Archiv für die Kategorie „Allgemein“

Here’s a very funny video with a pedagogically relevant message.

I’ve created some group activities to turn this short video into a one- or two-lesson project.

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WORKSHEET: IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH!

In groups of three (one student for each of the three roles)

1-watch the video and practice the scene

2-think up a scene for a similar video – with dialogue that illustrates the importance of improving your English.

3-perform both scenes for the class.

Zum Arbeitsblatt

Davenport Stories auf der Frankfurter Buchmesse

You won’t see us in these videos but we were there – somewhere else. Whatever, I’ve chosen two videos about the fair. The first is to give you an idea of the upbeat atmosphere  and the XXL dimensions of the book fair. In the second, the ‘Dummfrager’ pokes fun at some of the would-be experts there. I like that. The fair was an exciting event, a must not only for booklovers, but also for those who prefer the newer media forms.

In diesem Jahr findet die Frankfurter Buchmesse vom 14. bis 18. Oktober statt. Ehrengast ist China. Die ersten drei Messetage sind dem Fachpublikum vorbehalten. Privatbesucher heißen wir am Wochenende – am 17. und 18. Oktober – herzlich willkommen.

How do you deal with troublemakers in the classroom?  Here’s a guide for dealing with discipline problems (adapted from an article by Melissa Kelly about.com).

1. Begin each lesson with a positive attitude and high expectations. If you begin negatively, expecting some of your students to misbehave, they will probably do so.

2. Be well prepared for your lessons. Make sure you have all your materials at hand.

3. Maintain a smooth flow, keeping the delays between transitions (e.g. from group discussion to individual work) to a minimum. Have your worksheets ready to go or your assignment already written on the board. Slow transitions are welcome opportunities for those who wish to disrupt the lesson.

4. Watch your students as they enter class, looking for signs of possible problems before class even begins.

5. Try to use humor to defuse potentially difficult situations before they grow worse.

6. If a student becomes verbally confrontational with you, remain calm and remove them from the situation as quickly as possible. Do not get into yelling matches with your students. There will always be a winner and a loser, which sets up a power struggle that could continue throughout the year.

7. Keep a record of major disciplinary issues that happen in your lessons. This can be particularly useful should the school consider taking disciplinary action against a student or get involved in a law suit.

8. Leave classroom management and disruption problems behind you at the end of the school day. Give yourself time to recharge your batteries before coming back to another day of teaching.

9. Try to be as consistent and fair as possible. If you are seen as inconsistent or unfair, you will lose repect and disruptions will probably increase.

10. Start the year strictly so that students see that you are willing and able to do what it takes to keep your classroom under control. You can always become less strict as the year goes on.

(The other way around – from ‘easy’ to strict – doesn’t work well.)

What do you think of these tips? Which do you consider particularly helpful? Do you have any others you think should be added to the list?

Klappentext:

Mit einem agressiven Rap gewinnt der Schüler Jason Stover den nationalen Nichtraucher-Wettbewerb. Als er den Rap in Schulen in ganz Amerika aufführt, wird Jason der mächtigen Tabakindustrie zum Ärgernis.

Rezension:

Jason Stover ist eigentlich ein eher unmotivierter Schüler, unübertroffen ist allerdings seine Fähigkeit zu reimen. Als das amerikanische Gesundheitsministerium einen Rap-Contest gegen das Rauchen veranstaltet, nutzt er die Chance und gewinnt. Doch als er zu erfolgreich wird, beginnt die Tabak-Industrie gegen ihn zu arbeiten…Es wird richtig spannend, und zwar ohne Morddrohungen oder so, sondern viel subtiler – für ein Jugendbuch fast schon zu realistisch. Dem Autor ist es hervorragend gelungen, sich in die Hauptfigur hineinzuversetzen und die Stimmung in der Schule treffend darzustellen. Die Story ist top und überschaubar (56 Seiten inkl. Bilder), das Vokabular auf Schüler ab 3-4 Jahren Englisch zugeschnitten und im Anhang steht noch ein Vokabel-Verzeichnis. Von mir gibt es eine Kauf-Empfehlung. Viel Spaß!

Rezension:

King of the Rappers ist ein Buch, das schnell gelesen ist. Das Vokabular ist gut verständlich und die Story durchaus spannend. Gut fand ich die Verquickung aktueller Themen, Rapmusik mit dem subversiven Einfluss der Tabakindustrie zu verbinden. Ein Buch, dass auch zum Mitdenken auffordert.
Insegesamt ein vergnüglicher Zeitvertreib

It must first of all be said that texting can be very beneficial.

It facilitates two things crucial to teens: companionship and connectedness. On the other hand, texting can have a detrimental effect on teen development. In the end, whether it will be beneficial or detrimental depends – as with many other things – on how it is used.

This phenomenon presents a difficult challenge to teachers, one that should be dealt with head-on in school. I would strongly urge that English teachers take up the challenge and do a lesson sequence on the dangers of addictive texting. You can find my teaching material on this topic at www.School-Scout.de under Paul Davenport.

My SMS Blues Rap (cf. Downloads) can serve as a good introduction to the topic.