I had used cassette players and then CD players, video and then DVD so as soon as I got a laptop computer I started to think how it could work for me in the classroom. Using digital tools in the classroom was a logical progression for me. My essential teaching tool kit used to be a good course book, a ball, some pictures and coloured pens but now it includes a computer and a Wi-Fi connection as well. Over the past few years, technology has gradually become a valuable part of my teaching armoury. To celebrate the launch of Project fourth edition, teacher trainer, Gareth Davies looks at three ways to make the digital world work for you in your upper primary classroom. Let’s use each other as a resource and see how many new ideas we can share on this blog. How do you use OUP digital resources? We are interested in your ideas! Please comment below how you use OUP ebooks, apps, iTools, iTutor, iWriter, and Online Practice. Just let them improvise and allow ‘silences’. It can be slow, fast, awkward at times but always surreal and hilarious, but never embarrassing for students. Students are given no time to prepare and each pair improvises their chat in front of the class in turns. The thing is that they have to use their phrase naturally in the course of the chat. They are complete strangers and bored to tears. The situation is this for each pair: They are travelling on a train to a distant destination (tell them where). You can do it the ‘hilarious way’ as an activity in itself: pick students in pairs across the table/room, or students next to each other. You nod approvingly when they do so – don’t worry, students will look at you the moment they’ve used it or even let you know loudly! You may do it the ‘responsible way’: Each student is responsible for making sure they use it during the lesson. You can do it the ‘competitive way’: the student who uses their phrase first wins. So, you need to make sure you offer some opportunities for speaking. Their task in the next lesson is to use the phrase naturally in the course of the lesson at any time. The only thing students have to do is write it down in their notebook.
We don’t know which phrase each student has chosen. For homework, students have to find a phrase based on one of the words of the lesson in their ‘phrase a day‘ app. A phrase a day app:Īt the end of the lesson, we (teacher and students) decide on the words/phrases to learn, aka ‘words of the lesson’. This activity not only helps students to develop their listening skills but also allows them to create tasks that are the right level for their peers. Some students like to give their partner feedback on the tasks e.g. They watch the clip at home and do the tasks. They then find a partner who has prepared a different clip to them and exchange tasks. I ask students to choose one clip from the unit, watch the clip at home and prepare some simple questions/true or false statements/etc. I like to get my students to prepare tasks for each other when they watch the video clips on their Headway iTutor. As children are the ones who choose the language to be used, it motivates them immensely and it helps develop their speaking skills. Once they have their dialogues, they practise them in pairs and finally act it out in front of the class. For example, I erase the words of a picture story, children look at the pictures only and in pairs/small groups they have to come up with a dialogue that matches the messages of the images. This can entirely the same as the original or they could add to it depending on their language level. One of my favourite features is the thick white pen I can use to erase the words of a text.
I love working with iTools because it allows me to make new practice activities that used to take me ages to make before the digital age. We have started asking teachers, “How do you improve language skills with e-books, apps, iTools, iTutor and online practice?” Here are some of the responses we’ve had so far.
As e-course books and educational apps become more common and as teachers begin to see the potential of online practice, they are finding innovative ways to use these tools to help motivate students and help them learn. In our recent travels, we’ve seen some amazing and creative uses of digital technologies in the classroom.
How to change language in itools 4 professional#
Professional Development Services teacher trainer, Stacey Hughes, invites you to share your ideas.
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