Session 13: Reflection

Time flies! I can't believe it was the last session of the course. We've all have had a very busy semester. September to December are always the busiest months of all teachers. Here I would like to thank Paul for teaching us and always encouraging us. I feel so lucky to be able to be your student again! In 2012-13, when I was studying in PGDP, you taught us how to be a good English teacher. Four years later, you make me reflect on my teaching and even make me more passionate about teaching English! :-)

 

In this session, we have tried to play a Kahoot game and a Quizlet Live game. All of us were crazy about the games and we became very motivated to answer the questions! I thought of my P.5 kids at that time and told Yvonne that I must try it with my P.5 kids! What a coincidence! I tried to use Socrative with my P.5 kids that morning! It was the first time I used Ipad with them. (Last time I tried to use Ipads with my P.3 class) Socrative is a really useful app but I was not sure if my P.5 kids would like it or not because the interface was not so attractive to students. :-P Yet, they liked Socrative a lot. I designed some questions testing them how to use tenses correctly. Two of them shared one Ipad and took turns to answer the questions. When they answered the questions on Socrative, I heard them discussing with their partner, saying something like 'Choose past tense! The sentence mentioned last night!' At that moment, I knew they were really into the practice! At the end of the lesson, I asked them if they wanted to use Ipads in the English lessons again, they all said yes. I am determined to use Kahoot next time and I am sure they will go crazy! Haha!

(This is the result of Socrative task. It is shown on an Excel file.)

 I have been very happy since I took this course because I keep trying something new in my English lessons. I don't just rely on Powerpoints anymore. Now I am thinking about having a class blog with my P.5 kids. I would like to share my feelings with them (and forcing them to read more English, haha!) and post some practice and games for them. I know that not all of them have computers or are able to access to the Internet every day, but I really want to do more for them. They are in a less able class and my aim is to make them fall in love in English. I really hope that after two years, when they graduate, they will look back and think they have learnt a lot and had fun in English lessons and become more interested in English. As the course is coming to an end, I promise I will not stop trying to make my lessons more interesting by using IT! Thanks Paul again! :-)

 

Session 13: GoFormative quiz sheet

It is a GoFormative quiz sheet designed for my P.3 class. They are going to complete a reading comprehension containing five questions.

Session 13: Google Form

It is a questionnaire about your work situation. Please complete all the questions! :-)

Session 12: Reflection

In this session, Zoe and Paul shared their experience of their flipped classroom project for a P.4 class with us. Their sharing inspired me a lot. It motivated me to try to teach English by using e-learning tools in class. I would like to thank Zoe for using her precious Friday night to share her experience with us. It really means a lot to me.

After Zoe and Paul's sharing, we tried to create a Nearpod lesson. Nearpod is very useful to all of us. It is very easy to use. The advantage is that we can add activities like polls, open-ended questions and memory tests to the lessons very easily. It really saves teachers'  time! We can also add some Powerpoint slides to it. Paul also showed us that the lesson can be teacher-paced. That is really important because sometimes teachers do need to take control of the lessons! The disadvantage is that there are just few layouts for us to choose and we cannot change the font size or font colour. It has some limitations because the tool is free. I do want to try a Nearpod lesson at school as the school has bought 30 Ipads recently. All of the teachers are encouraged to use Ipads. That is a good news to me! Yet, I took 8 Ipads to my P.3 class last Wednesday as I wanted to try using Socrative with them. 4 Ipads could not be connected to the Internet so I could not use Ipads that day. I could not find anyone for help at that moment! (My students were so disappointed!) I promised them to bring Ipads again on the next day and luckily they all worked. I am interested in trying all the tools but I really hope my school has a stable network. Otherwise, all the things prepared cannot be done. :'( 

Session 12: Nearpod lesson

This is the Nearpod lesson I've made for my P.5 students. They are learning to read notices. It is more interesting to test their understanding of the texts by using Nearpod than doing worksheets.

Session 11: reflection

In this session, we have tried to create a Padlet wall and a prezi. Padlet is one of the tools that I like the most and I found that Padlet is very useful in lots of ways. Besides asking students to brainstorm ideas and post them on the wall, creating a Padlet wall which contains a lot of files is quite useful for teachers as teachers can show what students are going to do in that unit clearly. It is very important for students to have a clear picture about what they are going to learn and do in lessons. 

Wix also attracts me a lot. I've never known that creating a website can be so easy! When Paul said some teachers are 'forced' by school to create one website for their own classes, I do think that I am so lucky that I don't have to do it! :-P (But I do have a thought to create a class blog for my P.5 class and I am not 'forced' to do it!) Yet, if I have to create a website in the future, I can try Wix or Adobe Page. I am so glad to know there are such useful tools!

Prezi is also very useful. I admit that I am very 'outdated' because I just use Powerpoints as a presenting tool when I am teaching. While I was trying to create a Prezi in this session, I kept thinking how my students would react when they see Prezi. I guess they will be very excited to see a teacher using something new to teach them. As I am teaching in a primary school, it is hard for the young learners to make a Prezi to present some ideas by themselves. That may be more suitable for secondary school students because they have to do projects and presentations. If I teach P.6 students and time is enough, I may ask them to present their writing ideas in Prezi as a pre-writing task. But now, I may use Prezi to explain something to my students instead of asking them to make one. 

 P.S. Sorry, Paul. I haven't tried to use Nearpod in my lessons yet because I didn't have enough time to finish it before I taught that reading text. Hope I can have a chance to use Nearpod very soon! (As exam is coming after the Christmas holiday, I have to rush to do many things in class!!  :'( It's very sad!)

 

Session 11: Prezi

This is the first Prezi that I've made! 
I tried to make a simple one about how people use present perfect tense!

Session 11: Padlet Wall

It is a padlet wall designed for my P.3 class. It is all about festivals.

Session 10: Reflection

I believe that one of the most difficult tasks of English teachers is to motivate students to do English writing. In the last two years, I taught P.1 students and they loved writing. However, I am teaching P.3 and P.5 students this year and I've found that they do not especially love writing. A few of them even hate writing. Encouraging them to write has become a challenging job for me. 

In this session, Paul showed us how to create story e-books on the Internet. Unexpectedly, after Paul demonstrated how to use mystorybook.com to create a story e-book, we suddenly became so attentive and quiet and created our e-book excitedly! (I admitted that I was so exhausted after an extremely busy week!) This showed that interesting tasks can attract students in class! Although Paul asked us to make simple story e-books, we all paid a lot of effort and tried our best! We all love the task so much and I think of my students immediately. I hope they will have much fun as I have had just now! 

Another website, storybird.com also reminds me of TSA writing exercise which some of my students hate a lot! I believe some teachers also have a hard time asking students to do the boring TSA writing exercise, especially for those writing tasks with four pictures. In this website, students can choose the set of pictures that they like and create their own story. They can be very creative and it is very motivating. They are not forced to write about a topic or a story which they are not interested in! My classmates and I enjoyed a lot when we were trying to create a story by ourselves. When writing becomes an interesting task, students will not be afraid of writing any more. I hope I will have a chance to share what I've learnt this session with my colleagues!

Session 10: My story e-book

This is the first time I've made a story e-book. I am so glad that I've learnt how to use it during this session! It is so interesting to make a story e-book by myself! :-)


Read my story e-book now!

Session 9: Reflection

In this session, we have learnt how to create some interactive tasks for reading comprehension. Some of my students are quite afraid of reading a text. They think reading is boring. I always create some group activities or pair work for them as pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading tasks to make reading more interesting for them. Yet, I have never tried something like Actively Learn or Nearpod before. I think they are also very new to my students. Actively Learn is quite user-friendly as I can add notes and questions to a passage very easily. If I would like to explain the meaning and the part of speech of a word, I can simply add a note! I can also create some multiple choice questions right after that paragraph so the students can find the clue more easily. I think Actively Learn would be much more interesting than just a comprehension worksheet!

I am also attracted by Nearpod. It is a bit like Powerpoint but it is much more interactive! I have signed up as a teacher and I have tried some functions. It is very easy to use and I can create some interactive tasks in just a few minutes!

 I can create some slides very easily on Nearpod. Look! All you need is to use the slide editor there, choose a layout, and drag any files to the slide!

This is what I like the most. I can add any activities I want. I added a poll in just a minute!

I've tried to make these three slides in just a few minutes. It's worthwhile to explore something new! I don't need to just rely on using Powerpoint anymore! :-)

Session 9: Actively learn

I've created a reading comprehension exercise by using Actively Learn. It's a pity that I cannot use my own reading passage that I am going to teach!

Class code: 98eba

Actively learn

Session 9: J Cloze and J Cross

I've created a gap-fill exercise and a crossword puzzle. JCloze and JCross are very easy to use. I am interested in JCross more because students love doing crossword puzzles! I can create some crossword puzzles for them very quickly. That's great!



Click me!

Click me!

Session 8: Reflection

Paul taught us how to use Adobe Spark Video and Screencast-o-matic in this lesson and I found both of them very useful. I have never tried to create a video by myself because I have never thought that making an amazing video is so easy! (I admit that I was not keen on using IT in classrooms but now I have changed my mind!)

Adobe Spark Video is very easy to use and the videos would be very attractive to students! When thinking about how to use it in my classroom, I think of my lovely P.3 kids immediately. I am going to teach simple past tense very soon. Why not using Adobe Spark Video to share with them how I spent my weekend? I can share my photos with them and add some sentences in the video. I can also highlight the past form of verbs! This is an authentic context and I am sure my students will be interested! 

Screencast-o-matic is user-friendly as well. It is not difficult to use at all! Sometimes I don't have enough time to explain how to answer some tricky questions in homework or how to do corrections. Screencast-o-matic will help! Also, I always want my students to learn more new words that are related to the themes taught in the textbook. I can use Powerpoint, pictures and record my voice at the same time to explain the meaning of words and how to use the words when forming a sentence. 

Can't wait to try them out in my class!

Session 8: A short video made with Screencast-o-matic

I've made a short video to teach my P.3 students to do a comprehension worksheet. It is very useful because I can read the passage to students and show them some pictures to explain the vocabulary items. 

Click me!

Session 8: Adobe Spark Video

This is the first Adobe Spark Video I've made! It's easy and fun! :-D Can't wait to make one for my P.3 kids!

Session 7: Reflection

Paul mentioned in this lesson that many teachers do not always ask students to read aloud in class but this is not my case. I almost ask my P.5 students to read aloud every day because I do think that reading aloud is very important for learning a language. As I have mentioned in my blog before, I teach a less-able P.5 class this year and this is a challenging job for me. Most of my P.5 students lack confidence in English so I would like to build their confidence through two ways. They are reading aloud and spelling. Once they know how to read and spell those words, they would start thinking that they are actually not that weak in English.

Using Fluency Tutor may allow them to have more practice. I can create a text which can be found in the textbook so they can record their own reading at home and I will be able to listen to it. I can also add some interesting texts for them so as to encourage them to challenge themselves and have fun! Audacity is easy to use and I may record my own reading and ask my students to listen to it at home. In the last 2 weeks, some of my students told me that they were quite interested in using Padlet. I am sure they would like to try more tasks that I create for them.

my read-aloud recording

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bmjhkka9b3hntm6/lum.wav?dl=0

Friends

By Abbie Farwell Brown

How good to lie a little while

And look up through the tree!

The Sky is like a kind big smile

Bent sweetly over me.

The Sunshine flickers through the lace

Of leaves above my head,

And kisses me upon the face

Like Mother, before bed.

The Wind comes stealing o'er the grass

To whisper pretty things;

And though I cannot see him pass,

I feel his careful wings.

So many gentle Friends are near

Whom one can scarcely see,

A child should never feel a fear,

Wherever he may be.

The first Padlet I've created for my P.5 class

I have created a Padlet for my P.5 class and asked them to have a try at home. When I showed them how to use it in class, they were so amazed! They have never tried that before and they thought it was interesting. I asked them to try when they have free time so just few of them have tried until now. (I don't know why some pictures are not successfully uploaded!) It is worthwhile to try something new with my students. 

If you are interested in my Padlet, please click me! The password is 'class5d'.

Session 5: Reflection

Many teachers tend to neglect the fact that listening skills can be trained by using interesting ways. Some teachers assumed that students listen to teachers speaking in English every day and students will acquire listening skills automatically. Some teachers would just give students listening exercise which students do not like to do.

I am glad to know from Paul that there are so many interesting online resources. Sometimes I play some Youtube videos in class. They like watching videos so much, especially the younger kids. I usually use the videos to lead in a lesson and the advantage of using them is that students will become more interested in that topic. Yet, if the purpose of my lesson is to develop their listening skills, that is obviously not enough. I do hope that I have time to use some fascinating online resources in class but I seldom have enough time to do so. Today I learnt how to use EDpuzzle and it will be a very useful tool. I may ask students to do it at home after school or during holiday. It takes just a few minutes to watch a video and the questions can test if they understand the content. Teacher's talk is sometimes boring and the task on EDpuzzle must be interesting for them. I may try to create a task on EDpuzzle for my P.3 students first as they love watching videos so much. Can't wait to see their response!

Session 5: Creating a listening unit with EDpuzzle

I have created a listening unit for my P.5 students. It is about different food groups. I hope they will enjoy it. :-)

Session 4: Reflection

Teachers always think of some new ways of teaching vocabulary items. I usually show them word cards, pictures and real objects when I teach vocabulary items but sometimes I do find that those are too boring for students. Two years ago, I tried to use iPad with my P. 1 class when I taught them some new words. That application on iPad was like Quizlet which I have tried during this session but I did not use it for a long time because I am not very familiar with using an iPad or a tablet. (I am so sorry that I have already forgotten the name of that application! My colleague taught me how to use it two years ago.) My P. 1 class actually liked playing those 'games' on iPad and they were quite useful for helping students spell the words. Yet, it took me quite a long time to insert the words and pictures. 

Today, I have learnt how to use Quizlet in Paul's lesson and it is a very efficient tool! I can create some flashcards and tests in less than 5 minutes. It will definitely save my time when I plan for my lessons and I really think that students will be more willing to revise the words they have learnt by playing simple games. I will start a new chapter next week and I can't wait to try Quizlet! :-D

Session 4: Mind map

I am going to teach some food items next week so hopefully this mind map would be useful for my P.5 students! :-D

 Here is the link:
CLICK ME!


 

Session 4: Quizlet

I am going to teach a chapter that is about food around the world next week. I am going to introduce some cooking verbs to my students as well so I have created this Quizlet to help with my teaching. :)




These are the flashcards.



This is 'Learn'.



This is the Speller.



The following is the test.

Session 3: Reflection

I have tried to create a quiz on Google Forms and used Hot Potatoes today. I think the quiz on Google Forms is more useful and appealing for my students. As a teacher, it's very important for me to know how much my students have learnt from my lessons. Google Forms are very useful for me to create quizzes after the lessons so I can ask students to do them when they go home. That saves my lessons' time and they can do a quick revision because they know how many marks they get and they can check their answers immediately. Google Forms are very easy to use and I think primary students can do them. They are like games for students! I can also check the results with them in class the next day and reward them.

I think the tasks in Hot Potatoes are less attractive but if my students are interested in the online quiz, I will give them a try! Can't wait to try them with my students. :)

Sessions 3: JMix and JQuiz

I have just taught my P.5 students to give advice. The sentence is one of the examples of the advice. :)

https://www.dropbox.com/home?preview=jmix1.htm

I would like to use this quiz to test students if they can use the question words correctly. It is also for my P.5 students. It can be used to revise what they have learnt in Unit 1. ;)

https://www.dropbox.com/home?preview=lum_jquiz.htm

Session 3:A quiz for my P.5 students

This is a quiz designed for my P.5 students.The questions are all designed based on what they have learnt in Unit 3.

Session 2: Reflection

I, as a teacher, always use online dictionaries to check the meaning, pronunciation and example sentences of words but I never ask my students to use them. I taught P.1 and P.4 students in the last three years. I always think that they are too young so I have not thought of asking my students to use any online dictionaries or thesaurus. After this lesson, I do think that I was wrong to assume that. They really need some tools to help them learn by themselves when I am not here to offer help.

This year is a very challenging year for me as I am teaching a P.5 class. The students learn quite slowly and they need a lot of help in learning English. I have just taught them how to do a composition this week. They struggled a lot because of their lack of vocabulary. A thesaurus will be a very useful tool for them as they will learn and use a wider variety of words to do their composition. For example, most of them would just use the 'easy' words like 'happy', 'big' and 'want' and they really cannot think of other words to replace them. Next time when they do composition in class, I may show them how to use an online thesaurus and they can try to use it at home.

Searching a corpus may be too difficult for the slow learners but I am interested in asking my students to use 'Textranch' and 'Googlefight'. I do not want to tell my students the difference of some phrases directly as they will not remember my words. If I bring out an interesting question and they search by themselves, they will remember the answer very well.

I can't wait to try these tools in my class!

Session 2

Original Version

On the first day, we met our class teacher Mr Wong, we thought he would be very strict to us. After one week, we found Mr Wong was very nice! We like this secondary school and we like to be in 1A. This is a good school and 1A is very good. The teachers in this school are very kind and nice and our classmates are also kind, friendly and nice. We like each other very much.

Improved Version

On the first day, we met our class teacher Mr Wong, we thought he would be very strict to us. After one week, we found Mr Wong was very pleasant! We adore this secondary school and we love to be in 1A. This is a superb school and 1A is incredible. The teachers in this school are very kind and charming and our classmates are also caring, friendly and likable. We like each other very much.

Session 1: Reflection

After Paul's first lesson and reading Ms Zoe Ma's teaching blog, I do think there is some potential for using a blog as a teaching tool in my own classroom, especially for the P.5 less-able class that I am teaching this year. I believe that most of my students are interested in their teachers and they love to share their thoughts with their teachers and peers. Yet, there is not much time in my lessons to share my thoughts and feelings with my students and I am always sad that I cannot hear from every student in my lessons. A class blog will be a useful platform for them to share their thoughts freely with me and their classmates.

Furthermore, my P.5 students are very afraid of writing in English. If they are asked to do a writing on a piece of paper, they will be very bored and they feel forced to do so. When using a blog is encouraged and is not counted as a piece of homework, they will be very happy to do it and they won't lose interest easily.

 To be more advanced just like what Ms Zoe Ma does, a class blog is a very useful tool to facilitate English teaching and learning. Games, polls, videos, questionnaires and so on can be uploaded. These can be related to what they have learnt in that week and they are interactive. Teachers know how students progress easily and students ENJOY doing so. This is the most important thing of learning.

Of course, there are some problems regarding using a blog. For examples, students do not have access to the internet or they have not enough time to do this after school. Yet, I see more prospects than problems. I may talk to my students and try a class blog with them in the future! :-)

 Let me "borrow" this image to show all of you the advantages of using a blog in the classroom.