Handouts: Family

 

 





To find more handouts on the topic of family go to the link https://en.islcollective.com/resources/search_result?Vocabulary_Focus=Family

Handouts: Food

To find more handouts on the topic of food go to the link https://agendaweb.org/vocabulary/food-worksheets-resources.html

Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. Students learn about a subject by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, challenge, or problem. It is a style of active learning and inquiry-based learning.

To read more about project-based learning go to the link ⇨⇨⇨ http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4753 and watch this video.

Tips for Teaching Vocabulary

We all know that although it is important for students to use correct grammar and structures, words are the main carriers of meaning. This means that the more words students are able to handle accurately, the better their chances of understanding English and making themselves understood.

There are various unusual and absorbing techniques for students to teach new vocabulary. You can use for example word wheel, comic strip word activity, paper plate vocab and so on.

To read more and find other techniques ⇨⇨⇨ http://www.giftedguru.com/21_ideas_for_teaching_vocabulary/

Advantages of Using Cell Phones in the Classroom

We cannot imagine nowadays society without cell phones. According to a recent college study “95% of students bring their phones to class every day, 92% use their phones to text message during class time, and 10% admit they have texted during an exam on at least one occasion”. Of course, with the increasing popularity of cell phone among students comes the sharply contested debate as to whether or not they should be allowed in classrooms.

Cell phones can be a powerful participation tool in the classroom. For instance, the website platform Poll Everywhere allows teachers to create poll questions.

Another way cell phones can boost participation in the classroom is by inviting students to use text messaging or Twitter to ask questions to the teacher throughout the lesson.

Cell phones can serve as a tool for quick reference in the classroom. When it comes to double checking spelling, word definitions, or even to look up alternative word choices, apps like the Merriam-Webster Dictionary App and the Webster’s Thesaurus App are quick and easy-to-use resources.

 
Read more and get acquainted with other tips at http://www.schoolmoney.org/advantages-using-cell-phones-classroom/

Note-taking

Among essential pupils' and students' skills there is note-taking. Note-taking is the practice of recording information captured from another source. By taking notes, the writer records the essence of the information, freeing their mind from having to recall everything. There some basic rules of successful and effective note-taking:

• Stick to keywords and very short sentences.
• Write out your notes in your own words (not verbatim from a teacher or colleague). One exception to this is when you hear a good turn of phrase that helps you remember the the note, or if you're writing out a direct quote.
• Adjust the note-taking style to fit both your needs and the speakers.

To find more information about modern techniques of note-taking, go there ⇒⇒⇒ https://lifehacker.com/back-to-basics-perfect-your-note-taking-techniques-484879924

How to Combine Enjoyment and Studying?

Learning new vocabulary takes time and lots of practice. Without living in a country full of native speakers it can be really hard to immerse yourself in a language! You have to find something in English that you are deeply interested in! Something that amuses you will also do nicely. Of course, it is a television series where you can get acquainted with the most common use of a language is speaking and listening to people speaking.

Go to this link and find out what famous TV serials are the best variants both for entertainment and studying ⇒⇒⇒ https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/10-brilliant-series-to-improve-your-english-speaking-and-pronunciation/

Using a Digital Camera in the Classroom

Document cameras are a great tool for teachers. They allow teachers to take what used to be individual assignments and turn them into class assignments, creating more discussion, interaction, and maintaining students' attention. There are various ways of using a digital camera in the classroom:

• create learning resource video clips 
• preparation of mini documentaries, interviews or news reports
• record students role playing difficult social situations
• record school performances, excursions, special events, field trips, visits by specialists, etc.
• collect video of authentic workplace situations that can be analyzed in math or statistics classes 
• compile still images over a long period to produce time lapse movies
• increase student awareness of manipulative techniques used in advertising
• record and analyze student or teacher presentations

You can find more ideas there ⇒⇒⇒ https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/meghan-everette/10-uses-digital-cameras-classroom/

How to Improve Writing Skills in 15 Easy Steps

Writing skills are an important part of communication. Good writing skills allow you to communicate your message with clarity and ease to a far larger audience than through face-to-face or telephone conversations. Everybody knows that the best way of developing writing skills is practice. Though to bring some order to your rambling thoughts you should follow these steps:

1. Make sure you’re clear on the concepts you’re writing about.
2. If the message is complex, outline it.
3. Anticipate your readers’ questions.
4. Don’t over-explain everything.
5. Go easy on the prepositional phrases.
6. Eliminate the filler words and phrases.
7. Don’t pad weak words with adverbs.
8. Stick with simple words.
9. Use contractions.
10. Try transcribing yourself.
11. Throw away the grammar rule book . . . within reason.
12. Keep your sentences simple.
13. Read it out loud.
14. Infuse your personality into your writing.
15. Practice, practice, practice!

Read more about forementioned steps there ⇨⇨⇨ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-improve-writing-skills/

Tips to Drastically Improve Your Pronunciation in English

Correct pronunciation is one of the main challenges of studying English. Though the great news for anyone learning English as a second language is that these challenges can be overcome and pronunciation can be mastered. Probably, the main condition of acquiring corrrect pronunciation is regular listening to native speakers' speech. By following the extremely helpful pronunciation tips outlined you will be able to make rapid and measurable progress in terms of improving your English pronunciation. 

To read more go to the following link ⇨⇨⇨ https://reallifeglobal.com/7-tips-to-drastically-improve-your-pronunciation-in-english/

What is Caracter? Virtue Ethics in Education

Teachers are educators of students' character.Teachers have the potential to exert huge influence on the way young people develop and see the world. Theaching is more that imparting knowledge and requires commitment way beyond the classroom.That is what the second week of the online course "What is Caracter? Virtue Ethics in Education" is about. 

I find this course extremely inspiring and informative. I would recommend everybory who is a teacher or is to be a teacher in the future take this online course.

Assessment

If you still use a boring oral interview as the way to assess your students, you should go there ⇒⇒⇒

http://busyteacher.org/7082-top-10-ways-to-assess-your-students.html and get acquainted with other interesting and effective methods of evaluation the knowledge of the learners. REMEMBER: the more variety you use in assessing your students, the better your picture will be of their overall language skills.

How to Use SMART Boards in the Classroom

Nowadays smart boards are a sophisticated replacement of the traditional overhead projector. It gous without saying that the interactive board turns a typical classroom into a fun learning environment. There are various ways of using smart boards in classroom. To get to know more go to the following link ⇒ https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/five-ways-that-smart-boards-are-a-smart-choice-in-the-classroom

Uses of Computers in the Classroom

In an increasingly technological society, computers pervade many aspects of our culture and daily lives. While educators use computers differently in their classrooms, the devicesprovide a number of educational opportunities, including uses in curricular development, research, record-keeping, computer literacy training, data processing and presentation.

Find more info there ⇨ https://itstillworks.com/uses-computers-education-1300.html

To Read or Not to Read

Yesterday I took part in the Cambridge University webinar on the topic "To Read or Not to Read". We were discussing various interesting qestions concerning issues of reading. For example, there are some points that were included in discussion:
1. One should begin reading only after acquiring some basic knowlrdge of the spoken language.
2. Learning new alphabet should begin with learning single letters, starting with the most common and useful (phonic method).
3. We do not need to necessarily read every word accrately to understand the text.
4. When reading a text we use our own world knowledge in order to access the meaning.
This webinar was very informative and valuable. I am thankful to Tetiana Shelepko for great conducting of this webinar.
P.S. I would like to share with you the certificate that I had received for attending the webinar.

Fun Ways to Learn and Remember New English Vocabulary

Everybody uses their own effective ways to learn new vocabulary. If you have not found the best method for you go to this link ⇨ https://magoosh.com/toefl/2014/12-fun-ways-to-learn-and-remember-new-english-vocabulary/ and choose one you like the most.

Mastery of English Grammar

The main point of learning a language is to be able to communicate, and using the wrong grammar can lead to misunderstandings, so you do need to get the words in the right order. Though grammar mastery takes time, the more effort you put into it, the better you will get. Grammar is a complex structure, so before you learn how to compose great pieces of English writing or speech, you need to understand the grammar building blocks leading up to more complex forms. With enough time, effort, and practice, though, you can eventually become a master of English grammar.

Find more info there ⇨⇨⇨ https://www.wikihow.com/Learn-English-Grammar

Comfortable Atmosphere in the Classroom

Students need to feel safe in order to learn. They need to feel secure in order to want to participate. There are a number of things teachers can do to set up classrooms that feel safe and well-organized. To get to know more about creating a comfortable atmosphere in the classroom go to this link ⇨⇨⇨ 

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-create-safe-learning-environment-rebecca-alber

How to Improve Your English Speaking Skills

English is the widely spoken language and one can use it to communicate with people around the world. It enables life-enriching experiences like traveling, studying and working abroad, not only in the US but also many other countries. That's why it's very important to develop our English speaking skills. On this site https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/how-to-improve-english-speaking-skills/ you will be able to get acquainted with the basic aspects of reaching communicative competence.

"What is Character? Virtue Ethics in Education"

The first week of the online course "What is Character? Virtue Ethics in Education" is finished. I would like to share with you my results and some interesting info.

Many people argue that it is parents who are the primary architects of young people’s character, but there seems to be a general agreement that teachers can and should also have a role. As young people spend so much of their early lives in schools, and going to school is such a formative experience – it seems imperative that schools also have some responsibility for character education.

‘Character education’ is a contested term – different people take it to mean different things. In this film Professor James Arthur explains how character education can be considered an umbrella term for all explicit and implicit educational activities that help young people develop positive personal strengths – which might be called virtues.

I really like this course and hope that I will find out more informative material during the second week.