Comments about using Internet in a teaching situation. The Internet helps me find creative and artistic ways to carry out my lessons. It serves as my “open library” in finding the easiest, funniest, and most enjoyable ways of teaching the head-cracking and boring lessons on grammar. Maria, working in Portugal If I want to learn more about the topics we’re about to discuss, I just surf the Internet. Only yesterday, we tackled the life of Helen Keller and my research work helped me a lot. Francesca, working in South Africa I really take time to explore and learn to download videos from YouTube which I use to present my lessons. This results in lively discussions, 100% attention, and decreased absences in my class. Brian, working in Turkey It tests my decision-making skills. I can choose what strategies or teaching styles I should and shouldn’t apply. Simon, working in Hong Kong

How can I get their attention and keep them focused? Can I use the board better? How can I make it possible for everyone to get something from the learning? Is there any humour, does it make them laugh or smile? How can I provide security to encourage improvisation? How much colour and picture focus can I include? When can I include kinaesthetic, visual and auditory focus?

All the following tasks are ideas taken from these websites

Giraffe Neck Tall Africa Animal

COCA-COLA DRINK DRINK PEPSI PEPSI FIZZY FIZZY COKE COKE

LICK TASTE TASTE TONGUE TONGUE STAMP STAMP LOLLIPOP LOLLIPOP

Create a description using the five senses

How to do the activty Take a picture you want to work with Add the five senses logos Dicate the questions Ask children to answer, either as a speaking task or a writing task Put them in groups of four to find any similarities Do open class feedback and write a shorter version of their contributions on the board.

THE THEME PARK

LINK IT

How to play What to do You will need this game card, and counters in two different colours. Each player has a supply of counters in their colour. Put the game card in front of the players and ask them to select two pictures at a time and explain how they are linked e.g. “the chair and the table go together because they both have legs” “the gloves and the trousers go together because you can wear them” As they do this they can put a counter on each picture The next player then has a turn When the children run out of ideas, count up the counters on the board. The person with the most is the winner!

Language Focused Activity This activity focuses on the present simple. Begin by talking to the children about their shoes and the colours they have and how many pairs. Tel the story and, depending on their age, ask them to create a person or get them to decide which shoes correspond to the person from the pictures. Give out shoes and get them to create a person profile using the present simple Or do the version I showed you in the session.

TRIG

He lives in the kitchen He sleeps in a big blue hat He eats his English book for breakfast He likes green bananas and black spaghetti

WHO IS IT?

HOMEWORK ACTIVITIES Homework needs to be interesting rather than focusing on exercise types. It needs to provide something that is memorable and can be good fun. The more you can think activties that gett the children to do something physical or though provoking the better.

Maths Challenge How many footsteps from: your front door to your bedroom? Your kitchen to your bathroom? What happens to the number when you take bigger steps? Practise writing these numbers at home.

Homework Challenge Cards Hide your teddy. Use words to describe where teddy is hidden, e.g. behind, on top, underneath, in between.

Picasso once said “ All children are born artists, the problem is to stay that way”· INCORPORATING CREATIVITY "We are educating people out of their creativity," “Why don't we get the best out of people?” Sir Ken Robinson, June 2006, author of Out of our Minds; Learning to be Creative