A learning corner is a space set aside in the classroom that allows easy access to a variety of learning materials in an interesting and productive manner. Learning corner are usually designed to offer a variety of materials, designs, and media through which students can work by themselves or with others to operationalize the information learned in the classroom. Corners are designed to enhance the learning of concepts, skills, themes, or topics.
Learning corners can have any creative’s work to teach our second language each limited only by your creativity and imagination. Teacher can feel free to work with your students in creating some corners they will want to use. These way students have a sense of ownership in the corner and will be more willing to engage in the resultant activities. In addition, the learning corners have been developed so that students learn vocabulary and improve their English.
Learning corners are areas very important and useful where students learn about specific vocabulary by creating and engaging in activities. Create is an active form of learning that involves the whole self.
Secondary school pupils need strategies and skills, such as making decisions, carrying out plans, cooperating and sharing with others, and problem-solving, in order to create and learn independently.
Many people all over the world will be embarking on English language courses this summer, and the Guardian Teacher Network
has inspiring resources to help teachers of English as a foreign
language (EFL), many of which will also be useful for teachers of
English as a second language (ESL) or an additional language (EAL)
working with foreign pupils in the UK.
Start with one of the most popular teaching resources on the Guardian Teacher Network, the Big grammar book,
101 photocopiable English grammar worksheets. It's ideal to use in
class with entry-level English and also ESL pupils. The book covers all
the basics including writing numbers, the alphabet, spelling days and
months correctly, irregular vowels, elementary homophones, comparatives
and superlatives, compound nouns, full stops and using capital letters. Learn how to pronounce English like a native speaker gives students an opportunity to practise working with connected speech in spoken English in a self-study environment. The Big resource book
is packed with worksheets that will really inspire learners, covering a
huge variety of language areas from grammar to vocabulary to speaking
and listening. And the Big activity book is a compilation of English language worksheets and activities for active English lessons.
Matt Purland, the man behind www.Englishbanana.com,
has shared a whole host of useful English language teaching resources
based on his philosophy of demystifying the English language. Find an
introduction to the You are the course book method, together with an amusing explanation of why and how he designed it after years of frustration working in language schools. You are the course book two offers more. Matt's Talk a lot English course is another great set of resources. Start with Foundation to help students get from written words on a page to spoken English using sounds, stress and connected speech. Find Elementary book one, which is a complete 12-week spoken English course for beginners, Elementary book two and book three. Students can take their English learning to the next level with Intermediate book one.
For more advanced EFL students, the Guardian has created a number of
fantastic teaching resources based on adaptations of Guardian articles.
Each one is a full lesson plan, with student tasks and activities that
will really enrich lessons and increase confidence, as well as build
cultural understanding. Mars mission lesson plan uses a US millionaire's funded trip to work on verb patterns to express future plans. Berlin Wall's most iconic paintings under threat will help students with examples of the passive test. This lesson on hidden gifts in an art gallery explores question formation and prepositions of place.
Pollution awareness in China
is an inspiring lesson based on an article about Chinese
multimillionaire Chien Guangbiao giving away air-filled cans in Beijing
to raise awareness of pollution. Here's a lesson looking at the latest entertainment and communications technology that is popular in the UK, which provides great cultural context for EFL students.
Teaching EAL and ESL to children in UK primary and secondary schools
is obviously very different from teaching EFL and requires distinct
teaching resources, expertise and training. This key stage 1 resource Saying how you feel is an imaginative route to looking at daily life in what will be a new country for many pupils.
Mo and Hassan Farah – identical twins different lives is an inspiring resource linked to the www.teachingenglishtoolkit
exploring the story of Mo Farah, who came to live in London when he was
eight while his identical twin stayed in Somalia. It can be used as a
starting point for EAL and ESL work in a variety of topics.
And don't miss Mike Gershon's EAL toolkit,
which provides more than 50 strategies for helping learners across the
key stages who are learning English as an additional language. The
strategies are non-subject and non-age specific. Many of the strategies
can be adapted for EFL teachers.
Thanks also to Matt Grand, the teacher behind Humans Not Robots, for providing this great resource Steps for English language, which provides precise steps as a tool for assessing the language skills of students and to think through practical targets.
Teaching English vocabulary can be challenging especially when working
with beginner esl students.You may find yourself even more challenged if
your class consists of students (adults or otherwise) of multiple
nationalities and backgrounds, because different people have different
ways of memorizing vocabulary in a foreign language by creating their
individual associations and personal techniques for acquiring and
building vocabulary.
There are some obvious things an ESL teacher can do in class to help students memorize. Flash cards, pictures, word games, crosswords are among the first things that come to mind when it is time for a vocabulary class or exercise. All of these are effective techniques, and an important part in English language teaching, but the list does not end here.
It is fair to mention that for learners it is especially easy to memorize and create associations for new vocabulary when the process is fun, and engaging.
Here are a couple of ideas which can help you spice up your class, and bring in some more fun and engagement when teaching English vocabulary.
The following video will help teacher to create different techniques:
Being a good teacher can be the most rewarding and exciting job in the
world - however, being a teacher who doesn't work effectively can be
stressful, painful, and exhausting.
Everyone wants teachers to use technology in the classroom.
But you're busy -- meeting standards, prepping students for tests --
and maybe you’re not too fond of computers, anyway. Never fear – there
are easy ways to bring your classroom up-to-date, technologically.
Do you have a iPad in your classroom for your use? How about iPads for students to use? Could you get a classroom iPad?
What kind of Internet access is available at your school? What are school policies on student use of the Internet?
What do you have to do to get Ipads for your students?
Also try to find a technology “mentor” on campus – the computer
teacher or just another teacher who uses technology more than you do. It
helps to know there’s someone who can guide you and help you
incorporate technology in the classroom if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Perfect Ed Tech Activities for Beginners
Do a PowerPoint “Game Show Review”
Many tech-savvy teachers
have used Microsoft PowerPoint to create review games based on famous
game shows, including “Jeopardy!,” “The Weakest Link,” and “Who Wants to
Be a Millionaire?” These templates are available online for teachers to
download and revise, including their own content. Check out this template
or search “powerpoint game show template” online. A fun way to practice
using a projector and get your students to review important material!
Have students complete a written classroom activity as if it was online.
Ever have your students write a diary from the perspective of a character or famous person? Why not have them create a blog instead?
Take a look at various blog sites (Blogger and WordPress are two of the
most popular) and create a template for your students to fill in.
Want students to summarize information? Ask them to tweet the lesson – that is, have them write summaries of 140 characters or less, as if they were writing on Twitter.
Or create a template for a web page and ask students to use it to
design a webpage about the content they are studying. While these
activities don’t actually use technology, they familiarize you – and
your students – with the Web 2.0 world, which can be a great first step.
Try a Webquest
A webquest guides students to search the
Internet for specific information. For example, students are asked to
serve as curators of a museum on a particular topic. They must search
the Internet to determine what artifacts belong in their museum and
explain their choices.
There are tons of already-constructed
webquests out there, a perfect way to teachers to begin integrating
Internet searches into their curriculum. Here's a good introduction to the process. Once you get really comfortable with the process, you may even want to create your own!
Good Ed Tech Activities for All Skill Levels
Use technology as a topic for a writing assignment
For younger students, have them write a “how-to” piece about using technology in the classroom.
It’s a natural fit, as young people usually have a higher comfort level
with technology than many adults. Tell kids to write a piece
instructing someone – maybe a grandparent? – on how to send an email,
set up an Ipod, or play a video game. For older kids, have them research
the impact technology has had on a particular time in history or
science or include a unit on science fiction and technology in your
Language Arts curriculum.
Create a class webpage
A class webpage can be anything from a basic
site where you post announcements (think “online bulletin board”) to a
much more elaborate one that includes class photos, a class blog,
downloadable materials, and your own domain name. For those of you just
starting out, try Scholastic’s free Home Page Builder (http://teacher.scholastic.com/homepagebuilder/). Those of you with a little more experience may enjoy Webs.com (http://www.webs.com/), which offers both free and premium service packages.
Use an online grading system
While some schools are mandating the shift to
web-based gradebooks, you don’t have to wait to try one out. Sites like
MyGradebook.com (http://www.mygradebook.com)
offer the opportunity to track grades, record attendance and seating
charts, and compile reports on student progress. You can also email
students and parents directly to allow them to view their updated
grades. Never worry again about bringing home your gradebook – you can
access it from any computer.
Do an email exchange
When we were kids, some teachers had class
penpals or had you practice your penmanship by writing a letter to an
author. Try the 21st-century version of that by instituting
an email exchange. Have your students exchange emails with students in
another school, city, state, or country – especially valuable if both
sets of students are studying the same material. Or arrange for a group
of experts to accept emails from your students on a particular topic.
Students who fail to see the “real world implications” of math or
science may develop new interest if you can put them in touch with a
video game designer, astronaut, or engineer who uses those skills every
day. And for adults who might want to volunteer but feel pressed for
time, email can be a great way to help out, since they can respond on
their own schedule.
Give multimedia presentations – or have your students give them
Liven up a traditional lecture by using a
PowerPoint presentation that incorporates photographs, diagrams, sound
effects, music, or video clips. For high school teachers, consider
having your students develop presentations as a review tool before
semester exams. Their work may be so good that you will want to use it
in future classes!
Supplement your lessons
When you’ve taught the same material for
awhile, you – and your students – may find it less-than-exciting. A
quick Internet search may help you identify ways to supplement your
lessons with interesting new material. Make a habit of searching before
you begin each new unit. You may find photographs, sound clips, video
clips, and more that can bring your lessons to life. Many museums now
offer online “virtual tours” and teachers are constantly developing new
presentations and webquests, which are posted online. Add these in to
keep your lessons fresh.
Advanced Ed Tech Activities
Create a class blog or wiki
Take appropriate precautions for Internet safety, but a class blog or wiki can be a great way to integrate technology in the classroom and
develop student knowledge. Some teachers use blogs to drive
outside-of-class discussion – particularly helpful for AP/IB students
who are motivated but short on class time.
A wiki is a website that uses software which
allows many different people to edit it (think Wikipedia). Have your
students work together to create a wiki on a topic they are studying.
They will need to correct each other’s work and collaborate in order to
make it a success.
Listen to – or create – a Podcast.
There are thousands of podcasts available on
the Web. Search for ones that meet your students’ needs. Some colleges
are offering professors’ lectures via podcast, which can be great for
advanced students. In other cases, you may be able to find an interview
with the author of a book your students are reading, or other
supplemental material. Make arrangements to download it and play it for
your students. For the really ambitious, have students create their own
podcasts to document their progress through the year or discuss their
ideas on a variety of issues pertaining to the course.
“Publish” your students’ work
Tools exist today to allow your students to
create really professional looking work using a desktop computer. Have
students create a short film, run an ongoing class website that features
student work and opinions, or – if they’re really ambitious – raise the
money to have their work professionally published by a self-publishing
company like iUniverse or Lulu.
No matter what your skill level, integrating technology in the classroom offers the chance to increase student interest and teach valuable professional skills – and have some fun!
What ways do you use technology in the classroom? Share in the comments section!
