young
learners and teenagers?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I still
remember the day when my 4<sup>th</sup> graders in primary school walked triumphantly into the
classroom to share their projects with their classmates. It was the very
first year that the school had introduced the 1:1 approach (1 tablet to 1
student) and the learners had just mastered –or so they claimed – the basics of
powerpoint in order to present their projects digitally with the aid of a data
projector. Classmates and teacher, we all waited impatiently to see the first
outcome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Impressive
graphics and slide transitions captured our attention until the slides with text
appeared. Long texts infested with scientific terms, completely
incomprehensible to the class and even
to the presenters who attempted to read them aloud to a bunch of students who were bored
to tears as there was nothing they could relate to. It is easy to predict the
chaos that followed with disillusioned presenters and an audience that felt the
presenter had wasted their time by just copying and pasting text instead of
sharing knowledge with them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoXku4ER6oA/Wk8CV2h8z6I/AAAAAAAADpk/fkZ_XL2-Z9sPsvk8_m_xxHxUrwRWo8fawCLcBGAs/s1600/proactive%2Bversus%2Breactive.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="636" height="353" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoXku4ER6oA/Wk8CV2h8z6I/AAAAAAAADpk/fkZ_XL2-Z9sPsvk8_m_xxHxUrwRWo8fawCLcBGAs/s640/proactive%2Bversus%2Breactive.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Can I deal with it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A multi-faceted approach seems to work better. The earlier
a teacher starts raising awareness in class, the better it is. Then one should help learners to develop text attack skills, show them how to do some basic research and
paraphrase and finally, give them the opportunity to practise what they have learned through projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c_tmwXN-e-M/Wk7x_v4JzqI/AAAAAAAADo8/MtRFiWttH74IkUkYbXZLT-eDWE2slYkoACLcBGAs/s1600/multifaceted%2Bapproach.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1366" height="356" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c_tmwXN-e-M/Wk7x_v4JzqI/AAAAAAAADo8/MtRFiWttH74IkUkYbXZLT-eDWE2slYkoACLcBGAs/s640/multifaceted%2Bapproach.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Show them the path</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before
assigning a project, spend time in class to show them the steps they should
follow to collect information and synthesize what they have found in a coherent
and concise presentation that is suitable for their target audience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Here is what I tried with a CEFR A1 level
class who had to create a fact file for their favourite wild animal:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">We
browsed in class Wikipedia (you can try any other reference site you consider
safe and reliable) and chose a wild animal, a lion.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsnRO3Kp-OE/VhqMqePVvzI/AAAAAAAADJc/_mVzpLFQN74/s1600/lion%2Bwiki1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsnRO3Kp-OE/VhqMqePVvzI/AAAAAAAADJc/_mVzpLFQN74/s640/lion%2Bwiki1.png" width="451" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Source: Wikipedia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">They
skimmed the text and then asked them what they can understand from the text.
The answer was “nothing” or “next to nothing”. Then I elicited “If you copy and
paste the text like that (show them the text displayed on Wikipedia) , will
anybody in class understand you?” The answer was obvious and the learners
realized they had to work in a different way.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsQ5J-PGxeQ/Wk7xOXEckvI/AAAAAAAADo0/8kO2UzY7fnwi_UCPFcKoyhjFaayR1MrLgCLcBGAs/s1600/key%2Bwords.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1366" height="356" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsQ5J-PGxeQ/Wk7xOXEckvI/AAAAAAAADo0/8kO2UzY7fnwi_UCPFcKoyhjFaayR1MrLgCLcBGAs/s640/key%2Bwords.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Match the words with the same meaning</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">I
elicited key words for the data they need such as food, how long they live,
length, weight, place they live, and give them the formal equivalents used in
the text. For example, habitat, diet, predators etc. For other projects, you can ask them to
create a brief outline with key words that will enable them to find relevant
information.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6l_Fl4033Ss/VhqNTouDfcI/AAAAAAAADJk/_FotYWbn6sQ/s1600/lion%2Bwiki2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6l_Fl4033Ss/VhqNTouDfcI/AAAAAAAADJk/_FotYWbn6sQ/s400/lion%2Bwiki2.png" width="282" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Source: Wikipedia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">4.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">I
asked them to scan the text and find relevant information for each category
i.e. habitat, food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">5.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">I
elicited the relevant information from the class and clarified that not all the
text should be stored. Only the data necessary for their project. Ask them to
save the information they have found in a M.S. Word file or any other similar
word processor they use.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">6.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">I
also asked them to write down the source.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">7.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Students
worked in pairs to select the information they needed for the presentation and
created the slides.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">8.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Then, they checked their presentation for any words they classmates may not know. I urged
them to use only a few new words and explain them to their audience during
their presentation.</span></span><br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -18pt;"> 9. I encouraged them to use short sentences with
key words or figures on their slides.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">10. <span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">I
asked them to present in class and I invited the audience to give the
presenters feedback and in particular how original they thought the
presentation is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">11.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US"> Finally, I praised the presenters if they mentioned the source and used language
suitable for the level of the audience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tips and hints<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ü<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Don’t preach against plagiarism.
They will only be tempted to try it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ü<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Focus on the main weakness of
copy-paste is that it is often irrelevant or too wordy. Students fear their
peers’ rejection so they will be open to suggestions on how to improve their
presentations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ü<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">“Sign” a contract with students, set
clear guidelines on how to use technology and elicit copy-paste is simply
unacceptable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ü<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Encourage students to mention
sources and praise them in class when they do so.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ü<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Give bonus points to work that mentions
sources and penalty points to material which is clearly copied and pasted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For a
generation brought up with social media and computer games, the visual element
tends to be the priority when it comes to presentation. To them it is only
natural to focus on eye-catching images, animation or videos and in most cases,
it is only the teacher who can guide them on how to find data, select material and synthesize it
to address a specific audience. You need to help them shift from the “surface”
to the content of the project or presentation. If the project is marked give
two marks: one for the presentation and a separate one for content. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For older
students, who hand in projects, there is a large number of free software tools
that can help you detect plagiarism and raise awareness. The following article
can give you a pretty good idea of some free tools that can detect plagiarism:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://elearningindustry.com/top-10-free-plagiarism-detection-tools-for-teachers">http://elearningindustry.com/top-10-free-plagiarism-detection-tools-for-teachers</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why deal with it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Plagiarism
annuls any benefits reaped from webquests and the wealth of resources available
on the internet since students are highly unlikely to learn anything from the
work they have copied. It also breaches the ethics of the academic community
that gives credit to the work of colleagues. Therefore, the damage caused by
this practice is multiple. It comes as no surprise that when students have to
use sources and provide references at a university course are often at a loss.
“ (ELT News, 2015)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some closing thoughts <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of you
may be wondering why you should allocate some precious class time into it. By
devoting part of a lesson or a whole lesson to prevent plagiarism and encourage analysis
and synthesis, you are not wasting precious time – as some teachers may claim –
but you are laying the foundation stone for autonomous learners who use their
critical and creative thinking skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dimitris Primalis</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">References<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Primalis,
D. Discrediting the fine art of c(l)opy-paste, ELT News, August 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431114408037523052.post-38569729295710601212015-08-16T12:51:00.000+03:002015-08-16T13:07:26.127+03:00Passive users or critical thinkers? Developing critical and creative thinking skills with technology<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: red; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Passive users or
critical thinkers?</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 102%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 102%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Developing critical and creative thinking skills with technology</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j3WFZdjXCx8/Vc9kuXOv1JI/AAAAAAAADFc/3YY-f0ocWSo/s1600/passive%2Buser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j3WFZdjXCx8/Vc9kuXOv1JI/AAAAAAAADFc/3YY-f0ocWSo/s400/passive%2Buser.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;">Had enough with your students using their tablets or mobile devices to
play games for non-thinking users? Project based learning with the aid of technology
can be used creatively to stimulate students interest and develop their
critical and creative thinking skills. This post is about activities and tools
that can help students use their creative and critical abilities while
learning.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;"><b>A brief intro</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Technology has often been accused of creating passive
learners, who rely heavily on visuals and are used to a superficial approach to
learning, rather than developing their creative and critical thinking skills.
However, through project based learning, technology can play an instrumental
role in enabling students to develop their creative skills such as
expressing ideas they have generated and
depicting reasoning by metaphor and analogy; their critical thinking skills
such as reasoning through logic, analysis and interpretation by comparing data
through internet sources as well as skills which overlap the two categories
mentioned above such as synthesis and integration, abstraction and
simplification. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GfPeg2245F4/Vc9k9AZqF6I/AAAAAAAADFk/HrR3BgmQ3Iw/s1600/Crisis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GfPeg2245F4/Vc9k9AZqF6I/AAAAAAAADFk/HrR3BgmQ3Iw/s320/Crisis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 102%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A brief definition<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 90%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The word
critical derives from the Greek word “crisis” (</span>κρίσις<span lang="EN-US">) which means </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">ability to judge; ability to reach a choice or
decision. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">In a sense, a crisis is a
challenge to deal with by using critical thinking skills. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 90%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may be wondering why
I have chosen to develop critical and creative thinking skills instead of the
latter. A quick look at the diagram shows that they overlap.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jP4xwDUjzEY/Vc9l99UeJ9I/AAAAAAAADFw/5_8on97HhoU/s1600/overlapping%2Bskills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jP4xwDUjzEY/Vc9l99UeJ9I/AAAAAAAADFw/5_8on97HhoU/s640/overlapping%2Bskills.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Why these activities?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 90%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Students are inundated
with messages in English while surfing the internet, playing games or watching
TV. They are brainwashed and often led to believe that by purchasing consumer goods or services they can achieve or become anything they dream of with the touch of a magic "wand". As a teacher, following the current teaching trends, I felt that my teaching should be more personalized (the term used in its EFL meaning) and learner centred; involve students and allow them to use their creativity and critical thinking skills. So I asked my 5th and 6th grade pupils to do the following projects and activities:</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LVt8ts_ltXk/VdBgoMdRxAI/AAAAAAAADHI/XWL5OU2yOnM/s1600/learning%2Btrends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LVt8ts_ltXk/VdBgoMdRxAI/AAAAAAAADHI/XWL5OU2yOnM/s640/learning%2Btrends.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Project 1</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I gave my students the following instructions:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Part A</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Find a commercial or advertisement
that you like. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Present it in class and
talk about:</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">What product or service
is advertised?</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">What is the main
message?</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Is it true or
misleading? Why?</b><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students used their tablets to find ads or comercials and presented them in class in the form of powerpoint presentations. Most of them triggered discussion and to my surprise students easily "read between the lines" and could tell whether they were misleading or not. For example one of them presented the advertisement of a convertible with the following slogan:" Men talk about women, sports and cars. Women talk about men in sports cars" . It was a good opportunity to talk about stereotypes even though their lexical resources are limited. Then I gave them the following instuctions.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Part 2 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Work in pairs or
groups. Invent a new product or service. Design the logo and think of a motto.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Create your own
advertisement or commercial.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Present it in class.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">Vote for the best
commercial in class</span><span lang="EN-US">.</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some produced videos with their mobiles and using windows movie maker and others powerpoint presentations. Here is a sample of their work.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/dprimalis/the-flying-bag">The-flying-bag</a></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Activity 2</b><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I showed my pupils the photo below and asked them the following questions:</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Look at the photo</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Can you see a famous person?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">This photo was taken during WW2 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Is the photo authentic or not?</span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Use your devices to find out</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CBMgbJczJuI/VdBRiqkZXxI/AAAAAAAADGg/bi8Yu0rRmSU/s1600/pitt_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CBMgbJczJuI/VdBRiqkZXxI/AAAAAAAADGg/bi8Yu0rRmSU/s640/pitt_cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: http://www.chaniapost.eu/2015/03/12/is-brad-pitt-from-crete/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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</blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pupils identified Brad Pitt in the photo. They worked in pairs or groups and they had to decide how to go about it. There were two prevailing trends. One that they should search for the date WW2 broke out and compare it with Brad Pitt's birthday. The other that they should search for any Brad Pitt film to be released soon about WW2. A pupil asked me if they could take a snapshot of the photo with their devices but I refused and asked them to use their mind and key words in their search. The activity took about 20 mins and the vast majority found out if the photo is authentic or photoshopped. There was a follow-up discussion about whether we should believe that everything we see on the internet is authentic and how we can use our skills to verify it. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Activity 3</b><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is an activity I tried with my students a day before Christmas holidays. I asked them to read the instructions and use their devices to plan the holiday. The webquest had to be in English and I also explained a few words like "BB, half-board and full board, transfer" that were beyond my pupils' schematic knowledge. </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Planning hols<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 90%; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Your mom and dad are
celebrating their wedding anniversary and would like to spend a weekend abroad.
<br />
Organize a weekend for them and present two holiday destinations they may go
to. Below there are some points to consider:<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 70%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 53.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">•<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">Their budget is about 600 Euros</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 70%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 53.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">•<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">They
would like a place with many sights to visit </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 70%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 53.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">•<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">They
can depart on Friday after work and they have to be back by Sunday evening.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 70%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 53.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">•<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">You
will need to calculate tickets, accommodation,
food and any other expenses they may have</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 70%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 53.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">•<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">Suggest
what they can do there e.g. visit museums, do sports, taste local food etc</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 70%;">Prepare
a powerpoint presentation and share with the class before presenting it to your
parents</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 19pt; line-height: 70%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Activity 4</span></span></b><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is taken from the <a href="http://www.disabled-accessfriendly.com/">Disabled Access Friendly</a> website and raises awareness. I have not tried it in class yet but I intend to ask my students to build a Disabled access friendly community using Microsoft Minecraft as a follow-up activity.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Show them the slide below and ask them:</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OFSt_VADxs/VdBYDbwRNEI/AAAAAAAADGw/Gt36BmZ55mw/s1600/DAF1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OFSt_VADxs/VdBYDbwRNEI/AAAAAAAADGw/Gt36BmZ55mw/s640/DAF1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Elicit ideas on </span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">why
the kitchen might be tricky</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">, and then move on to </span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">how
the kitchen could be improved</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVt1NIR_Y_s/VdBYxUJ02eI/AAAAAAAADG4/jd8X1X2Krd8/s1600/DAF2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVt1NIR_Y_s/VdBYxUJ02eI/AAAAAAAADG4/jd8X1X2Krd8/s640/DAF2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some closing thoughts <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few months after I’d
presented the projects in Manchester (IATEFL) and Seattle (E2 Microsoft
Educators), I realized how useful working on critical and creative thinking
skills with young learners is in the midst of the heightening European crisis. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">To my dismay, I saw the traditional media distorting the conditions in Greece
during the capitals control period: photos of empty shelves when all the
supermarkets were well stocked, an excessive number of pensioners fainting in front of cameras – a
good opportunity for some pensioners to get some extra money by the film crews and perform in front of an international audience.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxb9Wvc2D7w/Vc9tqq2SL2I/AAAAAAAADGE/DzyuGonquVg/s1600/Eddie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxb9Wvc2D7w/Vc9tqq2SL2I/AAAAAAAADGE/DzyuGonquVg/s640/Eddie.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">What made me even sadder was the obsession of
some colleagues from abroad to regurgitate narratives of “good” and “bad”
nations floated by the media without ever having lived in Greece. No analysis, no comparison, no effort to read
further about the issue. Just the reproduction of stereotypes and theories - most of them discredited by statistics of prestigious organizations.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Despite the impressive
abundance of data, statistics, arguments and analysis covering a wide spectrum
of stances, they adopted a superficial “black and white sheep” approach to the
issue, turning a blind eye to the consequences the crisis may have on their and their students' life- developments in one “neighbourhood” in our global
village are almost certain to affect the others. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;">It was if I could hear a flock of sheep bursting out in a
tremendous bleating “four legs good, two
legs bad” from Orwell’s “Animal Farm”. One cannot help wondering: Are these the
educators who will facilitate learning and help learners to develop their
critical thinking skills? <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Technology (the internet
in this case) has risen to the challenge of the occasion by offering
unprecedented pluralism and extensive coverage. The question raised though is: <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are we – as teachers and
citizens- ready to use our critical thinking skills to make the most of what
technology offers or are we unwilling to leave our comfort zone and settle with
oversimplified stories and approaches? </span></span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It will come as no
surprise to me if sooner or later our students turn their back on our shallow teaching
no matter how much technology we garnish it with…<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; position: relative; top: -0.5pt;"><i>Dimitris Primalis</i></span></div>
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Dimitris Primalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557161660124561737noreply@blogger.com2