Thursday 19 January 2017, 14:00-17:15 Chris Baldwin
Effective Use of IT to Explore Literary Texts in the Junior Secondary English Classroom
EDB Professional Development for Teachers 2016-17
All images © Mat Wright
Saturday 18 February 2017, 9:00-12:15 Chris Baldwin
Junior Secondary English Classroom
All images © Mat Wright
Tuesday 21 March 2017, 14:00-17:15 Chris Baldwin
Effective Use of IT to Explore Literary Texts in the Junior Secondary English Classroom
EDB Professional Development for Teachers 2016-17
All images © Mat Wright
1. Do you use stories or poems or songs with junior forms?
Why?
2. What kind of support do your students need to appreciate them?
3. Have you used any e-resources or aspects of IT with the
above texts?
Housekeeping
Source of images: Microsoft Office images and Open Clipart Glass of water: https://openclipart.org/detail/25330/glass (by Andrew) Mobile phone: https://openclipart.org/detail/213535/icon-mobile-phone (by pitr) Coffee cup: https://openclipart.org/detail/22305/coffee-cup-icon (by krzysiu)
Introduction About today’s workshop
Aims:
(1) To introduce some e-resources which can be used with literary texts
(2) To take part in hands-on practical demonstrations to explore the e-resources, lesson methodology and staging
(3) To consider how to design activities and tasks to engage students with literary texts
(4) To reflect on the effective use of IT in the teaching and learning of literary texts.
Introduction
Plot and character build
Engaging students in reading through sound Sports poetry
Song lyrics and Poetry
Introduction
What are literary texts?
Texts that have aesthetic value and are primarily for entertainment
Source of image: Microsoft Office ‘Shapes’
Why use literary texts?
Literature can make positive contributions to the language class in that:
It can be motivating and thought-provoking.
It provides meaningful (and memorable) contexts for new vocabulary and structures, thus encouraging language acquisition and expanding students’
language awareness.
It provides access to new socio-cultural meanings, offering opportunities for the development of cultural awareness.
It stimulates the imagination, as well as critical and personal response, thus contributing to the major aim of educating the whole person.
Summary from source: Claudia Ferradas
‘Enjoying Literature with Teens and Young Adults in the English Language Classroom’
in BritLit: Using Literature in EFL Classrooms Retrieved from: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/britlit-using-literature-efl-classrooms
Example
Ballads – Year 3
1.
(Non – Authentic) Ballad – form, rhythm2.
Write own3.
Background Information4.
Traditional Ballad – Analysis5.
Traditional Ballad – Listen6.
SingIntroduction
Source of images: British Council secondary course materials (Hong Kong)
How can literary texts be used?
Classroom work with literary works may involve pre-reading tasks, interactive work on the text and follow-up activities.
Effective staging:-
• Pre-reading
• While reading
• Post-reading
Source of images: Microsoft Office ‘Shapes’ and Clipart
Introduction: pre-reading and prediction 1
illustrations short video clip
sounds
to speculate on story to predict elements
to gain context
develop a plot in groups before reading
to tap into imagination to activate narrative
patterns / content
Common techniques and why we use them
provide chunks of story students predict by
completing gaps
to expose to narrative to engage imagination
and language
‘narrative building questions’
ask questions about the story Ss are to read
to engage verbally to engage imagination to have preceding content
to compare or contrast with
Common techniques and why we use them
Introduction: preparing for reading / while reading
colour first line of each section A pre-reading stage provides opportunities
to encounter and
use the language in the narrative
This can enable easier or increased access to the full text
preparing and managing the text
to help manage by chunks and track reference
read in sections – respond to one area
e.g. focus only on character or on plot 2
1
Extract from short story ‘The Pink Bow Tie’ by Paul Jennings Available at British Council LearnEnglish Teens
Source of text: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/uk-now/literature-uk/pink-bow-tie
Well, here I am again, sitting outside the Principal's office. And I've only been at the school for two days. Two lots of trouble in two days! Yesterday I got punished for nothing.
Nothing at all. I see this bloke walking along the street wearing a pink bow tie. It looks like a great pink butterfly attacking his neck. It is the silliest bow tie I have ever seen. '’What are you staring at, lad?' says the bloke.
Butterfly: impactful image using a simile
Lad: colloquial word for ‘boy’
Bloke: informal word for ‘man’
Introduction:
- range of post-reading activities
Cline of activities to explore concept to creativity to language
Narrative
explore characters’
behaviour attitudes and
possible motivations
Poetry / Song identify rhythm
practise aloud in groups generate lyrics on a topic for the rhythm
Out loud work use small groups divide up the text
create a choral group to read aloud
Creative response create a new character change the outcome write a flashback or a flash-forward
Language work Identify & highlight phrases in context find synonyms Common techniques
Why do we use literary texts? What common activities do we use and why?
a socio-cultural and aesthetic resource
which can appeal to imaginative, cultural and creative aspects of ourselves
provides access to a wide range of ideas, content and textual patterns
carefully developed tasks at three different stages (pre-, while-, post-) can improve the aesthetic and learning experience that students have
and the value they assign to these texts and creative work more generally practical tasks such as colour-coding, chunking and segmenting the text, using audio recordings of sections of text can support the depth of access and enjoyment that students experience – making good learning memories
Practical demonstration 1 – Short Story Openings
Short Story Openings
Key features: openings, plot, character
Aims
Motivational: to engage students to read, analyse and respond to an opening Analysis: to consider ways for students to notice key features of stories
Source of image: https://openclipart.org/detail/16258/open-file-drawer (by Johnny_Automatic)
How do stories start?
Discuss:
- which type of opening could the images below show?
- what effect would they have on the reader?
- why would the reader want to read on?
Source of images: Microsoft PowerPoint ‘Shapes’
How do stories
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
start?
a shock statement for impact in media res (Latin)
‘in the middle’ of dramatic action pop culture:
about half of James Bond movies start this way (Wikipedia)
non-linear time for cause / result flashback (Greek: analepsis)
showing what happened before flash-forward (Greek: prolepsis) showing what happened later combining:
shock and non-linear time frequently work together
Source of images: Microsoft PowerPoint ‘Shapes’
How do stories start?
an assembly to set mood
dialogue, objects, events or characters gathering at a key moment, a puzzle
Shakespeare:
Three witches gather to prophesy Macbeth’s future – the rest of the play shows how it happens
interior monologue to (re)position reader
this creates a perspective and frame of reference for experience of events within the story
history nugget:
early thought bubbles were
‘speech scrolls’ in Central America
Source of images: Microsoft PowerPoint ‘Shapes’
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
Short Story Openings
The following pattern of 5 sentences is inspired by the opening of the short story:
‘Finders Keepers’ by Frank Brennan
in the anthology, ‘The Fruitcake Special and Other Stories’ Level 4 (Intermediate) by Cambridge University Press
Find out more about this book at:
http://www.cambridge.org/us/cambridgeenglish/catalog/skills/cambridge- english-readers/fruitcake-special-and-other-stories-level-4
Discuss with a partner
o What type of character is she?
o Would you like to get to know her? Why? Why not?
o What do you think she does in her free time?
Source of image: Microsoft ‘Shapes’
Trainer to distribute text
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
Mary Chow seemed like an everyday office worker.
She often carried a small bag and a lunch box, and wore a black jacket, a white shirt and a black skirt.
She wore heavy-rimmed glasses and tended to walk briskly with her head down as she was always thinking.
For the past fifteen years, she had worked in a stationery office in downtown Hong Kong and had rarely taken a holiday.
How would you finish the following sentence?
On her weekends, however, she was a
Mary Chow seemed like an everyday office worker.
She often carried a small bag and a lunch box, and wore a black jacket, a white shirt and a black skirt.
She wore heavy-rimmed glasses and tended to walk briskly with her head down as she was always thinking.
For the past fifteen years, she had worked in a stationery office in downtown Hong Kong and had rarely taken a holiday.
How would you finish the following sentence?
On her weekends, however, she was
a getaway car driver.
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
What does she take in her ‘getaway car’?
Hot
dogs? Secret
technology
?Antiques? And why?
Source of image: ‘Open Clipart’
Antique bike: https://openclipart.org/detail/180205/antique-bicycle (by SOlvera)
Tick what information we read about in the introduction
Her name
Her family
Her clothes
Her shoes
Her job
The way she walks
A little bit about her behaviour
What she thinks about her clothes
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
Tick what information we read about in the introduction - check
Her name
Her family
Her clothes
Her shoes
Her job
The way she walks
A little bit about her behaviour
What she thinks about her clothes
In 5 sentences, we learn about…
- Her job and how long she has done it - The way she looks and walks
- The way she holds herself (head down)
- Her approach to holidays (rarely takes one)
We may find the character uninteresting, but then…
in one single, fifth sentence…
we learn something dramatic, improbable and …
STORY WORTHY
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
In this session, we’ll call this…
the shock sentence technique
Discuss:
- what impact does this have on the reader?
- do you want to read on? Why?
Why not?
Source of image: Microsoft ‘Shapes’
For example:-
Media:
Journalist
Finance:
Bank clerk Art/Design:
Cartoonist
Science:
Biologist Medicine:
Nurse
1
Choose a job
Let’s write one
For example:-
Clothes Stature / stance
Appearance Gait
Approach to work?
2
Build a
character
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
3
Add the
shock
sentence
On weekends, however, she was…
Source of images: https://openclipart.org/detail/1048/karate-1 https://openclipart.org/detail/241551/bowl-with-chopsticks (by Liftarn)
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
How can technology help us develop this opening?
Toondoo
an easy and fast way to create comic strips
http://www.toondoo.com/
How can technology help us develop this opening?
Toondoo
an easy and fast way to create comic strips
Let’s take a look
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
Toondoo
o Re-work a narrative into a shorter text o Separate each idea into scenes
o Increase the amount of dialogue or thought
Source of images: https://openclipart.org/detail/173604/caption-balloon-5 and Microsoft Clipart ‘comic’ search
Toondoo – simple procedures
o Introduce the task and Toondoo functions
o Decide on key features of the literary text to use o Create the comic strip online
o Use a pre-made guide sheet for peer commentary
Source of images: https://openclipart.org/detail/173604/caption-balloon-5 and Microsoft Clipart ‘comic’ search
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
Reflection
1 How might Toondoo be a useful tool?
2 How can it be used to help students notice and work with key features?
3 What aims and preparation would you need to support appropriately?
4 What preparation do you need for classroom management?
5 How much time do students need to prepare a Toondoo? (in / out of class) 6 How would you give feedback on Toondoo work?
7 Are there any issues you would anticipate?
Reflection
1 How might Toondoo be a useful tool?
2 How can it be used to help students notice and work with key features?
3 What aims and preparation would you need to support appropriately?
4 What preparation do you need for classroom management?
5 How much time do students need to prepare a Toondoo? (in / out of class) 6 How would you give feedback on Toondoo work?
7 Are there any issues you would anticipate?
Practical demonstration 1 - Short Story Openings
Considerations
o Toondoo can be used to help students interpret the text visually and in sections
o It can help you check students’ understanding of the story
o Preparing for it can give a reason to students to study the text closely and analyse it
o It can help you see if students have understood and can use a selection of key features
o Peer reflection and commentary o Formative assessment
Sports Poetry and
Enquiry-based learning
Key focus: onomatopoeia
Aims
Motivational: to engage students in poetic language through familiar sports Awareness-raising and practice of: onomatopoeia, rhyme, imagery
Approach: enquiry-based or discovery-based learning
Source of image: https://openclipart.org/detail/213455/table-tennis-bw (by rdevries)
Practical demonstration 2 – Creating a soundtrack
Sports Poetry and
Enquiry-based learning
The websites used in the following demonstration are:
Poetry Soup, Poetry4kids and Poets.org http://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/sports http://www.poetry4kids.com/topic/sports
Discuss with a partner
o Do your students like reading or writing poetry? Why? Why not?
o What challenges do you face when teaching poetry?
o What’s an ‘enquiry-based’ or ‘discovery-based’
lesson to you?
Source of image: Microsoft ‘Shapes’
Your experience of sports poems
o Have you ever read a sports poem? What features did it have?
o
Read one out loud to a partnero Name two effects can you hear
o How do they achieve a poetic effect?
o Which words or phrases would your students need help
(a) to understand?
(b) to pronounce?
Note: the poem used for this activity was written in-house by a teacher-trainer with permission to use
Practical demonstration 3 – Sports Poetry and Enquiry-based learning
Source of image: Microsoft ‘Shapes’
Getting the most from sports poetry reading
What other features would you expect to see in a sports poem?
Consider the list below: which might interest your students?
Concrete: description of the sport: score / miss a goal, hit a ball
Physical: descriptions of people while playing the sport? lunge
Emotional: description of feelings after winning or losing? elated
Social or attitudinal: descriptions of how sports
can bring people together or separate them? team spirit
National – international: the feeling and responsibility of representing one’s country pride and honour
Would you expect to read word images or imagery?
Would you expect to hear rhyme? rhythm? the sound of sounds?
Onomatopoeia
Use any adaption of the following four key words and write your own definition:
(1) phonetic (2) sound
(3) association (4) name
Practical demonstration 2 – Sports Poetry and Enquiry-based learning
Onomatopoeia
Below is a table of onomatopoeic words
o Which ones do you think might appear in sports poetry?
o Which sport, movement or equipment would you associate them with?
ping pong plop pop pow
rattle ring rumble rustle
slash splat splish splosh thud
Now, write three more of your own
Which sport, movement or equipment do you associate them with?
Onomatopoeia – find some examples
Use the following webpage to find a poem with some examples:
o http://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/short/onomatopoeia o Why was onomatopoeia used in those poems?
Over to you
o You have read and listened to some example poetry
o You have identified examples of onomatopoeia that might be good for sport o Now, it’s time to be creative
o Write a poem about a sport you like (or hate) o Include at least one example of onomatopoeia
o And one other feature such as rhyme, imagery or rhythm
Practical demonstration 2 – Sports Poetry and Enquiry-based learning
Checking out sports poetry resources
(1) Consider the proficiency level of your students
(2) Go to two of the sites below that are closest to your students’ levels (3) Identify a poem from each website that exemplifies 1-2 poetic features Easy and accessible language
http://www.poetry4kids.com/topic/sports
Intermediate level upwards
http://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/sports
Advanced to proficient level (select and filter)
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/collection/poetry-and-sports
Reflection
1 What categories might you use to help decide which sports poems to use?
2 What preparation may you need before you use a sports poem?
3 What type of language support might students might? When to provide it?
4 How would you scaffold sports poetry writing?
5 What would features of language and literary devices would you assess?
6 Are there any issues you would anticipate?
Practical demonstration 2 – Sports Poetry and Enquiry-based learning
Please be back in 10 minutes
Source of image: https://openclipart.org/detail/254262/hand-drawn-coffee-cup-line-art (by GDJ)
Practical demonstration 3 – Engaging through sound
Creating a Soundtrack
Key focus: atmosphere, emphasis and dramatic tension
Aims
Motivational: to encourage intensive reading and creative writing Awareness-raising and practice of: language to dramatise a text Practice: reading a text aloud with meaning
Source of image: https://openclipart.org/detail/202347/listening-ear (by frankes)
Creating a Soundtrack
The resource used in the following demonstration is:
‘Booktrack Classroom’
- an e-resource which allows students to add a soundtrack and sound effects to their writing and share it with classmates to read
Find out more about this e-resource at:
https://www.booktrackclassroom.com/content/intro
Creating a Soundtrack
In this demo, we use a short original poem using an opening question. The inspiration for an atmospheric poem starting with a question comes from:
‘The Listeners’ by Walter de la Mare
in the anthology, ‘The Collected Poems of Walter de la Mare’ (1979) by Faber & Faber
Find out more about this book at:
https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571080991-the-complete-poems-of-walter-de- la-mare.html
Practical demonstration 3 – Engaging through sound
Discuss with a partner
o Are your junior forms creative?
o Do they like to read? Do you read to them?
o How do they respond to texts that are read to them?
o What types of pre-task do use to prepare your students for creative work?
Source of image: Microsoft ‘Shapes’
Let’s create a soundtrack
o Work in pairs. Look at the pictures.
o Person 1: What sound effect would you give to each picture?
o Person 2: What background music would you choose?
Source of images: https://openclipart.org/detail/185175/galloping-horse https://openclipart.org/detail/237893/An-owl https://openclipart.org/detail/20106/door https://openclipart.org/detail/87961/spooky-house
Practical demonstration 3 – Engaging through sound
Add your sound effect to a poem o Listen to a poem.
o When I point to your table, make your sound effect!
1 Who is out there?
2 A knock at the door 3 A hound speeds by
4 An owl screeches and hoots 5 The turn of the handle
6 The hinge of the door
7 A face appears – who’s out there?
This poem was written in-house by a teacher trainer to demonstrate images that could be use to prompt soundtrack and sound effects.
Let’s look at ‘Booktrack Classroom’
https://www.booktrackclassroom.com/content/intro
https://www.booktrackclassroom.com/content/intro?bp50555=1
Source of images: https://openclipart.org/detail/195965/sound-wave
Practical demonstration 3 – Engaging through sound
Reflection
1 How might Booktrack Classroom be a useful tool in your context?
2 What do students need to do on Booktrack Classroom?
3 What type of checking and preparation work do you need to do?
4 Which types of students might Booktrack Classroom appeal to?
5 What would features of language and creativity would you assess?
6 Are there any issues you would anticipate?
Resources for songs and poems
Key focus: accessible materials
Aims
Motivational: to engage students through popular music and interactivity Awareness-raising and practice of: rhyme and lexical phrases
Source of image: https://openclipart.org/detail/120367/music-equalizer-4 (by Merlin2525)
Other resources for songs and poems
Discuss with a partner
o Do you use songs or pop music in class? Which sort and why?
o How do your students respond to songs or pop music?
o Have you used IT-based poetry apps in class?
Which ones?
Discuss with a partner
o Do you use songs or pop music in class? Which sort and why?
o How do your students respond to songs or pop music?
o Have you used IT-based poetry apps in class?
Which ones?
Other resources for songs and poems
Source of image: Microsoft ‘Shapes’
Lyrics Training
http://lyricstraining.com/
Look at the website and make notes on:
(1) Song selection
(2) Language levels / difficulty levels (3) What you have to do
(4) What kind of feedback you receive (5) Other things you can do
Source of image: Microsoft ‘Shapes’
Considerations
1 How could student pairs or groups work with this resource?
2 What type of issues might there be with this resource?
3 How would you go about selection?
4 What type of equipment might you need to complete a task?
5 How would you monitor progress using this resource?
Other resources for songs and poems
Magnetic Poetry
http://magneticpoetry.com/pages/play-online
Look at the play online poetry kits
(1) Use the worksheet provided to guide you (2) Try to write a haiku poem
Could you use this resource with your students?
What preparation and support would be needed?
Reflection and thoughts
1 What type of poetry might you be able to write with this resource?
- a theme-based poem - free verse (no structure)
- simple structured poetry (e.g. rhyming couplet)
2 Would you use it to help students work with word order in a phase or line?
Other resources for songs and poems
We’ve covered:
(1) Key considerations - introduction (2) Exploring resources
(3) Practical demo 1: Short story openings (4) Practical demo 2: Sports poetry
(5) Practical demo 3: Creating soundtracks – writing & reading aloud
(5) Resources for poems and songs
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