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TOPIC 1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic 1, you will be able to:
identify the language skills and language content taught in the Malaysian
primary classrooms;
learning;
examine and talk about integration of language skills and language content in
LISTENING
Teaching Productive Skills
Introduction
There are four basic skills in any language; receptive skills- reading and listening,
and productive skills- speaking and writing. All are equally important and whenever
possible we should try to incorporate all of them into our lessons if we want to have a
balanced approach. Often we will want to focus more on one particular skill but still
bring others in to create an " integrated "skills lesson.
In this part I will focus more on productive skills; speaking and writing. While
speaking and writing are substantially different in many ways, they both are used for
the same purpose- to communicate.
In many ways writing is the most neglected skill in the TEFL world " teaching
English as a foreign language", as many teachers don't like to see the classroom
hours devoted to what is often 'quiet time'. Writing, therefore, is often relegated to
homework, which in turn is frequently not done so the skill is never developed. It is
true that most students prefer to focus on their speaking skills but this doesn't mean
that writing should be ignored. In many ways writing is the more difficult skill,
requiring a greater degree of accuracy. When speaking, any misunderstanding can
be cleared up' on the spot', whereas this is not possible in writing. Speaking, on the
other hand, requires a greater degree of fluency as the speaker will rarely have time
to think and plan an answer.
Communication between people is a very complex and ever changing thing. But
there are generalizations that we can make which have particular relevance for the
teaching and learning of languages.
When two or more people are communicating with each other, we can be sure they
are doing so for one of the following reasons:
They have some communicative purpose
They want to say something
They want to listen to something
They are interested in what is being said.
Therefore, if a teacher wishes to introduce a communicative activity to the students,
he or she should bring in a number of the mentioned factors. The teacher must
create the need and desire, in the students, to communicate. If these factors are not
present, it is far less likely that the activity will be the success the teacher had
envisaged. If the students don't see the point in doing something, they're far less
likely to want to participate.
What is the difference between accuracy and fluency activities?
Accuracy activities are concentrated on producing correct language. Such activities
are usually controlled to ensure accurate reproduction of language.
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Seeking clarification
Listening for the gist
Developing test-taking strategies for listening
Activity
With a partner/group, look at the strategies given on the handout to you
(or the one you have selected). Briefly plan how you might teach these
strategies to students.
Report back to the whole group on at least two of the activities.
SPEAKING
How to teach speaking?
Which of the four skills (l-s-r-w) do you find to be the hardest?
Unlike Reading or writing, speaking happens in real time.
When you speak, you cannot edit and revise what you wish to say, as you can
if you are writing. (Nunan 2003)
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What is speaking?
Productive Skill
Some differences between written and spoken language
Activities
Information gap
Jigsawactivities
Role-plays
Simulations
The teacher must try to overcome these hurdles and encourage student interaction.
The aim should be to create a comfortable atmosphere, where students are not
afraid to speak or make mistakes, and enjoy communicating with the teacher and
their fellow students.
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Ensure that students know WHY they are doing the drill
Limit the drill to phonological/grammatical points
Ensure that they lead to a communicative goal
DONT OVERUSE THEM
READING
How do we read?
Some assumptions about reading:
The nature of reading
Reading aloud
Silent reading
Manner
Silent
Speed
Usually slow
Usually fast
Purpose
Usually to share
information
Skills involved
Pronunciation and
intonation
Activity type
Collective activity
Individual activity
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Management in
the classroom
read silently;
concentrate on the important bits, skim the rest, and skip the
insignificant parts;
guess the meaning of new words from the context, or ignore them;
What do we read?
Calendars
Magazines
Addresses
Graffiti on walls
Radio/TV guides
Phone books
Childrens scribbling
Advertisements
Name cards
Informa1 letters
Posters
Bank statements
Business letters
Travel guides
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Credit cards
Cookbooks
Maps
Electronic mail
Repair manuals
Anecdotes
Telegrams
Memos
Weather forecast
Fax messages
Time schedules
Pamphlets
Junk mail
Street signs
Product labels
Postcards
Syllabi
Washing instructions
Credit cards
Journal articles
Short stories
Comic books
Song lyrics
Novels
Newspapers
Film subtitles
Plays
Diplomas
Diagrams
Poems
Application forms
Flowcharts
Handbooks
Store catalogues
Name tags
(adapted from Gebhard 1996:189)
Besides authentic texts, ESL/EFL textbooks also employ a lot of nonauthentic texts, i.e. simulated text. Simulated texts are aimed for
beginner students who are probably not able to handle genuine
authentic text. It is believed that the reading of such texts will help
students to acquire the necessary receptive skills they will need when
they eventually come to tackle authentic materials (Harmer, 1983).
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Understanding references;
Making inferences.
Tasks should be designed to encourage reading for the main meaning rather
than test the students understanding of trivial details.
Tasks should help develop students reading skills and strategies rather than
test their reading comprehension.
Teachers should help the students to read on their own, so that they
eventually become independent readers.
This model of teaching reading is based on the theory in which reading (and
listening, too) is regarded as a process of decoding, which moves from the
bottom to the top of the system of language.
In the Top-down Model, not only linguistic knowledge but also background
knowledge is involved in reading.
Therefore, it is believed that in teaching reading, the teacher should teach the
background knowledge first, so that students equipped with such knowledge
will be able to guess meaning from the printed page.
and at the same time, interprets or reconstructs the meaning that the writer
had in mind when he wrote the text. This process does not only involve the
printed page but also the readers knowledge of the language in general, of
the world, and of the text types.
WRITING
Spelling
Incorrect spelling can not only create misunderstandings but also can often
be perceived, by the reader, to reflect a lack of education. Spelling in English
is very difficult by the fact that many words that are pronounced the same are
written differently and some words are written the same but pronounced
differently.
A single sound in English can be written in many different ways, because it is
not a phonetic language. As teachers, we need to drag the students' attention
to the different ways of pronouncing the same letters and have them do
exercises to discover the rules. Spelling differences between English and
American English plus the new kind of 'slang' emerging through the internet
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and e-mail- don't exactly help either. One of the best ways to help students
with spelling is through extensive reading.
To help students learn different layouts of writing, they need to be exposed to,
and be given the chance to practice with many different styles. After
completing a piece of written work, they get to check it over for grammar,
vocabulary usage as well as punctuation and spelling. As with speaking
activities, students will often require planning time for written work.
Creative writing
Integration on the language skills and language content, language arts and
educational emphases
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Activity 1: Answer cultural question and introduce rational for Integrated skills .
Discuss with your partner before you write down your answers.
Question: Is the capital of Australia Sydney, Canberra or Melbourne?
Which skills do you use to answer the question?
Reading, listening, speaking, writing, thinking, researching, interacting.
Activity 2: Discussion
Why do we teach Integrated Skills?
Because it is closer to real life communication or It is a more realistic way of
learning a language.
Situation
Discussing a
magazine article
with a friend
Attending a
lecture
Riding a bicycle
on your own
Ordering a meal
in a restaurant
listening
speaking
reading
writing
Type of medium
Oral
Written
Receptive Skill
Listening
Reading
to
to
Productive Skills
Speaking
Writing
Complex integration
This involves constructing a series of activities that use a variety of skills. In each of
the activities, there is realistic, communicative use of language.
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Language skills are most effectively learned in context and emerge most
naturally in purposeful, language-rich, experiential, interdisciplinary study.
Practices Associated with this Principle
Every teacher teaches content (i.e. there are no stand-alone ESL classes)
have multiple opportunities to interact with one another using oral language
(both English and native languages) to discuss content
.
provide support for students to develop the necessary vocabulary and language
structures. These are acquired through multiple opportunities to apply them in
conversations and activities (redundancy). Grammar is taught in the context of
learning content (e.g. the past tense is taught because students need to discuss
something that happened in the past for a particular project). Language is not taught
as a goal in and of itself, but as a means to improve understanding of the content.
Collaborative structures of the classroom can also be useful for students who need
native language support to grasp the content. Through small group discussions,
students have the opportunity to first comprehend the content in their native
language (thereby developing their native language) before needing to articulate
their understanding (through discussions, projects, presentations) in English.
Research indicates that content knowledge in one language transfers to another, and
that developing students native languages supports growth in English.
Collaboration among teachers also supports students in developing their language
skills. An interdisciplinary project centered on a common theme helps to broaden
students understanding of the content, providing them with more opportunities to
use language to explain that content. Moreover, the vocabulary and language
structures needed to access that content are often reinforced in several classes
when students are engaged in interdisciplinary study, enhancing their ability to use
the language structures and vocabulary in multiple contexts (DeFazio, T., Dunetz, N.,
Hirschy, D. (1993).
Language Arts
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Integrating the language arts means providing natural learning situations in which
reading, writing, speaking, and listening can be developed together for real purposes
and real audiences. It is a counterpart in the elementary school for the "languageacross-the-curriculum" movement among high school and college teachers. Because
such a high proportion of elementary classrooms are self-contained, with the
individual teacher responsible for language arts as well as for most of the rest of the
curriculum, the term "integration" seems appropriate to describe elementary school
practice.
In the 1960s and 1970s, partly in response to the success of the integrated day
curriculum in Great Britain, the claims of the many advocates of language arts
integration began to be supported by an increasing body of respected research.
During this same period, however, a counter trend developed, namely, an
intensification of the conventional "subskills" approach to language arts instruction.
In this approach, processes such as reading and writing are segmented into tiny
components that are taught and tested as discrete units, discouraging efforts to
teach the language arts in a holistic and natural way--to integrate them.
Language arts integration can be considered in three different ways: The most
common understanding of integration is learning each of the language arts in terms
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of the others. Reading is learned through appropriate oral and written activities;
writing is learned by attending to reading as a writer would -- composing orally,
reading drafts to peers, and engaging in related activities; and oral language is
learned in the context of rich opportunities for receiving and producing written
language. The second concept of integration is implied in the first: each language
mode is an integrated whole, not a set of isolated, minute components. Finally,
integration may involve the development of language while learning other content
areas, such as social studies, science, or math, as in the "language-across- thecurriculum" model.
Two decades of research in diverse fields have led to a new understanding of a far
more complex relationship between thought and language than that characterized by
earlier behaviourist models of language and literacy acquisition. For example, John
Mellon (1983) notes that children beginning school have already successfully
learned many word-order principles, semantic relationships, sentence-combining
transformations, and lexical feature systems. The fact that this human competence
grows as language used for real purposes--without formal coaching, drill, intensive
corrective feedback, or direct instruction--suggests that school language programs
might best emphasize the use of language in meaningful contexts.
At least three types of research support learning languages through use: first
language acquisition, emergent literacy, and effective classroom experiences.
Studies of first language acquisition of pre-schoolers demonstrate that children learn
to use language not primarily as passive imitators, but as active agents constructing
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their own coherent views of the world. Children form hypotheses to try them out in
natural contexts such as when a four-year-old puts all past tense verbs into a regular
pattern (e.g., cutted, eated, goed) even after having previously used the irregular
forms correctly (cut, ate, went). Many psycholinguists explain such phenomena by
positing that infants are born "wired" to seek meaning and generalizable patterns in
their language-saturated milieu. When they discover a pattern, they try to extend it.
Major studies in emergent literacy have documented a similar search for pattern and
meaning among preschoolers as they begin to pay attention to print. Even as young
as two years old, a child can become aware of the difference between a written story
and an oral narrative. Scollen and Scollen (1981) documented their daughter
Rachel's transition from an informal oral account of her experiences to her "reading"
of her own scribbles as "Once upon a time there was a girl named Rachel...." When
children first create scribbles, they expect them to carry meaning, as Marie Clay
(1975) noted in her observations of children who, assuming that any adult should be
able to read, asked her to "read" what they had "written" (i.e., scribbles). Thus, even
before children are literate, they generate hypotheses about how written language is
supposed to work. Charles Read's (1971) and Glenda Bissex's (1980) observations
of children's development of invented spelling also support the belief that a child
learns language in natural contexts for the child's own purposes.
Classroom-based research--longitudinal, ethnographic, case study, and classic
control-group comparisons of student performance under various instructional
conditions--also supports integration of the language arts. Donald Graves's and Lucy
Calkins's case studies of writing show the energizing effect of oral interaction
surrounding literacy events. Graves (1983) has convincingly demonstrated that
children who are writing instead of going through a basal reader are learning to read
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at least as well as the other children and at the same time are learning to write.
Numerous other studies (King and Rentel, 1980, Clay, 1982) demonstrate that
development of writing and reading are rooted in oral language.
Teachers have long been aware of the usefulness of oral prereading activities, such
as Directed Reading Thinking Activities (DRTA), to generate questions prior to
reading. This strategy has helped children learn to predict and thus read more
efficiently. Teachers who have participated in Writing Projects have seen how writing
can be used as an effective prereading activity, just as reading can be a powerful
prewriting tool. Oral language throughout both reading and writing helps children
maintain focus and interest. George Hillock's (1984) meta-analysis of studies that
compare strategies in writing instruction also demonstrates the value of integrating
the language arts.
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Learning information about some aspect of language is not the same as developing
language abilities, nor are drills, exercises, or workbooks a substitute for the acts of
listening, speaking, reading, or writing in real communication settings. A good way to
integrate the language arts is to focus on something else--the study of flight, or cats,
or the water cycle, or energy-giving foods, or Boston in 1773, for example. If the goal
is to experience a particular piece of literature, then the teacher should set up
different ways of understanding that work through listening, speaking, reading and
writing. For example, James Lincoln Collier's MY BROTHER SAM IS DEAD can be
explored through a drama on the Boston Common in December 1773, involving the
class in role-playing, pantomime, and diary writing.
When focusing on something other than language, the teacher needs to provide an
environment rich with resources for making language connections. For example, a
kindergarten teacher can provide opportunities to see print in context by labeling the
objects in the classroom. In the primary grades natural occasions for reading and
writing occur with the daily schedule, charts of classroom task monitors, or lists of
the names and addresses of the class. The language experience approach to
reading integrates the language arts in a way that improves not only reading but
writing as well, because children see the purpose of both. Diaries, learning journals,
records of observations-- all will prepare children for later science lab reports. As
children write true and invented stories, using almost anything inside or outside the
classroom as a stimulus, they develop language fluency.
Also promoting integrated language learning are small group tasks, such as
generating a list of questions for research, responding to first drafts of writing,
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discussing the meaning of stories or poems, deciding how to prepare a group report,
editing one another's work for publication, and planning a readers theatre or other
type of rehearsed reading.
School environments for integrated learning must be safe and structured, with ample
opportunities for long periods of reading, writing, and carrying on task- or topicoriented conversations in the classroom. Teachers can serve as models by engaging
in all of these activities with their students. Children can learn subskills efficiently
within meaningful interactions with others and with print. Their understandings of the
language arts become integrated through processes that are themselves wholes
rather than fragments.
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reconsidering text when meaning is unclear; issues related to reading in the content
areas (e.g., the relationship between reading comprehension and content area
learning); and strategies for helping readers with particular reading difficulties.
Understand writing as a process of constructing meaning.
Includes factors affecting writers construction of meaning through strategies for
prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and/or proofreading; consideration of audience,
purpose and occasion to guide topic selection, formal text elements, and strategies
for composing; an understanding of ways to identify and analyze text errors;
recognition of the relationship of error to growth and learning; strategies for fostering
text editing skills in the context of a students own writing; and techniques for helping
writers evaluate, share, maintain, display, and publish their writing.
Understand the use of writing as a means for learning.
Includes strategies for the use of writing to engage and explore ideas, access
memories, record information, rehearse language, and analyze reading; the use of
writing for learning in content area classes; the use of writing-to-learn activities (e.g.,
notes, reading logs, clustering, journals) as a means of gathering and generating
material for formal texts; and the relationship of writing-to-learn activities and the
improvement of both content area learning and formal written expression.
Understand composing strategies for and uses of expressive, literary, and
transactional writing.
Includes knowledge of organizational and stylistic principles; an understanding of the
differences among literary, expressive, and transactional forms of writing (e.g.,
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journals, letters, personal writing, poems, plays, stories, reports, essay exams); the
ability to determine the writing form that best suits the objective of the writer and the
requirements of the writing situation; techniques for gathering background
information (e.g., research resources, interviews, observation, personal experience,
peer interaction, mapping, and webbing); and strategies for using various forms and
purposes for writing in the content areas.
Organize, develop, and write an essay applying select theory and practice in
language arts.
LISTENING AND SPEAKING
Understand listening as a process that enables a person to receive and
interpret messages.
Includes characteristics and principles of the steps in the listening process, such as
perceiving and discriminating, attending, assigning meaning, evaluating, responding,
and remembering; and recognizing the distinction between hearing and listening.
Understand listening strategies for the development of meaning in oral
communication.
Includes the distinction between verbal and nonverbal communication; recognition of
emotional and aesthetic meaning; characteristics of listening behavior; different
objectives for listening (e.g., listening for valid and invalid inferences); ways to
promote a supportive communication environment; techniques to aid in the retention
of messages; and strategies for modeling good listening behavior.
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TASKS:
1. Compare and contrast the thematic approach in KBSR and the modular
framework in KSSR syllabus.
2. Review and design activities with focus on techniques and ideas from Years 1
3 relevant to LTP.
3. Discuss the techniques and ideas from Years 1 3 relevant to LTP that can
be used in the teaching of language arts.
4. Discuss and present ways to integrate vocabularyand language skills, and
gramar and language skills in the classroom.
TOPIC 2
SCHEME OF WORK
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LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic 2, you will be able to:
specifications
Discuss how the four language skills could be integrated in a lesson
Prepare a SoW according to the format integrating the four language skills
Objectives or Outcomes
Methods of delivery (student and teacher activity)
Assessment strategies
Resources
Other Remarks
A scheme of work is a plan that defines work to be done in the classroom. Involving
learners in defining a scheme of work, whether for a short project or a long course, is
an important step towards motivation and involvement.
A scheme of work defines the structure and content of a course. It maps out clearly
how resources (e.g. books, equipment, time) and class activities (e.g. teacher-talk,
group work, practicals, discussions) and assessment strategies (e.g. tests, quizzes,
Q&A, homework) will be used to ensure that the learning aims and objectives of the
course are met. It will normally include times and dates. The scheme of work is
usually an interpretation of a specification or syllabus and can be used as a guide
throughout the course to monitor progress against the original plan. Schemes of
work can be shared with students so that they have an overview of their course.
When designing a scheme of work, there are a number of factors that should be
taken into consideration. The following questions may help you to focus your
thoughts.
THE STARTING POINTS
Is there a syllabus?
THE RECIPE
Check if your place of work has a proforma. They may have a special way
they like the schemes of work to be laid out, and/or have a template available. This
will make your life easier.
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2.
left by your predecessor, but if one isn't available, look at a colleague's scheme of
work.
3.
and put a table in it, or create a spreadsheet. Give yourself 5 columns: Date,
Lesson content, Key Skills (if it's embedded), Resources, and Assessment
4.
Begin by breaking down the year into chunks. How many modules do you
need to teach? Three modules breaks down nicely into one module per term. Allow
yourself a couple of weeks at the end for revision and assessment - or games. Allow
a week at the start for introductory stuff.
5.
Within each module, break down into further chunks. E.g. you might
break down a Sociology module on The Family into the following chunks:
* Marriage & Divorce
* Births & childhood
* Domestic abuse
* History of the family
* Marxist viewpoints
* Feminist viewpoints
* Functional viewpoints.6
6.
Decide how long you'll need for each of these chunks. If the above
module is lasting one term, then you'd have about 2-3 weeks per chunk.
7.
Now within each chunk, decide what lessons you could do. Try to offer a
variety of practical, theoretical, group work, single work, and teacher-led work. For
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Do this for every chunk, and for every module, and fill in the bare bones
Now think about what resources you'll need. Textbooks? Large paper and
- Application of number
- Communication
- ICT
and these may have to be embedded into your curriculum. in the Family example,
looking at the official statistics can count as Application of number, any discussions
or essay work can count as Communication, and using the computers is your ICT.
11.
Don't forget that you are trying to promote equality and diversity
through your teaching, and include how you will do that across the sessions
on your course (e.g. cross-cultural case studies; balanced examples from various
cultures, including disabled people and a balance of genders).
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12.
The assessment column can be filled with how you will know, after each
lesson, that the information has sunk in. This may be through Q&A, written tests,
by reading their posters, or by listening in to their conversations.
Active learning works. Research shows that active learning is by far the
best for recall, student enjoyment, deep learning (full understanding), and for
correcting the learners misunderstandings.
Teams share best practice so the best teaching methods are available to all
It stores best practice. Good teachers who leave the college leave behind
their methods for others to benefit from and enjoy.
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Tasks:
1 Create and present mind maps or other Graphic Organiser to show the
organization of the English Language syllabus. Match appropriate
curriculum specifications to the syllabus items.
2 Compare and contrast samples of SoW.
3 Assess and rectify a flawed scheme of work.
4 Design a scheme of work for a year; a semester and a week.
TOPIC 3
LESSON PLANNING
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic 3, you will be able to:
use of language.
State the frameworks of the lesson for teaching the language skills and
language arts
Discuss how the four language skills could be integrated in a lesson
Identify at least five parts of the flowering plant using the diagram provided
Draw a labelled diagram of the U shaped valley using the materials provided
Classify local dialects from a recording spoken by native speakers using the
worksheet provided
Given a set of transactions and figures, complete a profit and loss account using the
standard procedure
Non-Behavioural
From an environmental perspective, develop an appreciation of the problems
associated with motorway construction
Develop the interpersonal skills necessary to complete a group project
Engage in discussion and debate in relation to bin charges
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Use of a variety of activities and groupings e.g. individual work, group work,
complex terms
Use of examples
Use of a range of questioning strategies key question identified
Questioning Skills
Redirection
Set of related facts
Higher order
Prompting
Seeking clarification
Refocusing
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Learning can only be achieved when students cognitive faculties are challenged at
an appropriate level. Thus, rigor is a key element of good lesson objectives. Rigor
will look different at each grade level, and even for each student, but the challenge
aspect must be present in order to get students to advance and learn new things.
The written objective should reflect the rigor. Students need to understand the
terminology of the lesson, but see immediately that it will take work and practice in
order to meet the objective. In short, objectives must present tasks and ways of
thinking that are somewhat difficult for learners.
Objectives Need to be Taught for Learning to Occur
Lastly, a classroom objective needs to be taught in order to have a positive outcome.
The final aspect, then, of a SMART objective is that it is taught the information
delivered according to what the objective states. Moreover, the effective lesson
refers to the objective consistently throughout to remind students of the goal.
Teachers of all age groups can design better lessons and facilitate more meaningful
student learning by creating objectives that are stated, measurable, aligned,
rigorous, and taught. The SMART acronym will help teachers remember what
effective objectives look like.
Sources
Gagne, R., Briggs, L., Wager, W. Principles of Instructional Design, Third Ed. New
York: Holt, Reinhart and Winston: 1988.
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The scheme of work (SoW) sets out the teaching programme, year by year, for each
course being taught. It includes the content that needs to be covered, the learning
objectives involved at each stage, the main activities and resources which will enable
these to be achieved and the ways in which they will be assessed.
Typically the scheme for each year is broken down into six units of work each lasting
half a term.
The scheme should:
As has been pointed out previously, the framework charts in this curriculum guide
are not, in themselves, a scheme of work. Rather they should be seen as offering a
structured bank of material, based on sound pedagogical principles and related to
the main national assessment frameworks. They thus provide substantial support for
colleagues in developing an up-to-date scheme of work suited to their own context
and to the needs of their pupils.
If you are producing a scheme of work for the first time, you may find the following
step-by-step approach useful:
1 Getting an overview:
On one side of A4 create rough outline and headings for (6) units of work to
be taught over the year.
(Refer to exam specifications, textbooks and other documents including this guide.)
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2 Deciding on format:
Usually schemes of work are set out in the form of a grid as in the framework
charts. This makes it easy to refer across and see how the elements fit
together. An alternative is to simply list information under headings. Your
department or school may, of course, have its own established format that
everyone is expected to follow
3 Creating a unit:
Break unit down into sections and specify main contexts and learning
objectives.
Decide how many lessons/weeks should be devoted to each.
Specify for each National Curriculum Attainment Target (Listening, Speaking,
Reading, Writing) the level or range of levels aimed at within the unit. You
might also find it useful here to note targets in relation to the Asset Languages
scheme.
Identify key structures and vocabulary bearing in mind range of levels within
using italics).
Map on activities from textbooks and other sources, which are relevant and
useful, as well as material you have produced, bearing in mind importance of:
o Catering for range of attainment levels and for different learning styles;
o Balancing teacher and pupil centred work;
o Linking to previous units to support development of knowledge and
skills;
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already selected).
Identify or add main assessment activities (informal and formal).
Cross check against National Curriculum Programme of Study, KS2/3
Framework, exam board specifications and, if necessary, revise activities as
appropriate.
Review list of key structures and vocabulary and, if necessary, revise as
appropriate (It may be that activity or text you have chosen requires teaching
work is an ongoing
process. Aim to get the basics in place and then flesh it out gradually.
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Keep the scheme of work in a ring binder. This makes it easy to slip in extra
pages or reminders
about changes/additions to be made.
Once a unit or scheme has been created, aim to review it every one to two
years.
A word of encouragement
Although creating a good scheme of work requires thought and effort, it will save you
time in the long run and give you confidence in your teaching!
TASKS:
1. List words that are specific for writing an objective for a lesson. Write specific
2.
3.
4.
5.
integrative activity.
6. Select a topic from the primary school English syllabus and plan a draft of a
lesson plan and present the lesson. Conduct a peer evaluation assessing the
lesson plan.
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TOPIC 4
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic 4, you will be able to:
language classroom;
Identify the different types of feedbacks and rationalise their use;
Recognise the suitable strategies in selected teaching-learning situation
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
If the teacher doesnt change the instruction when needed, its not
formative assessment. Its just activity.
Teacher Reflection
Ask, yourself, Am I teaching so that students will learn or am I teaching just so that I
can cover the required material? (Rick Wormeli, 2006)
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COVERAGE UNDERSTANDING
Memorization does not lead to transference.
Student Reflection
Student reflection is very important.
We must save to the hard drive
Reflection helps to place information into long-term memory,
Students will have to do something with that information soon after being exposed
to it for the very first time.
They will have to reflect, respond, record, tell, describe, illustrate, explain, discuss,
summarize, draw, use, re-organize, predict, hypothesize, evaluate, and/or judge
(Reflect and Make a Connection)
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is assessment FOR learning, not OF learning
It is an on-going process used during instruction
It provides students with feedback
It informs decision-making for future teacher instruction and student learning tactics
Make a Connection
After a mini-lecture, class discussion, text reading, video, or PowerPoint
Have students make their own connections and share with the class
Compare two characters, two books, two authors styles
Note a sequence
Predict a future outcome
Recognize a cause or effect
Make a text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world connection
Suggest a characters motivation
Stop n Jot
Stop n Jot can be a very useful strategy in order to monitor text that you are reading.
Its very simple and doesnt take much time. All you do is take one of the sentence
stems listed below and finish it off with your own thought regarding what you have
read. By doing this, you are focusing your attention onto the text and self-evaluating
to make sure youre not confused.
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I think
I dont get
I can picture
I wonder.
I predict
I hope
I uderstand
Quick Writes
Quick Writes involve asking a question, giving people a set amount of time for
responding (usually between one to ten minutes), and either hearing or reading the
responses. The quick write can be modified endlessly, depending on circumstances.
critical thinking warm-ups: use the quick write at the start of a class to
get students focused on a new concept, or the material from last class,
or preparatory reading material, etc.
A Quick Write
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After making their choice, students will be required to write out the reasons for
their choice on the other side of the card. Students could be allowed four or five
minutes to do so.
The instructor then asks them to gather in the corner of the room that corresponds
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to their choice.
In each corner, students form groups of three or four each, to discuss the reasons
for selecting a particular choice.
Im a bit confused.
Im lost.
Price and ODonovan (2006) suggest that effective feedback starts with a set of
explicit criteria and standards that the student understands, and which form
the basis for both feedback and evaluation. Students need to be encouraged to
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engage actively with these criteria and standards throughout their placement
and with feedback provided by the workplace educator, other staff or other
students. Students need to practice reflection to assist with their learning and
development while on placement.
Clear - try to be clear about what the feedback is that you want to give.
Being vague and faltering will increase the anxiety in the receiver and may not be
understood.
Owned - The feedback you give is your own perception and not an
ultimate truth. It therefore says as much about you as it does about the person
who receives it. It helps the receiver if this is stated or implied in the feedback,
e.g. I found that rather than Its obvious that
delivered in one large package. Try to give the feedback as close to the event as
possible and early enough for the person to do something about it, that is, do not
wait until someone is leaving to tell them how they could have done the job
better.
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be expected by students;
Please remember that no matter how well you give feedback, individuals
will react differently to your comments.
Verbal;
You will use different methods of feedback on a daily basis. Sessions can
be short and informal, for example, between appointments and based on
one or two particular performance items; or planned and formal, covering
the students performance generally, with specific areas for comment.
The way you deliver your feedback will depend on what you have
observed, where the student is in the placement, the time available and
the learning style of the student. The majority of your feedback will be
verbal; however you will be required to provide written feedback at times,
for example at the final assessment.
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You should plan certain times each week for formal feedback sessions as
well. These might be short sessions, on a daily basis at first, for example
immediately after lunch and at the end of the day, with longer sessions on
a weekly basis, for example Friday afternoon to discuss the week. The
structure of these sessions may change over the duration of the
placement as the student gains experience and confidence.
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However when providing feedback later in the placement you may want to
utilise the following techniques:
Ask them to tell you what they got right and wrong;
Provide less feedback about outcome and more about quality; and
TASKS:
1. Read and compile notes in your portfolio on the different types of
strategies used for formative assessment in the language classroom.
2. Describe a teaching-learning scenario and the suitable feedback
strategies used.
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TOPIC 5
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic 5, you will be able to:
Identify and talk about the different resources available for teacher;
Explore and exploit free multimedia and digital resources available for use by
teacher;
Evaluate the relevance and suitability of available resources;
Thinking questions
1.
2.
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Selecting a text
The process of selecting a text to be used in the classroom should meet the
following criteria:
The aim of selecting a text is to enable pupils to read and comprehend the literal and
inferred information in the text
What is adaptation?
The process of finding an authentic text which can be of interest to pupils, and
bringing some modifications to it in order to make it usable as the basis for
teaching and conducting in-class reading activities.
Why Adapt?
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Some ESL pupils come to schools with limited exposure and experiences
(content/context)
When all pupils are able to understand and participate actively in reading a
given text, the lesson becomes effective
2. Elaboration
The goal is to make a text more coherent and limit the ambiguity within it.
Added elaborations do not necessarily decrease the difficulty of a text.
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Simpler vocabulary would allow the pupil to focus on essential meaning rather
than become frustrated with overly complex words
Teaching materials
Teaching materials include:
Textbooks, audio cassettes, videos, CD-ROMs, dictionaries, grammar book, readers,
workbook, teachers books, photocopied materials, flashcards, and other authentic
materials, such as newspapers, photographs, advertisements, radio/TV
programmes, etc.
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1. Omission:
2. Addition:
3. Reduction:
4. Extension:
5. Rewriting/modification:
6. Replacement:
7. Reordering:
teachers may decide that the order in which the texts are presented is
not suitable for their students. They can then decide to plot a different
course through the texts from the one the writer has laid down.
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8. Branching:
Conclusion
Teachers need to know how and to have the initiative to evaluate, select and adapt
teaching materials. Very often, with a heavy workload, teachers simply do not have
the time or energy to do anything beyond lesson planning and marking students
homework. Without explicit encouragement from authorities, many teachers do not
make an effort to evaluate and adapt textbooks and other teaching materials.
TASK:
1. Compile notes on the different types of resources available for teacher
in print and in digital format. Transfer the information gathered from the
notes into a suitable Graphic Organiser.
2. Identify a list of websites available for teacher and provide overview of
the website.
3. Discuss criteria used in evaluating language resources for use in the
classroom.
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TOPIC 6
Macro/Micro-teaching
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of conducting the micro-teaching session, you will be able to:
Students are to prepare and conduct a micro-teaching session in the class. They
are then to reflect critically on the teaching and the resources used in the lesson.
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TOPIC 7
Student-teacher Development
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of Topic 7, you will be able to:
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Goal: Map out and follow a personal wellness-model, balancing the different roles in
my life
Objectives Be physically active 4-5 times per week.
Keep track of tasks that must be completed each week on a to-do list
Limit my intake of staff-room treats to once per week.
Initiate two conversations per day with a family member or friend that is non-work
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related.
Complete school related tasks by no later than 6:30-7 pm, 4 out 5 weekdays.
In order to ensure that I am the best teacher possible, it is essential for me to take
care of myself, taking into account all aspects of my life and all of the roles that I
play. By making healthy food choices, being physically active, taking part in fun
activities, maintaining the relationships in my life and completing my work on time, I
will ultimately be finding a balance that makes teaching enjoyable and ensuring that I
am able to give the best of myself to my students.
Objectives to monitor progress Design units that require the use of feedback loops to inform students of their
progress.
Develop rubrics with students in order to allow them to be a part of the evaluation
process.
Model for students how to provide feedback that explains to someone how they are
doing as well as areas where the work can be improved.
Keep criteria concise so that tasks or activities do not become overwhelming for the
students
Use various ways to assess my students
Review literature that exists on the wide range of assessment approaches
It is important for students to have opportunities to improve upon their work and at
the same time it is important for teachers to see the student growth that occurs over
time. Therefore, it becomes important for evaluation to be more than just a one-shot
deal. It is important to find the value that comes from providing students with
continuous feedback in order for them to understand what they are doing well and
areas where they may need more work. Ongoing assessment allows for this to
happen and I feel as though it should be something that I strive towards in my
practice. I think that by allowing students to participate in the assessment process, it
ultimately provides them with an opportunity to assess their progress.
http://studentspseanna.blogspot.com/2010/04/teacher-professional-growth-plan.html
Task:
1. Plan a professional development programme that fulfill ones needs and
wants as a future teacher.
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