What time is it? (An integrated skills activity for telling the time)

I implemented telling the time topic to my 6th graders class using paper watches. The focus of this activity was communicative practice, involving speaking, listening and writing. 

Everone wore paper watches, walked around the class and asked each other for the time. Then the students recorded the times that they heard from their friends on their handouts. the handouts had two columns; one coloumn is for the names and the other is for time. My students loved this activity and everyone completed the task communicatively.  

Changing the Educational Paradigms

      I think that this video such an eye opener about the current education system. Current education system doesn't give any change to students to improve their creativity and find their intelligences and interests. Students divide into their age groups instead of their abilities. "One size fits all" approach obligate all students to take the same 'standardized' exam, so in order to pass the exam and deserve a god job in the future -students are being conditioned that if they had high points 'standardized' exams, they would deserve a god job in the future-instead of finding out their interest and abilities. I think that one size fits all approach is hitting the nail on the head. It kills creativity and critical thinking skills. Inevitably, many potentials are being killed day by day in the current system.

       Ironically, even if I support the idea that encouraging divergent thinking and creativity, I will have to apply current education system's standardized curriculum and exams in my future classes. I think -unfortunately- without reforming public education system, teachers have to be a part of this standardized education system.

Are There Any Best Method?

      From my methodology courses, I've learnt so many different methods in which related to teaching English in classroom.  so here is the some questions; Are there any best method, How can we decide which method we are going to use, Which method helps learners to learn best, Do we have to insist on using only one method in our classrooms? These questions bring some conflictions to me as a prospective teacher. There are several methods and all of are applicable in the classroom environment, so which criteria should I consider to choosing a method in my future class?  I think that actually this step requires experience. Probably, I will find my own method as time goes on when I begin a career. Becoming aware of methods has some advantages for me to take a step back and think critically. According to Larsen-Freeman and Anderson (2011), a study of methods is invaluable in teacher education. By becoming clear on where they stand, teachers can choose to teach differently from the way that were taught. A knowledge of methods is part of the base of teaching. With it, teachers join in a community of practice. Being part of a discourse community confers a professional identity and connects teachers with each other so they are less isolated in their practice. A knowledge of methods helps to expand a teachers' repertoire of techniques (p.11-2). Having examined that becoming aware of the methods provide teachers many advantages in professional area.
        It is obvious that there are different kind of learner type and every individual has unique learner style. There might be different multiple intelligences in the classroom in the classroom. In that situation, using one method and same kind of materials don't foster learning progress. In this respect teachers should  shape any method by considering the learners and teachers' own understanding, beliefs, style, and level of experience (Larsen-Freeman et all. 2011).  It can be said that teachers  and students are human beings with their own beliefs, feelings and opinions. Analyzing learners and acting according to their learning style facilitate learning and engage them in leaning. For example, using grammar translation method for young learners doesn't make sense or using TPR method is not logical for adult learners. That is to say, "applying a particular methodology thoughtlessly to any and every context we come into contact with may not always be appropriate. What we need to ask ourselves, therefore, is how to decide what is appropriate, and how to apply the methodological beliefs that guide our teaching practice" (Harmer, 2007, p.77).
       In the light of different characteristics of learners, their cultures, second language acquisition processes and needs, teachers should ask themselves to what are students' needs and what should we offer them. Also Harmer (2007) stated that methodology is just one factor in language learning. Other factors may be important, and other methods and approaches may be equally valid. This can be said that apart from the choosing methodology, there are also different factors that having influence on second language acquisition such as learners' input and output, cognitive effort, lexis etc.
       In a nutshell, it can be said that there are no best method in language learning. Studying methods can help teachers articulate, and perhaps transform, their understanding of the teaching-learning process.

Sources:
Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching. Harlow, England: Pearson Longman.

Larsen-Freeman, D. &Anderson M. (2011). Techniques and principles in language teaching. New York, N.Y., USA: Oxford University Press.

Be Creative: Jigsaw Story Writing

 Most students don't like writing activities in class, because during writing activities they have difficulty to engage the tasks. Using creative activities get students' attention on task and they make the lesson more entertaining for them. I want to share one of my writing lesson plan. I use jigsaw activity for this lesson.This activity helps them to work collaboratively. Also, it is very communicative!

Step 1: Put your students into groups of three (the diagram below shows the arrangement of the groups).

 Step 2: Give each group one of the pictures, so everyone in the group has the same picture, pictures contain one event of the story, to discuss and write.

Step 3: Working together within their group, students write a paragraphs describing in their picture.

Step 4: Reorganize the groups of five (the diagram below shows arrangement of the groups). Each student having description of one part of the story.

Step 5: Ask students to assemble the parts into a narrative, making necessary modifications to generate a logical story.

I prefer an adventure story for the jigsaw story writing. The pictures are at the bellow:

Do teachers promote growth mindsets in teaching?

      It is a critical question that we need to think about it as teachers. There are many students that they have a fixed mindsets and they don't aware of their talent and capacity in which they actually can expand and improve them. For sure there are multiple intelligences, so every individual has unique learning styles and strategies, and they are better in especially some fields. For example, some are good at math, some are good at literature or music. But why not student who have mathematical intelligence also good at literature as well as math?      
       As a matter of fact, almost all students limit their self efficacy and teachers don't encourage them about their efforts even if they fail or they make mistakes. Many teachers act only grade oriented and praise students for their high grades such as they put a smile near the grade on the paper, they have favourite student who always get high grades or they give tangible rewards (such as chocolates or stickers) after activities to who finished the first and correctly. Inevitably, students begin to acting and thinking only grade oriented, their biggest goal is getting AA :) Inevitably, their mindsets are fixed. When they make mistakes or they failure to a task, they forget their efforts and not consider their progress. They predominantly think that "I need to get high grades", "Which subjects we have for the exam", "If it is not gonna be in the exam, I don't need to study". As a result of this grade oriented system, students compete each other, they don't focus improve their skills, strategies and growing their mindsets.
        If we reward students' strategies and progress, praise their efforts, show their improvement, encourage them about not to afraid of making mistakes and failure as teachers, we can change their mindsets. They can get smarter and they learn something on their mistakes. 
       I have a teacher that he is very disciplined about his courses. I failed in his class last year and I assumed that I am not good at English Literature, so I'll never be successful in this course. This year, I am taking this course again and I am really working hard. One day before the lesson he said "your progress is really good, you are doing very well", he encourage me about my effort, in consequence of this praising I've started to think "yes, I can do better". He has changed my mindset about his course and I've realized my progress.
       In sum,  we can create more productive teaching environment by praising students' efforts and progress. If we believe that effort is more important than high grades and, so our students will.

Constructivist Approach

The teacher is consistent with the constructivist approach in the video. Sarabinh emphasises the importance of group discussion in the classroom in order to develop students' interaction with each other and the teacher as part of either whole class activities, small group activities. They practice using language in a variety of context developing many different skills as they do so. One of the advantages of constructivist approach is that classroom bases on student-centered. In this way, classroom is more focus on students learning than on teacher teaching. Students' language use and language development are foster in constructivist based classroom environment.
I think that it is not necessary to any drawbacks this kind of teaching environment. With the help of constructivist approach, students have control over their thinking skills. What I liked the most is that in the video, teacher is like a conductor of a symphony. In the future, I think that I would be comfortable using constructivist approach.

Differentiated Instruction

     Each and every individual has unique features and different learning styles, strategies and intelligence. There are different kinds of multiple intelligences such as visual, kinesthetic, interpersonal etc. With regard to educational area, we should aware of this differences and take a step considering the different learner types. I think that personalizing tasks depending on students interest and learning styles can foster learning period and makes task more meaningful for them. when the tasks are meaningful and address students interest, they can learn naturally.
     From my previous experiences, I had never have teacher who considers our interests and learning styles, and encourages us to complete our tasks.  We had always same kinds of materials that we were responsible to them. Inevitably, learning was not meaningful for us and it was boring. We acted only grading focus in lessons and there were competition that "who gets the highest point". Actually, now, there are still this kind of competition among students and I don't think that teachers differentiate the task depending on the students profile, that's why sharing and collaborative working are not common among us.
    In the future, I am planning to differentiate tasks considering the learners' learning style because it is much more beneficial for students' learning processes. By doing so, I think that teachers more helpful for their cognitive developments