Who is the guy on the left? (with the cap) I'm looking for him. His first name is Bandar. If you see him, ask him to contact VisualandActive@gmail.com Steve McCrea This is an amazing opportunity. You and I can work together to create a course that supports you and saves you time. ======================================== We each have some gaps, some spaces in our language. Let's ask you to talk and we will find the errors. We will meet in a group and then the teacher will talk with you (one-on-one by phone or by Skype) twice a week. Let's talk about what is important. What books and songs inspire you? What websites do you use? How will you use English five years from now? What can we learn today to prepare you for tomorrow? You can learn how to become a Visual and Active teacher by going to the Visual and Active Teacher Training course. This course was designed by Steve McCrea with guidance and suggestions by Vinicius Lages. Vinicius started the idea... thank you! =========================================== --------------------------------------------------- SCHEDULE EACH WEEK We will write at least five sentences each day. The teacher will read those sentences and look for errors. Before the first class, we will each watch the video for discussion. the first video is called 10-20-30 by Guy Kawasaki. Here is the Youtube link: We will send the facilitator (the teacher) something that we are passionate about. (A song, a website, a description of a book, a photo, anything). We will meet in a group and Steve (the teacher) will call the group. THE GROUP LESSON We start the class by putting two sheets of paper on the wall for everyone to see. Each student writes a new word and a phrase from your big news. "New Words" and "Big News" ========================== New Words tow under the influence exceed acting out promote intoxicated whazzup? laid back Big News TAM crash New dog Steve Jobs New Product TED talk Out of a job My daughter New York ========================== a. two or three minutes for a grammar lesson -- presentation by the Teacher or by one of the Students -- usually the grammar is described with a story. (Example: "I wish I had taken more photos." How do we use this structure? Describe a situation when I might use this sentence. Then write a dialog.) b. Each student uses the new grammar structure in class with each other. Work in pairs for two minutes. Then each pair reports to the group and the Teacher evaluates each pair. (2 minutes pairwork, each pair reports back 30 seconds x 4 = 2 mins, total time 4 minutes) c. NEW WORD -- Each student offers a new word and uses the word in a sentence. Usually 30 seconds or less. (8 x 30 sec. = 4 mins) d. Big News -- What is the big news of the week, of the day? What is the new trend? Each student says, "I saw an interesting TV program yesterday. In the program the announcer said..." Usually less than 1 minute each. (8 x 1 min = 8 min) e. End of Class -- The schedule for individual calls is confirmed (Luis, I'm calling you today at 4 pm your time on your mobile phone. Vinicius, I'll wait for you to call me on Skype, anytime after 9:30 pm my time.) (1 min.) Schedule a. a grammar lesson -- 2-3 mins. b. Each student uses the new grammar structure in class with each other. 4 minutes c. NEW WORD = 4 mins (3-4 mins for additional questions and answers) d. Big News -- 8 min (4-6 mins for additional questions and answers) e. End of Class -- The schedule for individual calls is confirmed (1 min.) total: 26 to 29 minutes Class is finished in 30 minutes Students can stay if they want to -- If the group has time, the lesson can extend another 15 to 45 minutes, each student brings more quetsions and the group or teacher provides answers. Teacher leaves the group usually one hour after starting the class. If Skype is slow, then the class will be done by conference call (no video). Later that day, Steve will call EACH student and talk about what we didn't have time to talk about. "When Vinicius was talking, what did you want to say?" INDIVIDUAL CALLS Two or three times later in the week, Steve will call each student and talk. We will look for lots of new words. The students can decide to contact Steve more often. The idea is "Frequent short calls to practice one or two grammar points." All calls will be recorded and put on Youtube for later review. Please don't talk about something private OR ask the teacher to turn off the recorder. THEN Steve will send out a video (through youtube) for us to watch and we will start again the next week... MAJOR HOMEWORK (due in week 6): At least four pages to answer these questions 1. What did you learn from your mother? 2. What did you learn from your father? 3. What did you learn from an older person (you can talk about as many people as you want) 4. What would you tell a yong person (a message to mentorsonvideo.org , see youtube.com/mentorsonvideo for an example) MAJOR VIDEO (due in week 8): Read at least one statement from your "Major Homework." The Grammar sessions will be short presentations that Steve will give by video. The sessions will be videotaped and posted on Youtube, titled "Grammar 1: Swiss Cheese Business English" so you can find it. ----------------------------------- April 20 week 1 Guy Kawasaki 10-20-30 Grammar 1: I wish I had taken more photos. (Put link here) Homework: 5 sentences April 27 week 2 Something From TED.org Grammar 2: (Put link here) Homework: 5 sentences May 4 week 3 Vinicius will lead this session Grammar 3: (Put link here) Homework: 5 sentences May 11 week 4 TBD Grammar 4: (Put link here) Homework: 5 sentences May 18 week 5 TBD Grammar 5: (Put link here) Homework: 5 sentences May 25 week 6 TBD Grammar 6: (Put link here) MAJOR HOMEWORK IS DUE 1 June week 7 Something from PosDev.net and Deming's BLUE BOOK Grammar 7: (Put link here) Homework: 5 sentences June 8 last week 8 TBD Grammar 8: (Put link here) MAJOR VIDEO IS DUE TBD = To Be Determined (we will choose something later in the course -- we need to know the gaps of the students and we will fill them.) Homework after July 2009: Describe a system where the teacher can be compensated for his time and a method for collecting the money. We are looking for teachers who know how to use Skype, digital cameras, youtube.com and who are not afraid to make fools of themselves. If you agree with the Visual and Active philosophy of Edu-Tainment, then you need to go through the Certificate program and become VATT certified. How? Watch the videos at and then call Steve and ge interviewed. If you ============================================ Vinicius and Steve are sharing our vast lists of books, websites, songs, lyrics, memories and other things that we have collected. We want to share with you our view of the world. We invite you to expand our horizons with your collection of great books, articles and other interesting items. If you want to learn how to become a VISUAL and ACTIVE teacher, do the following: (a) listen to the videos by Dennis Yuzenas on youtube.com (b) Call Steve and answer these questions A Performance of Understanding (according to Howard Gardner) In a performance of understanding, the student (exam taker) produces a video or an animated performance to demonstrate understanding of the topic. Rather than simply answer short questions, a broad question is given and the student tries to discuss various sides of the issue. A typical version of the Performance of Understanding is the Essay Question. Since it is difficult to find a system of grading an essay "objectively," many courses resort to multiple choice and short answer questions to test the knowledge that the student has accumulated. The questions in this exam are put in the first column. The boxes in the middle are space for the listener to write key words that the student uses. The listener (evaluator) then tries to link the key words used by the student with the key words that we are looking for "The Target Words" in the third column. The more connections, the more points. If there are fewer than 10 connections, the performance is unsatisfactory and the word "Please try again after reviewing the materials" are circled. If the performance shows at least 10 connections to the target words, then the performance shows adequate or substantial understanding, and the appropriate word is circled. Visual and Active Teacher Training: What is Edu-Tainment? EXAMINER: Read the questions to the exam taker. The student should not see this page. You can show the student the page after you are finished with the exam. While you listen to the student, write the key words in the center column. After the performance of understanding, draw lines to connect the key words to the TARGET WORDS (if a link can be made) QUESTION 1. What is Edu-tainment? outside the textbook (35 points) TARGET WORDS graphs pictures visual active movies listen to the student relevant connect to the student's life skills connect the curriculum to their interests use technology to bring in new ideas 2. How would you deliver your lesson? points: 25 TARGET WORDS colors audio songs movie clips don't show the whole movie, just clips lead a discussion avoid just reading show and tell look for connections 3. How do you handle kids who are talking in class or not paying attention? POINTS: 30 TARGET WORDS find out what is interesting to them keep the kids engaged most kids who act out are bored convert the object of attention to the lesson 4. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation did a study to find out why students drop out of high school. Which of the following is or are the leading reason(s) given by students who have dropped out? a) the student's need for money (and to get a job) b) illness c) the family's need for money d) fear of other students (lack of security) 10 points TARGET WORDS boredom school isn't relevant none of the items listed are as important as "boredom" other | Let's create a more concentrated way of finding errors in your English. Let's find the errors and teach you specifically what you need to learn. Instead of asking you to sit through 20 weeks of a course that is designed for your "level," let's ask you exactly what you need to learn and then teach you personally -- individually -- while working with a group. This course is designed to cover eight weeks. But if you want, the learning will continue for the rest of your life. If you want to join a dedicated group of people who believe in "lifelong learning," then become friends with "FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com" and join "Swiss Cheese Business English" on Facebook. The Group "Fans of Business English" is also important, and You will need a youtube.com account to join www.youtube.com/swisscheeesebusinessenglish Write to VisualandActive@gmail.com To join the next course (April 20 to June 14 session), send your email message to VisualandActive@gmail.com with answers to these questions: (1) Why do you want to learn more English? (2) How will you use English five years from now? (3) What can you specifically learn in the next seven days that will support your dream for the future? EXTRA (4) Write the names of four books that changed your life or impressed you. Describe the book or find a quotation from teh book that means something to you. Then explain why you chose this quotation. (5) What song or songs inspire you? Why? Send me the lyrics. If there are any words that you don't know, DON'T look in a dictionary. Ask me to explain them to you. (6) Give me your phone number (mobile, if possible) and your skype address. My Skype is SteveEnglishTeacher.  What an amazing photo... Do you have great photos that you can recommend? How did this course get started? Read the notes from the famous Skype call of 3 April 2009 ==================================== If you want to participate in the class, you can watch the videos that will show on www.youtube.com/swisscheesebusinessenglish wow... this is fun. you can send your exercises and writings to visualandactive@gmail.com Please invite your friends and other contacts to participate... The April-June 2009 course is 8 weeks, it is free, but if I call you, you will be videotaped and possibly included in the DVD that will emerge. If you find typographical errors, please write to VisualAndActive@gmail.com and you will receive a big thank you and an acknowledgment on this page. Let's get started Go to FREE LESSONS on Steve's "Welcome to our School" web site Go to these links for some videos Orkut 1 Orkut 2 Join the "Student Club" for grammar practice Advice about your social-network account How do we evaluate each other? 1. When the speaker finishes talking (usually a 2-minute or 1 minute talk about the big news or a new word Look for these points when evaluating a speech:
Ø Voice – loud enough? Ø Enunciation – clear Ø Modulation – did the speaker vary the pitch, tone? Ø Speed – too fast? Ø Body Language – did the speaker use gestures ? Ø Posture – confident? Ø Distractions –? Organization – What was the purpose of the speech? Did the speech contain interesting information? Ø Objectives – did the speech persuade you? Ø Closing – summary? |
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