My Odyssey by zehra kayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6 Zehra Kayaalp' s learning experience en-us 2022-06-20 09:22:03 UTC 2022-06-28 10:13:55 UTC hello@padlet.com Day 1 zehrakayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2225606663 2022-06-20 09:30:57 UTC https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2225606663 Day 2- Listening zehrakayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2227108252 1-Using listening materials and activities in  coursebook vs. authentic listening materials or a combination of the two

I believe coursebook materials and authentic materials go hand in hand. Listening activities in the coursebook are prepared beforehand.They are ready materials for teachers to use in the class.They are practical.However, some listening texts in the coursebook may not be suitable for the level of the students.They are generally recorded by the same people  and the clarity, speed, level  or mood may become hard and monotonous for the students.
By helping learners to understand authentic language with different accents and dialect, we are giving them a huge advantage in the real world.With this high-tech times, authentic listening material can be easily found online and teachers can adapt them according to their students' needs.News websites, Youtube videos ( Ted talks etc),Podcasts, radio programs are examples to some authentic materials. The use of authentic materials will both create challenges for the students and introduce them different topics and cultures.
To sum up, I think, not all coursebook listenings are bad.Teachers can use the appropriate ones and support their lessons with authentic materials when needed.

2- Ideas about developing more active listening skills in today's sessions would be appropriate and useful in my classrooms?
After today's listening session, I realized that I myself should use and make my students use  active listening more because active listening is a critical part of the learning.Attentive learning, pausing, reflecting, sharing allow students to take the responsibility of their own learning.I must confess that I have ignored listening for my lower level students and most of the time I translated the audio text for them or just showed the text.However,after today's session  I realized that with the differentiating  I can carry out  active listening with all students from different levels and there are more ways to do active listening. "The parasite game, Who ...memory game" can be enjoyable listening activities for my students.Useful websites such as eslvideos, braekingnews, talkenglish... can help as well.]]> 2022-06-21 19:48:05 UTC https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2227108252 Day 3- Speaking zehrakayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2228192470 1-What do you consider the most common problem in your district related to teaching speaking in language classes?
I believe learners’ personalities and attitudes to the learning such as  fear of making mistakes, losing face, criticism, shyness are the most common problem in my district. Monther tonque use is also a common problem in speaking the target language.

2-Do you think the ideas or suggestions you have taken away from today can help you cope with that particular problem?
Yes , I think they will help.After today's session I have realized that there are many ways of giving effective feedbacks. For example a comment on Flipgrid video for shy students, peer comments and evaluations will be good for my students. Favorite item talk with 5 people also can be useful for my students with that kind of problem.Each time they talk to a new person they will make less mistakes and this will encourage them more to speak English.
]]> 2022-06-22 21:34:32 UTC https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2228192470 Day 4- Reading zehrakayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2228995525 1-How would you differentiate a reading task from Grade 9 coursebook for a mixed ability classroom? Please include the reading text and the tasks with your ideas for differentiation.
I could differentiate the reading text by designing activities for groups of students with various levels. I can verbally and visually explain the topic using videos, drawings, diagrams  and then  I can divide students into mixed reading groups to work on the text. Lower level students can work on easier tasks such as matching or easy comprehension questions while high level students  work on more challenging tasks that requires evaluating or creating.
Also, I can differentiate the reading text according to the learning styles of the students. I can provide audio version of the text for audio learners, text and pictures for the visual learners and an interactive online work for kinesthetic learners.
Using Think-Pair-Share strategy  can help build confidence with students who are often shy or reluctant to talk in front of the class.

2- Which idea from today's session do you think your colleagues in your context would find the most useful to solve common problems in teaching reading?
I guess my colleagues would find the pre-reading tasks as the most useful together with differentiating them. As the pre-reading is the most important part of the reading different ideas would be good.]]> 2022-06-23 15:36:13 UTC https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2228995525 Day 5- Writing zehrakayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2230382185 1-What idea/approach about writing instruction do you think would be the  most useful/appropriate in your local context?
Writing is one of the skills that's generally overlooked. Many teachers in my local context find writing tasks as a challenging skill because students aren't good at writing and teachers focus on accuracy.However, through some approaches it can be done effectively. Product, process  and snack writings can be used during writing tasks. Teachers can start with a snack writing such as commenting and reacting to a question, prompt presented by teacher.Then teachers can give a model text and ask students to write a similar text.After checking for accuracy teacher will give feedback to students. There is also process writing and I think students will be more interested in this as they will write more freely without worrying about their mistakes. Brainstorming for ideas will help and through self and peer corrections they will write the perfect version of their texts.
As a differentiation teacher can give job cards to group members according to their levels students such as one student will check the punctuation, one will look for spelling errors, one will check grammar mistakes.

2-What do you think your colleagues would be most interested in exploring in a PDC meeting focusing on writing?
I think my colleagues in PDC meeting would be interested in snack writing idea and onion rings warm up activity because they can do writing activities during the class time instead of giving it as homework.





]]> 2022-06-25 17:46:42 UTC https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2230382185 Day 6- Grammar zehrakayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2230384552 1-What ideas from the grammar session do you think would be most useful and appropriate in language classroom in your area? Why ?
For effective communication learners need  grammar skills. Generally, grammar is thought explicitly in high schools with Present, practice and produce approach. In today's lesson I think I can teach grammar implicitly more often and I think it will be  more effective. During grammar teaching I realize  that I have never paid attention the correct usage of concept checking questions.I should choose a text, a dialogue...etc with a high frequency of instances of the targeted grammar structure to teach the structure implicitily.For digitalisation students can work on a model dialogue with the target structure and add it on plotagon.Stronger students can adapt the dialogue and weaker students can check the pronunciation of the structure.

2-What issues about grammar instruction do you think your colleagues would want to discuss in PDC meeting? Which one do you think should be prioritised and why ?
I think they would want to discuss the implicit teaching as they find it more difficult. My colleagues would defend explicit teaching of grammar as they find it more applicable and saving time would be their priority.I believe instead of isolated sentences, implicit teaching of grammar should be prioritised as teaching grammar in context provides a meaningful framework that connects to reality in the targeted language.

]]> 2022-06-25 17:56:42 UTC https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2230384552 Day 6- Vocabulary zehrakayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2230384589 1-What do you think is the most effective vocabulary teaching suggestion in today's session for language classroom in your area? Why?
For effective vocabulary learning I'm of the opinion that word itself isn't enough.We should provide several different versions of a word’s definition such as  the word class, meaning, synonyms and antonyms, collocation, spelling...of the word to make it more rememberable.
To digitilaze the game Educaplay.com can be used and for differentiaton easy and hard question wlll be selected.

2-How can you make use of vocabulary notebooks in your classroom? What details would ask your students to include in those notebooks?Why?
Students generally ask teacher how they can improve thier vocabulary.Vocabulary notebooks are good ideas while learning the target language.Instead of dictionary definitions I would ask my students to use the vocabulary in context.Their notebooks can include the definition, example sentences, different uses, translations, a picture for visual learners, and anything else students think would help them. to remember.]]> 2022-06-25 17:56:52 UTC https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2230384589 Day 7- Assessment zehrakayaalp https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2230792767 1-What do you consider the greatest benefit of being in a PDC for teachers of English in your local context?
In my opinion I'm lucky for being one of the   PDC teacher as the training here  provides us with a chance to meet colleagues from different parts of Turkey and discuss stimulating new ideas. One of the greatest benefit is I can reflect on my teaching experiences and benefit from experiences of my colleagues as we generally share the same problems in teaching the language.In this way I can make learning language more effective for my students.
2-How do you plan to benefit from the networks you have built throughout the training when you establish a PDC in your area?
I think what I will benefit is that I can reflect on my teaching experiences and benefit from experiences of my colleagues as we generally share the same problems in teaching the language. Teachers in this PDC training are enthusiastic and volunteer helping other teachers and sharing their experiences.When I establish my PDS in my area I can contact them, ask for help when I need. We can discuss and share ideas, make plans together for our PDCs.
3-How do you expect the PDC sessions in the programme would help you deal with possible problems about planning and conducting PDCs in your teaching context?
PDC sessions have raised my awareness on reflection I have become more reflective of myself. Differentiating is one of the possible problems and PDC sessions in the programme would help me with that the acquisition of specific language skills to groups of students with different levels ]]> 2022-06-26 21:08:39 UTC https://padlet.com/zehrakayaalp/cdqm727ikzb08fc6/wish/2230792767