Personalizing your Teaching Putting the student’s “map of the world” into our lessons

WHY Personalize? BIOLOGY CONTEXT! MOTIVATION EASE Why make it personal? REALITY!

2 Principles

1. It’s all about YOU!

It’s all about YOU! The brain is hard wired for information which matches and engages “the ego”. We acquire language through this “filter” of our self. Language taught through this prism, is language that will be learned!

2. Students WANT to Learn! Learning is a self organizing principle. Boredom = the absence of learning. It is natural and only requires the right pre-conditions to activate student involvement.

The 5 Conditions

Personalized language Language is produced “meaningfully”. Students generate language that is internally created.

RELEVANCY The teacher relates all content to the student’s own “world” and life. LINKING

Student Created Content Students create the lesson content and materials. In this process they are “committed” to the learning process.

Task Based Language learning revolves around tasks and activities. Activity and participation are paramount.

Simplicity - Talk Time Lessons are low tech and recyclable. Used with any type of target language. The focus is on Student Talk Time.

Let’s not Forget

It’s about being HAPPY! Your Subtopics Go Here

OUR PRIORITIES! 1.TEACHER FOCUSED ACTIVITIES 2. BASIC ACTIVITES FOR PERSONALIZATION 3.SHARING OUR OWN IDEAS 4.YOU DESIGN A “PERSONALIZED” LESSON ASK QUESTIONS WHEN YOU HAVE THEM! ADD YOUR OWN 2 CENTS WORTH. LET’S HAVE FUN AND LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.

GETTING TO KNOW THE TEACHER

SOME IDEAS 1.PICTURE PROMPTS 2.INSIDE – OUTSIDE CIRCLES 3.QUESTION MAKING 4.INTERVIEWS 5.WHO IS …..? GUESSING GAMES. 6.………………………………

PICTURE PROMPTS

Ask the Teacher Students in groups brainstorm questions for the teacher. Or use “Spin the Question”. Or give students pictures about your life The teacher should ALWAYS echo back the question to the students! It’s all about THEM!

Points Who? What? Where? When? Why? Whose? Which? How ____? End Game How M…?

ASK ME!

ASK ME The students ask the teacher using the word prompts. The teacher answers and then asks them back. The students then write their own sheet of prompts and ask each other!

ASK ME - FAMILY! Who is ……….? / _____ is ____’s ______.

SOME IDEAS The students ask about the teacher’s family using the target language. They must ask 1 additional question. Who is ……? / Is …. your ……? After, the students have 2 min. to write (in their own language) many names of family members. They play with other students. Asking additional questions.

Write a question

Personalized Bingo 1.Students go around the group or class and write the names of all classmates that say YES. BINGO means they can sit down. 2.Students ask 1 student who sits at the front. They try to get a bingo. Can be competitive with groups asking questions.

Interviews

Interviews / Roleplay Interviews are an excellent way to start every class! Students interview one class member. Let them take on another persona! Start your own Radio Show. Invite guests! In pairs, students can use “identity cards” to interview each other.

INSIDE - OUTSIDE S S S S S S S S S S S S

Students write or draw on a small piece of paper. One half of the class is on the “outside” facing in. The other half on the “inside” facing out. On the teacher’s command, they ask and answer with the person facing them. The outside group rotates on the teacher’s next command.

BASIC PERSONALIZED ACTIVITIES

WALKABOUTS Students write / draw prompts on a post it. Students circulate to find “a match” – all those like themselves. When they find a match they link arms to form a chain and continue. The teacher calls the activity and reviews with the groups – their preferences. Ex. All students write the month of their birthday. They find those with the same month of birthday and stand under a sign for the month that the teacher has put up.

Grammar Poems

Tag Writing Students write and brainstorm to share ideas! 1.Take a blank piece of paper. Fold it in half (hamburger like), half again, half again. You have 8 lines. 2.The student writes the title on the first line. 3.The next student adds to it and folds the paper. 4.The next student reads and adds some more. 5.Continue to the last (8 th ) line. 6.The original student then reads the paper or share as a class! Great for poems / stories / gossip / brainstorming!

First Word What’s the first word you think of when I say ………..? Students can play for points. The student who hesitates longer than 4-5 seconds loses a point. Play to 3. This game rewires the brain to “flow” the 2 nd language

Word Games Story Chains / Writing Chains Students take turns tell a story. Students write words to make a chain. Davidiomgranthillnessentialwaysamend ZIP – ZAP In a circle, one student in the middle who “chooses”. When the person in the middle points and says a letter/word – the two opposite must point and shoot the other student by saying a word related to what was called. The losing student sits and is eliminated. Play until a winner is left.

Using Flashcards Flashcards should be used not only for recall but also to prompt natural “student” language. 1.Write the target language on the board ex. A. When did you last ………? B. I last …………. on ……. day. …………… Students pick up a card and take turns asking, using their own creative language / mind. Make flashcards/picture cards by photocopying and cutting! Or print PPTs. Use books like “1,000 pictures for Teachers” or “Communication Games” – Jill Hadfield.

Communicative Bingo The students speak about their own lives!

Communicative Bingo Get the PPT – Bingo Basics and you can practice all the tenses using the same vocab! 1.Review the vocabulary with students 2.Draw a BINGO grid on the board. 3.One student sites up front. Each group in turn, asks the student a question. If the student answers “Yes”, draw an “0”, if “No”, an “X” in the matching square. 4.Groups continue to ask and find a 5 in a row BINGO to win. If no BINGO, the student up front wins! 5.Hand out the Bingo sheets. Students play the game the same way, with a partner. Search “BINGO” to find a demo video of this…

Creative Thinking Games Cooperative Learning games foster “REAL” language use. The students use language to convey personal and ingrained thought.

Not Like the Other Things _______ is not like the other things because __________! Search in our PPT Games Resources for this!

Only a Blank Piece of Paper! SCC – student created content is the goal of all “personalized” lesson delivery. With just a blank piece of paper you can do many things! 1.Make graphic organizers! Teach higher level skills! 2.Play student created guessing games with controlled language practice. 3.Do arts and crafts activities. Handtalkers / Origami 4.Draw the vocabulary activities. 5.Student created bingo cards / wordsearches. 6.Storybook Making and sharing! 7.…………………………………………………………

Student Created Content

Student created content is the highest order of teaching practice. When students create the content of the lessons they are learning! Get them cutting, writing, designing and most importantly thinking! Example: To review vocabulary, give students a blank wordfind. They can fill it in with vocabulary words from the lesson (and draw a picture beside each word). Give this to a partner and they race to complete each others wordfind. Great fun!

Student created Jeopardy WHO / WHAT / WHERE / WHEN / WHY $ 100 ____________________________? $ 200 ____________________________? $ 300 ____________________________? $ 400 ____________________________? $ 500 ____________________________? ANSWERS

Student Created Jeopardy Brainstorm categories with students. Next, in groups, have the student make 5 questions to ask. The teacher monitors and corrects/helps as necessary. Play the Game! Each group asks their questions. Other groups respond by knocking on their table or you can have groups take turns. A great way to review and have the lesson “about the students”!

Surveys

SURVEYS Surveys capture the student’s curiosity about their peers/classmates. They practice all 3 modes of communication ( Interpersonal / Interpretive / Presentational) -- Give students some target language to make their question. They ask others / record, then present. YESNO Did you __________ this weekend? I I I I I I I I

Recommended Reading

The End

HOW? How do you get the resources to play some of these games? All the resources can be found on EFL Classroom Spin the Question / Not like the other thing / Bingo Cards / worksheets / ideas and so much more…

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