per web.qxd:2P JUL AGO txiqui.qxd - Apabal.com

52 Pages·2012·4.26 MB·English

INDEX
02 04
SUCCESS IS THE SUM OF SMALL EFFORTS, ONE OF THE BEST TECHNOLOGY TOOLS I
REPEATED DAY IN AND DAY OUT. HAVE EVER FOUND: MYBRAINSHARK
Montserrat García Comino Russell Stannard
Presidenta d'APABAL
06 08
ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS! AND OTHER GAMES FOR VOCABULARY
TEXTS TO INSPIRE YOUNG READERS IN REVISION AND ACQUISITION.
THE MODERN CLASSROOM. Àngela Pont Rosselló
Therase Jenkinson
10 14
ENGLISH THROUGH A GLOBAL SPRING FEVER: CONTENT BASED
APPROACH. ACTIVITIES FOR SPRINGTIME.
Àngel Molina Molina and Angela Nina Lauder
Battafarano
17 20
RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AT SCHOOL ENERGIZE YOUR LANGUAGE PAIRINGS:
(REVIEW)MARY FINDS SOME MONEY. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!.
Gabriel Timoner, Gaël Thyus, Magdalena Balle Garcia
María Antonia Santandreu, Pere Quetglas
24 27
CHARLES DICKENS AND COMPUTERS. LANGUAGE LEARNING AND LANGUAGE
Cathy Cobb Castrec and Antònia Vidal TRAINING IN EUROPE: EDUCATION
POLICIES FOR COLLECTIVE EMPOWER-
MENT.
Mª Neus Lorenzo Galés
30 32
ALL SHOOK UP: EMOTIONS. USING PORTFOLIOS AS AN INSTRUCTIO-
Oliver Fuentes Fuentes NAL TOOL. PORTFOLIOS TELL A STORY.
PUT IN ANYTHING THAT HELPS TELL
YOUR STORY.
Montserrat Garcia Comino
37 40
BOOSTING BRAIN POWER: HOW TO ENGAGING THE IMAGINATION BY
FULLY ACTIVATEOUR STUDENTS’ LEARNING IN DEPTH.
BRAINS IN THE EFL CLASSROOM. Kieran Egan
Liam Fitzpatrick
44
WORKING WITH INTERDISCIPLINARY
TOPICS VIA ETWINNING
Neus Oliver Manera
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Success is the sum of
small efforts, repeated
day in and day out.
Robert Collier
We have successfully reached our sec- consolidate APABAL and remain faith-
ond year of existence and have come ful to our original commitment.
through a lot of experiences here, in It is also a pleasure to announce the
APABAL. This is thanks largely to our 1st Apabal Convention, which will
commitment to teamwork and to the take place on September 10th 2012.
effort made by all the members of the All our efforts are now devoted to the
committee, our associates, supporters organization of this event and to
and sponsors. Without them this sorting out the arrangements re-
dream would not have come true. quired to make this day a very special
Even in the face of challenging eco- one for all teachers of English and-
nomic conditions, we have been why not?- for those who teach other
working hard to find new ways to get subjects through English.
funding and sponsorship. It has been I must praise each member of the
very exciting seeing the huge quantity, committee for making this past year
not only of teachers involved in our such an exhilarating success, in spite
activities, but also of other people at- of these turbulent times. I would also
tending the lecture series or the litera- like to extend my thanks to our asso-
ture-themed film series this year. One ciates, followers and sponsors for
of our colleagues always describes their unfailing support, without which
this teachers’ association as “more of our flame would have gone out.
a marathon than a sprint”. We take If you are not a member yet, please
pride in this characterization and em- think of becoming one of us soon.
brace it as a philosophy for planning www.apabal.com
our forthcoming events as we seek to
Montserrat García Comino
Presidenta d'APABAL
Associació
de professors
d’anglès de les
www.apabal.com/ Illes Balears
“APABAL MAGAZINE” Direcció Aina Forteza Correcció i revisió APABAL
Montserrat García Joana Salazar Sarah Brierley (ICE)
És una publicació de
Assumpta Sureda C/ Miquel dels Sants Oliver
l’associació de professors
Coordinació Àngel Molina Disseny i maquetació nº 2
d’anglès de les Illes Balears Magdalena Balle Dúctil Palma
Equip de redacció www.ductilct.com www.apabal.com
Consell Assessor Aina Carreras [email protected]
Aina Carreras Joana Salazar Impressió
Revista nº 2 Carmen Moreno Jan Wright Copysteria Institut D.L. 916 -2011
Maig2012 Margarita Truyols Rosa Maria Viñuales C/ Alfred Bonet, 8A Baixos ISSN 2174 - 8497
Preu: 4€ Vivienne Birch Vivienne Birch 07003 Palma

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Russell Stannard is a Principal Teaching Fellow at the University of Warwick, where he trains teachers in using
technology for the MA in TESOL. He won the British Council “Technology” award and the Times Higher
“Innovation” award for his website www.teachertrainingvideos.com: a step by step video explaining the use of
different technologies in education. In 2011, the site received over 287,000 visitors.
By Russell Stannard
ONE OF
THE BEST
TECHNOLOGY
TOOLS
I HAVE
EVER FOUND:
MYBRAINSHARK
I have been writing about technology and language teach- at the University of Warwick suggest it has a lot of potential.
ing for over ten years. In fact, my ‘Webwatcher’ articles in It is called ‘myBrainShark’ and is free to use.
the ET Professionalhave been going for twelve years. In myBrainSharkallows you to upload a PowerPoint presen-
that time, there has been one tool that has stood out from tation onto a site (a Word or PDF document) and then add
everything else: JING. In my opinion, it is just about the voice narration. myBrianSharkpacks it all together and
best technology I have ever used. However, in 2011, I came provides a link. By clicking on the link, you can see the doc-
across a tool that comes a close second. This tool could rev- ument and listen as the narration and presentation is
olutionise the types of speaking activities we get our played back. For example: you can ask your students to
students to do, both inside and outside the class. The tool is create a presentation about their hobbies and interests in
free, easy to use and offers an incredible number of possi- PowerPoint; they upload it onto the site and add their com-
bilities in language teaching. Initial tests I have undertaken mentary; then, they send you the link. There are other tools
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like this, but none with such a clear interface and a record- emergence of all these technologies, we are now able to
ing duration of fifteen minutes. plan lessons that tightly link what we do in class with what
Now, take a step back and think about that! Imagine it is we want out students to do for homework. Indeed, we can
the first day of a high level class. I ask my students to list literally say that the work the students do outside of the
some things about themselves, put them in pairs and tell class is really just an extensionof what they do in the les-
them to talk about these characteristics (hobbies, lan- son. When I first started working as a teacher in 1987,
guages they speak, places they’ve travelled, etc.) Then, I get homework was often an afterthought. It was something I
them to sign up for a free account on myBrainShark. For thought up at the end the lesson. What I have found with
homework, I tell them to make a PowerPoint presentation tools like myBrainSharkand the ideas that I have suggested
about their lives, upload it onto myBrainSharkand then is that they work best when we do the preparation work in
add their voice narration. They can then send the link to class. For example, in the lesson we might get the students
me: I can listen to them talking while I watch their presen- to make their PowerPoint presentations: we might put
tations. I take notes on their oral level and at the same time them into pairs and get them to practice; we might even
find out something about them. offer them some tips or appropriate vocabulary to help
This is almost revolutionary! I can now set oral exercises for them give an effective presentation. This work — done in
homework. Ten years ago, even five years ago, this would the classroom — prepares and motivates them to go home,
have been almost impossible. Let’s take another scenario. I upload the presentation onto myBrainShark,then add
am in a high level class and the students want to practice their voice. The better we connect the classroom part with
doing presentations. They have to do an oral presentation the homework, the better the students seem to respond.
as part of their assessment next week; they want to practice One of the most interesting things about this approach and
and get feedback from me. Now, in the past, that would this particular tool is dealing with the content that is sent to
normally mean them doing a presentation in class. That you. Remember: you will receive a link, you click on it, and
has all changed now. I can ask them to you hear and watch the student pres-
make a PowerPoint presentation: entation. It is all played back in the
upload it onto mybrainShark; add myBrainsharkplayer. You can listen,
their voice; then send me the result- take notes and then offer feedback to
ing link. I can listen, give some the students. It feels very different to
feedback and help them prepare for be suddenly marking students “oral”
their presentation. This is exactly work. Students can use this tool to
what I did with my students this year. create recordings of up to 15 minutes:
You can click on this link and listen you can end up with a lot of listening
here: material — this can definitely be a
http://my.brainshark.com/security- problem, but a ‘good’ problem!
and-privacy-29852347 I suggest playing back some of the
You Can Use Pictures, Video PDF or best presentations in the next lesson.
Word Documents, Too Students are always interested to hear
The incredible thing about myBrain- what other students have created and
Sharkis that it doesn’t only work with it is a chance for you to highlight good
PowerPoint. You can uploadpictures, examples and point out what makes a
videoor even a PDFfile and do exactly the same procedure. good presentation.
A student could upload a selection of pictures from a recent For those student and teachers who are technically savvy, I
holiday; add voice narration on myBrainShark;and then have even more good news for you. You can embed your
share them with the teacher or other students. This tool presentations from myBrainSharkinto a blog, a virtual
opens up all sorts of opportunities. In a low level class, stu- learning environment or even a webpage, increasing the
dents could limit themselves to just up loading one picture. potential to share your work.
Of course, myBrainSharkcan be used by teachers, too. You
We have been running some experiments with the might want to upload a presentation and then share it with
myBrainSharksite at the University of Warwick. Students your students or an even wider audience. Remember, you
have done a variety of different activities. For example, can do this with documents, too. In fact, that is how
uploading a PowerPoint presentation about their favourite myBrainSharkis normally used. Companies use it to add
recipe and then talking it through. Other students have voice narration to clarify documents or for PowerPoint
used it to upload pictures of an interesting place in their training.
country and then talked about it; some students have even You can sign up to myBrainSharkfor free here:
uploaded video content. The ‘Power’ is in the fact that they http://www.brainshark.com/mybrainshark
can then use the site to add commentary to the content;
then, myBrainsharkpacks it all together and creates a link Here is a set of step by step videos that show you exactly
to access the recordings. Feedback from students has been how to use myBrainShark
very positive. http://www.teachertrain
The Connected Classroom ingvideos.com/brain/index.html
There are several key issues that are beginning to emerge http://www.teachertrain
from this work. Firstly is the idea of what I call “The Con- ingvideos.com/brain2/index.html
nected Classroom.”What I mean by this is that with the
ALIENS
LOVE
UNDERPANTS!
AND OTHER TEXTS TO INSPIRE YOUNG READERS
IN THE MODERN CLASSROOM
By Therase Jenkinson
Therase Jenkinson
I have a B.A. (Hons) in Social Policy and Politics, where I produced a thesis investiga-
ting the concept of whole school anti-bullying policies in UK state schools. I then took
a post graduate course in teaching English. I have been teaching English as a second
language for 15 years and have taught privately, in schools, in academies and in com-
panies in the U.K, Paris, Barcelona, Valencia and finally Mallorca. I currently teach
English in the Infant department at Agora Portals International School. I am the mot-
her of two boys, aged 9 and 2, and teacher for 180 more children, aged 3 to 5!
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In education today, the tendency is towards multi-sensory planets, spaceships, aliens or underpants! Once each
approaches to teaching and learning. Research into learn- group has completed their part of the project, the scenery
ing styles has shown that each individual processes and and props are put together and the teacher takes a photo of
absorbs information in very different ways. The result of each scene (once the children are happy with the arrange-
these findings is that the teaching profession is now well ment), using the earlier produced storyboard as a
accustomed to hearing about VAK (visual, auditory, kines- reference.
thetic) and the importance of its application in the There are many advantages to this type of activity. Prima-
classroom. rily, the kids love it! It’s a rounded activity that encompasses
Great. The research is done, the facts are presented and each learning style and the children are always thrilled to
now all we have to do is implement it into our classrooms. see their comics displayed in comic strip form or on a
Hmmmm! Now what happens? We find ourselves in a comic strip power point.
room of up to 28 little minds – that’s 2800 billion neurons – Now that the children have fully understood the text and
waiting to be fired up by our inspirational, multi-intellec- have passively absorbed the target information and vocab-
tual and individually tailored teaching methods. My initial ulary, we may direct the class towards a variety of themes
reaction to this methodology was, to be honest, sheer based on the text. This story especially lends itself to sub-
panic. Having being schooled in the era of ‘open your ject types, such as parts of the body and verb forms. I
books to page 25 and answer the questions’, this was for- usually ask the children to design their own alien and write
eign territory to me. Two options presented themselves, a short modeled sentences about their alien likes and dis-
radical career change to something less daunting, or battle likes and physical descriptions. For example:
on. Not being a quitter (and being past the age of radical My alien loves ice cream.
career changes), I decided to face this thing head on. My alien hates carrots.
And guess what? After some trial and of course lots of error, He has three arms and two heads.
I have discovered that teaching in this way is actually fun. Using this type of activity, we ensure that we cover the
Yes, FUN. I began to really enjoy each class and in some range of learning abilities while inspiring the children’s
cases positively look forward to them. interest in books; and also deepening their understanding
In this article, I want to share with you some of my tried and of the text, use of language and vocabulary.
tested class projects, using good old fashioned story books Below, I have listed a few of my favorite story books for
as a basis for multi-sensory teaching, which I have found early years learners and made a few brief activity sugges-
both stimulate and delight my early years learners. tions. I hope you will find them as useful and as
Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman entertaining as my children and I have.
This is one of the story books that I use year after year with Dogger by Shirley Hughes:the story of a little boy and his
my five year old children. The book is beautifully written lost teddy. A great follow-up activity: tell the children you
and the illustrations are equally charming. The title itself is have lost an item. I usually claim to have lost a ‘diamond’
enough to call the attention of the children: “Did Miss necklace. I then ask the children for their help. They create
really just say ‘underpants’?” lost posters to place around the school and then go on a
The first reading offers an audio and visual opportunity for necklace hunt. They are always so excited to find the miss-
those with the corresponding learning styles. From this ing item and use their English in a real world sense. Any
point, we can then adapt and develop the text according to title based around lost objects is a suitable starting point
the needs of our class. I think it appropriate at this stage to for this project.
consolidate the understanding of the text before progress- The Shopping Basket by John Burningham:the story of a
ing onto related activities. Role play is an attractive option young boy sent to shop by his mum; on the way, he
as it can appeal to all types of learners; however, it is a fre- encounters many obstacles. This is a repetitive text and so
quently used resource. With new technologies at our is really great for learning vocabulary such as names of ani-
disposition, we are nowable to convert this time-honored mals, food and prepositions. We encounter many bullies in
activity into equally stimulating alternatives such as video the story, so it is perfect for discussion on this topic. It’s an
clips, cartoon strips and comics. I have found that my chil- ideal starting point to set up a shop in the classroom; the
dren react particularly well to the latter. children make shopping lists, before setting out to collect
The first step in producing the comic is to set up a story- their items from the shop. Our class shop is made from
board as a teacher-led whole class activity. Provide the cardboard boxes and lots of imagination.
children with an A4 sheet consisting of six equally sized The Jolly Postman by Allan Ahlberg:a beautiful little story
blank square spaces. From this point, the whole class may following a postman on his daily route, delivering his let-
then discuss the best way to tell the whole story in six parts, ters to various well-known fictional characters like the
with the teacher writing simple sentences on the board to Wicked Witch and Goldilocks. The letters and postcards
match the storyboard suggestions. This is not only useful are removable, giving the book an extra dimension reality.
in checking the class’ comprehension of the story; it also The children can then write and deliver their own letters to
helps the children to develop the ability to logically classmates, families, teachers or other members of the
sequence a story and summarize a text. Once decided, the school staff. I was absolutely thrilled at finding an envelope
six story parts may be drawn in order onto the worksheets on my desk one morning with `To Miss Jenkinson’ carefully
and used as a reference for the comic project. Now, we’re scrawled across the front!
ready to create. The class is divided into groups; each group
is responsible for a given task, be it preparing the scenery,
GAMES
FOR
VOCABULARY
REVISION
AND
ACQUISITION
by Àngela Pont Rosselló
Àngela Pont Rosselló
holds a degree in English Philology from the University of the Balearic Islands and has
also worked as a Spanish Language Assistant in England. As one of her professional
interests is new technologies, she is now completing a Masters degree in Education and
ICT with the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).
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