Learning Twigs

Getting Word Wise with World Adventure Kids

 

 

 

One of the most important parts of reading, from a skills and foundation point of view, is building vocabulary. This is particularly true for young readers engaging with texts in their second language, but is generally relevant to first language learners as well.

 

How robust the approach to building vocabulary is can depend on a variety of factors. Some readers can sort of 'absorb' new words just through the process of guessing from context and doing a wide range of extensive reading. Others can get by reasonably well enough by occasionally referring to a dictionary or asking an adult for explanation and elaboration when it seems called for. Some readers benefit from writing up word lists with basic definitions.

 

Working with learners of all ages in a context where English was a foreign language and a major priority of reading in English was to develop vocabulary, some years ago I developed a workbook approach to supplement reading texts called 'Word Hoard' (and later: 'Word Wise'). It worked so well that I thought it would be a good idea to apply it as an optional resource for the World Adventure Kids stories as well.

 

What follows is an overview of how to use the World Adventure Kids Word Wise resource (available as a free PDF download here) and what it covers and why. I've also included an introductory/instructional video specially made for the children-users themselves (though I'm sure teachers and parents could benefit from it as well!).

 

 

Basically, Word Wise WAK 2-1 is a 69-page workbook designed to be used in conjunction with the World Adventure Kids reading sets. It can be printed out and added to progressively as learners encounter and explore new words in the story texts. It caters to 8 'units' of 20 words each (hence 160 words altogether), but these numbers can be easily adjusted upwards or downwards based on reader and classroom preferences.

 

 

 

The first step involves the Master Wordlist at the start of the book. As learners read through and experience World Adventure Kids, the idea is that they look for words that feel new or that they would like to explore more. When a word has been chosen, it is entered first in the Master Wordlist at the front of the book (to create an initial reference point) -- the example used here is the word 'adventure'.

 

 

 

 

Each word is then placed into a special work grid, presented in the workbook as above, with three word grids per page and twenty per 'unit'.  This is where the word is going to be really worked with and explored in a much more robust fashion, and the video below explains and demonstrates how it all works (this was specifically made for young readers to understand the process, by the way!):

 

 

 

 

So, in essence, a word grid features the following exploration:

A. Listing the word

B. Translating it into a learner's first language (or writing a definition for it)

C. Writing the word out three times neatly

D. Identifying the word's part of speech

E. Finding words that represent related ideas (building 'convocation' and lexical sets)

F. Writing the word in context using the full example sentence initially encountered in the World Adventure Kids text

G. Writing the word in a new sentence of the learner's own creation, using it accurately in a new context and/or personalising its use

H. Drawing a sketch or diagram (or pasting on a picture) to help visually conceptualise the word

 

 

Having experimented with vocabulary development for children over many years, I've found this has been one of the most comprehensive when it comes to really exploring the notion and use of a word.

Note that the grid doesn't necessarily need to be filled out in that order, and I have in fact seen children complete the grid in all sorts of different sequences. Great! Let them find what works for them. I've also found that a basic dictionary, physical or online, is a great help for filling out some of these sections.

 

 

 

When a word grid has been completed (or completed to the best of the learner's ability), it can be checked by a parent or teacher (you'll probably find it easier to check several at a time) and have 'stars' allocated for each complete 'row' on the grid. There are six star rows in each grid, and many of them represent 'easy points' (for example, writing the word out, finding its part of speech, copying the sentence it comes from in the main text, etc.). This star point allocation is meant to be reasonably flexible; I have, for example, been willing to circle a complete star in cases where most of the row was successfully completed. 

 

 

The star points can be tallied on each page of the workbook (there is a space at the bottom of each page to do this) and then a points tally can be made for an entire 'unit' of 20 words. There are basically 120 star points per unit up for grabs, and I've divided them into grade rankings (not very scientific or statistical, mind; I've just found that this allocation tends to reward learners willing to put in the hard yards without slapping an unnecessarily shocking grade on those who aren't quite as dedicated!). 

 

There is also a chart at the end of the workbook that allows learners and teachers/parents to track how well they performed across all of the units.

 

 

 

 

The final part of a unit features an integration/use activity encouraging learners to write 'a report, article, short essay or story using at least 15 of the vocabulary items from the unit'. This is strictly optional of course, and one of the great things about this printable resource is that, if you feel this is going just that little bit too much overboard, you can always not include it!

 

The basic idea here is for the learners to do some extended writing of their own, using the words they've explored for a targeted writing purpose.

 

Here are just some of the ways this section could be used for readers of World Adventure Kids:

 

1. Write a quick report about what has happened in your adventure so far.

2. Write about some of the new things you've learned so far (World Adventure Kids is rich in subject-based learning, so this ought to be a relatively rich area to choose from).

3. Rewrite key parts of your adventure so far, using past tense (the adventure itself is written in the present tense, so this can be an interesting way to highlight differences between the two tenses).

4. Create a spin-off story (take one or more parts of the adventure and add new narrative to change or extend it in some way).

5. Rewrite the key points of the adventure so far from the perspective of one of the other characters (for example, pretend to be a different team member or even Golden Sky or a Jump Jet/Heliporter pilot observing the adventure from a distance).

6. Create a timeline or map with labels summarising the adventure so far (good for learners who aren't confident with extensive writing but may like more visual activities).

 

 

Generally speaking, I've found this section to be a great way to encourage reviewing and rethinking over what one has read so far, with the new vocabulary integrated into the process. There is a second listing in the summary at the back of the workbook which allows a score to be allocated for this writing section alongside the actual word building grid work.

 

 

 

So there is Word Wise for World Adventure Kids!

 

I've gone into quite a lot of detail here, which I hope hasn't been off-putting, but I would remind you that this sort of word work isn't a necessity when it comes to engaging with World Adventure Kids. For those who want to squeeze a bit more out of it, however, this can be a particularly rich resource.

 

Funnily enough, and despite the work involved, I've found that most children actually like the Word Wise approach and get into a nice rhythm with it. Many of them are very proud of the end result and get a real sense of having learned a lot of new things. And the pictures/conceptualisations... my goodness, kids are brilliant with that part and make us adults look very one dimensional indeed!

 

 

If you're interested in using the Word Wise approach in other sorts of language learning contexts, you might like to also check out my post here:

A Word Wise approach to vocabulary building and application

 

There is a more extensive instructional video there for teachers as well as adaptable open source versions of the Word Wise resource for you to download and use as you will.

 

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

Materials design & teaching methodology: Wrap your pumpkin's laughing gear around this!

 

 

 

Waaaay back on October 2nd, I launched a Halloween lesson materials design challenge here on the blog. I offered up some initial materials and sound files in open source format (for those who wanted a starting point) and challenged teachers to finish, adapt or replace it according to their preferences.

 

There are some excellent contributions there from teachers, and if you're looking for some great materials for Halloween I suggest you check them out in the comments thread for that post.

 

Just to follow up from that challenge, I did of course complete the templates myself and create a full Halloween lesson resource, and here are the open source files for it if you are interested in checking it out:

 

 

Halloween 1 worksheet JR (PDF Version with embedded sound files)

Halloween 1 worksheet JR (MS Word 2007 version)

Halloween 1 worksheet JR (Open/compatible version)

 

 

Note that the PDF version has the sound files embedded in the actual document; if you want to use the sound files for either the MS Word or open/compatible versions, they are available for download back on the original Halloween materials challenge post here.

 

 

Blog visitors may be satisfied with just that if they are simply looking for free, ready-to-use stuff to download and use for Halloween...

 

For those of you interested in the actual design process and the underlying teaching methodology principles, however, you're in for a bit of a treat (and tricks--hopefully of the more helpful sort!).

 

 

I'm bringing forward three of my teaching materials design video tutorials (I'm up to tutorial number 5 in the weekly release schedule here on the blog, but what you see below constitutes tutorials 9, 10 and 11 in the series) to show you not only how I made these Halloween materials, but why I've made them the way they are. So basically there is a blend of practical design techniques and teaching methodology principles.

 

 

Tutorial 9 (below) shows how I set up the basic template (using a design made earlier) and developed the first page of the handout, focussing on the Halloween notice and follow up prompts. The last third of the tutorial explains in detail why I've left so many gaps on the page...

 

 

 

Tutorial 10 demonstrates how I developed the second page of the handout, featuring a listening text to complement the Halloween invitation notice on the first page. Again, the design stuff is followed up with my teaching methodology rationale(s), for those who find such detail of interest...

 

 

 

Tutorial 11 is shorter and more targeted, demonstrating basically how I've managed to embed sound files into the PDF version of the Halloween materials using Adobe Acrobat. Having embedded sound files can be great when you want to send materials to students electronically and/or don't have an actual Internet connection working at the time of access.

 

 

 

 

There is more than an hour of materials design demonstrations and tips just on this individual post; and given that (apparently) blog readers aren't interested in anything that can't be absorbed in less than 3 minutes, I'm not sure how much of an audience it will have! If you do watch these tutorials and get something from them, then thank you and I hope they prove useful in improving your materials design skill set.

 

 

P.S. If you are/were wondering what the heck 'Wrap your pumpkin's laughing gear around this' implies... The pumpkin simply refers to the theme of Halloween, but the rest of the line comes from Australian 'ocker' slang meaning 'try (eating) this: it's good!'

('Laughing gear' = mouth)

('Wrap your laughing gear around ___' = try/eat ___)

 

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

Reading expansion projects (Set 1)

 

 

 

Over many years of doing reading with learners of all age groups, I must confess that the actual act of reading something--while itself often very enjoyable--pales in comparison to what happens when we use that reading, or follow up from it.

 

Project tasks, either on an ongoing basis while a reading text is being engaged with or as a series of follow ups after the whole story has been wound up, are brilliant for encouraging a deeper layer of analysis and comprehension as well as taking full advantage of opportunities to engage in creative and critical thinking.

 

Basically, I think reading expansion projects (when done right) rock, and without them stories and texts only really capture a fraction of their thinking and learning potential.

 

My personal preference is to let the whole story be experienced first, with some 'in the margin' discussions if it is being scaffolded or shared with other readers, and then apply a range of small project options which will encourage the learners to go back over the text, look at certain parts of it more carefully, and then extend it (often in application to their own lives) in creative new ways.

 

In a whole-class approach to using World Adventure Kids 2-1 (as outlined on the blog here), however, it could be an option to apply mini projects in an ongoing way as in class or at home extensions between one part of the adventure and the next.

 

 

So here are four initial expansion projects for the first sections of World Adventure Kids 2-1 (before the narrative gets too deeply into particular adventures), which could be used as part of a re-reading/re-thinking of the story or as a series of challenges while the story progresses.

 

 

 

1. Secret Names

Part of being a World Adventure Kid is having your own secret name. 

A. What is your secret name and why did you choose it?

B. Look at other characters' secret names in the stories. Why do you think they chose those names?

 

Make a Secret Names File to help you remember World Adventure Kids' secret names and what they could mean!

 

 

 

2. The Next Secret Meeting Place

Golden Sky asks you to meet her in the tallest tree in the park near where you live.

But next time she wants to meet you in a different place. It needs to be secret, where you can meet and talk about new adventures in private.

 

A. Make a map of your neighborhood.

B. Choose and circle three secret places where you could meet Golden Sky secretly.

C. Send a message to Golden Sky and explain each meeting place to her (where it is and why you chose it).

 

 

 

3. Amazing Transportation Machines!

In World Adventure Kids 2-1, you get to travel in a Jump Jet or a Heliporter.

Apparently, these machines are completely quiet and produce no pollution.

 

How do you think these machines could work? How do they move so quickly? How do they stay so quiet? How do they avoid making pollution?

 

A. Draw a diagram of a Jump Jet or Heliporter.

B. Show how you think it works, drawing lines to different parts and explaining what they do.

 

 

 

4. Pilot Preparations

In World Adventure Kids 2-1, you meet and travel with two special pilots: Cumulus Swift from Malaysia (flying a Jump Jet) and Blue Stratus from Turkey (operating the Heliporter).

 

Would you like to be a World Adventure Kids pilot?

Well, there are many things to learn and do before you can become a pilot. Two of the most important are designing a secret place to hide your Jump Jet or Heliporter (called a hangar), and learning about all the different places in the world.

 

A. Design a secret hangar (in your house or somewhere close to where you live) for your transportation machine and send the design to World Adventure Kids. If it is a good design, they will send experts to build the hangar for you!

B. Make a list of the most important cities and places in the world. For each place, find out what country it is in and what makes that place special. (Look back at the stories and find the information Cumulus Swift and Blue Stratus have found out about the different places they fly to.)

 

 

 

Of course, this is just a small taster of possible expansion project ideas for just the initial parts of World Adventure Kids 2-1. You and your reader(s) can no doubt think of many more, and/or tweak the ideas presented here to help them better fit the interests of the reader. I think there are also exciting opportunities to integrate technology skills into many of the projects (for example, using Google Maps for projects 2 and 4, using something like Excel for projects 1 and 4, using visual design tools for projects 3 and 4, etc.).

 

 

I'll also be presenting other project ideas for World Adventure Kids here on the blog in future, so keep your screens (and adventure ideas) peeled!

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

Teaching is... Channels

 

Image: Trey Ratcliff

 

 

 

Once upon a time (and I hear it does still happen from time to time in some households), families used to have to negotiate over what to watch on a single television set, based on what was offered on a limited number of channels at predetermined times.

 

Today, like never else before, in so many places there are more channels than anyone could have dreamed possible only 10-15 years ago, and so many ways (and times) to access them. Learners all have their preferred channels (and I'm sure you appreciate I'm no longer strictly referring to television stations), and most of them quite like to flick between channels at will. 

 

I've been thinking about my own teaching a lot lately, and fumbling about looking for new simple terms to describe it. One that has popped up consistently in relation to the way I do things in my current teaching role is 'decentralised.'

 

I very rarely teach from the front of the classroom anymore, unless it is to point out a resource or answer a question that has manifested itself in a way than makes it clear more than a couple of students in the room are interested in hearing the/an answer.

 

The family forced to watch the same program at a particular time on a single device no longer applies...

 

Most of the time, I'm at the back of the class where I can get a good vantage point and see the screens of all my learners, as well as how and why they are interacting with other classmates. That or sitting down next to this student or that, amongst the learners, and not necessarily in order to monitor or mentor. And, just as often, off to the side at my own monitor dealing with the endless tracking and administration side of things, letting the learners come to me when they're ready to present finished work and get feedback and direction for what to tackle next. 

 

Likewise, it is reasonably rare for my learners to all be working on the same task (or on the same stage of a task) at the one time. Very often, what started as one general task for all the learners will have been negotiated and adapted and sculpted in a dozen different ways to match the tracks of a dozen different train systems.

 

I think this decentralising process is crucial when it comes to harnessing the momentum of so many individualised channels. I can't exactly put my finger on why, but the word 'harness' feels much more important than 'cater to.'

 

I'll admit: it can be hard work. Hard work making the transition to the multi-channel classroom, that is. There are times where you feel like you're trying to manage a traffic crossing in peak hour when the traffic lights have gone on the blink.

 

And let's be honest: it has taken both two decades of teaching experience and the advent of various teaching/learning technologies and paradigms to facilitate such a transition (or evolution?) on my part.

 

Once you're there, however, things become (surprisingly?) much easier and smoother. A lot of it depends on preparation (width over depth -- they can learn how and where to dive for themselves when the preparation has been effective), how well you 'know your stuff' (and therefore how much closer to the ends of your fingertips it is on demand), the relationships and rapport you've developed with learners, the independent confidence you've managed to foster in them, and a feel for classroom and learner rhythm.

 

I've gone back to the teacher-at-the-front thing a few times recently, just to recall what it was like and what I (and my students) might be missing. On the positive side, it was sort of nice to be the centre of attention and knowledge again. It was nice, in some ways, to see certain students shine and allow less able members of the group to ride on the single central current of the whole-class approach.

 

Most of the time, however, I bored (or else 'irrelevanced') myself to death or became vaguely disgusted at the notion of making myself--or a limited number of other students--the fun, funny, charismatic, 'go-to' central performer. No matter how good the performance was, or how well I managed to elicit and draw the students into the process, I saw at least a couple of learners effectively tuning out.

 

After these occasional sorties into what is (quite frankly) starting to feel like antiquated teaching methodology, I quickly get back to individualised channels again. Learners tuning out then becomes more of a matter of helping someone here or there readjust a set--not necessarily the physical tangible sort--and/or look more laterally across the program offerings.

 

And before you jump to the conclusion that the multi-channel decentralised approach results in a room full of learners all cut off from each other and engrossed in their own silent individualised worlds, let me just say this...

 

The shared conversation is still there, and it is a whole lot richer and more democratic than it ever was before. There is more peer sharing and helping. There is more learning.

 

It's also infinitely more enjoyable, once you can retrain yourself (if necessary) to embrace the spontaneous and unpredictable (but increasingly--for me--predictably relevant and motivating).

 

 

;-D

 

 

Creating a collaborative classroom adventure

 

 

 

World Adventure Kids 2-1, like any reading text available out there, can be used in a variety of ways as part of a reading program. Aside from possibly the most obvious application (independent reading from individual children), I have been getting questions and suggestions from teachers of classes about how to best utilise WAK 2-1 for whole-class reading.

 

I am happy to say that the interactive, reader-directed format of World Adventure Kids actually makes it an excellent resource to use with a whole class for those contexts or situations whereby a teacher would like to apply it in a way that all the learners progress through it at the same pace. In fact, the role of decision making in the progress of the overall narrative really enhances opportunities for classroom discussion and debate (more so even than with a standard linear narrative).

 

 

To use WAK 2-1 with a whole class of learners aged 8-11, I would be inclined to apply it in the following way:

 

- Print out one copy of the whole book.

- Beginning at the start, take in one section of the story at a time, photocopying just that particular section so that each student in the class has a copy.

- Have the students read the section silently on their own (or out loud in turns if that is your context's preferred approach to 'reading').

- Elicit summaries of the section and explore key or difficult vocabulary as a class.

- (Optional:) Further explore any of the cross-curricular elements in more detail (for example, photosynthesis, an historical note, the effects of poisonous venom, etc.)

- If the section ends in a range of decision options, invite individual students to make suggestions and explain why they have chosen that option (alternatively: get the students into pairs or small groups and have them debate the choice together and then report back to the whole class). Then have the class debate and vote for the pathway the story will take next.

- If the section ends with a single link to the next part of the story, invite students to make predictions about what comes next and why, or to summarize their feelings about the narrative up to this point.

- (Optional:) Have students add an entry to an ongoing 'adventure journal' summarising what happened in that part of the adventure, how they feel about it and the decisions made as a group, and what they think might happen next.

- Based on the voted on decision or single pathway link, the teacher knows which adventure entry number to prepare and photocopy for the students for the next class. In this way, students add to their adventure narrative from one class to the next, perhaps filing the text (in order) in a folder of some sort.

 

 

 

 

Teachers may also be able to apply the same sort of process with digital versions of the material, by editing the main download and breaking it into discrete sections (the open source format in PDF facilitates this) which are mailed to or downloaded for students one bit at a time. The actual reading could even take place outside the classroom at home, with the checking, discussion and decision making happening in class before the teacher mails out the next part of the adventure.

 

Admittedly, an approach like this one really slows down the overall speed of the adventure experience, but it certainly does facilitate a lot more discussion, collaboration and analysis at each step along the way. It could also lend itself well to a syllabus whereby WAK 2-1 follows up other classroom learning in the first part of the lesson (or earlier part of the week), with 'adventure reading' being the reward at the end of the class or end of the week!

 

 

So, would World Adventure Kids 2-1 lend itself well to a whole-class approach to reading?

 

I certainly believe so!

 

 

And... another thing you might like to consider is the potential for you to create an ongoing reader-directed adventure for your students using the same basic principles. And from there, adventures written and shared by the students themselves! For some useful guidelines and even software applications on this front (as well as numerous other existing story resources), I encourage you to check out Larry Ferlazzo's outstanding The Best Places to Read & Write "Choose Your Own Adventure" Stories.

 

 

;-D

 

                                    

Open (Source) English <-> On the Money

 

 

 

Well, hope this is reasonably on the money for someone out there looking for some fresh new 'open' ideas and materials!

 

Here are some of my ideas and suggestions on how you might use this resource:

 

 

 

 

And here are those open source downloads for those who want them!

 

Open English - On the Money (PDF)

Open English - On the Money (MS Word 2007)

Open English - On the Money (Compatible)

 

 

Remember there is a variety of other Open Source English resources with accompanying video tutorials/ideas in the Open English section of the blog.

 

Hope you feel a little richer...

 

 

- JR

 

 

 

Teaching Materials Design Masterclass 5: The Cappuccino Chat (1:3 design with dialogue content)

 

 

 

If you've been following the materials design masterclass videos patiently and learning new things, then I thank you and congratulate you... and now you've got a little reward: a tutorial that works with actual learning content!

 

See full size version of The Cappuccino Chat lesson material

 

Tutorial 5 here follows on from all the skills built up over tutorials 1-4 and shows you how to plan some content oriented around a short dialogue ('The Cappuccino Chat') and apply it in a professional format using the '1:3 design principle.'

 

 

 

 

 

Tutorial 6 will be along soon enough, but for now remember that all of these tutorials are available over in the English Raven Materials Design section of my main site for your viewing pleasure/torture.

 

 

;-D

 

 

You've read the blurbs, but consider letting your kids start with the trailer!

 

 

 

 

 

Given that World Adventure Kids 2-1 is so rich in illustrations (one of a few reasons I am unlikely to ever make any profit from it--not for a very long time, anyway!), I thought I'd have some fun and make a bit of a movie trailer for it.

 

It turned out pretty well, considering my amateurish skills in this area...

 

But this also got me to thinking... In this day and age, I think children's books could really benefit from this sort of initial marketing. It's also a fantastic pre-reading resource that can help the children get an overview and start to make some predictions about what they are going to experience in text.

 

I did my best not to give too many plot secrets away, but I wonder how children will react to this. Only one way to find out!

 

 

;-D

 

 

The potential power of YOU in reader-directed children's stories

 

 

 

Yes, that's YOUR intention. YOU: the reader.

 

The use of the direct 2nd Person as the underlying narrative style in World Adventure Kids was a very deliberate choice on my part, with affective, interactive and linguistic rationales in mind.

 

For a start, this is a powerful way to 'insert' the reader directly into the story. It is appropriate for a narrative whereby the reader makes the choices and finds out where the adventures go based on his/her own decisions.

 

But I think it is an important affective device as well. For reluctant readers in particular, I think personal involvement (and a sense of freedom through the story options) can do a lot to pique their interest about what happens and why. I can recall my first experiences with Choose Your Own Adventure and Fighting Fantasy storybooks, at about age 10, and loving the sensation that I was in charge, that this was my adventure and not the far-fetched exploits of some abstract fabricated character I might never really relate to.

 

This format also allows for a deeper sense of interaction. The picture you can see at the top of this post comes from a section of one of the adventures where YOU have decided it could be fun or fame-enhancing to go and meet the Hi-Merima (a genuine Uncontacted People secreted away deep in the Amazon) and be the first modern person to do so. As you can tell, your team members aren't impressed with the idea. Panther Step warns it could be dangerous for you (the collective you this time) as the Hi-Merima have a fierce reputation. Think Sharp, your science expert, points out some of the risks modern humans pose for Uncontacted Peoples who have limited immune systems...

 

This is just one of a great number of interactions that take place in the stories between you, the reader, and the team members you go adventuring with. In a way it adds more life to the characters as well as the story. You get to see different sides of your co-adventurers and their personalities based on the decisions you make during the story.

 

And then there is your interaction with the story itself. Certain sections finish up with a direct question to you, and the options for going ahead are phrased in the 1st person.

 

For example (this was the text immediately preceding the scene depicted above):

 

 

It does, admittedly, put words in your mouth to some extent, but at least you get to choose which words they are, and you get to see what happens as a result of those words.

 

Last but not least, I like what this format does linguistically. The 2nd Person (combined with Present Simple tense) makes for beautifully direct and simple language. In my opinion, it helps to keep the narrative clean and simple, especially for struggling readers or second language learners. It also, to some extent, presents more language that is more relevant to spoken or personal English -- something that only happens in regular 3rd person and past tense narratives via dialogue sections.

 

Admittedly, those (more common) narrative styles yield a lot of precious language models as well, but I think the World Adventure Kids format makes for a valuable (different) supplementary model as well as a potentially rich source of comparison and noticing.

 

I might even venture so far as to say that narrative employing a lot of 2nd Person and Present Simple tense can facilitate easier access to reading, for those who might benefit from it. And the format of the reader-directed story means this happens in a way that feels natural, not contrived.

 

 

So...

 

What do you want to do now?

• I think I'll leave a comment here telling the writer what I think of his ideas

 

• I'll go back to my web-surfing now and look for something more worthy of my attention!

 

 

;-D

 

 

Teaching is... Stepping up

 

Image: Trey Ratcliff

 

 

 

I was running a reading activity with a class of students last week (around the topic of workplace bullying -- you can see the materials here) and experimenting with a more open format that took away most of the usual scaffolding and asked the students to address the main VCAL 'reading for self expression' outcome elements on their own.

 

It went really well, perhaps surprisingly well. However, there were certain students (happily a relatively small number) who asked me for help and they found my 'help' somewhat disappointing or not in line with their hopes. My assistance was offered only in terms of simplified follow up questions to the main prompts, or questions about which parts of the reading text they thought might best answer their problem. For some of these students, what they meant by 'help' was "can you please do this for me?" and I perhaps turned out to be frustratingly slippery.

 

The suggestion that they try to complete all the elements and then show me and ask for help as a follow up was also a little frustrating for them. Doing it all on your own first (even if it turns out to be wrong -- a process the teacher was emphasizing as being far from wrong) certainly doesn't align well with the hopes of students who want a whole section delivered to them on a plate.

 

I can't do it / I don't want to do it / I couldn't be bothered doing it / I'm scared of doing it and failing = you can help me by doing all or at least most of it for me and/or my initial lack of comfort and confidence with this excuses me from giving it any of my effort. No matter that this was all about reading -- them reading (not me) -- and that the VCAL requirements for Intermediate and Senior emphasize independent application of the tasks. 

 

I don't really blame the students when this sort of thing happens. In most cases, what I am looking at is a tragic inability (or unwillingness) to just step up and 'have a crack.' It is often a result, in my opinion, of sustained periods of schooling where the less able students were simply ignored in the back corners of the classroom space, or 'helped' by applying the pedagogical equivalent of an infant's bib and plastic bowl and spoon.

 

Interestingly enough, when I draw the line in the sand on this one and force the students to have a punt on their own, they almost always come up with (at least some of) the goods. I've had what were considered seriously struggling students surprise the hell out of themselves when they get three or four things right out of five, when their initial impression was that they would be lucky to get one of them right. And the things that were wrong? Much easier to explain and show them how to do it the right way when there is already something there on the paper/screen to work with.

 

And when learners go through this experience once or twice, that willingness to 'have a crack' at something gradually improves with subsequent tasks.

 

This to me is a fundamental priority in teaching and learning: creating that willingness to step up and just try something.

 

Over many years of teaching and watching colleagues, I've noticed an almost uncanny correlation between students' willingness to step up and the same inclination in their teachers. The teacher who is unwilling to step up, try different approaches and tools, see things differently, challenge themselves or the results of their classroom instruction, etc., is very often the teacher who ends up instinctively applying a one-eyed approach that ignores the struggling students, and/or resorts to micro-managing and spoon feeding said struggling students.

 

What we really want and need is for a classroom culture that views stepping up as a fundamental core value. 

 

If we want them to step up, we have to step up.

 

Simple as that, really. 

 

 

;-D

 

 

In memory of Sam Lee

 

 

 

I got truly tragic news today.

 

Sam Lee, a marketing and teacher training representative with Pearson ELT Asia Pacific, was brutally murdered en route to his hotel in Medan, Indonesia, where he was due to present a series of teacher training workshops.

 

I only knew Sam relatively briefly, but he was one of those people who instantly leaves a mark on you. A warm, positive mark.

 

I met Sam just after he'd joined the Pearson Korea team. I was about to leave Korea after 10 years there, so there were swinging in and out doors happening, in a way. Sam helped me prepare for my final professional Pearson author presentation in Korea, at the Korea TESOL International Conference in 2008. I was presenting on how Boost! Speaking contained specific elements to help prepare younger teens for the speaking sections of the iBT TOEFL.

 

We'd drawn a bad slot: first up on a Sunday morning (the very worst timeslot you can get at the KOTESOL conference, in my opinion). We only had 20 or so people in the room, but Sam was upbeat and just so bloody positive and supportive. At the end of my presentation, he came up to me and said what I'd prepared and delivered was far too good for such a small audience. He knew the subject matter. He wasn't lavishing false praise.

 

On a bleak and rainy Sunday morning, with a small attendance for a presentation you'd spent months preparing for, Sam's words and attitude turned a potential downer into more of a plus. That was the sort of guy Sam was. He saw the positive in everything. Making others feel good and worthwhile about themselves was intrinsic to him.

 

I didn't cross paths with Sam again after that, having left the country, but through my good friends Rilla Roessel at Pearson and Aaron Jolly (both of whom became very close friends of Sam's), I continued to hear a regular stream of positive things about him. 

 

He was, by any standards, just a brilliantly warm, generous and talented human being.

 

He got married in January to a lovely young lady. My heart goes out to her.

 

 

Maybe you, the reader, never heard of Sam Lee prior to reading this post. But let me assure you, this week all of us in ELT lost something really quite precious: a genuinely good person with a whole life of potential in front of him.

 

My sincerest condolences go out to Sam, his wife, his family and his close-knit network of friends and colleagues.

 

And the manner of Sam's passing ought to really light a skyscraper-sized firecracker of warning for global ELT publishers about their responsibilities to really protect their employees in regions of relative risk. If you are an ELT author or publishing representative who has found yourself waiting alone at an airport or train station late at night, or in a taxi not knowing exactly where you are going or how to speak the local language, or in a dark side street looking for something to eat because it's late and you've been doing the ghastly schedule of presentations and seminars commonly crammed in for visiting 'foreign experts', you can probably quite vividly imagine how Sam might have felt in those last moments before his tragic murder. 

 

Remember Sam Lee. Think about his young widow.

 

Make sure there are company representatives to meet people at airports and train stations to transport them to where they need to go. Safely. Even if they claim they don't need the assistance, can do it all on their own, etc. You know the local territory better than your visitor does, so make sure it is a matter of policy.

 

And if you're a visitor and your publisher has made plans to meet/pick you up, etc., depending of course on the location, think twice before putting them in a potentially tragic situation as well. It's all very well to 'not want to put them out' or make them go out of their way, but if something goes very badly wrong I can assure you that you WILL be putting them out, possibly even catastrophically...

 

Let's all do what needs to be done to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again.

 

 

 

- JR

 

 

 

Let 'em READ, dammit!

 

 

 

I thought this might be worth getting out of the way from the outset... World Adventure Kids is NOT a coursebook.

 

I state this only as an interesting reaction to some feedback from a very respected friend (and abundantly able ELT writer) who took a look over the new version of World Adventure Kids for me yesterday. He expressed some mild surprise that the release seemed to have shed all of its supplementary comprehension and language building elements.

 

He was referring to one of the very first drafts of WAK which I showed to him more than two years ago. That draft featured a page of vocabulary building and comprehension/grammar questions for every page of reading text. It was, essentially, something along the lines of a reading-coursebook; and I was doing it that way because the major ELT publishers I was approaching with the idea at the time had made it abundantly clear that that was what they were hoping for: something that could be marketed and applied as a coursebook.

 

This IS rather interesting to me, because as soon as I stopped trying to please major publishers and looking for something that could sell in the squillions, a good hard look at the original notion and feel of 'adventure reading' reminded me that exercises and language tasks were the last things I really wanted jammed into World Adventure Kids narratives. 

 

Admittedly, I am finishing up post-reading comprehension quizzes for each of the two adventures, mainly emphasizing the content/subject elements like science, geography and history. I also have language-oriented quizzes in the pipeline. The key difference, however, is that I want them to be optional extras to the main stories, and if they are to be applied I would encourage that they happen after a full uninterrupted reading of the texts. This to me is more of a revisiting and reviewing process; I don't want that stuff to be compulsory and I certainly don't want it jammed alongside the main story content.

 

Personally, I want the adventures and stories in World Adventure Kids to be experienced and enjoyed basically as they are: straight up stories. Sure, learners might like to use a dictionary to look up the meanings associated with new words or turns of phrase (and/or invite teachers and peers to help them in this process), but this should be about helping them to continue reading (not stopping and in many ways 'leaving' the story to do other stuff).

 

The best follow up to the stories would be discussion and small or large scale project work, further exploring a theme or task based on what they read about across entire (short) stories.

 

I'm not going to be so arrogant as to tell you how to use any resource in sort of black and white terms. However, I would reiterate that WAK is about stories, and I hope you find the best way to help learners experience them as stories.

 

That could well mean (gasp!) letting them engage with it on their own and on their own terms, helping or assisting them if and when they ask you to.

 

Really, when was the last time you just let your learners READ... without reading it out loud, without dissecting and analysing all the language the moment it pops up on the page?

 

Sure, go ahead and do content/comprehension/language work later through a second or review reading stage, but first (and this is just my personal take and preference):

 

Let 'em just READ, dammit! 

 

 

 

:-D

 

 

World Adventure Kids: They're here!

 

 

 

It's taken a while, but very pleased to announce that World Adventure Kids has finally arrived and is now available through my site.

 

Initial feedback has been very positive, including this from my 10-year-old niece:

 

Hey Uncle Jase,

One word: AMAZING! I can't wait to do the worksheets when Mum gets some more paper!

 

Given that this young lady is a pretty 'discerning' reader for her age and is never backwards in coming forwards to tell you what she's really thinking, hopefully I can interpret her analysis as being reasonably free of bias!

 

Here's a quick intro to the new book:

 

 

 

 

 

You can find out more about this 'adventure reading' approach and how to get your hands on it over on the main English Raven site here.

 

And... given there are several layers to the approach and design, I hope you won't mind me blogging from time to time about some of the things I'm trying to achieve via 'adventure reading'.

 

Oh, and thank you so much for all the very heartening well wishes and encouragement I've had today via Facebook. It took three years to build this boat, so it's wonderful to finally have it in the water... 

 

 

;-D

 

 

Open (Source) English <-> Turn Right

 

 

 

 

It's Thursday, which on the English Raven blog means Open (Source) English time... This is the third set of materials, and hopefully the video below explains all you need to know about it:

 

 

 

 

 

Downloads, anybody?

Open English: Turn Right (PDF)

Open English: Turn Right (MS Word 2007)

Open English: Turn Right (Compatible)

 

 

If you like this at all, remember there are other resources similar to this in the Open English section of the blog.

 

Happy driving!

 

 

- Mr. Raven

 

                                    

World Adventure Kids: On the brink...

 

 

 

Almost there...

 

All the editing and typesetting is finished, for both full colour/click-interactive digital version and black and white print version.

 

168 pages all up, with copious illustrations!

 

I may just have this available by November at this rate. Just need to trial it with some Grade 4 and 5 readers I know, to see what they reckon...

 

 

;-D

 

                                                              

Teaching Materials Design Masterclass 4: The 1:3 design principle (content/input + 3 applications)

 

 

 

 

The teaching materials design masterclass continues here on English Raven!

 

Tutorial 4 (here) looks at one of my basic design principles for teaching materials: the 1:3 design principle. In essence, that means (1) major space for content/input and the rest of the space divided into (3) sections each with a different learning application or extension.

 

In addition to demonstrating and explaining the 1:3 principle, this tutorial includes a quick application and review of the skills showcased in tutorials 1-3. Remember you can head over to the materials design section of English Raven if you want to watch any of the previous or future tutorials.

 

Next week: Tutorial 5 continues the concept of the 1:3 design principle, but showcases how to start producing actual content and how it can slot into the 1:3 design (and why...). Watch what is possible with a simple conversation oriented around ordering a cappuccino...!

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

Teaching is... Perspective

 

Image: Trey Ratcliff

 

 

 

I ran a recent poll on my English Raven Facebook page eliciting responses to the question 'As a teacher of English, what is the one question you find yourself returning to time and time again?'

 

The most common responses supported the notion of pursuing autonomy/independence in learners and making stuff interesting and 'talkworthy', but there was also a huge range of other questions teachers were asking themselves.

 

One of them came from Wade Nichols, co-writer of several of the teacher's guides in my Boost! Integrated Skills Series, and he said something along the lines of "Am I seeing this the way my learners might see it?"

 

I think Wade's question was a very important one. It reminded me of the two very different perspectives you get of the glass pyramid at the Louvre depending on whether you're outside/next to it or inside/under it. It's the exact same structure, of course, but our view of it can be vastly different based on where we stand in relation to it.

 

As teachers, I think we tend to see the pyramid from the outside. It's glass, which allows us to see in to some extent, but it doesn't mean we get all (or even much) of the learners' perspective(s). 

 

So how do we get in/under the teaching/learning dynamic to get a feel for how things look from the learners' perspective?

 

Well, we can begin by asking them, of course. I constantly chat with my learners about their feelings and impressions in relation to what is happening not only in my course but also their overall educational experience. I also try to facilitate more detailed and reflective feedback, as with the recent blog post I featured here. Generally speaking, writing topics and journal entry tasks can be a very rich field from which to see life and learning through the learners' eyes.

 

That's not without its weaknesses, however. Learners, on account of second language limitations, cultural norms or general difficulties with expressing themselves, cannot always get across what they 'see' and feel with the level of clarity we need for it be fully informative.

 

Another method I've used is to basically position myself physically in the classroom so as to get something close to the same angle the learners receive. I've done this by taking a seat in different parts of the classroom, amongst or alongside the actual learners. I've also video recorded myself (for example, here). I have to admit, this physical positioning has been really informative in terms of seeing the classroom from the in/under perspective.

 

The most effective technique of all, however, is to take on the learner role for real. If you're teaching a second language, learn another second language. If you are teaching a particular subject, enroll yourself in a different subject.

 

Of course, your perception here will be overwhelmingly influenced by your age and current situation (which might be very different to your students') but I do think this experience married with the recollections you can dig up of taking classes as a teenager and child can be quite powerful.

 

The pyramid at the Louvre begins to tip upside down and you find yourself sliding down into it. The teaching/learning dynamic starts to take on a completely different feel based on the reverse perspective.

 

But there must be other ways as well. Have you tried or can you think of any that you think might work to better inform us of how things look, sound, feel, taste and smell from the learners' perspective?

 

;-D

 

 

Open (Source) English <-> Take a Seat

 

 

 

Time now for the second addition to the Open (Source) English collection and apologies in advance if it does come across as being somewhat clinical...

 

Here's the Raven take on what this material could be about and how you might use it in a classroom:

 

 

 

 

 

And here are the downloads:

 

Open English: Take a Seat (PDF)

Open English: Take a Seat (MS Word 2007)

Open English: Take a Seat (Compatible)

 

 

Be sure to let me know how the materials work (or don't work!) for you and your learners, remembering of course that it is up to you (and them) to make them work...

 

This, previous and all future Open English materials can be found in the Open English section/category of the blog. Be sure to share!

 

 

- Raven Out

 

                            

Teaching Materials Design Masterclass 3: Pretty as a button (making activity sequence markers)

 

 

 

 

It's Wednesday, and that means teaching materials design tutorial here on English Raven... Here is the third lesson in my series, showcasing how you can make those pretty buttons ('activity sequence markers' -- think A, B, C, or 1, 2, 3, etc.) for the different parts of your material. 

 

Tutorial 4 will appear this time next week, and it looks at my basic '1:3 design' principle (basically, the idea of (1) content/input plus (3) applications or extensions of that content/input).

 

Remember that all of the tutorials are available over on the English Raven site in the special materials design/development section, so if you want to see previous or upcoming tutorials that's the place to head!

 

 

;-D

 

 

Frustrated with Teaching in Japan?

 

 

 

 

This video popped up in the 'suggestions' when I uploaded my most recent Open English video (not sure the connection is all that strong, but it's always nice to find surprises...).

 

It's a little over a year old now, but I thought it was an excellent example of reflective teaching and taking a questioning approach to what we do, why, and how. It's also always great to meet a teacher who genuinely cares and isn't afraid to share his/her experiences and questions.

 

Having taught in North East Asia, I can honestly say that a lot of this young lady's concerns are pretty common to that region (and from what I hear filtering through various streams on the Internet, it's just as common in parts of Europe as well).

 

What advice would you give this person?

 

 

;-D

 

 

Teaching is... Knowing when (not) to use a navigation device

 

Image: Trey Ratcliff

 

 

 

We've all seen those GPS-fed navigation devices to help us get around in our cars. There's a good chance that if you don't have one in your car, you know at least one other person who does.

 

Let's face it: they can be devilishly useful. I can recall using one each time I had to drive in Seoul, Korea. Living at the other end of the peninsula in a much smaller city, on the rare occasions I had to drive up to and around in such a sprawling and convoluted megametropolis, I have to admit that the driving navigator was a godsend.

 

But I've met people who have become so dependent on their navigator that they admit they're not willing to drive anywhere without it, even if it is just a couple of kilometres from their homes.

 

That to me is a pretty poignant example of a very useful tool becoming a bane to our own pragmatic competence.

 

The situation with teaching is rather similar.

 

Heading into very new and unknown teaching/learning situations can benefit from some sort of navigation device (by which I mean a potential range of things: coursebook content, a very carefully structured curriculum, immaculate lesson planning, following the directions of a teaching colleague, etc.), for those of us who find the unknown just that little bit too daunting or happen to be under certain kinds of time or performance pressure.

 

But if you're unwilling to leave the staffroom without said 'device', even to teach a very familiar group of learners, then I think it is time to reconsider just how much help you're getting from it. 

 

You'll never learn to see past the tip of your teaching nose if you allow yourself to become progressively blind with dependence on things that do all of your thinking for you.

 

Getting lost from time to time is all part of the precious process of developing an innate sense of direction.

 

So go on, you... If it doesn't appear to be life/career threatening:

GET LOST!

 

See what you find.

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

Do multiple choice questions epitomise the industrialisation of education?

 

Image: COCOEN

 

 

There is, of course, a solid rationale behind using multiple choice questions in educational materials designed to 'measure' what students 'know'. Actually, the description that accompanies the image above on Flickr is a reasonably good summary of some of the most important issues multiple choice questions address.

 

Over many years in education as a teacher and materials writer, I've used more than my fair share of multiple choice questions. It's what many teachers expect. My Boost! series has thousands of them (especially in the reading and grammar strands). I have folders with hundreds of tests I've designed for schools over the years, and multiple choice is a mainstay of the overall approach in many of them. An online reading program I acted as consultant to specifically asked me to format comprehension questions predominantly in mutliple choice format. The relationship with that company petered out when I refused to make the so-called writing section of their program all pre-set and multiple choice...

 

However, looking over some recent projects I've been involved in, I am seeing a huge demise in multiple choice questions. My online Trade-Lit program uses them very sparingly indeed, and mostly as a way to mix up the task work a little. I've been working on an online reading program for the English Raven site, and looking over the initial design I realised there are almost no multiple choice applications at all.

 

I've come to the realisation that they are just a very second rate means of facilitating and checking comprehension and critical thinking, no matter how scientifically you look at and apply them. They can never compare to short answer and open-ended questions, and reliance on them seriously blinds a teacher to what is really going on in students' heads and how to best address their cognitive and learning needs.

 

Admittedly, there is an exception to this rule: when students create their own multiple choice questions in response to a task or text. This can be a wonderful way for them to really think their way through content, analyse it and learn at a deeper level. But clearly this is a very different application we are talking about.

 

I also don't entirely subscribe to the view that pre-provided multiple choice questions save time for teachers. Sure, it can be much quicker to mark a test or task using multiple choice. But is that our job? Just marking tests? Allocating scores? I'm under the impression (and feel free to correct me if you disagree) that our job is to educate and really get to know what our students need in the way of strategies and tasks. Multiple choice is a dangerously enticing shortcut across a corner of a forest for a park ranger whose job it (technically) is to know the overall forest rather more comprehensively.

 

And anyway, these days I find myself reading and marking those short answer and open-ended questions at a speed not all that much slower than the time needed to sort through multiple choice answers. The difference is that the former inform me a lot more and in the longer run I think this enhances my understanding of learners and my ability to help them progress. Compared to the multiple choice application, overall I think this is saving me time.

 

Those arguments of mine all might sound fine, but we all know multiple choice will remain with us. The reason for that is very simple. Multiple choice removes the time required for analysis and thinking. It speeds things up and makes it all more convenient. Time is money. Multiple choice saves time and therefore ensures certain stakeholders make more money.

 

Personally, I believe multiple choice questions epitomise the extent to which education has become industrialised in the pursuit of monetary profit. I also believe the extent to which teachers become addicted to it embodies--to some extent--how much we are losing out as well-rounded, receptive and generally aware educators.

 

Avoiding the multiple choice temptation for Trade-Lit is fine, because it is a small program made for a small group of teachers. However, I feel a little grim when I contemplate the English Raven online reading program prospect. Just what percentage of schools and teachers am I potentially missing out on by refusing to use multiple choice and auto-correct options (that is, by making a program that requires teachers to actually check and think about the students' responses)? Such a program still represents the opportunity for profit, in my opinion. Profit more of the learning and not monetary kind, perhaps. But still: mouths need to be fed (and not just in my kitchen) and it can be a hard ask to stick to your principles.

 

 

So what's your take on the multiple choice questions issue?

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

Open (Source) English <-> Picket Fence

 

 
 

 

Here is the first of the Raven Open (Source) English materials... and below you can get a bit of an introduction to the idea as well as some suggestions on ways to use it.

 

 

 

 

Here are the free downloads for this material:

Open English: Picket Fence (PDF)

Open English: Picket Fence (MS Word 2007)

Open English: Picket Fence (Compatible)

 

 

Remember that it's all open source material ('share alike'), though if you do change and/or add stuff, I'd love to hear from you and learn from what you did.

 

 

Enjoy your open sauce (more on the way next Thursday...)!

 

 

- Mr. Raven

 

 

 

Teaching Materials Design Masterclass 2: Making a practical background

 

 

 

 

Here is the second installment of the English Raven Teaching Materials Design Masterclass (if you can forgive the pomposity...), continuing on from the first tutorial about designing basic headers and footers.

 

This tutorial shows what can be done for basic backgrounds with a little playing around, remembering of course that an unadorned white background is perfectly okay for most materials! However, the point here is to show you how some things can be done, which in turn will prove useful for later tutorials more to do with your content layout (for example, my '1:3 design' principle).

 

The next tutorial demonstrates how to make those neat little 'activity sequence markers' (or 'buttons') you can see in professional materials... so drop by same time next week to see that, or if you're too thirsty to wait, pop over to the materials design section of English Raven and see it now (tutorials 1 through 12 are all available there at the time of writing this post).

 

 

;-D

 

 

Open English

 

 

 

This is a new section coming to the blog... VERY soon!

 

The basic idea?

 

Open source materials (with some of my more flamboyant attempts at design skills) to facilitate something along the lines of an emergent language teaching approach, with videos presenting ideas on how to use the materials as they are and/or adapt them as you like. They should be applicable to a wide range of ages and levels (not to mention contexts).

 

Opening soon... Stay tuned.

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

Coursebook or textbook?

 

Image: opensourceway

 

 

 

Coursebook. Textbook.

 

They are terms that are very often used interchangeably, but I see what ought to be a fundamental difference.

 

Coursebooks have courses in them. That usually involves texts, but includes a whole range of other materials as well.

Textbooks (should) have texts in them. There can be different kinds of texts (and different ways of delivering texts) but I don't think they necessarily need to comprise or act like a (full, pre-planned and carefully sequenced) course.

 

I don't know... I just think it could be a helpful distinction to make and bear in mind when one is making and/or using course- and/or text-books.

 

 

;-D

 

 

The 'Hard Talk' interview with an unplugged language teacher

 

 

 

If you're wondering what all these mentions of 'dogme' and 'teaching unplugged' around the blogtwittersphere refer to, I think the interview below (from the IATEFL 2011 conference) is both an outstanding overview of the concept and a brilliant probing of it from an interviewer quite good at playing devil's advocate:

 

 

 

 

 

That fellow doing an admirable job in the firing line is Anthony Gaughan from Teacher Training Unplugged, and the example he gives of a relatively inexperienced teacher experimenting with unplugged teaching techniques in a wonderfully principled and descriptive way refers to Dale Coulter, whose blog Language Moments - Reflections on Language and Teaching has become one of my regular go-tos for some serious inspiration. 

 

The interview and the blogs here are highly recommended.

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

Teaching is... Currents

 

Image: Trey Ratcliff

 

 

 

Try to resist the temptation to subscribe to the baloney that positive and negative currents in a learning environment all start with the teacher. It's arrogant or in many cases just plain unfair to pin this on one individual in a group environment.

 

Whenever you step into a classroom, there is a current already there. Sometimes it is slow and subtle; other times it is obvious and in an almighty rush. It may be going in a positive or negative direction (relative to the potential for learning and development). It is often slightly invisible, moving beneath a very still and reflective surface.

 

So much of effective teaching has to do with currents. Which way is it going? Toss some leaves in and see which way they dart. Or meander.

 

If it is heading in the right direction, then dive right in and see where it goes.

 

Bear in mind, however, that there are group currents and individual movements within that current. Not everyone is moving in the central flow, with least hindrance and maximum speed. Avoid the temptation of spending all of your time in the middle where the current moves most effortlessly and conveniently. Don't turn a blind eye to those little eddies forming up and getting caught hard against the banks.

 

And beware the attraction of speed. The beauty of a stream is what and how it passes through, not where it ends up.

 

When it is (apparently) heading in the wrong direction, the challenge is to bridge it. It's heading left and you'd like to see it move right. Getting over to the other side of the current effectively reverses the relative direction of its flow. What was left is now right.

 

Learning something is (too) hard. Learning something is boring. Learning something is useless.

 

Bridge those currents and start with things that are easy, interesting and practical. Smash through whatever curricular cardboard you need to in order to make it happen. Sometimes you only need to facilitate one of those elements (ease, interest or practical relevance) and the bridge is built; you're on other side and the current has reversed.

 

Tip: Relationships and rapport make for outstanding bridge building materials.

 

Put your boat in. Off you go, then.

 

 

Patch up that curriculum stuff later.

It's only cardboard, after all.

Recyclable.

 

 

;-D

 

 

 

 

The English Raven Halloween lesson materials design challenge!

 

 

 

October has arrived, and that means Halloween is very close. Experimenting with some of my own Halloween materials, a sudden thought came to me: How great would it be to see how different members of my PLN in different parts of the world use the same basic core input/ content but adapt, extend, abolish in whatever way suits their own teaching beliefs/and or the educational culture in which they are working?

 

The idea of the English Raven Halloween Lesson Material Design Challenge (as you can see, it took a while to get the idea out of my mouth!) was thus born... Find out more by watching the video I prepared for the challenge:

 

 

 

 

So, are you up for it? I hope so!

 

Remember that you can change any of the existing content and add and extend with your own activities in whatever ways work best for you and your learners.

 

Post your customised Halloween lesson material on your blog or site, then leave a link here on this page to the location of your efforts (so that we can all find it and give it a squiz).

 

 

I'm genuinely excited at the prospect of so many different versions of the basic template and core content...

 

Templates with content/input for you to download and work with...

Download Halloween 1 worksheet template (MS Word)

Download Halloween 1 worksheet template (MS Word Compatible)

 

Oh... and if you're interested in having some audio files to go along with the input/content already in the templates, here they are (right click and select "save as" if you want to save the files to your own computer):

 

Halloween_Track1

Halloween_Track2

 

 

Look forward to seeing some of your work and hearing from you!

 

 

;-D

 

 

[LATE ADD]: Just an idea, but you might like to try screencasting your lesson material! Try a tool like Screenr (free, allows you to sign in with your Twitter account), where you can present your material on the screen and explain it with accompanying audio. You could then post a direct link to the screencast here on the blog, or embed it as a video on your own blog. Give it a try, you'll love the results!

 

                            

A preview of bam!boo!

 

 

 

Thank you very much to all the teachers out there who posted kind comments of appreciation and encouragement on the recent materials design tutorial I uploaded here.

 

The snapshot above comes from Tutorial 8 in the series, which I have nick-named the Bamboo Mega-Tutorial. It basically demonstrates how to make something that looks just like the material you can see above (but hopefully you'll have something more exciting and inspiring than bamboo to showcase...), from blank page to finished product.

 

Don't for a minute think that smooth professional formatting of materials is the exclusive domain of the big publishers. You can make stuff of this quality, too... if you're willing to put in the time and learn (and have fun experimenting).

 

Tutorials from the ER Teaching Materials Design Masterclass series will be posted here every Wednesday over the next couple of months, so keep your screens peeled!

 

 

;-D