Join Brownetwion group initiative "Learn and teach English through the use of Social Media"

                                      Easy poem for kids read by brownetwion
                                      I wake today by K. Nestbitt

JClic

Apparently, quite a nice tool for creating different types of quizzes with images and sounds. Not as difficult to use as it may seem when you look at the manual for the first time. The only thing that prevented me from starting using it was the thought that the students woouldn't download necessary for its use software. and preparing quizzes for them using JClic could turn out a waste of time. Thats's why I went for exploring other possibilities. Still, it's I can't stops thinking I should have given it a try. And, probably, will one day.

clicZone - activities - JClic demo activities

Universal subtitles

A great tool to use in the classroom. Add subtitles, on your own or together with students, to their favourite (or less favourite, but useful for their linguistic or other development) clips.
I subtilted the clip bellow for a workshop so I didn't work much on the correctness of the translation (that could have been done better) and of course, for the purpose of language learning it would be better to prepare subtitles in 2 languages

One more video lesson

There are lots of nice clips on youtube that can be easily adapted for use in the classroom, apparently. 

What you'll do with it depends on your needs, of course.

Age of students: 12-13

Objectives: structure -going to for predictions and intentions; practice of speaking, writing and listening skills.

Duration: 45 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xScF_53hqkE

1. Brainstorming

T tries to elicit some useful vocabulary, such as knight, sward, dragon... ,telling SS they are going to watch a cartoon in which one of the characters is a dragon. T asks if they know any stories about dragons, what are the other characters in such stories as well as how and why heroes kill dragons. The teacher helps SS to formulate their ideas in English, writing down difficult for them phrases on the chalkboard.

2. SS watch the beginning of the cartoon (till 1.30) and are to name the main characters of the story and tell what are they going to do and why.

3. SS are provided with some phrases (with gaps for the names of the characters and the -going to structure) describing what happens in the cartoon. Examples:

.....................................................................stop.......................................with his paw.

......................................................................................................................bump into each other.

......................................................................................................................fall apart.

.…........................................................................................ put..............................into a rubbish bin.

....…....................................................................................................................... blow the horn.

The phrases are not in the correct order.

4. T turns off the sound and plays the clip, stopping it in such places as 1.50, 2.12, 2.25, etc., and asking SS to predict what is going to happen. SS work in groups filling in gaps in pencil, reading their predictions to the rest of the class and, after watching the episode in question, correcting their answers if necessary.

5. T tells SS that the characters talk about their intentions during most of the cartoon and asks them to come up with at least 5 sentences the characters say. T also reminds SS (or elicit from them) that the structure -going to can also be used for talking about intentions. T plays the clip without sound one more time, stopping it each time when the characters speak and giving students (working in groups) some time to write down their sentences. SS can use dictionaries if they want to.

6. SS watch the cartoon without sound one more time, reading their sentences to the class and choosing the option they like the most.

7. (Probably homework)

a) SS watch the clip with sound and write down real sentences with -going to;

b) SS write down 2 sentences about what the princess, the dragon and the dog are going to do after the end of the cartoon

lessonstream.org

A site with short clips and lesson plans hosted by Jamie Keddie that may well inspire you to use video clips in class more frequently. Have a look, for example, at Observation test lesson and, of course, adapt it to your needs if you want to (as I did)

Subject: English

Level : pre-intermediate

Age: 11-12

Duration: 1 x45 min and 1 x 20 min.

Skills: Speaking and writing

The lesson plan is somewhat modified to suit the objectives I want to achieve

Aims: 1) to drill students in using the 3rd person singular form of the Present Simple

2)To drill students in using the phrases I/We think/ reckon/ believe, What do you reckon/think? I think/don't think you're right.

I Pre-teaching activities

1. T says SS that they are going to watch a video and the words they can see are related to what happens in it.T reads the new words and asks SS to try and match the 2 columns (first on their own and then in groups). When presenting their solutions SS use phrases like I/We think 'catch' means …..etc.

Violin	złapać
Drum	metronom
Metronome	skrzypce
Catch	rozbić
Smash	zostać uderzonym
Fall over	bęben
Get hit	przewrócić się

2.T tells SS that the video features Beaker and ask them to predict what happens in it. T explains that Present Simple is used for telling plots and reminds them how to form Present Simple. In pairs they have to make at least 1 positive and 1 negative sentence. They read their sentences to the class.

Subject/ Predicate + s/es …...........

Subject /doesn't /Predicate ......

SS watch the video to check if any predictions are correct.

3. The grid practice according to original plan.

II. SS read the sentences and watch the video to correct them (first individually and then in their groups). The groups present their sentences to the class. They use phrases like 'I/We think the sentence ….. is correct'.

III. Follow-up

SS (in their groups ) have to think about 15 activities that are possible to present with the help of pantomime. They write down them in a table consisting of 3 columns for each of them to present (5 activities in each of the column) and decide who presents what.

At home they write 15 sentences using these activities.

At the beginning of the next class they present them to the other groups ( three SS more or less simultaneously), then each of them reads 2 of his/her sentences for the other groups to decide if they are correct. The students from the other groups write down the correct sentences.

As a continuation of the lesson T switches to activities concerning formation of questions and short answers.

Songsmith

A great tool for recording your voice, adding music to it (a few genres to choose from and, actually, creating music. Quite a good quality of the recording. Teachers can download it for free

I tried to pronounce words quite fast (to keep it short) and clearly and the recording didn't sound particularly well, but that was just my fault. It's certainly worth using.

Glogster

Lots of teachers are very enthusiastic about interactive posters. My students, somehow are not in particular fond of creating them. Perhaps, because I don't find them particularly excitnig?

http://sxmyqh5.edu.glogster.com/glog-9471/