Hello,
I agree with what has been mentioned in previous posts notably that materials should be appealing and engaging. I, too, think that they should appeal to students’ interests and/or relate to their experiences.
This, however, might be controversial but I think that tasks should not take up more space than needed on a worksheet. There seems to be a consensus that worksheets shouldn’t be cluttered but I also think that we should have trees in mind and use less paper when possible.
When creating materials, I also aim for them to need as little explanations from the teacher as possible. I believe that having clear instructions helps minimise teacher talking time and helps with students’ autonomy.
I like your point about being paper-conscious. I find that shorter tasks can be effective for my younger students. They grew up in a digital age and they are used to consuming large amounts of "small bits" of information. Many of them get an immense feeling of satisfaction when they complete a task and move on to the next, so making materials too long or too busy can often cause them to lose motivation.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I gradually try to build their tolerance level for longer activities/assignments as well. I believe that is the essence of critical thinking. Sometimes I even remind them "reflection is more important than completion" to get them to slow down.
Yes, I agree with you, Ahlem. Actually, eliminating unnecessary material from the page is a challenge, but at the same time essence of clever design.
ReplyDeleteI also support the claim that minimizing the need to explain enhances the learning process. I’ve often encountered tasks and activities which - even though seem communicative and purposeful - “force” teacher-centered instruction simply because it takes more time for the teacher to explain than for the students to do them.
ReplyDeleteAshley Dresser Thank you for your comment, Ashley. I will be thinking about your words when creating tasks, from now on. I haven't looked at things from that angle, I have to admit; but, I agree. Even I would rather have a series of small tasks rather than one long and complicated task.
ReplyDeleteRoman Ociepa Exactly my point!
ReplyDeleteAndreas Charatzidis Yes, Andreas! I have surely fallen into that trap in the past. Now I try to have everything on paper to avoid giving a never-ending monologue to explain a simple task.
ReplyDeleteHi Ahlem, your point about wasting paper is very important. Sometimes materials can be written online and displayed. Also short texts can be dictated so that students copy them into their notebooks. I'm sure other participants have ideas too. This is the kind of thing that is worth discussing with students. That last point you make is important. it also reminds me that some people like to include a time for each activity so that students know exactly how much time to spend - that way you can play around with shorter and longer expectations.
ReplyDeleteKatherine Bilsborough Never thought about including time for activities. Will start doing that :)
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