Creativity Through English
Hybrid teaching ESL to a hundred people in different countries is a tall order. It’s ambiguous and complex for sure. What a classic opportunity to teach for Creativity. Teaching for Creativity means using creative processes while teaching. Aligning creative process with content, in this case ESL, enables a framework through which to bring new language and concepts across. This blog is specifically geared for my lovely students and supervisors in Madagascar and Pakistan. It is of course for everyone as well.
Ecademy Notes Monday, 30/9/24
NOUNS, COMMON AND PROPER/PRONOUNS
Do you know what a cloud is? No? What if I draw a picture for you? You will know immediately. Drawing for learning is direct, permanent and allows for deeper learning. Words are words are words. With pictures, we understand more because we learn mostly through our eyes. This is why we draw for learning in class.
We already agreed to work together. We work together to help each other succeed. We help each other because by explaining things we understand more deeply. When we work in class we also trade copy books to check each other’s work and to teach each other.
We also have a student teacher at the chalkboard. The student teacher draws what the teacher is teaching on the computer. This provides another way for students to see the work. It also allows a student to teach.
Everyone is responsible for learning, teaching, and helping because everyone is learning English. Everyone is engaged and contributes to learning. High student engagement ensures deeper learning.
People learn differently. People learn by moving, feeling, listening, writing, drawing, talking, explaining, asking questions, watching, trying, and having a teacher. The classroom must have a lot of different learning opportunities for students. This creates a rich learning environment. Rich learning environments help students to be successful.
E-cademy Notes Friday 27/9/24
WHY
Why study English? Why are we here at school? It’s useful to know why to do anything. Otherwise, why would you do it?
Five Whys and a How is a tool for understanding something deeply. When we understand deeply we are more committed. Learning English will take time and effort everyday. It is hard to learn a new language. And with practice it is absolutely possible.
As an example of the exercise as it relates to class:
1.Why study English? Because it is the international language of business.
2.Why is English the international language of business? Because more people speak English as a second language than as a first language.
3.Why do more people speak English as a second language than a first? Because we need to communicate.
4.Why do we need to communicate? Because we need to be able to talk to each other.
5. Why do we need to talk to each other? To live and function in this world.
How can we live and function in this world? By learning a language spoken by most people in the world.
This exercise is important for understanding why. Knowing why you are studying English is motivating. Motivation is energy that makes us want to want to do something.
English is a life skill. Let’s do this.
E-cademy Notes Thursday 26/9/24
WHO
Who are the people in these classrooms? In class yesterday, someone asked a very important question. “What does empathy mean?” Empathy is to understand and share the feelings of another.
Empathy is important because when we understand each other more we connect as humans and have better relationships. Understanding customer needs in hospitality is key to providing quality service. Understanding student needs and each other as learners is equally important. It is important because we can work better together when we understand each other a bit more.
There are four components to an empathy map 1. Say, 2. Do (actions), 3. Feel, 4. Think.
And we also want to know the pain points, where people lose energy as well as where people gain energy. We lose energy by not understanding, feeling lost, feeling behind. We gain energy by feeling competent and by knowing that we can do it!
An empathy map is a way to draw a visual representation of what someone says, does, how they think and feel about something. Empathy maps in class are about Learning English. In general, empathy maps help us to understand each other more. This is especially useful when working with customers, as in the hospitality industry.
E-cademy Notes Wednesday 25/9/24
HOW
How we learn. We learn in many ways. In this class we learn in three ways. The three ways are listed here.
Collaboration. We collaborate. We work together. We learn by working together as much as possible. We help each other. We ask each other. We teach each other. We learn together.
Communication. We communicate. We communicate in many ways. Body language is the primary form of communication. We learn by moving and actions. Body language is very helpful for online learning. We also communicate through speaking and writing.
Thinking. We think naturally by making connections. Our brains are like the branches of a tree.
Tree branches grow in different directions. When we think, our brain goes in a lot of different directions too.
New words, new languages and new thoughts come from making new connections. We learn by making connections naturally. A natural learning tool is a mind map.
Mind maps help us to see what we are learning in a way that is natural to how we learn! Mind maps help us to remember what we are learning. We will draw mind maps in class together.
In class with Tanya, we learn by collaborating for communication and thinking to become fluent in English together.
