Here is an activity I tried a couple of times with my teenage students. I decided to combine the test-teach-test approach with a fairly new feature of Quizlet which is Quizlet live. My students played a vital role in shaping this activity and so did my friend, Łukasz Knap who helped work out the technical kinks.
technology
The trouble with technology
You want to be innovative, you want to deliver fresh, engaging lessons, you don’t want to be accused of lazy teaching. You’ve read the latest, hottest blog post about 30 must-have apps/ tools/ platforms that are likely to make your teaching better. You got overwhelmed. You panicked. Now what?
Genius inventions lesson plan
In this lesson students discuss the usefulness of various 2016 inventions. In the second stage of the lesson, students work with word formation exercises, modelled after Cambridge Advanced Use of English Part 3. The lesson is aimed at B2+ students, especially those who are planning to take the Cambridge Advanced exam. The class takes around 45 minutes to complete.
June 3-2-1
June was all about videos. In this post, I’d like to share my 3 favourite video tools I have been using to incorporate video clips into my classes, 2 short videos I’ve used with different students on a number of occasions and they were always a big hit, and, finally, my new favourite online video series I’d recommend to any English language teacher and learner.
Reflections about online teaching
I’ve been teaching English online for 6 months now and I’d like to share some of my (very subjective) thoughts on the matter. If you’re considering giving online teaching a try, you might find this post interesting. Take a look at some of my biggest surprises, most important lessons, and some reservations concerning giving online English classes.
My favourite activities for tweens part 3
This school year marks the first time I have had the opportunity to work with younger students on a 1-2-1 basis. My kids are 11 and 12, hence the tween label. In this series of posts, I would like to describe several activities that have worked particularly well during our classes (90 mins once a week). Here, you can read about my favourite activities that involve using photos taken by the students with their smartphones.
March 3-2-1
March, I rediscovered the power of Twitter which has now become my go-to place when looking for anything ELT. It was thanks to Twitter that I’ve stumbled upon two great websites which I’ve started using with my younger students (ages 11 and 12). Still, some of my problems remain unsolved and here comes my never-ending struggle.
February 3-2-1
In February, I spent a lot of time looking for reading and listening resources my students could use for some after class language practice I teach several elementary and pre-intermediate students and finding level-appropriate online resources was more difficult than I’d expected. I also stumbled upon two interesting apps for teachers and learned about a potentially incredible learning website which I’m not quite sure how to use. Take a look!
Voscreen: teaching with video clips
I might be a bit late to the Voscreen party as I discovered this free platform a couple of months ago. I’ve been experimenting with it quite a bit and I’d like to share my 10 ideas about using it with English learners in and out of the classroom.
Smartphone apps listening activity
This smartphone apps listening activity is based around the topic of new technologies and innovative use of smartphone apps. It works best with FCE, CAE, and upper-intermediate students. It compliments well coursebook chapters about technology and its influence on our lives, especially new technologies such as smartphone apps. I used this video published by BBC News.
