Tag Archives: coursebook

Teach | Learn “techbook” updated

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I’ve again updated the book. Lots of additional multi media links/materials. As well, added some extra printables (the back of the book is loaded with them.) Get it here.     You can also get the book AND all the other ebooks/resources by becoming an EFL Classroom 2.0 supporter!

 

I’ve really been so happy and overwhelmed by the response by teachers – becoming supporters. I know I’m giving good value for the donation but still overjoyed members are contributing to our community and we are now about 70% of the way to covering the year’s costs. 

 

 

 

View samples here – Preface: http://bit.ly/geMws5     Lessons: http://bit.ly/gylisE                                          Teacher’s Notes: http://bit.ly/dGSj16  Certificate of Achievement: http://bit.ly/hnznO4

Your purchase does several things.

1. It supports a self published author and the community/content of EFL Classroom 2.0.

2. It promotes the student created content learning method. Students creating the curriculum and learning much more organically.

3. It shows that text books can be edited and supported with multi media materials. They don’t have to be “jailed” objects. Your purchase allows you access to the Teach Learn wiki where you can download an editable copy of each lesson (plus a ppt of the whole book for more editing or display with a whiteboard or projector.)[give me a day or so to upload there]

This book has a CC Sharealike license. As long as you are using it for non commercial purposes – copy away and share!

Please review on your own site and blog if you can. That will help immensely. For good or bad!

 List of additional resources the textbook provides:

1. 100s of multi media links for extension activity and further practice

2.A Voicethread students can visit to practice the lesson’s target language.

3. Dozens of extra blackline masters to use with lessons or seperately

4. A certificate of completion for students

5. Complete teacher notes and instructions/ideas for each lesson

6. The book completely in power point – for whole class reference.

7. A wiki where there is each lesson in .doc format – you can download and edit / personalize!

 

On and Off (line) materials

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blender2Part of my job as a materials developer and consultant involves thinking through the role, purpose and process of combining online and offline learning. How do you link what physically happens in the class with what is possible online? Where are the borders? How to facilitate the transition and support of these two media?

It’s a big topic and today by way of illustration, just want to provide an example.

I’m really convinced that online websites and applications need to “bridge”. By that I mean that they need to facilitate access and use of their own tools / functionality by way of traditional media. In most cases, that means using a book to “translate” what they do. My course book We Teach | We Learn is an example but let me be clearer. Here’s what I mean. Your opinion of this, much appreciated.

I’ve written 3 books recently, real physical books you can either print out or order as a physical book. Teachers can use them in class. They have a minimum of complexity and detail on purpose. Each lesson rolls out the same. They are meant to transition and “bridge” the classroom and EnglishCentral, the online English language learning platform.

I think this approach allows teachers and learners to have a “core”, a very traditional and understood core around which to enter into “technology”. All learning needs a “place” and the online experience has challenges providing this. Further, people are still in an old “paradigm” and until that changes, we need to communicate in traditional forms, the power of the new forms.

Below, is the EnglishCentral video – that students can watch and “speak”. Also, do online video quizzes with. Also, the matching lesson from the book (Commercials for Learning English). The book lessons are designed with 3 principles in mind.

1. Can be used by a teacher in class or an independent learner.

2. The transcript can be used for both listening purposes AND personalization of the content by substitution of words/language.

3. The book has a pdf version and access to the online material (video/quiz) can be got immediately.

Let me know what you think about this approach (and it isn’t that radical, it is just a more “tight” version of what a lot of teachers and materials developers are doing presently). The books (Level 1, Famous Speeches, Commercials) are in beta and and available to EFL Classroom supporters or individual purchase.



castaway

Teach | Learn example lesson

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Last week I wrote about a forthcoming course book that I am publishing – Teach | Learn.

It will be out next week but thought it would be interesting to some, to see a sample lesson and to get a few thoughts about the delivery of this lesson and the use of the course book.

Here is an example lesson. All 36 lessons are like this one and have the same methodology more or less. I’m using a lesson I showed previously, so you might also see how this book has developed and been designed.

Basically it goes like this:

Page 1: Whole class. A student or teacher is at the front of the classroom and is the focus of the target language. The activity is completed (see Teacher’s Notes below, which are for each lesson in the back of the book). This gets students comfortable with the target language and prompts background knowledge and schema.

Page 2. Pairs / Small groups. Students do the same but with their own language, questions, input, experiences. There are multi media materials to click which both teacher or student can use to reinforce, repeat or complement the lesson.

I’ll have more tomorrow about the rationale for this methodology. Go here for some more thoughts on my own beliefs/process in creating this course book.

teachlearn your last vacation recipe

Textbook Talk – using SCC

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I’m putting the finishing touches on my Teach – Learn:  Student Created Content coursebook.

One of the basic principles (which are outlined in the book’s preface) is that the students practice language using language that comes from their own “selves”. The big textbook companies have tyrannically forced students to trod through their own imposed version of reality. This leads to all kinds of road blocks on the path to learning. Let me explain…..

Normally in a unit on restaurant English, you’ll have a menu like this:

restaurant_menu

Attractive! Basic! Wonderful! — NOT!

There are a number of major problems:

1.  The content does not meet the needs of the classroom.

Each classroom is unique and we should always start from the needs of our learners. What if they usually order chick peas and not hamburgers? Isn’t it important that they know how to say this in English and find out?  Their reality should be important.

2.  There is no immersion of the learning in the learning process.

Materials which are created by students and used in class, provide embedded motivation. The students worked at it and when they do so, naturally take satisfaction in using it. Practice is much more sustained. Moreover, learning a language is benefited by basic constructivist principles of “learning when doing”. We learn a language as we actively participate. Pre packaged, processed and “unnatural” content just doesn’t fit these sound pedagogical principles.

3.  There is no record of learning.

Both teachers and students need a record of student learning – so they can see how a student has progressed. Both for motivation and remediation. Typical coursebooks with their photocopiable, always lost, crumpled worksheets, don’t do this.

4.  There are major cultural barriers.

Language is deeply ingrained in culture. Without SCC and the ability to adapt content in the classroom and to the culture, textbooks typically treat their clients with a one size fits all. Entirely inappropriate and not effective at all. In the following example – there are major problems culturally. Are these the typical restaurant items in Daejon or Dakar or Dalian? I don’t think so.  Let’s allow the local experts on culture to take part!

Here’s what I’ll be using in my Teach – Learn coursebook.  Every lesson in two parts. The first, a review of the language and then, It’s Your Turn, where the students create content and practice it. My own restaurant menu looks like this. The students write the menu and then use the provided prompts/language to do activities. Radical? No, not at all. What good teachers do every day.  Radical for textbook makers? You bet.

menuboard

Teach – Learn Coursebook coming soon….

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TEACHLEARNIn the new year, I’ll be offering for download/purchase my coursebook – Teach / Learn. It is the result of over 20 years of teaching and testing and based on a methodology that I’m convinced works. Works for teachers – they can focus on student’s needs and not lesson prep. Works for students – they produce the coursebook content and are motivated through peer/self interest.

The methodology I’ve outlined HERE. But basically each of the 60 lessons are delivered in these ways:

1. Getting started. This is a whole class activity which models what the students will do in the production stage. The teacher or a student is at the front of the class. They are the focus and the target language is modeled through them.

2. It’s Your Turn. Students in small groups or pairs practice the target language in the exact same way as introduced in the “Getting Started” phase.

3. Multi-Media / Extras. Each lesson has 4 links to materials either created myself or in the public domain. All on EFL Classroom 2.0 (so that the content won’t disappear as so often the case with linked material). Teachers can choose what is appropriate for their own class. Further, teachers are pointed towards printable “extras” that might facilitate the lesson. Teachers notes for each lesson also offer more specific guidance.

That’s it in a nutshell. Here is a sample lesson about “Homes”. [but note - this will look prettier. Just waiting for the book to get back from the graphic designer / typesetter]

My Home

titlephotos

SCC coursebook updated sample

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Here is a sample of the SCC (student created content) coursebook that I will be publishing this December.

I’ll be posting my lead in forward, detailing specifically my beliefs about SCC and why it is a new, essential methodology for ELT, especially given the new technological resources available to teachers.

The basic idea rests the same. The teacher guides and the students build and create content/language from their own self/selves. Get more materials like this sample HERE. I’ll be formatting and adding lots of color etc…. when I get to that stage.

You might also be interested in the English Raven’s views on an “unplugged” course book.

SCC Sample of proposed Coursebook