Low Impact Teaching

March 30, 2013 by ddeubel

Over the last 5 to 10 years, I’ve been developing new ideas about how we should be teaching in our classrooms. These ideas have changed as the possibilities and promises of educational technology have become reality.

The most fundamental of these ideas are always revolving around learning and the student. The possibility to differentiate and deliver personlized study to students is the most important possibility before us teachers. Technology allows us to tailor curriculum, materials, delivery to and for each student. It allows us to correct the most horrid feature of schooling – that everyone learns the same thing, at the same time, at the same rate.

Here are three approaches that I espouse and have worked to develop.

SCC, student created content Students create the content that will be the basis of their language learning. We start from the students’ world and understandings and build on that. A teacher elicits language from the students, forming a material. This material is the basis for further language activities and practice. The teacher is the facilitator and organizes the language practice and learning of students – there is no direct instruction.

The Flipped Classroom for ELT Students can learn and practice the structures, vocabulary and content of our language classrooms through mediated self directed learning. Either in a computer lab or BYOD class at school or as homework. No longer do classes need a teacher in the front, leading the whole group. Classroom time is taken up with actual production and the teacher having direct time with the students assessing, getting feedback, engaging. The teacher no longer has to spend time (usually wasted), teaching infront of the class a language point or eliciting language for a group on a topic probably only 2 or 3 students are interested in.

Low Impact Teaching I’ve long had a big interest in the work of Sugata Mitra and especially his concept of MIT – Minimally Invasive Teaching. Now, he’s developed it along the principles of allowing learners maximum autonomy in the class and to allow for “self organizing learning environments” (SOLE). I go a little further and more broad with my concept of low impact teaching (and I highly recommend Kevin Gidden’s DNT – Do Nothing Teaching approach).

Low impact classrooms are classrooms where a teacher is not the dominant focus, the central power and puppeteer. EFL has always been for better or worse, led by a teaching model where the native speaker was the primary source of authentic language/input. Nowadays this shouldn’t be so and needn’t be so. Students in most parts of the world have access, immediate access to all kinds of spoken English, even at an appropriate level. So now, the role of the teacher shouldn’t be one that dominates and talks but one that organizes and disappears. The best teachers are invisible, just like the best use of technology is.

Low impact teaching is about organizing the environment in which the students will learn and then, as I’ve referred to Sugata Mitra’s approach – “going away”. It is about driving back into the learning environment organic, intrinsic student motivation, curiosity and independent learning. And that is the end goal of all education, helping to create a learner that will learn when we are not there, when nobody else is looking …… Low Impact Teaching is “I’m going away now” teaching – where the teacher doesn’t tell the student the answer but teaches slow and allows the learner to learn for themselves. It is about putting students back in control. Low impact teaching but high impact learning.

It’s so energizing to be involved in education at this moment of time. Beyond opportunity, we teachers must realize there is a heavy responsibility on our shoulders to not let things get hijacked and to push for change, be disruptive and enact approaches like Low Impact Teaching or the Flipped model in our classrooms. Once we’ve changed the existing cultural paradigm of teaching, I’m sure we can then take school out of the walls it inhabits and into the wide open world where it will best flourish and nurture students.

Hitler Reacts to poor language teaching

February 21, 2012 by ddeubel

I’ve previously blogged about the “Hitler Reacts” series of remixes. It’s a great activity for students and I finally got to making my own video remix, about textbooks. Here it is.

Thoughts welcomed and I’ll comment more later and relate more about how I feel about textbooks. Get a glimpse of how I feel in these tagged posts. Enjoy!

Minimally Invasive Teaching

November 8, 2011 by ddeubel

“The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, “the children are working as if I don’t exist.”
- Maria Montessori

During the last year, I’ve been following the KhanAcademy locomotive as it chugs on to distant fertile lands and glory. I’m a big believer of video and its revolutionary impact to disrupt normal channels of educational delivery. The KhanAcademy user group (google) emails are just mind boggling. Seems everyone from the granny on the couch to CEOs of major companies are leaving desperate messages – “get intouch with me!”, they scream. However, I must say that they are on the wrong educational bandwagon.

This post I recently read, highlighted one problem not addressed by the Khan Academy – the motivation of the learner. Even self directed learning won’t just magically generate a “self directed learner”. What counts is the environment in which the learner is found. The teacher is essential to this. However, in a very indirect and “get out of the way”, way.

I firmly believe that given a free start, each child, each student, wants to learn and will learn. We must create the environment from which their seed will grow. Just like there are seldom any “bad” teachers, just teachers in the wrong environment and place – so too we must get students encountering a world of learning that they themselves encounter, they explore, they engage and nurture. Sugata Mitra has it right – learning is a self-organizing principle.

So without further ado, here is the man. Click the photos of the presentation to get to my favorite presentations detailing his beliefs. See my own posts mentioning him. Here’s my bio of the man for further reference. Sugata Mitra

I sure wish Bill Gates would have given him that big bundle of cash.

Teach | Learn “techbook” updated

September 8, 2011 by ddeubel

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!

Teach | Learn course book updated

June 6, 2011 by ddeubel

The Teach| Learn: Student Created Content coursebook has been updated. I’ll be sending a download link shortly, to those who’ve previously purchased.

I took a few days and changed some layouts. Most importantly, went through all the hundreds of multi media links and made sure all were working and pointing to the right material/activity.

Get the book and view samples through our bookstore. Read more about it here.

Something I’m proud of investing the time and energy to produce. A kind of capstone project of my experience in the classroom and student centered, “learning” / blended learning focus.

It has loads of blackline master printables. Very versatile for all levels, because the students produce the main content. Also, I think because of its “personal” approach – great for a camp or extra course.

Teaching with a blank piece of paper

May 25, 2011 by ddeubel

Even now, this late in the day, a blank sheet of paper holds the greatest excitement there is for me — more promising than a silver cloud, and prettier than a red wagon.
- E.B. White

I’ve just returned from “a return” to nature. Hiked 30 hours through Killarney Provincial Park. Amazing mountains, nature, wild. I suffered and was “with myself”. No gadgets or wifi. Just my mind and foot after foot after foot step.

In teaching, I don’t always go with technology. I’m a big fan of just using a blank piece of paper and having students create content. My Teach | Learn coursebook is full of examples of this and is built on the back of my “blank piece of paper” philosophy.

Language to be practiced, just needs a focus. The teacher provides this and then delivers content so the students are prompted to produce language around the topic. I outline many activities in this Wiziq Online session demonstration I did a number of weeks ago. Also, see my Lessons in a Can #57 – #60 for many downloads and descriptions of “a blank piece of paper” activities.

But I thought it would be handy for other teachers to list here the possible lessons you can do with “only a blank piece of paper”. So here it goes. (update: Now get this as a “50 list” here.)

1. Vocabulary discussion: brainstorm vocabulary or write it on the board. (ie. names of family members). Put up the target language structure (ie. Who is ______? ________ is my _______ ) Students ask / answer questions to the teacher and then the same in small groups with their own list on a blank piece of paper. Can be done with any vocabulary word bank and target language.

2. Vocabulary Guessing: brainstorm vocabulary or write it on the board. The teacher describes one and students guess which it is. Continue until all guessed. Students then brainstorm vocabulary set words on a blank piece of paper and play again in small groups. Works wonderful for celebrities!

3. Bookmaking. fold a piece of paper, make a book. Draw pictures and write sentences for any topic. Great for closing a unit and consolidation.

4. Grammar Poems. Do one first as a group, then students do their own. For any topic. Then get them presenting their poems.

5. Categories. Students use a blank piece of paper as a graphic organizer. Fold in columns or rows and then categorize brainstormed vocabulary. (ie. food. Cheap / Expensive / Healthy / Unhealthy)

6. Alphabet lists. Students are given a time limit and must fill in boxes for each letter of the alphabet. Most words got, wins! Fold the paper to make the alphabet organizer.

7. A Piece of paper as a slate / answering board. Make any game interactive and have all students answering by laminating blank pieces of paper and giving students markers. They write answers and everyone answers by raising their answer board.

8. Pass the Paper games. A game I adapted/invented. Students pass around a piece of paper and when the music stops, the others must tell the person with the piece of paper to do something or ask them a question which they must answer.

9. Drawing and labeling. Students draw an object (ie. car) and then label the object on the piece of paper.

10. Posters and projects. Students make posters with important information about a topic/theme.

11. Student made worksheets and wordfinds. Give students a blank piece of paper and let them make the exercises and worksheets! They are experts and have probably done many. They learn a lot through this method/approach.

12. Writing prompts. Give students a prompt. They write for “x” minutes on a blank piece of paper. Or prompt and have the students write only one sentence, fold over and pass on. Continue the writing chain and read the funny version at the end.

13. Snowball fights. Write 3 sentences about yourself. Crumple up and have a snowball fight. Pick up the snowballs, uncrumple and guess who it is!

14. Storyboards. Fold a blank piece of paper so you have 8 boxes. Students draw pictures and write sentences to make a storyboard.

15. Arts and Crafts. Try Origami or maybe making Talk’em Cootie Catchers.

World Peace Games

April 23, 2011 by ddeubel

What is education? I just finished reading David Warlich’s 2cents worth blog and commenting. About making education purposeful. That’s what’s missing. Forget reform, change blablabla. Just get people together with a purpose.

And what should that be? Well, I think it should be what John Hunter says. PLEASE take a moment and watch this. I will say no more. I’ll only hint it has something to do what I’ve been harping on for awhile – and the teacher going away……

He has me pining for my own grade 4s (now grade 9ers!) – they learned so much, grew so much and in turn allowed me to stand on their shoulders, as I learned so much, grew so much.

______________

If you liked this post, you may enjoy – Giving Students Room To Do Their Own Thing or visit Project Peace, a project I started and joined by teachers all over the world.

More about “getting out of the way”

March 26, 2011 by ddeubel

The objective of education is learning. Or not even that, I’ll interject. More exactly, the true objective is “contentment”, a well adjusted individual.

And the only way to reach this objective is to tap into the “feeling good about oneself” that is always there in each student. To give them success, that feeling of success that they define and set. And you do it by rubbing relationships together and giving students the space and freedom to be. The space to do what they can and want to do, what they can dream to do – not what you’d want them to do or what you’d want them to dream about or what the “state” would deem proper.

Anyone who’s read my blog more than a week knows I keep coming back to this one salient point. Teachers need to seek their own demise. Teachers need to have the courage to get out of the way and let their students climb, fall, reach, fail.

Nuff said. Watch this video on how students can “learn” from their own volition and drive. How teachers CAN get out of the way and still be successful teachers.

(see the previous post about “giving students room” – here.

Giving students room to “do their own thing”

March 13, 2011 by ddeubel

“but I gave them the room to just do the thing. Figure it out, go create”
– Diana Laufenberg

One of the things I’ve often done with teachers and students alike is just give them a set of materials, say flashcards and then, “just get out of the way”. Let them decide how to use them and let the learning objectives naturally emerge from their own processing and interaction.

It’s scary but it is the new paradigm that we are facing in education. Diana Laufenberg in her short, valuable TEDx talk – hits on this among other things. That with information surplus, kids no longer have to come to school to get information or be “informed” or “lectured to”. They come to school to be part of a learning culture where they engage with the content/curriculum – they don’t just consume it.

We have to give students a reason to come to school. And not just to be around their friends. We have to give them the chance to explore what THEY want and in their own fashion. Student created content – the mantra I’ve been expounding through my textbook is something appropriate for our day and age. It allows students to try, to try again. It emphasizes “doing” rather than “repeating”. It de-emphasizes the teacher as the “general” and makes them more of a “producer” that behind the scenes gets everything in place.

Take a watch, Diana offers valuable examples of the Sugata Mitra methodology of “I’m going away now”. A method that won’t just be experiential in the future but rather what teaching is all about….

For the video minded….Teach | Learn

February 16, 2011 by ddeubel

Sorry to keep harping, but made this rather quickly and amateurishly but alas, it IS from the heart. A 4 min. review of the textbook I wrote. Here are the samples / links to view at your leisure.

Teachers helping Teachers

February 14, 2011 by ddeubel

Sorry to keep returning to talk about my course book – Teach | Learn.

However, I want to mention a few things and make a request.

I put a lot of work into this book – mostly to prove a few things.

A) A teacher can make a quality textbook and eschew all the filtering and loss of control that comes when publishers own the rights.

B) Student created content can work. It allows for better teacher development when curriculum is made – not just served as a processed slab of meat.

C) Technology allows us to blend the learning experience. It can be right in the course book and doesn’t have to be chunked off and sold separately.

D) Textbooks should be sharable, printable and for the benefit of education, not just profit (but yes, I do think the work of an author should get a “return”. ).

E) Textbooks should be editable. So they can be up to date (and the teacher / students doesn’t have to buy a new copy). So, in the case of language which is not content laden, they can contextualize and personalize for their own learning environment.

But all this won’t be realized without other teachers joining in. Buying the book and also promoting the book. It will take a crowd to make some noise.

So I’d like to ask not just for your support through purchasing the book. I’d like to ask you to let others know about it (and grab the embed code here). Also, write up a review or use it for some action research to present at a conference. Anyone who wants to write a review – CONTACT ME for a free copy.

I’ll also state that any teacher who forever reason can’t get a copy but wants one – just CONTACT ME. I’m serious. Money or means should never be a reason for not having a resource for your classroom.

Viva la (textbook) revolucion!

February 4, 2011 by ddeubel

I’ve been, like I’m sure many other have, watching the ongoing events in the Middle East with sheer fascination. The power of normal people to say – “we aren’t going to take it anymore”. The invigorating energy given by technology to inform and empower the powerless. Havel would be so proud these days – something he always talked about.

But what about ELT – English Language Teaching? Has technology, crowd sharing, social media, the internet and connective technologies been liberating?

I’d say that it has but with a caution. There is so much more that could happen (and I believe will). There are still too many “landlords” and “fiefdoms” in our part of education. Still the propertied class that doesn’t pay its share and is concerned with feeding itself and not learning. Let me talk about one small piece of the pie – textbooks.

I’ve been bantering and chirping to myself on Jason Renshaw’s always stimulating and thoughtful blog. I recently stated something there that I’ve always wondered and really grind my teeth over – the fact that we teachers/students, the underclass, purchase materials in the billions of dollars. Paying for yachts and planes (and yes, there are a few in the ELT business that can afford their own planes and boats). We pay but we have zero control.

I mean, why can’t we use technology to edit the materials we have paid for?

Imagine a publisher that would give you a textbook all ready for you to edit and change, as you will. You could do so much;

* put in students names and photos
* record students and have their voices as listening material
* delete the stuff that you don’t want and will never do!
* substitute and replace material
* throw in links that would send students to websites where they can do self directed learning and get more input.
* add photos that are culturally relevant to the students.
* allow innovation and teachers / students into the creative process
* add your own idea… I could go on forever.

Here is Richard Baraniuk describing how this is very possible. See his Connexions for what he’s built for the university / academic world.

And why isn’t this done in ELT? Well basically, it is because of control and archaic protection of copyright laws. Inertia. The money is still rolling in.

It is similar to the remix debate in the music industry. And it suggests that learning is NOT important to publishers – what is important is control and the ability to forever come out with new, “improved” variants. For them to control the curriculum – to say it in a nutshell. (please watch Larry Lessig’s lecture for an esteemed academic’s taking of the same forthright position I am. )

You see, if they allowed you (after purchase) to edit a textbook – why would you ever need to buy another one? OMG! That would just destroy their planned obsolescent model.

Let me return to the point about the possibility that edited textbooks would have. (not to mention how up to date they’d be).

Here is the first page of a unit from Interchange 2. Here are my suggestions, imaging what I’d do if I could just click on the document, change and then print for my students (and oops! forgot to mention, how would they ever make money if we could just print as we wished!).

I think we need a revolution in the ELT publishing and textbook industry. The people (students and teachers) need power and control. Teachers know best for their students. Teachers who design and create materials for their students (or even just adapt) are strong teachers. It informs them.

We need a wikipedia, Web 2.0, read/write revolution in the textbook world. My textbook out next week – Teach | Learn will be fully editable (and edible!). Viva La (textbook) Revolucion!

Teach | Learn example lesson

February 3, 2011 by ddeubel

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.

Coming Soon

January 30, 2011 by ddeubel

Teach – Learn is almost ready! It will be here soon and to be used and enjoyed instantly with students. 36 complete “student created content” lessons with an abundance of extra materials / blackline masters and clickable online lesson extensions / ideas. Also, an online voicethread community where students can practice, supporting each lesson.

Looking forward to your support, use and feedback on how effective this is in the classroom. It will have its own special forum and community.

The Future of Learning

January 17, 2011 by ddeubel

I have written and pounded the pulpit long and hard on the issue of teachers “getting out of the way”. Ranted and pleaded with teachers to be more inductive in their approach, more sandbox about the learning environment.

No greater compliment to my own constructivist and technology enabled vision can I find than Sugata Mitra. He’s a wonder and I’ve been writing about him for the last 3-4 years. I try to spring him into any of my lectures, on as many occasions as is possible. He really makes it clear, usually through the voices of children – that they can learn on their own. That indeed, one of the biggest obstacles to student learning is the teacher (and by default, the administration and curriculum).

I’ve now found the perfect presentation by Sugata – The Future of Learning. It outlines in lively form, all his research and thoughts. You got to take a look. Yes, his other talks are wonderful but here, he lays it all out succinctly and of course with his trademark giggle. A gem.

Things I found particularly important, even revelatory:

1. The discussion at the 1 hour mark is the major highlight. Sugata rightly suggests that we should un focus from content – the content can be found easily. We need to ask the right questions and turn into question based curriculum experts. Also a great part about designing the right classroom….

2. Students CAN obtain educational objectives on their own. Sounds impossible? Well, watch/think/listen.

3. Students CAN create the curriculum. This is especially important to note for language teachers. We shouldn’t straight jacket how students process information and interact with information. We must remove the doctrine, the brainwashing of our curriculum – make it active. The answers are available and the students know how to get to them. Teachers have the job of making the information relevant, that’s all. (and turning the curriculum upside down).

4. Technology provides tools that enable students to become self directed learners, life long learners.

5. Learning is self organizing, social and even organic. It is for teachers to assist this process and allow its creation through arranging the proper learning environment. There doesn’t need to be outside intervention (by teachers, staff, admin, parents) for emergence to happen. Learners are their own way.

6. The “I’m going away” methodology. He reminds me that the cause of all learning is desire/hunger. “When learners have interest, learning just happens” says Arthur C. Clarke and Sugata. Reminds me of my own experiment collecting student’s questions – What’s Worth Knowing.

7. A new discontinuity has arrived. We’ve profoundly underestimated how fast, what, how high students can learn.Students need strong reading skills, strong search skills and a belief system that says anyone can learn anything, any time.

So much more….

If I’d been there though, I’d really have liked Sugata to talk a bit about the difference between “knowing” and “understanding”. Students can learn facts, information – but I still think they need to learn the “nuance” of information.

What are your thoughts about the implications of Sugata Mitra’s research and findings? How might we change our teaching, our own “system”?

Textbook Talk – using SCC

January 7, 2011 by ddeubel

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:

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.

Teach – Learn Coursebook coming soon….

December 22, 2010 by ddeubel

In 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

SCC coursebook updated sample

October 31, 2010 by ddeubel

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

Making a Doodle Video with your Class

September 14, 2010 by ddeubel

Doodle songs/videos are a great activity you can do with your class! They really promote contextualized learning and motivate students because you have a final product and of course – there is music! They are the perfect example of SCC or Student Created Content.

I was asked by a member for some info. about creating one – so in the name of education, here is my simple guide. A few short steps and tips.

First, what is a doodle video? Well, it is simply drawings that support the lyrics of the song. Students make the drawings and then they are each photographed and put together with the music to make a video. See all the doodle videos we have HERE. I also recommend the doodle video folder in our A/V player – some great songs there. Project Peace actually is a doodle video of a sort too, see examples there.

This is probably the most popular doodle video on EFL Classroom 2.0.

So, how to make one?

1. Choose a song.

This isn’t such an easy thing! Find out what your students like/want and balance that with a song that has repetition (for learning) and also isn’t so fast. A fast song doesn’t work too well because the images/words flash by so so fast. “I gotta feeling” works because it follows these few simple selection rules.

2. Learn the Song.

Also important, don’t get ahead of yourself! Students should learn the song with a song sheet or if you are ambitious, make a karaoke or find a “subbed” version on youtube. The students should be familiar with the song. Then, show them a doodle video and tell your class, you are going to turn the song into a doodle!

3. Get organized – Get drawing!

A good tip here is to pair students up. Number each line of the song and put the number and the lyric line, on the back of each piece of A4 paper (so you can keep track- Very Important!). Give each pair or student, a line of the song and ask them to draw a picture to help show the meaning of the line.

Another tip. Get the students to fold the bottom of the piece of paper and write their lyric line there, nice and big, in clear print. The picture goes above. This will save you from having to put subtitles on when you make the video. It will save you time – BIG time and also make a more attractive video.

Monitor, encourage and get the doodle pictures done!

4. Camera and Production time!

After you have all the pictures finished in order (and note, lines that repeat mean the picture could have on the back and represent line 6,7,8 – for example) – take out your camera and take a photo of each. Put the doodle on a nice clear background and make sure the lighting is good. Even get a student to do this for you! I’m a clutz with a camera and my students do a much better job. Even get them making the video if possible!

Yes, now that you have the photos – upload them to your computer. Now, it is time to make the video.

a) Open up Windows Movie Maker – a free program on every PC computer. Click START and then select this little icon. If you have Windows 7, WMM won’t automatically be on your computer – you’ll have to download and install it yourself. Go HERE. Microsoft has a great tutorial site for using WMM and also visit the WMM forum for tips.

b) Now you will have to put the photos into WMM, add the mp3 file of the song and then “sync” or “time” them both together. Finally, “Produce” as a movie. Produce as an mp4 or Avi, these are the better quality and most sharable formats. This process isn’t as hard as you think. In the name of brevity – watch this tutorial video on how to do this in WMM or get a colleague to help. As mentioned, get your students making the video if possible! It is their creation and they probably have skills way beyond the teacher (many do).

5. Watch, Share, Enjoy!

Put it up here on EFL Classroom 2.0 and your school’s website. Get many students watching it. They will learn English as they enjoy it.

To end – here is probably the video that started the whole “doodle” craze. If you haven’t seen it previously, enjoy!

SIMPLY THE BEST

There are a number of major problems: