Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

One of my purposes is to share with other educators my experience from being in the classroom for 35 years and seeing all the change that our students bring every new year. It's amazing really, that no class has ever been the same!
Also, I wish to write materials that derive from the compound of English language, Psychology and Coaching, diverse materials for the learners of the new generation.
I would like to create materials that are easy even for the busiest teacher to use, materials that are enjoyable for the students, that can help them develop and grow into independent learners.
I love materials that promote critical thinking and teach social skills to students, materials that can make them responsible world citizens aiming to peace and love for everyone.
I would like to create a blog or participate in one with other like-minded people in this group, and together share ideas, projects, views, knowledge and materials in order to develop ourselves, other teachers and our students.
I believe it's about time we found our tribe and created the change we want to see in this world.

When using an authentic audio or video it is important to use only ‘native speakers'.

When using an authentic audio or video it is important to use only ‘native speakers'. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons.

Depending on the level of our students, I would use native speakers with beginners, as they need a basis on which to start building their knowledge and reference of language sounds. Moving to the upper levels they can gradually be exposed to nonnative varieties to get to recognise the language through different accents and come to know the cultural varieties that connect to these differences.

Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?

Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?

I teach mostly children and teenagers and from experience I've seen that in order for material to be effective, it's very important for the students to be able to understand the content, to feel comfortable with it and be able to respond and produce results. They can similarly work with enjoyable material and other times with intriguing material, depending on the demands we have on the production of language. They become more emotionally involved when the content touches their interests, opinions, when they can make connections with their lives or when they can visualise different situations. This mostly works with speaking and writing.

Here is my week 4 assignment. It is a word search based on my week 1 assignment.

Here is my week 4 assignment. It is a word search based on my week 1 assignment.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4wwDoYnNVfqSGRSR2lmNTQweFN0bk5VZ1ZGanpzcmdOZVRj/view?usp=sharing

Here is my week 2 assignment.

Here is my week 2 assignment.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4wwDoYnNVfqQWwxTVJjNWJoUXBaclJDXy1xX3FZcnkyWmRF/view?usp=sharing

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

Not really a materials writer (I think not in 12 months), but I will have definitely created a lot of materials.
So, maybe create a website or blog where I share materials and lesson plans. I think I will have created more interest in that area among my colleagues and hopefully encourage them to form a materials writing group where they create and share materials in a more professional and accessible way.

What ONE piece of advice would you give a teacher who wants to create their own classroom materials?

What ONE piece of advice would you give a teacher who wants to create their own classroom materials?

- Always put your target students in mind; consider their learning styles, interests and above all their needs when creating your materials.
- Share your materials with others and ask them to try them and give you some feedback if possible.
- Start small (one task, one skill or language area) and develop your materials till you create more professional materials and lesson plans.
- Don't forget to store your materials. You'll definitely need to use or share them later or even develop and improve them.
ooops, those are more than one, but I believe they just sum up the most important pieces of advice in my own point of view (a reminder for myself, as well) !

I felt that week four assignment is kind of the most challenging for me.

I felt that week four assignment is kind of the most challenging for me. I don't know whether that was because I wanted to aim high and create something that is genuine and new or because I was not creative enough to make the job easier for myself!
In our summer school courses, we do graded readers with students of different age groups, so I created a board game to review all language and content of one of the readers "The Prince and the Pauper".
Anyway, I created a board game. I used Publisher to create the table myself (rather than using a ready template) , then filled it with some questions and other instructions. I am still exploring Publisher, so I had to copy the document to Word to save it at the end !

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M81Gk6V9WwqnIrDO_YnEjgMau87UpmKa/view?usp=sharing

Here is my week 3 assignment.

Here is my week 3 assignment.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4wwDoYnNVfqVzF2bzNvRVJPb3JEXzdBODVqaC1YMlJPZ2JF/view?usp=sharing

Title

Dear All,

Here is my last assignment. I'm sure you are already enjoying your summer break, but I hope Mocha's nose in the preview convinces you to have a look :)

I struggled to make the layout look as neat as possible, but Google docs doesn't always want to cooperate, so show some understanding if things are not always just in the right place.

I used myrebus.com to create the fun part of this lesson (thanks for the recommendation, Maria Theologidou).

Enjoy the rest of the summer, everyone :)

Margarita

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

I would like to have built up a bank of resources that I can use in my lessons, and have them all indexed according to subject/level/grammar/function/topic. I would like to feel that I was in a position to start a website of some description and be able to start sharing resources with teachers working in a similar context to myself.

Attached is my Week 4 assignment.

Attached is my Week 4 assignment. It was quite difficult to think of creating puzzle materials for my context, being 1-2-1 online teaching - everyone else's activities seem really exciting and colourful, but I find with my context it's often more engaging for learners in 1-2-1 online lessons if you can create the content during the lesson - so I will use the interactive whiteboard a lot to draw etc.

Anyway, one game I play quite frequently is Twenty Questions, which is a very popular British travel game, so I have created a worksheet to explain how to use this as a game to practise question forms and workplace vocabulary. I use it with B1 learners, and I only use it once with each learner. The word I think of is always 'stapler'. I find this works really well because it's an object that many people use every day, but that (in my experience) they don't know the English word for. It's really interesting to hear them try to describe it to me, and how to use it, and really extends their vocabulary.

I would say 'keep it simple' - start with one resource, whether that is a picture or text and look at how you can...

I would say 'keep it simple' - start with one resource, whether that is a picture or text and look at how you can exploit that resource for different levels, different grammar/language points, for classroom or 1-2-1 lessons.

Here is my week 3 assignment, using pictures from the flickr/elt account.

Here is my week 3 assignment, using pictures from the flickr/elt account. I have designed it as a self-study lesson, to take approximately half an hour, with another 20 minutes of homework (task 5). It is designed for B2/C1 level Business English students.

Apologies for submitting this assignment late.

Apologies for submitting this assignment late. The attached lesson plan is for B2/C1 Business English learners. It is designed for 60 minute 1-2-1 Skype class. I removed one paragraph from the original article to make it shorter. When I did the vocab profiling, almost 20% of the words were 'off-list'. Many of these were the more interesting business/marketing words and this vocabulary would be crucial to having a good understanding of, and ability to discuss the topic, hence I believe this article would be most suited to higher level learners than the profile results would suggest. I would use an interactive whiteboard throughout the lesson to illustrate the grammar points/lexis that are the focus of the lesson.

Title

This puzzle was designed today from scratch, since I wanted to make it appropriate for use by any teacher interested.
In Greece the majority of coursebooks are accompanied by a book called ‘Companion’ which contains the new vocabulary in each unit. In levels A1 - C2 under each word there is its explanation in English, an example sentence containing the word, synonyms, antonyms, derivatives and the Greek translation of the word. So, to make this puzzle I usually use vocabulary I have set as homework in the previous lesson and I copy the original sentences from the companion, which helps the students who have studied guess the words easily .
Please feel free to have a look at it. Any comments would be much appreciated.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mvzXqORTKQAWboXMNGnFgEDM4S1gx-mEYpLdnvLXibE/edit?usp=sharing

Hi Everyone!

Hi Everyone!

For this assignment I designed a board game to review and practice superlatives.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ma8I-GyspLpntDmQF9ic3ssVINawUiPp
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ma8I-GyspLpntDmQF9ic3ssVINawUiPp

I really cannot visualise myself as a material designer 12 months from now.

I really cannot visualise myself as a material designer 12 months from now. I can only ensure that I will always try to do my best in order to make my students happy and help them in discovering their potentials ans their skills. As far as personal creativity and productivity is concerned all I know is that I will be in the process of conducting my dissertation starting in October. This will definitely involve a lot of deep thinking, writing, designing, creating, researching, data collecting, analysing and evaluating. And .. maybe, if things go well I will be conducting my Phd proposal in a year from now...

Hello everyone.

Hello everyone. I tried to design a fun activity for young learners from different backgrounds who get to know each other in class. The purpose of the activity is to enhance cultural identity in classroom and give students the chance to use home language in order to feel comfortable and secure in the learning environment.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pkgK-QYqMviwkVqUslOliHeaVrYPvgwzFVDzEjByn7Q/edit?usp=sharing

Hi Guys!

Hi Guys!

This is my lesson for Assignment 3. I chose a print advertisement about plastic pollution on the beaches to base my lesson on. Students discuss characteristics of print ads and how this specific piece conveys its message. After that, they compare the ad to other two pieces and do a task to expand vocabulary on environmental issues. At the end of the lesson, they create their own environmental ad and share it with their classmates.

I'm not very happy with the images in Activity 4. I got them from Pixabay, a free image bank. A paid image bank such as Shutterstock will definitely have better images to convey the ideas.

In this Assignment I tried to go for short and objective rubrics, so teachers will need to read the Teacher's Notes to carry out the tasks. Also, I have included some points for further discussion in the notes.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nzPWGyWc-ql9fmyjoguS2l6aRyWkDAIP
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nzPWGyWc-ql9fmyjoguS2l6aRyWkDAIP

Here´s the 4th assignment, finally!

Here´s the 4th assignment, finally!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WaGFvfkjdEcsw5wkp82QqNeuewiWd5ha/view?usp=sharing

I think that the most important of all is to design material in order to cover the needs of your classroom.

I think that the most important of all is to design material in order to cover the needs of your classroom. Personally I find it very important to promote multiculturalism because I work with students from different socio-cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Also I am an advocate of promoting critical thinking in classroom so my advice would definitely be related with creating material that gives the opportunity to students to become active members in class and in community.

Hello everyone.

Hello everyone. This is my contribution inspired by the term translanguaging coined by Ofelia Garcia. Pictures have been taken from the Facebook public group “MULL- Map of Urban Linguistic Landscape, an online, collaborative project open to all, with the aim of mapping the global linguistic landscape. The task has been designed to promote multilingualism and multiculturalism in classroom.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c25x00-sVxMgWOYvLWyn2m4XgYvrtOZjfsvX8q2P9r0/edit?usp=sharing

I would like to shere here here in this discussion a video I encountered in an attempt to expose my students to...

I would like to shere here here in this discussion a video I encountered in an attempt to expose my students to different accents. I think that what is more important when teaching any language is give students the opportunity to dive into sounds. It is a way to enhance the cultural elemants connected with a language and provide them with the chance to create language identity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_C4PDSfQJA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_C4PDSfQJA

Dear all

Dear all,

I think that I might be among the ones to submit my assignment so late. So sorry about that but I have been under great pressure for a while and I went through a very stressful period of time due to my Master degree exams. Thankfully all went well. This task is designed to cover the needs of a refugee learners as well as to promote multiculturalism and inclusion.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FbofaK9tYDfofsXO3q3qgPejFULVWa0X47Js8B-A3S8/edit?usp=sharing

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

I'd like to be done on my book about swearing for ESL learners. I'd also like to have a blog where people can share materials. It's a lot and very huge goals but why not. Go big or go home.

So super late. Sorry about this. Was visiting family overseas. Here is my assignment.

So super late. Sorry about this. Was visiting family overseas. Here is my assignment.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yAQnZAOOho-qzqjIhNyp3gemoiNgrnZZ/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yAQnZAOOho-qzqjIhNyp3gemoiNgrnZZ/view?usp=sharing

Hi people! I´m uploading my last assignment.

Hi people! I´m uploading my last assignment.
*I have used https://edpuzzle.com/
*The video was taken from https://www.patreon.com/freeschool
*This is the link to the material I´ve designed:
https://edpuzzle.com/assignments/5ad7ee5db9bb004109230196/watch
Hope you find it useful! I´d love to read your comments!
Laura Perrotta from Argentina

Hello everyone!

Hello everyone! I'm Elena from Greece, I've been an English Teacher and a Language school owner for 35 years and I'm so excited to be a member of this group of amazing people!
Since the beginning of my career I've been searching for innovative teaching methods and I was very lucky to have been trained by exceptional teacher trainers. Continuous studying, training and self evaluation have resulted to my having great awareness as a teacher. Additionally, I 've attended courses on Psychology ( Children Development ) and last year I completed my university studies on Coaching. I equally love Teaching, Psychology and Coaching and I believe that a teacher needs to be most of all a Coach in class and help the children discover the best way for them to learn.
I mostly work with young children and teenagers (aged 5 - 16) and since these are the years that they develop as personalities I love creating teaching material that gives them the opportunity to express their feelings, their fears or their doubts, material that motivates them and also gives them cultural and social skills and knowledge.
I'd love to be connected with those of you in the group who can help each other develop as teachers, writers and educators and create beautiful things together!
Please feel free to contact me at: Email: metaxa.lena@gmail.com

I've always loved using photos in my teaching and over the years I have created a big bank of photographs which are...

I've always loved using photos in my teaching and over the years I have created a big bank of photographs which are classified according to subject and they are easily accessible. I have collected them from magazines, newspapers, advertisements, leaflets and brochures and many are photographs I have taken myself.
I would appreciate it if you had a look at this assignment and commented on it. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PrLoVAp8QHbcVsG1zTLsaVpAG1eBeRDUKTQ6PazRC2Y/edit?usp=sharing

Who Am I?

Who Am I? Where Am I? and What Am I? are well-known games with a couple of variations. I've revised previous materials I made to save reinventing the wheel, and have further simplified the language so that (except for names, numbers and fillers, e.g. Ah, Hmm, Oh), 94% is A1 and rest is A2 vocabulary (according to Word Kitchen). The materials are designed for students to use in a self-access (language learning) centre and play out of class.

In-Class Use
After students have had a tour of the self-access centre and start to get settled into the 1st semester, I introduce a selection of games like this in class (which is part of an oral communication course with a focus on fluency development).

Students choose which game they want to play and I am there to help if they wish to ask any questions but are generally able to figure it out amongst themselves. You can find more games here:
http://www.konan-wu.ac.jp/~espace/games.html

Out-of-class Use (Self-Access Centre)
Between classes, they have to complete a self-access centre 'challenge'. For the week in question, they must choose a different game and then answer a short online Reflection & Evaluation questionnaire. (Feedback on the games has generally been very positive - see comments below.)

They usually play during lunchtime or between classes in a free period or at the end of the day. If they need help or want to play with someone, there is always a Learning Advisor in the centre and sometimes a Student Volunteer Staff or International Students speaking English. However, as materials are photocopiable, they can also take a copy and basically play anytime, anywhere.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a0kPu_NUgRmH4xhLqYLSe5IvGZO7_Rs9/view?usp=sharing

Wow, people have given great advice in this thread!

Wow, people have given great advice in this thread!

My piece of advice has to do with sharing and getting feedback. Whenever possible, share the materials you have designed with fellow teachers who'd be able to use them in their classes AND get feedback on the content. Sometimes we oversee important things when designing materials and having other people use and comment on our work will definitely help us become better writers

What ONE piece of advice would you give a teacher who wants to create their own classroom materials?

What ONE piece of advice would you give a teacher who wants to create their own classroom materials?
I'd tell my colleague to use authentic material as a starting point and to design their own material thinking out of the box taking into account their own students (level, age, interests), being consistent and clear with instructions.
Have a great day!
Laura Perrotta

Hey everyone -

Hey everyone -
Here's my last assignment. It's for a flipped-classroom where students read the information on the Five-Paragraph essay on the following websites:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/five_par.htm

http://www.bucks.edu/media/bcccmedialibrary/pdf/FiveParagraphEssayOutlineJuly08_000.pdf

They then complete the crossword puzzle below that I designed on the website www.armoredpenguin.com

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qysg_Dh0djCGKNcvm2ClkDVayg_0E_VhAsMABb4wWjI/edit?usp=sharing

I would then have them identify all of the parts of an essay in the following essay, which I got from Longman Academic Writing Series 5:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lip45IJDy1km8OEWvxKeNiOJJZbw1nYWJxthWKWCE7A/edit?usp=sharing

I've really learned a lot about creating content from this course.

I've really learned a lot about creating content from this course. It was a great investment, and I really wanted to thank everyone involved in putting it together.

In 12 months, I see myself doing a lot better at creating original content that would be impressive to an employer. I really liked learning about Creative Commons because it's a lot simpler way to share media across the internet, and it opened up a new world of content that would help me and my students.. I also think this is the most amount of resources I've ever collected in one class (even though it was only a month long!) I wanted to thank everyone - teachers and people participating alike - for sharing all of the online resources they use. It was extremely helpful, and this will make my job a lot easier for years to come.

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

I'd like to be working in an international project, developing materials for kids or teens... or even adults, since I've never had anything published for this public. In order to achieve this goal, I intend to get in touch again with some contacts I have in Mexico and in the UK!

For people starting out as creating content as a TESOL instructor, I guess would advise them to do 3 things:

For people starting out as creating content as a TESOL instructor, I guess would advise them to do 3 things:

1. Try to learn about your students' interests and try to incorporate them into the content you create. Most people normally don't trust people who aren't trying to relate to them.

2. With #1 in mind, you should incorporate your own interests into your classes. Even if it's a technical term or something you wrote your thesis on, I find students respect you when you enjoy what you teach.

3. I feel you need the mindset of a writer in order to be a good content creator. You should find inspiration in your life and constantly be reflecting on your materials and how you can make them more effective for your students. Even if it's just a funny story that you can help them better understand a concept, that's what language is all about: helping: shared experiences and understanding one another.

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?
What a good question! It makes us think and plan our future!
First of all, I want to say THANK YOU to Katherine, Barbara, Steven, Gareth, my classmates and everybody that participated here!!! It was a real pleasure to be part of this group. I´ve learned a lot from all of you and I feel more confident in my material.
In a year from now, I´d love to be ready to publish some material for YL, using the method we use in our school exposing students to the language and taking the affective filter into account. I´d love to publish, give lectures and visit different places in the world, as someone else said. It´s a big dream... but if we don´t dream, we can´t make it happen!! Have a wonderful time! Let´s keep in touch! Laura Perrotta from Argentina!

Here goes, the final assignment.

Here goes, the final assignment.. Assignment # 4. I used the idea of running dictation and modified it to review and internalize 2-word phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs are very difficult for Pakistani learners, mainly because the feature is a rarely used one in Urdu. Since students have a tendency to 'translate' mentally from Urdu into English in order to gain accuracy, we as teachers, find that 'phrasal verbs' are hard to internalize. For example, instead of using 'switch on, turn on'' they will say "burn the lights' because in corresponds to Urdu phraseology. Taking this into consideration, ELT teachers in Pakistan have to compensate for such errors by iteration. Here is the game I used just recently with my class.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fFDNT0EoQZvueh7GeF1V6GT14EdjsyQR?usp=sharing

Hi people!

Hi people!! I´m late but still here!! This is my assignment 3. Hope you find it useful! I´d love to read your comments! Hugs! Laura
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13WpSWB9_0epasXPAfyh51vg0npOnDPtapp19UQXgFok/edit?usp=sharing

WEEK 2 Assignment

WEEK 2 Assignment

In my long career as a teacher I’ve always enjoyed the fascinating faces of the youngest of students when they realise that they can identify words they know, in texts that seem far beyond their understanding.

The following technique occured to me when I noticed that some very beginner students used to open books they found in the classroom, such as higher level students’ books, readers and even newspapers and magazines and try to spot words they already knew.

What an inspiration for me! I certainly adopted it in my teaching and we’ve always enjoyed it since it’s a boost of motivation for students to study more and a magic time for the teacher to observe the children’s mind making marvellous correllations in order to find meaning in L2.

I’d like to mention that the lower the level of the students, the better. And if you really want to enjoy the procedure, try it with very young children who feel free to express their enthusiasm!

Note: I wish I knew about the profiler earlier! It would have saved me hours of work! Now the teacher knows the vocabulary they can work with and can adapt the exercises and activities according to the level of their particular students.

Please feel free to comment. I'd most appreciate it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MQbnpQbd8GK8g-vOwZxizNlVu8qRJzbIJsF3Cu7Io3Y/edit#

For the final week's assignment, I created a vocabulary review assignment for an intermediate/high intermediate...

For the final week's assignment, I created a vocabulary review assignment for an intermediate/high intermediate level English for Science class. The first part is a crossword puzzle that students can work on together to review definitions. The second part of the assignment is based on an activity a colleague showed me for vocabulary review. It involves having students creating a quiz (in this case, fill-in-the blank sentences) that another pair would answer. Students enjoy this because it forces them to think about how to use words correctly (both in creating and answering the questions). I walk around and help students with the creating of the quizzes. After we switch the papers and the other pair would answer, we project the answers on an overscreen projector, and we grade the students' answers as a class to see why and how the words are correct. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mJEHtamtgwwv4XSVwM5QcLdeyoNXNLFvEz86MyVDO_4/edit?usp=sharing

Title

Hello everybody,
I hope it isn't too late for me to post my assignments, since it's been a very difficult month for me due to family matters.
I'm so sorry I've missed connecting with all of you, I'll try to complete all 4 assignments till this Saturday. Then I'll write my introduction to the community and see the beautiful work all of you have posted in this community and the comments.

So, here's my assignment for Week 1:

In my teaching I often include techniques from Psychology and Life Coaching and I create material for my students with the aim to give them the chance to think beyond their usual way of thinking and their limiting beliefs or challenge them to a different mindset.

I’ve also found these lessons very useful for times when a class seem tired with the routine of the syllabus, or they come to school over excited for some reason, or bored – it happens, especially with teenagers.

I would most appreciate any comments. Please feel free to comment.

A bit late, and I've been flexible with my definition of 'puzzle' (in this case, two/three situations at the end of...

A bit late, and I've been flexible with my definition of 'puzzle' (in this case, two/three situations at the end of the materials in which students have to think critically), but here is my work for the Week 4 assignment. I’ve tried to incorporate ideas from the previous weeks’ materials, both in terms of content and feedback, focusing on the skill of critical thinking for students preparing to do a business or management course at university.

As ever, comments, suggestions welcome.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CbhIdV-yjAMxyzAsg49lY4oMba9D4l4m

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CbhIdV-yjAMxyzAsg49lY4oMba9D4l4m

Hello everyone!

Hello everyone! Here's my week 4 assignment. I have just recently used this in my classroom and my students enjoyed playing it.


https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SbPj-B5EFcOYXRsxgg3h-PcJh9AlxlAO

Hi everyone! Here's my third assignment.

Hi everyone! Here's my third assignment.


https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NClqe4m5woPB58aoDefboMx-4bvQewY7

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

Where would you like to see yourself 12 months from now, in terms of being a materials writer?

12 months from now, I hope that I have kept working on improving my materials writer skills, including getting more feedback from others. What I found most valuable from this class was that I received feedback on the activities that were good and the activities that could be improved on, which is something I haven't received from others when I created materials for different classes. Having an extra pair of eyes to see what works and what needs tweaking is very beneficial, and I hope to take the feedback that I received to continue and work on certain areas more.

Greetings!

Greetings!

Honestly, I took a really long time looking for an online game that can be used in my context. Since we are just few days away from 5th of August, I give up looking and decide to share one of the language games I usually make my students create. It's a card game called Kaboom!

This card game can be played after students have done reading a novel or a literature. Honesty, this is the most interactive and fun way to check student's comprehension and to make sure whether a student reads or not.

note: I'm sorry for the poor card graphic.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rrLnukJqLjnA1KSzVziSlAvD8I3NBzbe/view?usp=sharing

Twelve months from now I imagine myself doing voluntary work for some publishing organisations as well as developing...

Twelve months from now I imagine myself doing voluntary work for some publishing organisations as well as developing my own materials for classroom use. I have noticed that, usually, coursebooks are outdated, especially when it comes to the topics discussed. The grammar points also are not always adequately covered. Take for example the case of some or any, according to some coursebooks some is used in positive sentences and any in negatives and questions. This is not the case, however, for request where we can use some.
I think that the best idea for me is to work with some teachers in the teaching centres to develop some materials for different levels and age groups and store these materials in a shared folder in order for all teachers to benefit from them.
I deem it also important for me to do voluntary work for some publishing companies in order to immerse myself with different learners and learning needs and also learn from more experienced materials writers

If a teacher wanted to create their own classroom materials I would suggest making the material clear and scaffolded...

If a teacher wanted to create their own classroom materials I would suggest making the material clear and scaffolded for the students. This means there is clear numbering of the activities, enough spacing between the tasks as well as clear instructions. Without these components materials won`t be engaging for the learners

There are two fonts that I use in class.

There are two fonts that I use in class. These are: Arial and Comic SANS. These two fonts make the reading experience comfortable for both students and teachers. They are also recommended by the British Dyslexia Association

I think that when using audio or video it is important to include both native and non native speakers.

I think that when using audio or video it is important to include both native and non native speakers. This is very important to familiarise students with different accents since non native speakers outnumber natives speakers.
Based on my own experience teaching exam classes, many EAP and exam coursebooks are starting to include many non native speakers in their recordings and DVDs. The aim is to prepare students for university where they are going to encounter non native teachers and students and where the only medium of communication is English

There are many aspects we should consider when developing new materials.

There are many aspects we should consider when developing new materials. I`m going to divide these aspects into two categories: Form and content.

Form

When it comes to form material developers need to make sure that the activities and instructions are readable . This can be done by using the adequate spacing and font size. The Material should also be inclusive especially for students with dyslexia. The goes through including a coloured background to make it comfortable for the reader.

Content

The content should provide activities or tasks that aim at maximising interaction between the students. It should also promote learner autonomy by helping them notice the language for themselves. Last but not least, material designers should include rubrics or short activities at the end of a lesson to help students reflect on their progress

Here's my last project.

Here's my last project. It's a memory and observation game. I believe that your students will enjoy it! I enjoyed observing the picture and finding hidden items while creating this material.
Anyway, it was great to meet you all. Have a great summer!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ByLkKEcH0Nt5g7UqS6qwKuSCexc0nKoA/view?usp=sharing

I hope to become a more efficient materials writer with realistic goals.

I hope to become a more efficient materials writer with realistic goals. I find myself dragging my feet with materials because I feel that they're not there yet, not overly creative or novel or some other unrealistic expectation. I'd like to become more comfortable with the idea of materials not being perfect and use the classroom as an opportunity to refine and tie up loose ends.

I wish I'd been less busy this past month ... I haven't been able to spend as much time as I would have liked on the course. It was fascinating to see how people approach materials design differently and its impact on the final product. This was my first ITDI course and I hope it will be the first of many more.

Hi, everyone!

Hi, everyone!

Some years ago, one of my colleagues shared this idea and, since then, I've been using this game a lot mostly with teenage or adult students of higher levels when teaching idioms or phrases. I've created several lists with idioms or phrases I can use in this game. This is just and indicative one so you can alter it by changing the idioms or phrases according to your class' needs. I hope you enjoy it and look forward to your feedback!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yBJmc6HY_BNp2a97GKt09Tkma3g3WzH8/view?usp=sharing