Shaping the way we teach webinars, presented by Elena Rusu at the ETRC

1. Summarizing WebinarsShaping our way to teach

2. BYTHE END OF THIS SEMINAR, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO: i.Define and distinguish between ice breakers and warm ups ii.List the reasons for using ice breakers and warm ups iii.Identify best practices, including when and how to use activities with teens iv.Create a list of some examples PBL

3. According to brain-based learning theory, we learn better when we are relaxed The human brain functions more effectively and at a higher level when stress is reduced

4. Theory 1: Activity is learning Theory 2: Learning involves the whole body/mind Theory 3: Learning is shared

5. Ice breakers are a way for learners to get to know each other

6. ICEBREAKERS Must Enable students to get to know each other Allow for plenty of communication Should Be easy activities with few rules Be fun! Can Be loud or quiet activities Use speaking, listening, reading and/or writing Be separate from lesson Involve mother tongue

7. Examples Question swamp Find someone who… Picture me Line up Ball toss

8. WARM UPS •Set the tone for the lesson •Focus learners on the class •Activate learners’ schema •Introduce topic for the day •Provide structure to lesson •Create autonomy

9. WARM UPS Must be In English Should be Kept under 10 minutes Easy activities with few rules Connected to the lesson Communicative Can be Loud or quiet activities Speaking and listening or reading and writing

10. WHEN DO WARM UPS? At the beginning of any class To give the students a break Before starting a new topic or grammar point To wake up sleepy students

11. Examples Circulating story Listening for a song Reading for a story Sentence completion Who am I? Simon says What do these objects have in common?

13. 12-14 years •Natural egoism •Emotional and melodramatic •Extreme physical changes •Sensitive to appearance •Want to belong to the “pack” •Influenced by peers and fads •Wavering between independence and need for security •Think they have “figured things out” •Strive to create a “system” to analyze what they see •Test hypotheses and think critically about abstract ideas and concepts •Strong opinions •See things in black and white

14. 14-17 years •Physically mature •Able to work independently •Good planners and can manage group work without much supervision •Less reliant on the group for support •More focus on individual relationships •Stronger sense of place in society •Aware of the opposite sex and begin to mix groups (girls and boys) •Understand there is not only one answer to every question and not everything is black and white

15. APPROACH TO TEACHING TEENS Engage teens by creating language awareness activities which foster an understanding of, and an interest in, how language function. Encourage students to become precise critical thinkers and to link their language study to other areas of their education. Promote group work and collaborative learning through class projects. (LEWIS, 2007)

16. 12 things to keep in mind Bring (pop) music into the classroom 2.Find cool, up-to-date topics 3.Use group work 4.Use role-play activities 5.Encourage learner autonomy 6.Find ways to bring in students’ outside interests 7.Liven up your class with variety and humor 8.Give students a chance to move around 9.Use effective classroom management 10.Use of mother tongue strategically 11.Use games and competition 12.Use project work

17. PUTTING THE LEARNER AT THE CENTER (LEWIS, 2007) Take an interest in your students’ lives:“Teenagers, especially younger ones, are the center of their own attention. Ask questions about the student. How do they feel? What do they think?” Encourage students to be honest and candid:“Afford opportunities for students to express their opinions.” Make students responsible for their actions:“Teenagers strive to be independent. They want more responsibility. Grant this and all the rights and obligations it implies, but hold students accountable for both their work and their behavior.” Get students involved in setting class goals:“Negotiate the syllabus with your students. Allow students to make suggestions about how to conduct activities… Give students choices.”

18. Examples of activities The director’s cut Sample Dialogue Real life communication Personal stories Non-verbal storytelling Digital stories Teacher for a day Project based instruction

19. BENEFITS OF PBL Enabling students to make and see connections between disciplines Providing opportunities to contribute to their school or community Increasing self-esteem. (Jobs for the Future, n.d.) Allowing children to use their individual learning strengths and diverse approaches to learning(Thomas, 1998) Providing a practical, real-world way to learn to use technology (Kadel, 1999; Moursund, Bielefeldt, & Underwood, 1997).

20. BENEFITS OF PBL Enabling students to make and see connections between disciplines Providing opportunities to contribute to their school or community Increasing self-esteem. (Jobs for the Future, n.d.) Allowing children to use their individual learning strengths and diverse approaches to learning(Thomas, 1998) Providing a practical, real-world way to learn to use technology (Kadel, 1999; Moursund, Bielefeldt, & Underwood, 1997).

21. Develops 21st-Century Skills Collaboration Problem solving Negotiating Critical thinking Digital literacy Global awareness Adaptability/self-direction

22. Sources of Feedback 1.Teacher: teacher gives summative and formative feedback. 2.Peer: students give each other feedback about content and form. 3. Self: students reflect on what they did, what went well and what they might change

23. Thank you for your attention