Teaching: Using Videos in lessons

Videos can be extremely effective educational tools when used properly. They're a great way of breaking the usual monotony of ordinary lessons (although lessons should never be monotonous) and offers students a new and more exciting way of learning. Let's take History an an example: is there a better way for students to learn than showing them actual footage of real places? It's like a field trip without the included hassle. However you cannot simply rely on a video to do the lesson for you. You need to make sure that the lessons is geared towards the right direction and that the students understand the main points of that particular lesson.


The following list will hopefully help you understand how to incorporate the use of videos in your lessons:

1. Make a brainstorming session on the main subject and, on the white-board/chalk-board, write all the important points.
2. Instruct students to write down the points in more detail while watching the video. For example, if the video is about the effect of heat on objects, and one of the points is 'effects of heat on metal', then students should be able to write down more information while watching the video, such as: "heat forces the molecules of the metal to vibrate, this vibration allows the metal to expand..."
3. Allow yourself to pause the video when it reaches a specific point, and take the time to reinforce what the students have just heard. This will help students to easily understand which points are important.
4. After watching the video, the students should be more knowledgeable about the main subject. Go back to the points on the white-board/chalk-board and help students use the notes they took during the video, to give detailed explanations.
5. Tell students to write down a report on the subject. This is a great reinforcement exercise.

I hope that this article will help you deliver more interesting and entertaining lessons. As always, don't hesitate to leave comments.

Teaching: Physical Classroom Layout

Teachers who have their own classroom need to avoid the traditional classroom layout, i.e. straight rows of desks facing towards the white-board/chalk-board. Such classrooms are boring and, often, make teaching and learning less effective. A classroom needs to be dynamic, it needs to accommodate each lesson and facilitate different methods of teaching. Let's take group work as an example. Traditional classroom layouts were designed in a way to avoid interaction between students. However we are now aware of the importance of peer-tutoring. Education is all about communication and the classroom needs to allow this to happen. Arranging small 'islands' of desks is a very effective way of encouraging group work in the classroom. the best way of doing this is to arrange four desks facing each other. Arrange them in a way so that students can still see the board. Such classroom layouts will also allow you to move freely between desks. You cannot allow yourself to stand in just one area of the classroom. Moving around will allow you to interact better with the students and to easily supervise their work. You need to experiment with different layouts and don't be afraid to ask the students for feedback. Involving students in such decisions will allow for a better understanding between you and your learners.
For elementary teachers, it is a good idea to divide the class in different areas. For example, the 'Science Area' will include a small exhibition of materials used in previous lessons or a display of the students' own work. The "Reading Area" will allow students to spend some quite time reading, make this area as comfortable as possible, throw some cushions or small recliners. Make students understand that reading can be a fun way to relax. The reading area may also be used by students who have finished class assignments earlier than their peers.

Education: Dealing with shy students

Teachers tend to think that they are the only ones allowed to talk in their classroom. However, as you might have noticed in my previous posts, I strongly suggest that students are allowed to engage in active discussions about the main topics of the lesson. However it is important to know the different ways of going about doing this. Class discussions are not enough and many students, particularly shy ones, will find it very difficult to engage in such discussions. Such students are usually terrified of the prospect of being at the center of attention. On many occasions I have asked a shy student a question and I see them cringe when I tell the rest of the class to be quite so that they can hear what the student has to say. I've made it a personal goal not to try to put shy students in such situations. Many teachers erroneously think that forcing shy children to speak in class is an effective way to "bring them out of their shell". This is very far from the truth since making a shy person feel inappropriate makes them dread theses situations even more. Such students need to be respected and given their space. In time they will overcome their shyness, but this needs to happen on their own terms. Never treat shy students differently; just because they don't raise their hands does not mean they don't know the answer. What you can do is give them an opportunity to show the class, and themselves, their true capabilities. You need to understand their niche area and help them excel in what they are truly capable of doing. A few examples: recognize their capabilities and praise them for it .Do not exaggerate this, shy students are not stupid and when they realize what you're trying to do they will not trust your 'reactions' anymore. Another effective method is to divide students in small groups, give them an assignment and have each student present their work to their group. It is much easier for shy students to present their work to a small group rather than to the whole class; remember that even the most seasoned speaker sometimes gets stage fright. Another successful method is to hold 'contests' based on the target student's capability. For instance: if the student is a good artist, organize an art challenge and put the student's art-piece on display in the class. This is a good way of boosting their self confidence.
In the end, treating students the same is key to a fair and successful teaching/learning experience.

Please leave comments :)

Education: Designing a successful lesson plan

One of the most important thing to keep in mind when designing a lesson plan is the time you have at your disposition. You don't want to be too ambitious with your lesson. Likewise, you really need to make sure that there is enough content to make a successful lesson. Timing is key and it's all about the content you're presenting and the way the content is being communicated to the class. You need to take into consideration the learning abilities of individual students. Make sure that no one is excluded. These are the stages that all lessons should include:

1. Introduction: A good way to start a lesson is by engaging students in a small discussion. Ask questions about the topic so as to understand what the students already know. Another good idea is to make a brainstorming session and, on your chalk-board, write a list of all the important points brought up by the students. You can use these points later to further develop the students' ideas.
   
2. Presentation: chances are that most of the students will not be very knowledgeable about the lesson's main topic. This is the chance to present the main points to the class. Make sure that you engage your students in the lesson. Ask lots of questions and highlight the main points of the lesson. Write these points on the chalk board.
3. Active engagement: if you have not engaged students in a discussion, then it is important that you do so. Active engagement can also involve students working out exercises in the classroom. This reinforces the new knowledge that students have just learned.
4. Feedback: Ask your students questions about the new topics. This will help you understand if your students have learned the main topics of the lesson.
5. Follow-up practice: You may refer to this as homework and may involve your students in conducting research, writing essays or working out exercises. This further reinforces the main points of the lesson.

Any other ideas? Feedback? Please leave comments.

Education Tips - Lesson Planning

Many seasoned teachers are able to walk into their classroom without having planned their lessons. They have become so familiar with their subject that they don't need to plan how to deliver their lessons anymore. In my opinion this is a somewhat objectionable way of educating. Teaching is a dynamic process and a successful teacher needs to make appealing lessons which accommodate the ever changing mindsets of his/her students.


Lesson planning can be divided in two: Schemes of Work and Lesson Plans. Schemes of work will allow you to plan in the long run. To create a scheme of work, choose a time-period and create a grid of days or weeks. You can add as much detail as you want (example a scheme of work showing daily lessons is more detailed than a scheme of work showing weekly lessons). In the scheme of work you need to set deadlines for when certain topics need to be finished. After you create your scheme of work, you need to make sure that you create lessons plans complimenting what you have planned in the scheme of work. Lesson Plans will detail how you need to deliver individual lessons and will allow you to add all the details you want in order to capture the attention of individual students in your classroom. Making your own lesson plans will allow you to deliver targeted content, for example: if your class are very interested in a particular movies, you can create a website with the theme of that movie. Lessons should allow room for individuality in the classroom and can be seen as a way of communicating particular topics in an interesting way.
I will be making more posts about lesson plans, giving more tips and downloadable lesson-plan formats...so stick around :)