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.
Showing posts with label Creating ELT Materials 2018: Week 1 Discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creating ELT Materials 2018: Week 1 Discussion. Show all posts
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
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
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
Friday, July 27, 2018
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
I think that the following principle of Material Design is what I consider the most important. It doesn't matter whether you have rich, informative and educational unless it is presented well and holds the student's interest it wouldn't matter. Because student tend to generally overlook the material that provides them with more information and rather tend to focus on those that create opportunities for having fun.
Make sure the texts and tasks are as interesting, relevant and enjoyable as possible so as to exert a positive influence on the learners’ attitudes to the language and to the process of learning it.
I think that the following principle of Material Design is what I consider the most important. It doesn't matter whether you have rich, informative and educational unless it is presented well and holds the student's interest it wouldn't matter. Because student tend to generally overlook the material that provides them with more information and rather tend to focus on those that create opportunities for having fun.
Make sure the texts and tasks are as interesting, relevant and enjoyable as possible so as to exert a positive influence on the learners’ attitudes to the language and to the process of learning it.
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
I haven chosen the following Principles of Material Design:
1 Make sure the texts and tasks are as interesting, relevant and enjoyable as possible so as to exert a positive influence on the learners’ attitudes to the language and to the process of learning it.
3 Make use of activities which get learners to think and feel before during and after using the target language for communication.
I truly believe learners only get engaged in their own learning process if the materials we use are interesting and make sense to them. Students must see the content as something useful and meaningful.
I´m also an enthusiast of activities that use critical thinking, and, if the material can also provide awareness besides of formal learning, much better.
I haven chosen the following Principles of Material Design:
1 Make sure the texts and tasks are as interesting, relevant and enjoyable as possible so as to exert a positive influence on the learners’ attitudes to the language and to the process of learning it.
3 Make use of activities which get learners to think and feel before during and after using the target language for communication.
I truly believe learners only get engaged in their own learning process if the materials we use are interesting and make sense to them. Students must see the content as something useful and meaningful.
I´m also an enthusiast of activities that use critical thinking, and, if the material can also provide awareness besides of formal learning, much better.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
For me, the most important thing is that the materials are something my students can relate to.
For me, the most important thing is that the materials are something my students can relate to. They should include themes that the students understand and be entertaining.
The content should also be easy for the students to understand. They shouldn't have to do too much guesswork on what they have to do.
I also like for my materials to be aesthetically pleasing. Any feedback about that concerning the materials I create in this class would be much appreciated.
I would really like any feedback on the above-mentioned items on the assignments for this class.
Thanks,
Amy
The content should also be easy for the students to understand. They shouldn't have to do too much guesswork on what they have to do.
I also like for my materials to be aesthetically pleasing. Any feedback about that concerning the materials I create in this class would be much appreciated.
I would really like any feedback on the above-mentioned items on the assignments for this class.
Thanks,
Amy
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
I'm focusing my thinking in this course (at least for the moment) on a specific course I've taught only once and...
I'm focusing my thinking in this course (at least for the moment) on a specific course I've taught only once and will be teaching again next semester. With relation to that, I think the most important principle (if I really had to pick just 1) is:
"Make sure that the language the learners are exposed to is authentic in the sense that it represents how the language is typically used."
In this course we're looking at English through presentations, and some of the language we look at has functions that are specific to 'presentation English': openers, closers, etc. The model presentations that are provided by the text put this language in context, and provide several alternatives. The students do not always 'get' how very different language can serve the same function, so we need to work on that.
"Make sure that the language the learners are exposed to is authentic in the sense that it represents how the language is typically used."
In this course we're looking at English through presentations, and some of the language we look at has functions that are specific to 'presentation English': openers, closers, etc. The model presentations that are provided by the text put this language in context, and provide several alternatives. The students do not always 'get' how very different language can serve the same function, so we need to work on that.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
My materials this week are for my kids and their friends (aged 5-7), so the following are most important:
1. They must be appealing (visually pleasing + sustain curiosity and attention)
2. They must be an appropriately challenging level but also be flexible due to the age range.
3. They must provide opportunities for authentic language use to communicate.
4. They must provide opportunities for feedback on language use.
5. They should have authentic language use.
6. They should help learners pay attention to authentic features of language.
7. PARSNIPS
Since I am the teacher, I can modify and adapt easily, but I would like to develop materials for commercial purposes in the future. These are the first steps in a journey of 1000 miles ;-)
I mostly work with intermediate to advanced learners in ESP contexts so the principle that guides my materials...
I mostly work with intermediate to advanced learners in ESP contexts so the principle that guides my materials design is 'relevance'. I suppose in a way it's a combination of authenticity and contextualisation which Tomlinson has at the beginning of his list. My learners are quite vocal in their feedback and have the ability to critique materials in an astonishingly incisive way. When they see a task, activity or handout, there needs to be some face value and connections to work situations where they'll use this language/skill need to be obvious, or they'll tell me quite bluntly that I'm wasting their time :-)
I also like principle 5 from Tomlinson's list and I find myself often designing tasks that get learners to notice language and discover patterns of use for themselves. Besides these, I also try to incorporate as many open-ended tasks as possible to cater to my mixed ability classes and ensure that more advanced learners are adequately challenged.
I also like principle 5 from Tomlinson's list and I find myself often designing tasks that get learners to notice language and discover patterns of use for themselves. Besides these, I also try to incorporate as many open-ended tasks as possible to cater to my mixed ability classes and ensure that more advanced learners are adequately challenged.
I like the materials I use to be clear and simple.
I like the materials I use to be clear and simple. Good materials are a springboard. It’s important for me to be able to adapt them to suit my classes and see different ways they can be exploited. I prefer the materials to be easy to negotiate rather than impressive. They don’t have to be ground-breaking, I’d rather they were effective. Good materials challenge students but their aims are achievable.
I don’t think any of the principles of materials discussed in the lecture and in Tomlinson’s article can be taken in isolation. For example, we cannot draw learners’ attention to the features of authentic language, if they haven’t first been shown authentic language, so it’s hard to say which principles are most important. When I produce my own materials, I do try to ‘stimulate intellectual, aesthetic and emotional involvement’ (Tomlinson) because this means that students are connecting with the language and they will be more engaged and the learning will be more effective.
I don’t think any of the principles of materials discussed in the lecture and in Tomlinson’s article can be taken in isolation. For example, we cannot draw learners’ attention to the features of authentic language, if they haven’t first been shown authentic language, so it’s hard to say which principles are most important. When I produce my own materials, I do try to ‘stimulate intellectual, aesthetic and emotional involvement’ (Tomlinson) because this means that students are connecting with the language and they will be more engaged and the learning will be more effective.
Similar to Roman Ociepa, I see the potential use in almost everything!
Similar to Roman Ociepa, I see the potential use in almost everything! To focus on those materials which are the most relevant to a lesson, I examine them through two lenses:
- Will it help build students' content/topic knowledge?
- Will it help setup or practice the target language?
Although there are a selective amount of materials that actually make it into my lessons, I have an enormous digital archive of things that I've collected. I find this really helpful when students want extra practice or want to learn more about a certain topic.
The challenge in my current job is that as much as possible should happen through digital platforms as students use iPads. As such, everything has to be Apple friendly and, visually, quite simplistic. Sometimes, things just simply don't work because of format or availability of certain apps. On the other hand, using digital materials means that students can be engaged in practice through a variety of self-led work.
This experience has shifted the way in which I see materials. Now I have to think, "How can I translate this into an online material? Which digital platform will be most effective?" I've even had to find websites that have dice and spinners so students can play games via their iPads!
- Will it help build students' content/topic knowledge?
- Will it help setup or practice the target language?
Although there are a selective amount of materials that actually make it into my lessons, I have an enormous digital archive of things that I've collected. I find this really helpful when students want extra practice or want to learn more about a certain topic.
The challenge in my current job is that as much as possible should happen through digital platforms as students use iPads. As such, everything has to be Apple friendly and, visually, quite simplistic. Sometimes, things just simply don't work because of format or availability of certain apps. On the other hand, using digital materials means that students can be engaged in practice through a variety of self-led work.
This experience has shifted the way in which I see materials. Now I have to think, "How can I translate this into an online material? Which digital platform will be most effective?" I've even had to find websites that have dice and spinners so students can play games via their iPads!
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Hi everyone!
Hi everyone!
The most important principle for me is to expose learners to language in authentic use. We need to expose our students to the language in the same way they were exposed when learning their mother tongue. When using authentic material, we're exposing learners to a language that is not being graded. In that case, students will start to pick up new vocabulary and understand the message. When ready, they will start to produce by themselves. This is important for them to be able to communicate in every single context. At first they may not understand what a native speaker may be saying. We teachers can help them using gestures and pictures. Once they are exposed systematically, they start to understand the whole idea.
The most important principle for me is to expose learners to language in authentic use. We need to expose our students to the language in the same way they were exposed when learning their mother tongue. When using authentic material, we're exposing learners to a language that is not being graded. In that case, students will start to pick up new vocabulary and understand the message. When ready, they will start to produce by themselves. This is important for them to be able to communicate in every single context. At first they may not understand what a native speaker may be saying. We teachers can help them using gestures and pictures. Once they are exposed systematically, they start to understand the whole idea.
The principles that are most important to me
The principles that are most important to me
Clarity – students (and teachers) take their previous knowledge of learning tasks, worksheets, and textbooks and apply it to the next worksheet or handout that the teacher gives out. I want the materials that I make to be either clear enough for the students to figure out how to use, if that’s what I want them to do, OR not evidently clear so that the students will wait for me to explain what to do. Students do what makes sense to them. So, the question that I’m thinking of when designing a task or handout is, what are they going to do with this when they receive it?
Usefulness – if a teacher who wasn’t there sees one of my handouts after a session that I did, I’d like them to think “oh, that looks useful” and then take it and be able to use it. Even if they didn’t attend my workshop, I’d like them to be able to take it and use it in some way. This speaks to an idea of use of paper that was mentioned previously. Basically, is this worth cutting down a tree for?
Clarity – students (and teachers) take their previous knowledge of learning tasks, worksheets, and textbooks and apply it to the next worksheet or handout that the teacher gives out. I want the materials that I make to be either clear enough for the students to figure out how to use, if that’s what I want them to do, OR not evidently clear so that the students will wait for me to explain what to do. Students do what makes sense to them. So, the question that I’m thinking of when designing a task or handout is, what are they going to do with this when they receive it?
Usefulness – if a teacher who wasn’t there sees one of my handouts after a session that I did, I’d like them to think “oh, that looks useful” and then take it and be able to use it. Even if they didn’t attend my workshop, I’d like them to be able to take it and use it in some way. This speaks to an idea of use of paper that was mentioned previously. Basically, is this worth cutting down a tree for?
Week # 1 -Post # 2
Week # 1 -Post # 2
After reading some of the other discussion posts, I realize that I misunderstood the discussion question. I agree with Vivian that the way to achieve that "clear and comprehensive input" involves making the format input readable for the students including clear simple directions at their language level or just 1/2 step higher so the students will stretch a little. I like the idea also of lots of space so that the information stands out of the jumble of all information. I use color in many different ways to achieve that goal.
After reading some of the other discussion posts, I realize that I misunderstood the discussion question. I agree with Vivian that the way to achieve that "clear and comprehensive input" involves making the format input readable for the students including clear simple directions at their language level or just 1/2 step higher so the students will stretch a little. I like the idea also of lots of space so that the information stands out of the jumble of all information. I use color in many different ways to achieve that goal.
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
This week’s discussion question poses an interesting dilemma about ranking the important principles of language acquisition in developing ELT materials. I feel that in any learning situation the most important principles may change given the group of students or the learning environment or the topic of instruction. For me, creating comprehensible input that engages and stimulates student learning is always important. The teacher must engage each student in the learning process. That means as professional educators we have to stay in touch with the world that our students exist with and choose those avenues that will engage them both in the instruction process and in the activities with which students are engaged. Therefore, I frequently use short YouTube videos when I teach English Grammar because the video format what engages students most frequently in their worlds. I also often have the students create video projects to show how well they have grasped Grammar constructions like phrasal verbs.
Next, I think that authentic input is a crucial component of language acquisition for the language learner. Tomlinson phrases it this way in his article, Principles and Procedures of Materials development for Language Learning,” the learners are exposed to a rich, meaningful and comprehensible input of language in use” (p. # 1 ). The students must be able to connect with the new information by correctly placing it within their existing knowledge. To be successful, the instructor must carefully scaffold the new knowledge through learning connections to the students’ existing knowledge.
This week’s discussion question poses an interesting dilemma about ranking the important principles of language acquisition in developing ELT materials. I feel that in any learning situation the most important principles may change given the group of students or the learning environment or the topic of instruction. For me, creating comprehensible input that engages and stimulates student learning is always important. The teacher must engage each student in the learning process. That means as professional educators we have to stay in touch with the world that our students exist with and choose those avenues that will engage them both in the instruction process and in the activities with which students are engaged. Therefore, I frequently use short YouTube videos when I teach English Grammar because the video format what engages students most frequently in their worlds. I also often have the students create video projects to show how well they have grasped Grammar constructions like phrasal verbs.
Next, I think that authentic input is a crucial component of language acquisition for the language learner. Tomlinson phrases it this way in his article, Principles and Procedures of Materials development for Language Learning,” the learners are exposed to a rich, meaningful and comprehensible input of language in use” (p. # 1 ). The students must be able to connect with the new information by correctly placing it within their existing knowledge. To be successful, the instructor must carefully scaffold the new knowledge through learning connections to the students’ existing knowledge.
So in thinking about "principles" I did a little reflecting while: a) looking at/through shelves full of course...
So in thinking about "principles" I did a little reflecting while: a) looking at/through shelves full of course books at work for a while b) at random times while surfing the internet or doing some other work c) looking back over Week 1's slides and googling more stuff by Tomlinson.
My favorite thing I found was a paragraph (image below) from https://bit.ly/2ubns2t (Tomlinson & Masuhara's "The Complete Guide to the Theory and Practice of Materials Development for Language Learning"). In it, they describe the sheer variety of materials used, the multi-directionality of materials, the particularities in the countless contexts (English) language is taught.
So that got me thinking that the principle that maybe is most important to me is actually something like "complexity". Not as in 'complicated' or anything like that, but more in the sense of openness to a) difference and b) change. Good materials can be different than other good materials. What constitutes good materials can/will change.
This got me thinking about Kumaravadivelu (http://www.bkumaravadivelu.com/), one of my favorite ELT thinkers. In his book "Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language Teaching" for two reasons. #1 is: he describes different and evolving teacher roles: passive technician --> reflective practitioner --> transformative intellectual, where the first is primarily concerned with delivering prescribed content (very often via commercial coursebook materials), the second learns to be more responsive and skillful via teaching and their learners, and the third considers the larger picture and makes highly conscientious teaching decisions.
So, another principle may be that materials "don't trap the teacher". As a novice Teacher's Books were extremely valuable resources for me - in them I found precious guidance, sometimes even wisdom, for teaching as I struggled to make the materials "live" in my classrooms. But now I'm not sure that those materials always did enough to push and focus my mind on the most productive and developmental things. Reading them back now, they often seem to ignore my potential for reflection (or pre-flection, as I planned how to teach with the materials in MY classroom, not theirs); they were not as educative as I think they could be.
Reason #2 is Kumaravadivelu's rather beautiful wheel of 3 parameters and 10 macrostrategies. I often come back to this when thinking about "principles" to follow. I think what I'm getting at above is the two parameters of "particularity" and "possibility". And the macrostrategies that are most salient to me right now and I think were active in my Week 1 activity are: "facilitating negotiated interaction" (my emphasis on S-S interaction) and "contextualize linguistic input" (when I showed where the text came from, etc.).
Finally, from Tomlinson's 6 principles I'd like to highlight 5 and 6. Why? Because I want classroom materials to match the vibrance of a great person-centered classroom that is, ideally, already intellectually and emotionally arousing & involving. The materials ought not be any less so. But sometimes I've felt like sighing (and heard students doing it) when it's time to look down again at the page, after some particularly enjoyable discussion or something in class. So prioritizing this is key for me - and perhaps it's both a quality and quantity issue...
OK, see you all again soon for class #2 and thanks Katherine for this first 25% of a great course so far! :)
My favorite thing I found was a paragraph (image below) from https://bit.ly/2ubns2t (Tomlinson & Masuhara's "The Complete Guide to the Theory and Practice of Materials Development for Language Learning"). In it, they describe the sheer variety of materials used, the multi-directionality of materials, the particularities in the countless contexts (English) language is taught.
So that got me thinking that the principle that maybe is most important to me is actually something like "complexity". Not as in 'complicated' or anything like that, but more in the sense of openness to a) difference and b) change. Good materials can be different than other good materials. What constitutes good materials can/will change.
This got me thinking about Kumaravadivelu (http://www.bkumaravadivelu.com/), one of my favorite ELT thinkers. In his book "Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language Teaching" for two reasons. #1 is: he describes different and evolving teacher roles: passive technician --> reflective practitioner --> transformative intellectual, where the first is primarily concerned with delivering prescribed content (very often via commercial coursebook materials), the second learns to be more responsive and skillful via teaching and their learners, and the third considers the larger picture and makes highly conscientious teaching decisions.
So, another principle may be that materials "don't trap the teacher". As a novice Teacher's Books were extremely valuable resources for me - in them I found precious guidance, sometimes even wisdom, for teaching as I struggled to make the materials "live" in my classrooms. But now I'm not sure that those materials always did enough to push and focus my mind on the most productive and developmental things. Reading them back now, they often seem to ignore my potential for reflection (or pre-flection, as I planned how to teach with the materials in MY classroom, not theirs); they were not as educative as I think they could be.
Reason #2 is Kumaravadivelu's rather beautiful wheel of 3 parameters and 10 macrostrategies. I often come back to this when thinking about "principles" to follow. I think what I'm getting at above is the two parameters of "particularity" and "possibility". And the macrostrategies that are most salient to me right now and I think were active in my Week 1 activity are: "facilitating negotiated interaction" (my emphasis on S-S interaction) and "contextualize linguistic input" (when I showed where the text came from, etc.).
Finally, from Tomlinson's 6 principles I'd like to highlight 5 and 6. Why? Because I want classroom materials to match the vibrance of a great person-centered classroom that is, ideally, already intellectually and emotionally arousing & involving. The materials ought not be any less so. But sometimes I've felt like sighing (and heard students doing it) when it's time to look down again at the page, after some particularly enjoyable discussion or something in class. So prioritizing this is key for me - and perhaps it's both a quality and quantity issue...
OK, see you all again soon for class #2 and thanks Katherine for this first 25% of a great course so far! :)
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
Which Principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
This week’s discussion question poses an interesting dilemma about ranking the important principles of language acquisition in developing ELT materials. I feel that in any learning situation the most important principles may change given the group of students or the learning environment or the topic of instruction. For me, creating comprehensible input that engages and stimulates student learning is always important. The teacher must engage each student in the learning process. That means as professional educators we have to stay in touch with the world that our students exist with and choose those avenues that will engage them both in the instruction process and in the activities with which students are engaged. Therefore, I frequently use short YouTube videos when I teach English Grammar because the video format what engages students most frequently in their worlds. I also often have the students create video projects to show how well they have grasped Grammar constructions like phrasal verbs.
Next, I think that authentic input is a crucial component of language acquisition for the language learner. Tomlinson phrases it this way in his article, Principles and Procedures of Materials development for Language Learning,” the learners are exposed to a rich, meaningful and comprehensible input of language in use” (p. # 1 ). The students must be able to connect with the new information by correctly placing it within their existing knowledge. To be successful, the instructor must carefully scaffold the new knowledge through learning connections to the students’ existing knowledge.
This week’s discussion question poses an interesting dilemma about ranking the important principles of language acquisition in developing ELT materials. I feel that in any learning situation the most important principles may change given the group of students or the learning environment or the topic of instruction. For me, creating comprehensible input that engages and stimulates student learning is always important. The teacher must engage each student in the learning process. That means as professional educators we have to stay in touch with the world that our students exist with and choose those avenues that will engage them both in the instruction process and in the activities with which students are engaged. Therefore, I frequently use short YouTube videos when I teach English Grammar because the video format what engages students most frequently in their worlds. I also often have the students create video projects to show how well they have grasped Grammar constructions like phrasal verbs.
Next, I think that authentic input is a crucial component of language acquisition for the language learner. Tomlinson phrases it this way in his article, Principles and Procedures of Materials development for Language Learning,” the learners are exposed to a rich, meaningful and comprehensible input of language in use” (p. # 1 ). The students must be able to connect with the new information by correctly placing it within their existing knowledge. To be successful, the instructor must carefully scaffold the new knowledge through learning connections to the students’ existing knowledge.
Hello everyone!
Hello everyone! Until now I have read many great ideas on the principles one should follow in order to create ELT materials and I have learned a lot from all of you.
Based on my experience as a teacher, I think that it is crucial for materials to be both challenging and simple. By challenging, I mean materials which are accurate and appropriate for the students' level but at the same time keep students engaged and motivated to learn even beyond that material. On the other hand, I consider simple materials to be the ones which are easily to be understood by everyone, have clear instruction, provide examples, and have a clear structure with interconnected and meaningful exercises.
These are the two main principles that I follow each time when I create teaching materials. Have a great time and see you all tomorrow :)
Based on my experience as a teacher, I think that it is crucial for materials to be both challenging and simple. By challenging, I mean materials which are accurate and appropriate for the students' level but at the same time keep students engaged and motivated to learn even beyond that material. On the other hand, I consider simple materials to be the ones which are easily to be understood by everyone, have clear instruction, provide examples, and have a clear structure with interconnected and meaningful exercises.
These are the two main principles that I follow each time when I create teaching materials. Have a great time and see you all tomorrow :)
I use materials from print media a lot; especially from the newspapers.
I use materials from print media a lot; especially from the newspapers. Newspapers are affordable, and are language in use in 'real life'. One of the great things about teaching in Pakistan is the fact that the newspaper is still so important and forms part of the morning ritual for many urban dwellers - this is so despite television news, social media, websites, newspaper sites and e-newspapers.
I love newspapers because I put them to good use by cutting them up and preserving them.
When I select materials, especially from newspapers, I look for one particular quality... that is that the materials should be meaningful, relatable in the teaching context, appropriate in subject matter - I try and avoid 'taboo' topics simply because our media laws are so draconian.
One more quality I look for is that the material is 'ageless' .. it has no expiration date, or at least the expiry date is far away.
Of course, the materials selected for exposure to learners should be at their level of interest and should be comprehensible.
As far as 'correct' English is concerned, I find that less important, simply because I can use it as an activity to rewrite it correctly.
In short the principles that I find most useful in creating ELT materials have to do with:
a. Currency - something that is in the news, that's happening, is creating excitement and generating a lot of interest
b. Ageless: It should be something that can be adapted for use later. For example, a news item about water shortage can be used after the crisis, to talk about what happens when there is a water crisis. Today in class we used a picture of rural families returning to their homes because the recent rains had ended the drought. This is a general pattern that happens year in and year out, and the issue has not been given the attention it deserves.
c. Attention grabbing. If the materials are such that immediate grab the attention of the learners, the rest becomes easier because the initial excitement creates the flow that makes the materials engaging. Some of my favorites are political cartoons but I need to be careful... remember PARSNIPs.
These are some of the principles that I find most useful when selecting resources developing them in creating materials for ELT. The principles I have shared are 'worded' differently, but by and large, incorporate much of Brian Tomilson's and Katherine's ideas.
My lesson based on imperatives will appear on the post in a bit, as soon as I manage to find a solution to share the actual newspaper text that just jumped out at me and demanded formation into a lesson.
I love newspapers because I put them to good use by cutting them up and preserving them.
When I select materials, especially from newspapers, I look for one particular quality... that is that the materials should be meaningful, relatable in the teaching context, appropriate in subject matter - I try and avoid 'taboo' topics simply because our media laws are so draconian.
One more quality I look for is that the material is 'ageless' .. it has no expiration date, or at least the expiry date is far away.
Of course, the materials selected for exposure to learners should be at their level of interest and should be comprehensible.
As far as 'correct' English is concerned, I find that less important, simply because I can use it as an activity to rewrite it correctly.
In short the principles that I find most useful in creating ELT materials have to do with:
a. Currency - something that is in the news, that's happening, is creating excitement and generating a lot of interest
b. Ageless: It should be something that can be adapted for use later. For example, a news item about water shortage can be used after the crisis, to talk about what happens when there is a water crisis. Today in class we used a picture of rural families returning to their homes because the recent rains had ended the drought. This is a general pattern that happens year in and year out, and the issue has not been given the attention it deserves.
c. Attention grabbing. If the materials are such that immediate grab the attention of the learners, the rest becomes easier because the initial excitement creates the flow that makes the materials engaging. Some of my favorites are political cartoons but I need to be careful... remember PARSNIPs.
These are some of the principles that I find most useful when selecting resources developing them in creating materials for ELT. The principles I have shared are 'worded' differently, but by and large, incorporate much of Brian Tomilson's and Katherine's ideas.
My lesson based on imperatives will appear on the post in a bit, as soon as I manage to find a solution to share the actual newspaper text that just jumped out at me and demanded formation into a lesson.
Which principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
Which principles of Material Design are most important for you? Why?
For me, two principles are essential when designing materials in my context:
1. Expose learners to language in authentic use - most of the materials I write must be based on authentic content that cannot be graded, due to government bid specifications. The biggest challenge then is grading the activities and guiding students (and teachers) along them, so that they believe they are able to deal with the tasks proposed.
2. Arouse and sustain learners' curiosity and attention - English is the only school subject that offers students opportnities to talk about all the other subjects, which is a huge advantage for teachers and materials developers when it comes to creating interestin content. One thing I do in an attempt to keep students curious and focused is to never understimate them. Another point is to give them chances to be the protagonists of the learning process.
For me, two principles are essential when designing materials in my context:
1. Expose learners to language in authentic use - most of the materials I write must be based on authentic content that cannot be graded, due to government bid specifications. The biggest challenge then is grading the activities and guiding students (and teachers) along them, so that they believe they are able to deal with the tasks proposed.
2. Arouse and sustain learners' curiosity and attention - English is the only school subject that offers students opportnities to talk about all the other subjects, which is a huge advantage for teachers and materials developers when it comes to creating interestin content. One thing I do in an attempt to keep students curious and focused is to never understimate them. Another point is to give them chances to be the protagonists of the learning process.
When I design material, the first thing I think about is
When I design material, the first thing I think about is
1. Level appropriateness: I find a lot of interesting material but sometimes it is too high and I have to scale it back.
2. Useful language: I have to think about whether or not it is useful for business persons, academic students, refugees, etc. My refugee student nor my academic students might not think stocks and bonds are useful.
3. Interesting: will it be engaging?
4. Good English: I like to type really fast and should be careful.
5. Logical sequencing: This is pretty important in that I think there needs to be a buildup.
6. Flexible/adaptable: I should definitely do this because I get tossed into a lot of different situations with very different clients.
7. Visually pleasing: To me, this is important. I think it helps you remember the language better.
8. Appropriate content: Honestly, a lot of my business students want to talk about the PARSNIPS. I really watch it though, with my academic and refugee students. Knowing your audience is key.
1. Level appropriateness: I find a lot of interesting material but sometimes it is too high and I have to scale it back.
2. Useful language: I have to think about whether or not it is useful for business persons, academic students, refugees, etc. My refugee student nor my academic students might not think stocks and bonds are useful.
3. Interesting: will it be engaging?
4. Good English: I like to type really fast and should be careful.
5. Logical sequencing: This is pretty important in that I think there needs to be a buildup.
6. Flexible/adaptable: I should definitely do this because I get tossed into a lot of different situations with very different clients.
7. Visually pleasing: To me, this is important. I think it helps you remember the language better.
8. Appropriate content: Honestly, a lot of my business students want to talk about the PARSNIPS. I really watch it though, with my academic and refugee students. Knowing your audience is key.
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