The Power of Words

I came across a wonderful, moving and simple video.Its 'pitch' is to show how changing the words you use can change the entire emotional reaction of the person at the other end. We always say, "It's not what you say - but how you say it". This short video, by changing wording on a sign, changes the emotional response - and thus the actions - of all persons reading the sign. Enjoy!

See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

The National Prize for Excellence in the Integration of ICT into Teaching

It’s official. I am one of the winners of the Israel Ministry of Education National Prize for Excellence in the Integration of ICT into Teaching.

I have two things to say:

1. To quote Isaac Newton, “If I have seen farther it is only because I have stood on the shoulders of giants”.

My giants were my parents, who taught me the importance of being true to myself and believing in my abilities; my giant was my professor and mentor, Ruth Katz (who, last week, was awarded the National Israel Prize in the field of cultural studies, art and musicology ), who taught me the importance of the powers of the mind and to follow my own intellectual curiosity; and my giant is my principal of the last 9 years, Chava Gilai, with whom I’ve carried on discussions both on pedagogy and life in general.

2. I regard this prize as an obligation – not as a bed of laurels on which to rest. The obligation is to carry on, to help others develop their own curiosity in whatever field interests them, regarding ICT as the ultimate tool with which to do it.

My Credo and ICT

ICT, Learning Technologies, Digital Learning, Web 2.0 Apps, collaboration, communication – these are all the buzz words of 21st century teaching. Teachers are getting dizzy from all the new possibilities that are available to them – and tend to flutter around, butterfly fashion, from one “flower” to the next, without any real agenda of why they are doing what they are doing.
For me, it all stems out from my philosophy about education. From my “Credo”.
I believe that education should instill
• Intellectual curiosity
• Creativity
• An awareness of ambiguity and
• The desire to pursue that ambiguity in order either to solve it or to acknowledge it
o Autonomously or
o Collaboratively

Education is the process rather than the outcome (…that’s not an original thought…)

And so….
ICT, Learning Technologies, Digital Learning, Web 2.0 Apps, collaboration and communication enable me to deal with the PROCESS of learning.
As an EFL teacher – ICT enables me to DO English rather than Teach English
Now – if I were to put this in a Prezi – would it bemore effective for my readers?

Classroom Rules: What would you add? Which rules would you emphasize?

HOTS, Commercials and Conversation

Higher Order Thinking Skills, or in their abbreviated form, HOTS, have been ubiquitously coupled (in Israel) with the understanding of literature, or, at best, with the analysis of all texts – be they fact or fiction.

Apart from the importance that HOTS do carry for the analysis of texts, I believe that HOTS can undeniably give cause to short, seven-minute conversations in the classroom. Indeed, what can be a nicer way to start off your 5^th or 6^th grade class than an engaging conversation about a funny commercial? (It certainly beats the leading conversation openers I've heard; "What's the day today? What was it yesterday? / What will it be tomorrow? How's the weather? Where do you live" etc., etc. etc…)

Following is a short list of some ideas to use before, during and after watching the commercial. And, equally important to remember – commercials are usually no more than one minute: an excellent length for YouTube integration!

A list of (what I consider to be) very funny commercials appears at the end of this blog entry.

Application (talking in whatever grammatical tense you, as a teacher, choose);

Prediction (what comes next? What will happen?)

Inferring (How do you think the guy/gal feels; why does "X" act in the manner he/she does…);

Comparing and Contrasting (two commercials for the same product);

Sequencing (retell the commercial in your own words);

Classifying (make a list of all the necessary actions leading up to the desired effect);

Cause and Effect (What were the results of "X's" action in the commercial? Would you buy the product after watching the commercial?);

Generating Possibilities (How could that issue have been solved differently; what would you do);

Making Connections (How would you feel if it happened to you; what commercials are you familiar with? What funny commercial do you know? Would this type of commercial 'work' in Israel?);

Distinguishing different perspectives (Is the concept "funny" culturally determined?);

Identifying parts and whole (How do the different parts of the commercial lead up to the "punch line" and to the desired effect of convincing the public to buy the product; discussing the new method of making sequels to an initial commercial);

Analysis (Why is it funny? What makes something "funny"? What makes people buy a product?);

Evaluating (Do you think this is a good commercial? Would it make you buy the product? Why yes/ why not?); Reflection (Why do you think we're talking about commercials in school? Which language skills are we practicing? Which thinking skills are we employing)

Commercials:

Japp Chocolate Bars (A series of Norwegian commercials for Chocolate bars…won award)

·        Japp and the Porsche

·       A speeding ticket and Japp

·        Japp and the Mafia

·  Brakes and Japp       

Mercedes – Benz: 

·       Beauty is nothing without Brains

Pepsi commercial

·       The Tibetan Connection

Creative writing in the classroom

Writing is a "must" in any language lesson. Writing helps you think, organize your ideas, evaluate what you've thought and how you've said it. Nevertheless, writing is usually the most neglected skill in our curriculum. At best, we model sentences and then ask our students to write similar ones, exchanging a noun/verb/adjective here and there. Especially now - with the advent of  21st century skills and their emphasis on creative and critical thinking, we need to begin "Creative Writing" in our classes.
Writing poetry is an "easy" way to begin writing creatively -be it haikus, diamond poetry or other forms of  preset structures. Poetry stems from our emotions; does not necessitate strict  grammatical structure and employs  numerous adjectives.
Please go to Ian's blog: http://esldog.blogspot.com/
Read his suggestions for beginning writing poetry in the EFL classroom. It's marvelous and can be done from fifth grade up, for sure.
In addition,  I strongly suggest reading his Dear Aunty letters - they are hysterical!
I am indebted to the Britih Council for introducing me to Ian's blog.

Collaborative Projects: What, Why and How*

A collaborative project is a student centered, joint learning venture.

·         It can be global, country, inter-city, or even just class based

·         It can be an inquiry, a quest, an exploration, or an exchange of ideas

·          It must have a clear English Language learning outcome.

·         It must require HOTS.

·         It must apply and develop ICT skills.

·         It must require interaction.

·         It must be motivating.

Suggestion for s Successful Project:

1. State clearly and succinctly:

• the goal
• the instructions
• the assessment

                                                                         

2.       Create projects that require the students to react to each other’s ideas: interaction!

3.       Stay small and concise.  Have a simple, specific objective; finish it and begin a new project.

4.       Prepare careful and simple instructions and limit your project stages.

5.       Provide links (for elementary students) but have the students create their content: facilitate and navigate: don’t ‘dictate”.

Suggestion for Topics:

·         My City: My Favorite Place

·         My Favorite Song (movie/book/TV show)

·         Comment on a Poem (read an online poem - add a verse/ illustrate/write your opinion)

·         Write an online school newspaper

·         Interview a “celebrity” (a student/ a teacher/ the principal/ the  janitor/ the secretary)

·         Questions and Answers (‘Dear Abbey…’)

·         Opinions on Controversial Topics

*I am indebted to the British Council, Learning Technologies Course, for some of the ideas appearing in this article.
Judymu

Action, Interaction and Reaction: The New Pedagogy

When the Ministry of Education talks about "bringing our educational system into the 21st century", it is pointing us in the direction of a change in our entire way of thinking about education - from the dual perspective of both student and teacher.
Three tenets compose this new philosophy:
1. A new literacy, based on media, information and communication, or, as it's known by its common name: ICT – Information communication technology (Enter: Internet!). Yet this is only one of the three principles that make up the new philosophy. Indeed, I consider it an "enabling principle".
2. A change in our thinking processes - a switch to creative and critical thinking (Enter: HOTS) which manifests itself both in the types of questions and assignments we give our students and in our own lesson objectives as well.
3. A shift to "connectivity" on the one hand and "autonomous learning" on the other; the development of interpersonal skills and collaborative work as well as individual research skills (Enter: Projects).
Unfortunately, many of us are forgetting principles 2 & 3; many of us are focusing on ICT in the classroom as if ICT is the be-all and end- all of the New Pedagogy; many of us are just integrating digital tools within our old type of lesson plan because we were told to do so.
So how do we implement the New Pedagogy in the classroom?
Three words: Action; Interaction and Reaction!!

THANK YOU CHANNI FOR THIS REMARKABLE YOUTUBE YOU SENT US!!!

HAPPY, KOSHER, RESTFUL, AND ENJOYABLE PESACH TO ALL!

http://jumu7777.glogster.com/glog-passoverjm/
Click on the link to see the full glog!