Close to an End

Dear Reader,
Building English Skills is one of the most interesting ones I have attended. The sole reason for joining the course is the topic that goes around using technology in the classroom. The topic is interesting and enables the teachers to get ideas and suggestions from the lecturer, the class guesses and colleagues. It is a hefty step towards using technology with students in the English classroom.
I have found that all materials used throughout the course are useful and usable for any place. Many of the issues discussed are previously known to me because we have so many enrichment courses according to the Israeli educational system. Also, I used many of the ideas discussed with my students.

Integrating technology in the English classroom required certain facilities such as computers, projector, smart board, etc. In my ELC, there are lots of facilities that help to teach through technology. Students from 7th-12th grades are the audience who will use the ELC. In fact, during the school year 2008-2009 students from all ages enter the center and are trained to use most of the facilities. This year 2009-2010 new students are the target audience who will be taught to use the center. The training started step by step and stage after the other, depending on students' level and skills.

After finishing the course, other programs have already planned. I have an internal online course through my school to train new teachers how to use the English Center where there are lots of technological facilities to be used in the English lesson.


Best Wishes

All about Project Assignment

Dear Readers,

If you scroll down, you will see pictures. Have you asked yourself what they might be? Well, if you keep reading, you will satisfy your wondering…….
The assignment came after a unit in their course book about Inventions and inventors. The task was to invent things that are not existed yet by using materials that they are not using anymore like thrown cloth and old clothes, recycled materials, etc.
The projects were to break the ice between the students who came from different schools to make it easier for them to study together ad to do the Bagrut oral exam later on. The exam includes topic research and they have to present it written and orally. The pictures showed the work of two classes and they students had to work in groups of 4-5 mixed students of boys and girls.
The projects that the students invented are amazing and for good purpose because the condition was to use them otherwise they will not get good assessment. (well, I skipped this sometimes (*_~). I asked them to make advertisement for their invention to be hanged all over the school walls. Some groups sent invitations for teachers and principals to attend their presentation. Students used power point presentation to explain the purpose of their inventions. To whom it meant? For what? How to use it? ..etc.
They invented "The Magnificent Jacket" that has every thing a person need. They decorated it with the initial letters of the group members. They sew the back. They included hidden pockets for money while traveling. They had a place for a small mirror and another place for a brush and tooth paste. They included a diary, bandana and many things that I don't remember.
Another group invented "The time Machine". They based their invention on a story they read. For that, they bought white balls and colored them in green and formed a squared shape. Other group retold the Trojan Horse story. They built the Trojan horse and talked about it. Another group talked about scientific issues in the human body.
One group invented a kind of food. They acted their work by inventing a chef, a scenario, dress, and a location. They cooked and fed the whole class and the guests.
Other group invented a movable house. Due to the fact that some illegal built houses are destroyed, they invented a portable house that can be moved to any place they want. They sewed the furniture inside the house that was made of cartoon and pulled by a distant remote control.
Another group invented a bed-side lamp that had a light, a place for a diary, a place to get tissue, and all are hand made.
These are few things that the classes invented. Hope they inspire you to use them with your classes.
Hope the idea becomes clear by now and you have an obvious idea about what students are doing.
Wait for the coming projects where students worked on building their rooms. 
What you have to do is to wait because the best is yet to come


Enjoy it!!
Maha

More Work

Students Doing Projects

Students at Work

Along With That

Dear Readers,

Along with last week's topic about PBL, large classes can cause a problem for some teachers. Projects, in general, require group work. Therefore, a teacher might claim that it is impossible to work in groups in large classes: the noise level, time consuming, seating arrangement, etc. True, but to some extent.
Managing the class during the “project period” requires thought and organization. Pupils may feel that they are free to chat and fool around, since the traditional frontal lessons do not take place. There may be more noise in the classroom while pupils sit in groups discussing their work. Therefore, it is important to lay down ground rules and make clear that this is an important working situation, so pupils will cooperate and use their time fruitfully.
Noise! There is a difference between “busy noise” when pupils are engaged in their work – discussing, arguing and debating – and noise coming from a class that is not working. “Busy noise” is permissible and even desirable. However, when the noise is caused by pupils chatting, shouting across the classroom to one another and generally wasting their time, then it must be stopped at once. Even “busy noise” should be low as there may be pupils who need quiet. It is important to train the class to work within the norm of consideration for others.


Enjoy it!
Maha

Hello visitors,

Working on Project-Based Learning is an interesting topic that we covered during the fifth weeks and is very important because it is the kind of tasks that motivate students and enhance the HOTs (Higher Order Thinking skills) and encourage collaborative learning. It is important to determine the enabling skills and prior knowledge that pupils need to be taught (or should know already) in order to complete a project successfully. Prerequisite skills include language (grammar), computer and organizational skills; for example:
_ how to use a search engine
_ how to use an online dictionary and encyclopedia
_ how to summarize information in pupils’ own words
_ how to ask a research question
_ how to distinguish between useful and non-useful resources
_ how to be a critical appraiser of websites
_ how to divide the work load efficiently among group members
_ how to use a graphic organizer
The language proficiency, level and age of the class, and pupils’ computer skills will determine what enabling skills must be taught.
Collaborative learning also happens between the participants of the course. Each one shares his/her experience and opinion. Although we have different background, we have agreed on the core of the fifth week which is that projects are very important and they are a good task to do in the classroom where technology takes a great deal while working together.
In one of the classes I asked my students to be creative and invent things from material that they don't use anymore. They came up with lots of marvelous inventions and for good purposes. They worked in groups of boys and girls who will never work together in a regular classroom.
Learning through projects is a wonderful way to acquire the language, build self-esteem, and attract attention to what your students are capable of doing. What you need is to spark them and let them work. You will be amazed from their imagination.

Best,
Maha

Here I am अगं

Hello everyone,
It has been a long time since I reflect on my blog. In fact I was in a workshop for three days in a place near Jerusalem. The workshop is about CRELL (Conflict Resolution for English Language Learners) I thought of the CRELL program and the technology in the classroom and found out that there are few things in common. Throughout Building English Skills, we are mainly solving problems, especially those who have no computers, no Smart boards, no internet, etc.
Conflict resolution provides the educators with a series of skills that increase the teachers' and students' awareness of the intergroup conflict। It can also enlighten them with methods to overcome difficulties during their career.

Maha

Just Say WoW

Today, I have learned how to share a file with you. It took me a while to figure it out till I got aid from Deborah. I was in conflict to whether to upload it or not.

Now I become expert and I can upload many useful files that are prepared for the technology lessons.

Enjoy it!!

Maha

Personal Reflection

Hello Readers,
Over three weeks in "Building Language Skills" I have learned many things. Although the beginning was typical, the surprises came next. After the introduction on the part of the participants and the instructor, which have been done friendly and respectfully, I got the feeling that I am familiar with the group, familiar with the fact that all of them are English teachers and we have the same experience and the same hopes. Adding to this secure feeling was the rubric and the conditions for our communication and responses.
The big step was followed in the second week when we were asked to open a "blog", something that I wanted to do from long time ago but kept postponing it due to my hectic schedule. But, I discovered that it was the most interesting thing to be done. It is easy, challenging, and out of the ordinary to be used in the classroom. I would recommend it for my high school students to work through a blog instead of sending their work to my email. By this, they will have the opportunity to learn from each other, comment on each other and at the same time read my comments too.
Following the blog, real and familiar work started. Every one of the participants in the course shared his/her favorite websites that they use in their teaching and with their students. I even opened a document for useful sites to keep as a reference when there is a need to use or recommend them to my students or colleagues.
All in all, so far everything is smoothly done with lots of learning of new things from the instructor and my colleagues as well. Metaphorically speaking, hand in hand we can do better in our life, career and teaching.

.

Week Three:Google and Beyond

Dear all,

Search engines are very essential for anyone surfing the web. Educators, in general, use different sorts of search engines. For this, it is important to teach students some criteria about using more reliable sites than others. One has to ask him/herself the following questions concerning the sites they are using:
Reliability
· To what extent can we count on the information provided at this site?
· Is the information authentic?
· Is it cited correctly?
Accessibility
· Is the site/article easy to find?
· How logically is the information organized?
Currency
· Is the information presented on the site current and updated regularly?
· Is the material relevant? When was it written?
Efficiency
· What can the site tell you?
· How fast can we access the information?
· Is it loaded with irrelevant material, which prolongs the search?
· Is the information laid out in a logical fashion, so that the readers can easily locate what they need?
Objectivity
· Can we trust the information for being pure facts and not opinions?
· Is the information included biased and not a mask for advertising or political/religious campaign?

I uploaded some pictures that show my students and I using technology while working on tasks in the English Learning Center

Best

Maha

Week Two:Blogging

Hi all,

Creating a personal blog is a new thing for me although I have previous knowledge about other kinds of private sites such as facebook, network, homepage, website, etc. Personally speaking, I find it very appealing to work through the blog. It is more attractive and challenging with a hypothetically competition with my colleagues

So May God Bless you all

Maha

This is my first time creating a blog. It is so easy and simple. Still, I have to learn more about using this blog for class purposes. I am sure that I will learn lots of things from my colleagues.

We all will help, aid and think about the material we will learn through out the course.

Just like this image, some of us will follow. Some will hold hands of others. Some will have a rest waiting for those who are late. Others will be in the front and urging the rest to follow.

welcome

As part of the online Building English Skills course, I would like to welcome you all to my blog. Well, it is just the start, so let me go and explore more about this blog.

Enjoy it!

Maha