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Online Resources

These are crazy times we are living in. Here are a few resources to help my fellow teachers. Sending Lots of Love and Peace to all of you!

Leveled News-Based Reading Websites

Each website has news articles available at different reading levels and related reading and vocabulary activities.  Sites with an asterisk (*) require account set up.  All have free versions; some have paid versions with extra features.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/  (Free.  No registration seems to be required, but lots of ads and “click bait.”)

*https://newsela.com/  (News stories available at several reading levels with corresponding quizzes, vocabulary exercises, and writing activities.)

*https://tweentribune.com  (Produced by the Smithsonian Institute.  Students can read articles without registering but must have an account to take quizzes.)

Leveled Reading Websites (not news-based)

Each website has reading passages available at different reading levels and related reading and vocabulary activities.  All require account set up and have free versions; some have paid versions with extra features. 

*http://er-central.com  (Free.  20 different levels; students can listen while reading.)

*https://www.readworks.org/  (Topics ranging from STEM to literature.)

Other Websites

www.mentimeter.com (Mentimeter can be used to create presentations, polls, quizzes, word clouds, and more.  Free and paid versions; account set-up is required.)

perusall.com (Billed as a “social e-reader,” this website/app lets students and teachers mark up documents together.  It integrates with Canvas, Blackboard, and other LMSs.  It is free if you are using your own documents.)

Book

Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters by Kylene Beers & Robert Probst (April 2017, Scholastic Teaching Resources).  Available from Amazon.

The book outlines strategies for increasing students’ engagement with and comprehension of reading materials and helps teachers foster students’ lifelong reading habits.

Article

Excerpted from a scholarly book entitled The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads by Daniel T. Willingham (May 2017, Jossey-Bass).

 

The excerpt is called “What works for getting kids to enjoy reading?” and can be found at

www.kqed.org/mindshift/48754/....

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The Art of Storytelling in Storybook Reading

For the past two years, I have conducted a very short mini course on the art of storytelling in storybook reading for young learners. This year, I had many more educators who taught older teens and adults. So, I felt it was time to write a blog post about it. I work with older children and adults all the time. There is no reason to think they cannot enjoy and benefit from being read to as well. The considerations are not terribly different and the truth is they love to be read to as much as small children love being read to. Think about how popular audio books are.

Most of the educators, of all ages to all ages, complained that students generally dislike books. Instead of complaining, they should be questioning why. It’s true, I have found that most won’t want to read the books. However, if I choose some subject or genre they like, I can interest them. The key is to start the book as the story reader…complete with the emotions, gestures and voice. The trick is to stop at an exciting point where they want to know what happens next. You would be surprised how quickly they will get into the book and story. Boys are not so different from girls. They have their heroes and their favorite story styles. There are many stories written about sports heroes and music stars and actors/actresses. Some like fantasy so a good fantasy or science fiction story is nice. Some like more realism… so many coming of age stories are good too. Get to know them first!

When dealing with teens or preteens or even young adults, the key is what subjects interest them? What kinds of stories do they like on video? What kinds of games? They should be getting chapter books. It really isn’t necessary to have pictures in the book.

If you are reading one to one, my advice is you don’t necessarily have to read the whole book to them. You can alternate reading parts with them. (That also has the benefit of you being able to see where they are struggling and with what). For this age, you also have to be wary of whether the book is too difficult or too easy. Always start with something easy with an interesting plot and work your way into slightly more difficult ones. Pay attention to…are they struggling because the vocabulary is too advanced or are they struggling because they are trying to read the words with their native linguistic sound system and not English. (Very often I have found that is the reason they are struggling and turned off to books…and once that is pointed out to them and corrected all is well)

If YOU are actively enthusiastically excited about the story you are reading to them, they will be too!  How we, as teachers, relate to them is how we are either going to connect or disconnect. Don’t teach! Share! Be there for the children you have not the children you think you should have. That is very important!

If you want to learn more on how to get your students engaged and motivated to love reading books as well as excited to learn English…

Join me in a full FIVE week course!

Participants will examine and practice the art of storytelling in storybook reading.

Then create activities using a printed copy or online book.

This course is aimed at all teachers of English to all ages as well as all Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

As a professional storyteller, storybook reader and ESOL teacher, I will share the ‘secret sauce’ needed to become a great storybook reader. Learning the ‘secret sauce‘ will help teachers understand that is doesn’t require them to be professional actors to engage their students in the stories. When a teacher is a great storybook reader, they are engaging, exciting and ultimately will instill a love of reading and books…in those of all ages. It is a way for a teacher to introduce and/or recycle new vocabulary, grammar and meaning to linguistic chunks of language. When the students are excited and engaged, they listen intently (reducing behavioral issues) and have a greater retention of what they heard because they want to listen. They learn sequencing of story and how to connect the verbal sound with the written character symbols, which is very important with children of other languages. Storybook reading is also an excellent way to introduce other academic content, such as social studies and math.

Included in the course:

  • Five 40-minute LIVE webinars with Q&A sessions to get all your questions answered
  • Access to recordings in case you need to watch again
  • Access to important links and guides
  • Individual feedback and critiques of work.
  • The creation of your own Storybook video.
  • Cool badges upon completion of work.

Here is what some former participants had to say:

“I’ve learned a lot from your speech and comments during the course!… I’ve already started to use with my kids and students” – Eugeniya Rubina – Monday, 25 February 2019

“Thanks for your support during this course. You are an active and enthusiastic moderator… I love this course.”– Dai Quang – Sunday, 24 February 2019

“Thank you very much for your guidance and your comments on the video. You made my day….The best part for me was the storytelling part and when I started going through all the online children’s books that moderators shared the links for, it was as if someone had opened a treasure box for me.” – Barbara Krstevski – Wednesday, 6 March 2019

“Thank you so much for your help. I really feel happy now. I have learned many useful things from your course.” – Thi Thu Phuong Tran – Tuesday, 2 April 2019

Click Here For more information about this course and other great tips

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How can you teach adult learners differently when they have already been taught the language?

     That is a good question. To approach an adult learner in the same manner as a young learner would be wrong. Unlike young learners, an adult learner will always come to the class with some knowledge of English. I think the first order of business should be to identify exactly what knowledge they do have. Did they acquire some English through formal instruction or life knowledge? Was their formal instruction recent, or from childhood. Second, it is imperative for the teacher to understand why the adult student is in this class. What is their motivation? Then do a preliminary assessment as to what are their needs and weaknesses.

For me, in dealing with adult learners, the key is respect. Respect their age, life experience and previous knowledge. Do not talk down to them. It is a very different relationship when the student is an adult versus a child. Possibly because I am an older adult myself, I would prefer to have a relationship which is that of a sharing peer rather than a teacher versus student.

There are many affective filters that are put up by an adult learner that are not of the same nature as a child. A teacher must respect the awkward feelings of an educated adult entering a low or low intermediate class… respect the sometimes embarrassment of an adult learner who was street educated in English for many years and might have some fossilized issues… respect an adult who was educated in an English that is different from the version you are teaching and is confused by the differences (for example an adult educated in RP studying American English). It is imperative to be sensitive to these issues which are not always directly related to the learning of the language.

For these reasons, I love to use TED talks. I can find talks that speak to the adult interests and motivations. When you cater your lessons around the student’s interests and motivations, their attention is taken off of how inadequate their English knowledge is, which was what brought them to your class, and redirect their focus on a subject of interest. This usually effectively results in the student relaxing and enjoying their time in class. Thus making it possible for the student to absorb the lesson and move forward in their capabilities.

Just remember…Respect…Be Understanding…Encourage and most of all…

Be Flexible!!

-Judy

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Teaching English Presentation Skills for the 21st Century…using TED talks

Presenting in English has become important in any field in the 21st Century. There was a time when standing at a podium and reading from a script was good enough. Then, came the invention of the PowerPoint slide show.  Presenters didn’t have to say much, just show slides for people to read. In today’s world that is not enough. To be an effective presenter, one must master all that media has to offer. With English evolving as an international language, it has become even more important for our students to be able to effectively present in English. Not only do they have to  master the language as a good speaker but present well made slide shows that include good graphics, video  as well as proper text which enhance their talk (not replace it).

In my conversation and listening classes I have my students work towards an ultimate goal of a major presentation. The theme of the presentation is based on the individual class interests. I have found that by constructing my lessons around achieving this goal:
1) the students will work toward improving the intelligibility in their speaking skills,
2) they learn the importance of using good graphics and other media in enhancing their presentation as well as how to use it effectively,
3) they learn to use the written language to effectively communicate their ideas in their presentations,
and 4) by conducting the mandatory question and answer period after their presentations, they learn and practice their conversational and listening skills.

I love using TED talks to achieve this ultimate goal with my students. We usually begin by defining the theme of the presentations. Then I have my students find TED talks on this theme. Sometimes, I will choose the talk when there is limited time. We review the talks and very often I will have my students actually use the transcripts and practice performing the talk. This helps them begin to identify how a good talk should be and gives them vocabulary and volumes of language to help them express themselves in their presentations.

Next, they learn how to choose and research their topic. They are required to turn in a written paper on the topic to go with their presentation. This ensures that they are well versed in their topic so they may conduct their Q&A properly. I have the students make mini-presentations of different aspects of their topics as a lead to the final complete presentation. With each mini-presentation, their skills are peer critiqued and discussed. We look at the media chosen and discuss if it was effective or extraneous. They are assessed for intelligibility in their speech by their peers.

I chose TED talks for my students to study because I have found that these are some of the most effective presentations. In these talks, my students begin to assess what makes a good speaker or not a good speaker. They can identify what made the speaker interesting and compelling to listen to. We can assess whether the media chosen to enhance the talk was effective or not. For this goal they are required to read:

TED talks – 10 Tips for Better Slide Shows

http://blog.ted.com/10-tips-for-better-slide-decks/

Harvard Business Review – How to Give Killer Presentations

https://hbr.org/2013/06/how-to-give-a-killer-presentation .
Using these TED talks they learn volumes of vocabulary and idioms. Most important, they can find talks in almost any subject or theme.

Additional Resources:

Talks by brilliant kids and teens – 14 talks

http://www.ted.com/playlists/129/ted_under_20

Inc.com – Guide to Improve your presentation skills

http://www.inc.com/guides/how-to-improve-your-presentation-skills.html

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Who are we in the classroom?

8/28/2015

A young teacher, Sensy Nena, posted this:

“Classrooms are places where students learn rather than being places where teachers teach. To what extent do you agree with the statement above?”

This was my response:

“Hmmm… I think it is important to understand the difference between “teaching” and “instructing”. Teaching is the sharing and enlightening of knowledge whereas instructing is merely giving information. In the classroom we are all learners and teachers. The students and the teachers are ‘teaching’. We share with them our knowledge and they teach us to be better teachers. Both students and teachers are ‘learners’. The students are learning from us and we learn something new every time from them. If we as teachers are not learning with our students then we are doing them and ourselves a disservice. It goes both ways.”

This got me thinking about when I was a very young teacher many years ago. My first educational class was an early school age class. This was back in the days when pre-school education was something that was still being experimented with. I thought I was there to ‘teach’ and the students were there to ‘learn’. Well, I quickly learned that was not true!

As a self -taught teacher, I found there was much I needed to learn about child development. This sent me to the local library to study every book I can get my hands on. What I learned was everything was not in the books! It was in my students. I had a lot of knowledge and experience to share with them and they soaked it up like a sponge… but it was my students that taught me more! I learned about their different cultures that they came from. I learned about all the different ways they learned. I learned about what gets them excited about learning and why. Through them I learned whole new ways of teaching and sharing. It was a very exciting year.

Over the years… almost forty… I have found with each new class, each new age group, there was always something exciting & new to learn from them and something new I could teach them. It didn’t matter if they were 3yrs old or 80yrs old, or if it was an art class, a robotic class, an academic class or an English class… there was always something wonderful and new to exchange. I just had to keep my eyes and heart open to find it.

Colleagues and students have remarked how much I seem to love teaching. I do because it has been a long journey and the adventure isn’t over yet. I continue to learn from my students and fellow teachers, young and old, which is what brings me to my motto, “We are teachers as well as students and our students are our teachers.”

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Welcome to My World

Welcome to my world! I decided I needed a place to just write…write about teaching…write about my PLN… write about life. It seems I have a lot to say and there are many who want to hear it. This is where I have chosen to discuss, to share, my ideas and views on teaching, education and life in general. As I travel along this journey, I will be posting all sorts of stuff. So, welcome to my world and into my mind. I hope you enjoy the journey!