English Together by Hande

handegulozturk — 2023-11-19 20:27:57 UTC

I am happy to take an active role in this project. Today we started with jigsaw reading activity. As a facilitator we can promote participation of teachers, enable them to speak in English and encourage collaboration.Second, we did 4 corners activity. It was a very effective way of holding discussions about common issues in Elt. We often changed our groups while working. It was useful to share ideas with different groups. Third, we studied steps of making posters and I learned about time limits. Fourth, we did picture sequence story.It resembles to TPR. It is very effective to help sts get involved in learning steps. My students will love this technique. Lastly we talked about active listening activities. I learned that listening activities are effective to teach communicative skills.

Using Dialogues

handegulozturk — 2023-11-20 18:13:02 UTC

Today we talked about using dialogues in teaching speaking skills. Onion rings speaking activity was a good example to adapt PDC sessions as a WARMER activity. Each time we can ask teachers about their common problems or choices in teaching speaking skills. For example : Do you use realias or flashcards more often? Do you prefer telling stories or singing songs to foster productive skills? etc. By this way they can easily share their opinions. Also Guessing the common problems activity was a good way for brainstorming. We also drew a star and wrote 6 commn problems around it. Each teacher tried to find solutions by asking each other randomly. This was a good example for ENGAGE AND SHARE step. It was motivating and enjoyable.

What changes I would do in PDC sessions is that maybe we can make a SURVEY about the common problems in teaching skills. Each teacher asks other teachers about which problem they face and puts a tick into the relevant place. Then, they can rank the problems and find out which problems they face most. This can be a WARMER activity.

For discussing the problems and solutions as an ENGAGE AND SHARE activity, teachers can write six problems on colored cardboards and stick them on different walls. We can make groups of four and each group comes to the cardboard writes two solutions on the cardboards by taking turns.

For REFLECT and EVALUATE, we can use these solutions while examining a dialogue activity in a coursebook. We can make some changes in the dialogue or in the activities.

comment,Burcu

burcumss — 2023-11-20 20:56:14 UTC

Your insights from Day 1 sessions are valuable.Just a gentle reminder to carefully select

activities that align with your session objectives. It's crucial to prioritize activities based on

our goals rather than focusing solely on the activity itself. Ensure that tasks in your PDC

meetings align seamlessly with the overarching objectives.

comment from burcu

burcumss — 2023-11-20 21:06:15 UTC

Congratulations on the great takeaways from the 2nd days sessions!

Reflect on how your trainer organised this session. If you used these ideas in a PDC meeting,what would you need to prepare as a facilitator? What would your role be for each of the tasks? Which stage of a PDC meeting would this be?

handegulozturk — 2023-11-21 17:57:47 UTC

Our session was about reading. Today our trainer made us play board relay with flyswats. It was a WARMER activity. The teacher's ROLE is being a MODEL first and setting up the activity and then MONITOR the activity. If I used this activity, I would show or project pictures of classroom objects one by one and also stick the names of the objects on small papers on the board, teachers try to pick up the right paper when they see the picture. As an ENGAGE and SHARE part, our trainer asked what skills it is aimed, how we can adapt this activity to other topics, etc.

Demonstrating activities is helpful to evaluate if they are practical or not. In a PDC meeting, I would ask teachers to choose a Unit in their coursebooks and prepare a warmer activity,then present it through a poster. Finally, they can do gallery walking activity as REFLECT and Apply stage.

As a WARMER, our instructor asked us how we learned reading in the past. Then set the context about the task by showing us a photo of Leonardo Da Vinci. Then, we did Binglish Reading. I realised that reading aloud does not help students improve their reading skills. I was impressed because she raised awareness about what really reading is. It is not articulating words or pronouncing words correctly. As an ENGAGE and SHARE stage activity, we discussed which strategies we use in reading. (top down and bottom up strategy.) As a REFLECTION and SHARE activity, we chose a text from their coursebooks and prepared an activity and will present it to the class. We usually adapt activities and prepare new ones, by this way we can prepare more effective lessons, we can more easily address to their levels and interests.

As a facilitator, I would cut a story into four ,five pieces and have teachers put them into order in groups and find which group does first. (Engage and share) OR they can choose one of the titles I give them for the story. We can simplify or make harder tasks according to the level of sts.

We share our common problems through voting activities. (engage and share). We use technology like mentimeter so we can make this activity more engaging and appealing for teachers. They can also see different ways of doing a common activity.

We usually do group activity and evaluate activities according to some questions. This stage is REFLECT and Evaluate. We usually discuss it in a short time when the bell rings we stop and pass to the other activity. It becomes more enjoyable for us. I would use this technique and also I would prepare small cards and draw smiling and sad face on them and have teachers show one of them .(if they liked the activity or not) ,then we can choose the best one.

We made brain storming about what strategies we use to teach Spelling .We made a small competition. As a facilitator, I would use such competitions as a warmer.

We learned Look, Say and Cover activity to teach spelling. As a facilitator, we should introduce interesting techniques and help teachers to find such activities for their students to increase their motivation and interest.

Classroom management aspects and decide on one topic to apply as a Pdc session in your district. Decide on the aspects that you find useful for your classes.

handegulozturk — 2023-11-23 18:33:45 UTC

From this session, I learned many important techniques and strategies about classroom management and assessment. As far as I observe in my school in which I am working, teachers' responses to management problems are not always in a calm way, they may shout and speak louder... I think that it would be a great idea to talk about brain breaks, classroom cantracts, settling and stir activities, organising movements in the activities, symbolic awards, etc. We should find long term solutions in stead of just shouting.
Also I observe that there is a lack of variety in terms of materials,types of activities, using web 2 tools, etc. Also we should add creativity and variety to our lessons by using drama, arts,crafts , physical competitions,social and sportive events, etc. Then our students will be more active and happy. By this way we can lessen our management problems.
I also observe an other problem about classroom management. In a classroom there are some students with attention problems. They can not show their real talents. Then they become bored and always disturb other students. I think we should handle this problem. How can we adapt our activities to these students and make sure that these students are also actively participating to our lessons? Maybe it would be good idea to have a PDC session about it.
From the aspects we talked about classroom management, I would choose the problems and solutions about pair or group activities in which sts have to speak in English. It would be a good idea to handle a PDC session about it. We can mention how to put sts in groups by using coloured sticks,ponpons or hats. Using charts like What? With who? and What time?. Giving clear and short istructions and demonstrating them. Using symbolic awards, writing clues or prompts on the board when they have difficulty in using English. We can use phrases like: Macaroni and cheese everybody freeze. These would be helpful for teachers.
As I work with young learners, their attention spans are short, it will be very useful to use brainbreaks: I learned they are quick structured activites and have different types (physical or calming minds, sensory ones),we should decide how often and when to use them according to the lenght of the lesson, age group, I can use them as a fun award or as a transition from one activity to another. As a facilitator we can also use them in our sessions.
We learned stir and settle activities and I realized their importance in primary levels. My students sometimes enjoy learning by moving, role plays,singing, dancing, competitions etc. And sometimes they want to write down on their notebooks, draw and color or listen to a story etc. Thats why I should use stir and sette activities in a balanced way. I will also use bauncy balls application and telephone whispers activity to calm my sts down. I will also continue using small boards in my activities.Moreover, I will stick the classroom cantract poster on the wall. I will organise any kinds of movement to ensure security by using chairs or penguin walk, etc.

handegulozturk — 2023-11-24 21:55:13 UTC

As a facilitator, I would use a warm up activity for assessment. Firstly, I would hide the letters written on small pieces of paper. The teacher who finds a letter sticks it on the board when all of the letters are found, the teachers try to find the word.

As an ENGAGE AND SHARE activity, the facilitator prepares five papers and writes assessing writing, assessing reading, assessing speaking, assessing listening, assessing vocabulary and assessing grammar. Then in groups of four or five, teachers write one problem and one solution for each topic. Then, each group passes to the next paper one solution and one problem to the next paper. It continues until all the groups finish writing on all of the papers. Then, each group reads the ideas on the papers and gives stars to the ones they like the most

As REFLECT and SHARE stage, facilitator gives the outcomes that the Ministry of Education asks teachers to evaluate. Teachers working groups of four or five designs an assessment tool for the relevant outcome. When they finish, they present their ideas to the other groups. For the teachers who have no experience, it is important to form groups including one or two more experienced teachers in each group. In PDC meetings it is important to cooperate and collaborate. So, creating groups with mixed levels of experienced teachers will be a good idea. As we always say : Sharing is Caring.
Sometimes experienced teachers get bored so we can make separe groups. Experienced teachers can make discussion stations while less experienced teachers can do jigsaw reading, matching etc for engage and share.
For reflect and evaluate, experienced teachers can prepare an assessment tool or a lesson plan while less experienced teachers can design a teaching activity.