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Teaching narrative and related techniques is a cornerstone of Qatar K-12 English Language Curriculum. Indeed, teachers of English constantly come across two main challenges: the first one is to find suitable material to cover all the required aspects described by the Qatar English Curriculum Standards Document and that have not been addressed by the main teaching resources for different levels, and the second is to find appropriate listening and reading material needed to build exams aligned with the Evaluation Institute Documents.
From my personal teaching experience, I have learned to keep lists of different types of resources and material that I could eventually use when I need to. The problem, though, is that I have lost many of those lists due to many factors (personal, technological, etc…).
The following is a list of very useful links that can be safely used in Qatar K-12 English-language classes:
The idea of this innovtive project is the result of a chat I had with Dr Kevin Cordi who was accompanying a group of American students at the end of one-day visit to our school. Dr Kordi, who is teaching story-telling at Ohio University, talked to me about a project he started, in 1995, with a group of students. Though the idea seemed to be very simple, it gained international scale.
Meeting the school principal
1. The idea
As a part of teaching storytelling, Dr Kordi encouraged his students to think of an interesting story to tell. The young storytellers went through a whole process of brainstorming, editing, rehearsing and eventually telling their stories in front of a ‘real’ audience. Dr Kordi was supportive in that he guided them in developing the plot using strory elements, he highlighted the importance of cooperation and team work, and, most importantly, he provided them with professional assistance on how to use the right body language to captivate their audience. After being exposed to all those educational activities, students were ready for the show. Every team used a shoebox to put in their stories, as well as pictures, drawings or concrete things that relate to the story, such as sea shells. They decorated the outside of the boxes in accordance to a common theme that relates to all their stories.
Students decorating their storyboxes
The day of the show there was a ‘ritual’ that was followed by the audience: the ceremonial Hawaiian practice of blowing the conch shell. The audience, mainly made up of parents, teachers and friends, were split into small groups in order to listen to the different teams of students who were proudly standing around their boxes. When the conch shell is blown again, people have to swap places and listen to a different group of students telling different stories.
2. Going International
The stories were not buried in the shoeboxes but toured the world. The generous idea of spreading the word and exchanging storyboxes made this amazing project travel to many countries across Europe, South America and Asia. I consider myself to be fortunate enough to meet Dr Kordi and know the story.
I am proud to mention that our school has won the “Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for the Distinguished Academic Performance”, the category of “The Distinguished School & School Administration”. Everyone in the school, students and academic and administrative staff, warmly welcomed the news when the school principal announced it on Tuesday. As a member of the committee who was in charge of preparing the evidence files, I really felt anxious before the announcement. Now, it is only relief and excitement that I feel. What happened, I believe, is a wonderful example of team work and a logical outcome of a clear vision.
Brief description of context, location and time (size of classroom, facilities/resources available, time of day, lesson length, etc.) – 50 words maximum
In a small classroom, the teacher’s movements and group-work become a relatively difficult task. However, the class is well-equipped, containing a white board, a data-projector and speakers. Though an internet connection is available, the webquest content was made offline expecting any technical deficiency. I taught the lesson during the second period in the morning from 8 to 9 am. It lasted 55 minutes.
Brief description of learners (how many, age, level, special needs/behavioural issues, etc.) –
50 words maximum
The class I taught this lesson in was grade 12 Medical Studies. Their ages range between 17 and 18. Indeed, a good majority of the class is a group of able students who can cope with challenging situations and take part in high-order thinking activities. The class has an interesting cultural background as learners come from different countries; consequently, they have different interests and inspirations. As a result, I have to be very vigilant and stop any bursts of nationality-related comments. Three students have some difficulties in using English to communicate and are reluctant to take part of most of class activities.
Brief description of the new idea and why chosen
(50 words maximum)
The technique I applied in this lesson was the webquest, part of module 6.7 ‘Project-based Learning’. It consists in providing the students with a well-chosen list of websites with some tasks to perform, aiming to achieve a final goal eventually. This lesson is the second in a series of lessons taking the students through the process of doing research. I was convinced that the webquest would offer an unprecedented opportunity for my students to experiment with evaluating websites and to develop more awareness of types and reliability of resources.
Lesson plan cover page
How does the lesson fit with syllabus/timetable?
(30 words maximum)
As a department, we have decided that our students should be exposed to research skills throughout their three-year secondary studies. As a result, for each level (i.e. 10, 11, and 12), a unit of work consisting of a series of lessons is devoted to tackle different research skills and cover some linguistic competencies. Following a lesson about primary vs. secondary sources, this lesson is a logical second step aiming at evaluating instances of available resources.
Learning outcome
By the end of the lesson, most of the students are expected to:
– Identify different ways to evaluate websites.
– Evaluate websites using rubrics.
Materials and references (attach worksheets)
Worksheets
PowerPoint presentation
Web Quest application I have developed for the lesson.
Colour copies of different website pages.
Anticipated problems
(50 words maximum)
As it is the first time I use the web quest as a teaching technique, I had some fears concerning how far it could be effective and involving. I was concerned that the internet connection could be unavailable for any reason (that happened to me) and thus the core activity would be missed. Also, I was not certain that all the students could do the main activity when it comes to using the more advanced rubric.
Proposed solutions
(50 words maximum)
The possible challenges that I expected made me think of possible solutions while planning the lesson. First, I decided to develop my own webquest software. This would allow me to make the websites’ contents available offline. Also, the lesson should be very well structured, through making the lesson stages flow in a smooth way, leading the students to the core activity. Instruction should also be clear to the students to avoid any distractions.
Language Analysis (if appropriate) – cover meaning, form and pronunciation
Observer comments (if appropriate)
Lesson procedure
Time
Teacher activity
Student activity
Interaction
Stage aim
5 min
Do-now activity: Ask the students to think of all the possible resources that can be used in research. Accept any possible answers.
Given graphic organizers, the students think of all the possible resources used in research projects.
Teacher – student
List possible sources for a research project.
5 min
Go through the lesson objectives then tell the students to read the five sections of the rubric.
Students split in groups of four and read the rubric and highlight the keywords.
Student-student
Identify the 5 W’s to evaluate a website.
5 min
Teacher distributes copies of a web page and asks students to write the five words ‘Who?’, ‘What?’, ‘When?’, ‘Where?’ and ‘Why?’ in the correct spaces.
Teacher monitors the activity.
Students go through a webpage and write the five words ‘Who?’, ‘What?’, ‘When?’, ‘Where?’ and ‘Why?’ in the spaces provided.
Student-student
Group-work: Evaluate a website using the 5 W’s evaluation rubric.
30 min
Teacher presents the second rubric to the class and asks them to use it to make an objective evaluation of the websites.
Go round the groups and monitor the activity
Students read the rubric, then use the webquest to surf the websites in order to evaluate them with reference to the rubric.
Student-student
Use a webquest: Evaluate websites using the advanced rubric.
10
Ask volunteers to report their evaluation to the whole class.
Students tell the class which website is the most reliable and justify their answers.
Student-student
Plenary: Present findings and justify choices.
Reflection
What went well? Why?
(refer to the learners, learning outcomes and stage aims, lesson procedures, tasks / activities and materials)
I think that the lesson flowed smoothly. Every stage led logically to the following, giving room for interaction. The worksheets were very helpful as they kept the students focussed on every lesson stage. Indeed, nearly all the students were able to do the activities using the worksheets as intended. Cooperative learning helped overcome some confusion in the main activity as more able students could help the rest of the class, especially to understand the content of the websites through explaining some new words.
What didn’t go well? Why?
(refer to the learners, learning outcomes and stage aims, lesson procedures, tasks / activities and materials)
One of the best practices I have committed myself to do at the end of each lesson consists in thinking of other ways that could guarantee higher efficiency levels. In the case of this lesson, I think that the main deficiency was time. I think it would be better to administer such a lesson throughout four periods at least. The students would have gained more understanding of the evaluation process and have the opportunity to write a comprehensive report of their work.
Brief description of context, location and time (size of classroom, facilities/resources available, time of day, lesson length, etc.) – 50 words maximum
I taught the lesson in a classroom which is not very big, especially after lockers had been put at the back, which makes my movements relatively uneasy. It is equipped with a data-projector and speakers. An excellent wireless internet access is available. The lesson was taught in the morning from 8 to 9 am. It lasted 45 minutes.
Brief description of learners (how many, age, level, special needs/behavioural issues, etc.) –
50 words maximum
My students are in grade 12. They are 18 years old with mixed abilities. Indeed, the class represents a ‘myriad of levels’, ranging from beginners to intermediate. Students come from different countries which influences the way they are arranged in class and the way groups are formed. At least four students have serious difficulties in using English to communicate and one has communication problems and catered for by the AESN department.
Brief description of the new idea and why chosen
(50 words maximum)
Actually, during the previous workshops, there were many ideas that I could find inspiring and suitable to be part of my teaching. However, I believe that the students’ age and linguistic competence along with the lesson’s nature influence in deciding about which activity to adopt. Eventually I have decided to adopt the table completion activity (cf. Lesson Planning Coursebook p7) because I found it very interesting and could help organize ideas visually and help students recall information and define logical relationships. I have tailored it to the needs of my students and to the lesson’s requirements. The original activity consisted of a gapped table that the students are to fill with pieces of paper with the missing information; I have modified it to include pictures instead.
Lesson plan cover page
How does the lesson fit with syllabus/timetable?
(30 words maximum)
The lesson was a part of cluster C (the use of functional language). The cluster focuses on different types of functional writings including letters, memos, reports, emails, staff meetings and cover letters. It is the fourth lesson after students have been introduced to email-writing and became able to distinguish between formal and informal language used in writing.
Learning outcome
Identify the differences between a memo and a letter
Identify vocabulary related to memorandum from a video
Follow the different steps to write a memo
Discuss and evaluate the best way to write a memo
Write down a memorandum following an imaginative situation
Not all the students will be able to produce a memorandum by the end of the lesson. Some of them have problems in writing. Some of the students will have problems answering questions about the video in the starter activity.
Proposed solutions
(50 words maximum)
I have devised differentiated worksheets that respond to the needs of the low-achievers and high-achievers in the same time. Moreover, relying on a group-work class mode would alleviate such difficulties.
Language Analysis (if appropriate) – cover meaning, form and pronunciation
Observer comments (if appropriate)
Lesson procedure
Time
Teacher activity
Student activity
Interaction
Stage aim
10 min
Distribute the worksheets. Tell the students that they are to watch a video about the main differences between a memo and a letter. Ask them to define the target audience, the speaker’s purpose and spot the differences as defined in their worksheets.
Students are to watch the video about the main differences between a memo and a letter. They are to fill in the worksheets with the possible target audience, the speaker’s purpose and the differences between the memo and the letter.
Teacher – student
Student-student
Identify the differences between a memo and a letter
5 min
Go through the answers with the students. Accept any relevant answers.
Students peer-correct their answers.
Student-student
Identify vocabulary related to memorandum from a video
10 min
Explain the task and set it.
Go round the groups and monitor the students’ work.
After they finish, display the correct answers for the whole class (PowerPoint slideshow)
In their groups, the students are asked to match the pictures portraying different steps of writing a memo to the suitable captions.
Check their answers.
Student-student
Follow the different steps to write a memo
10 min
Explain the task and set it.
Go round the groups and monitor the students’ work.
In groups, the students to read three memos and decide about the possible subjects and write it in the subject line. Then they complete a gapped memo with given words.
Student-student
Discuss and evaluate the best way to write a memo
15 min
Explain the task and set it.
Go round the groups and monitor the students’ work.
In groups, students choose on of the suggested topics to write a memo by following the model given in the previous task
Student-student
Write down a memorandum following an imaginative situation
Reflection
What went well? Why?
(refer to the learners, learning outcomes and stage aims, lesson procedures, tasks / activities and materials)
Overall, the lesson was done the way I planned for. The transition was smooth and the students showed a clear involvement. During the group activities, the students showed a great sense of complicity and support; I just had to explain few things as the pictures were self-explanatory and the activities matched their abilities. More able students contributed to the flow of the lesson in an effective way. I had the same positive feedback from my colleagues who taught the same lesson in their classes. Further, I think that the learning outcomes have been successfully achieved as the students could easily answer my questions about the discrepancies between letters and memo at the beginning of the following lesson.
What didn’t go well? Why?
(refer to the learners, learning outcomes and stage aims, lesson procedures, tasks / activities and materials)
I reckon that I was not totally satisfied at the end of the lesson. Notwithstanding my good anticipation and the quality of the material I have concocted, the time that remained to the production part of the lesson proved to be insufficient. The low achievers were even reluctant to start drafting the first line in the body of the memorandum. They would have shown more interest had the activity been presented in a different way. Maybe a jumbled memo that has to be reordered and written down would have settled the issue.
I love literature, and I love this particular workshop. All the activities presented would be easily integrated in my teaching practice. I wish we had done this workshop right in the beginning of the course, it would have served in a very useful way in teaching the narrative cluster for grade 12. Anyway, the first great activity is ‘Walking through the story’. After listening to an oral story, learners are supposed to write down the story stages they can remember then compare them with the notes from the teacher. Then, with a partner, they are going to retell it, in their own words using notes, and whenever they reach a new stage they have to make a step forward. For sure, I will not miss the opportunity to try it with my students. It addresses many language skills like listening for gist and details, taking notes, developing notes into a speech, and addresses various learning styles.
‘Pink Bow Tie’ activity
Another interesting activity is ‘Pink Bow Tie‘. Presented a picture (of a bow tie), learners have to write answers to a set of questions that the teacher asks (*). The activity is done in groups; each member is going to write his own answer, fold the paper and handle it to one sitting on his left. At the end, each learner is going to have a funny story with interesting and sometimes unconnected events. Ultimately, the story is given to the students to be read and compared to what they have written. Of course, this activity could be adapted to suit students’ levels, interests and cultural beliefs.
‘The Wolf’s Tale’ is the last activity I will definitely use. Actually, it appeals to creative thinking and helps considering issues from different perspectives. Secondary students are required to identify the point of view in a story and justify its use, and such an activity would allow them, not only to be aware of the point of view used, but also experiment with telling the events from a totally different angle. Referring to Bloom’s taxonomy, this activity is placed at the highest level, since it allows the learners to experiment with characterization and plot, and create new scenarios. Of course, a good variation would be to ask the students to act out the dialogue or the scene they have written or produce a storyboard.
While our trainer was presenting the possible pre-, while- and post-reading activities for ‘The Wolf’s Tale’, one of our colleagues made an interesting comment. He said that whenever it comes to stories, he finds that he does not teach it in such creative ways. My immediate response was ‘it is your choice!’. Indeed, for many reasons, language teachers have fears to give up teaching stories using old-fashioned methods. They are usually obsessed with assessment and worry a lot about the way their students will perform in exams.
My end-of-session reflection
___________________________________________
(*) The questions are:
1. Why is the boy sitting outside the principal’s office?
2. Why is the pink bow tie amusing?
3. Who sees the boy sitting outside the principal’s office?
4. What does the principal say to the boy?
5. What excuse does the boy give to the principal?
6. What happens to the pink bow tie?
Drama I think is one of the most successful strategies any teacher can use to enhance interactivity in his/her class. Most students find drama activities interesting and fun. I agree that shy students would not show encouraging signs of interaction right from the beginning. However, as the activities flow and the teacher manages to set up an atmosphere of trust and confidence, attitudes would change to the better. Apart from using language, human communication has always depended on other parameters like using body language, tone, pitch of voice and of course, context. Hence comes the importance of drama as a natural as well as important tool to experiment with the language.
The workshop
The activities that went well and I would use in class:
1. The drama warmer ‘greetings’ is engaging. The students would have fun greeting someone in an unusual way (angrily, like a king, happily, secretly, etc.), and in the same time, they learn a lot about tone of voice.
2. The second activity I liked is the ‘dramatic dialogue’. It is one of the high-thinking order activities that challenges the students’ imagination. It is a three-fold activity: students start by reading dialogues in pairs and guess the way characters could feel. Then they are challenged to guess who the characters might be. Finally, they are asked to decide about changing words from the dialogue to match the correct situation and register.
Dramatic dialogueDramatic dialogue
3. The third activity that everyone found enjoyable and motivating is the ‘what is this?’. Our trainer held a pen in her hand and asked, ‘what is this?’. Everyone answered in a very natural way, ‘it is a pen’! ‘No’, she replied, ‘it is a dart’, of course she was miming the answer. Such an activity could be used at any stage of a lesson, and most importantly, it can serve as a tool to get the students’ attention whenever we feel that they strayed.
4. The last interesting activity revolved around a video clip, ‘Fawlty Towers: handling complaints ‘
We have been shown the muted video at first. In groups, we had to guess who the people were, where the scene took place and how everyone felt. After that, we formed new groups and we had to focus on one of the characters in order to guess what he/she was saying. Each group had to perform the scene. The final step was to watch the video again, with sound this time, and see if our dialogue was close or far away from the real scene.
I liked most of this session, because it was full of activities that would engage students notwithstanding their learning style. The activities address visual as well as kinesthetic learners and cater for differentiated learning. Personally, I was particularly impressed by the activity in which the trainer asked us to build a place using the material she brought for each group. The material was not the same: some groups had Legos, others sticky notes and shapes. I think that, apart from the fun all the participants shared throughout the activity, there was room for a lot of creativity and high-order thinking skills. The activity was closed by going around the room, with a person explaining his or her group’s project to members from other groups (who worked on different projects). When we apply this activity in class, especially in mixed-up ability classes, more able students would most probably in charge of such a task. They would talk about the whole group’s achievement, providing a real feeling of interdependence and confidence.
Whenever I hear or read the word ‘creative’ as a part of a workshop, I feel immediately involved. Teaching creative writing has always been one of my cherished professional goals. I am still dreaming of having my own classroom teaching a group of students, who study English because they love the language. Yet, it remains a dream, at least in public schools where you have a curriculum to teach, exams to pass and classrooms, overcrowded with a majority of below-expectation students. I am aware, though, that teaching creative writing, be it prose or verse requires a lot of preparation and patience from the side of the teacher.
This leads me to mention what I particularly liked about this workshop. Actually it helped me see teaching creative writing, especially poetry, from a different perspective. I do not deny that throughout the last three years, I intentionally overlooked teaching poetry. Most probably, this practice was generated by a negative attitude my students failed to hide when the lesson was built around a poem. Imagery and metaphor are very difficult to share with learners, who were taught, for ten or eleven years, to look for details in reading passages answering direct questions, without having to justify their choices. I really found the ‘mini-lesson demonstration: writing a cinquain poem’ a great activity. It consists of four stages that foster creativity and lead the learner to produce his own poem. First, it starts with a guessing activity to find the first missing line (which should be a noun). Then it challenges the learners to figure out the structure of the cinquain. After that, in groups, learners are to brainstorm words (nouns, adjectives, present participles) related to a topic (a month or a season). In the end, everyone is ready to be a poet!
