Module 5

Module 5 is focused on increasing classroom interaction.

After reading all the articles, watching all the videos, and searching all the suggested websites, create a page Module 5 in your portfolio, double click anywhere on the page, choose T to add text, and post the following on the page:

CREATE: a new or adapt an existing activity/lesson that will generate communicative interactions among students. The purpose is to share one idea and receive many others that you can use in the classroom. This is an opportunity to learn new teaching ideas from each other and improve your practice. Use the template below when creating your activity.

Activity Name:

Activity Description:

• This activity is effective because…

• Here are some steps to help you use this activity in your classroom:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

See example for a model:

Activity name: Adopt a Word

Activity description: This activity is effective because it is a fun and meaningful way of adding vocabulary among a group of students, and the word list can be continuously grown throughout the year.

Here are some steps to help you use this activity in your classroom.

Step 1: Give students templates with heading (see below).

Step 2: Each student chooses a word that they would like to adopt, do some research on it using the template below, and give presentation on the adopted word.

Step 3: Each template is then put on a large paper chart on the wall and the list of adopted words will grow throughout the year.

REFLECT: Type in 1-2 paragraphs to reflect on Module 5 (300-500 words). You may use what you have created, shared, and applied in the previous tasks.

See example for a model:

Before this module about classroom interaction and all the previous modules so far, student-to-student interactions in the classroom was not my priority in my English lessons. I thought students' learning the vocabulary, grammar forms, and reading and listening comprehension for each unit was the most important goal to achieve. I made sure to check their work and get good scores in English. However, the students' speaking did not improve while they continuously engaged in the school work and homework.

Now I think I need to incorporate fun and interactive activities in the tasks in our textbook to promote our students' interest in learning this language and ability in speaking. I plan to learn more and use the activities that I learned from this module, from the other teachers' sharing in group chat, and from the web search. This is an important decision because including fun games and activities in our limited class hours means a significant modification of the textbook curriculum. However, I am willing to do it because I want my students to like and use English instead of just learning for some tests.

Along with the module 5 content and activity bank, I searched around the web and found many fun activities for group and pair work. I shared a communicative vocabulary activity called 'Adopt a word' with other teachers in the chat group. I think it is meaningful and effective for students to feel some ownership in their learning and sharing with other classmates. I also learned many interesting activities from other teachers that I can use in my classrooms. I think it will be challenging to cover both the textbook materials and fun interactive activities; however, it will be possible to find about 10 to 15 minutes (either at the beginning or at the end) first to use some of the ideas. Then we can gradually include more and more communicative activities for the whole lesson.