Summer Event 2015 in retrospect; Presentation by Dr Luke Prodromou - Report

Dr Luke Prodromou is an experienced ELT trainer, author and actor and his presentation titled: ‘From Socrates to Bill Gates: a Dialogue with Digital Natives’ at the TESOL Macedonia-Thrace and TESOL Greece joint summer event in Portaria, Pelion (21 June 2015) was about digital technology in a radically changing world, including our classrooms, and about whether multimedia deepens comprehension and enhances learning. This talk, drawing on recent research, took a critical look at the impact of the Internet on our classrooms, our brains and our lives. It asked questions and raised issues that all teachers, parents and friends should be asking, so that we understand what is gained and what is lost as we become more and more connected. Among the objectives in Luke’s presentation were to mention the changes it is bringing to teachers and language classrooms, to raise awareness about what we gain from IT and what we risk losing and suggest a new way forward (old + new).

Luke started off with an ice breaking activity which aimed at energizing present teacher audience and encouraged thinking and discussion about issues related to teaching and ICT use (digital natives and digital immigrants). All teachers felt welcome as all ideas and opinions were accommodated. Some of the questions which were discussed were whether teaching is like bowling, whether we think of ourselves as digital natives or digital immigrants, whether digital revolution has given teachers more ways to respond to students’ individual needs, whether teachers should recognize the need for integrating technology in their teaching and whether, according to experience, the Net is, by design, an interruption system meant to distract students’ attention.

Luke highlighted some of the benefits of digital technology and multimedia in the EFL classroom and explained how they deepen comprehension, strengthen learning and respond to students’ needs as long as teachers recognize the need for integrating technology in their teaching and the need for becoming empowering educators.

However, Luke mentioned that teachers should be very careful when taking advice about using technology in classrooms from IT experts/non-educators because advisors might not always be completely impartial and governments might have subsided teachers with technology due to deep cuts to education, lack of premises or teachers. For example because of the aforementioned reasons, in India children pool their resources and knowledge in the absence of teacher supervision.

Luke asked the audience to read carefully and discuss Carr’s (2010) definition of deep reading:

The ability to know in depth a subject for ourselves, to construct within our own minds the rich and idiosyncratic set of connections that give rise to a singular intelligence.

He added that teachers who engage in deep reading may want to start assimilating with digital native students’ culture and blend traditional learning with new (Bish 2013).

Luke also mentioned the similarity in the dilemma between digital natives – digital immigrants (Bill Gates era) with the oral and written culture dilemma in Socrates era. Socrates seemed to have an argument against written culture related to memory damage writing could bring to people very similar to arguments digital natives might have nowadays against the use of technology in the EFL classroom. Socrates was in favor of critical thinking and the teaching model of question asking which included shared goals, questions and problems, information, interpretations and concepts.

Moving on, Luke explained that, according to research, the effective teacher is the one who improvises, interacts with learners when the unexpected happens (has interactive decision making skills), has a clear language focus, is technically skillful and emotionally intelligent. So, effective teachers should involve technology in language learning only when students learn from each other, learn from their mistakes and not only when students merely write for exams or for the teacher. Classroom management skills are also very important in the EFL classroom, despite the tools or materials used and the effective teacher should be able to stand in the classroom, care for group dynamics, benefit from space and use everything in its best way while marrying the ‘old’ way with the ‘new’ way. Some other features/skills effective teachers should be aware of are voice, audibility, getting attention, group feelings, enthusiasm and rapport.

Luke summarized saying that teachers should have in mind that equipment is not content and that technology might betray them. They need to draw on, extend and build on learners’ experience as motivation will not come from novelty. Technology is one part of the big picture in the map/field of ELT and since we cannot cancel digital technology we can at least regulate it and fit it in the big picture of education. Blended learning is very welcome in 21st century EFL teaching due to its benefits, existing techniques and opportunities it creates as long as teachers combine what’s important from the past with what’s new in the future.

Report by

Βασιλική Παπαϊωάννου

ΠΕ06, Αγγλικής Φιλολογίας (Ed.D, MA, BA)
Σχολική Σύμβουλος Β/θμιας Εκπαίδευσης Μαγνησίας (έδρα Βόλος)
Συγκρότημα Μουρτζούκου, Χείρωνος & Επτά Πλατανίων Τ.Κ. 38333, Βόλος
24210 47396 εσωτερικό 304 (3ος όροφος)
Κινητό: 6934860473
vpapaioannou06@gmail.com

Welcome Back Event 2015 - Save the Date

Summer Event 2015: TESOL MTh and TESOL Greece join forces!

Luke Prodromou

Bio: 

Dr. Luke Prodromou graduated from Bristol, Birmingham and Nottingham Universities. His MA was in Shakespeare Studies and his PhD in idioms and English as a lingua franca.

He has published numerous textbooks and two handbooks for teachers on Mixed Level Classes and Dealing with Difficulties. He has worked for the British Council and a number of teacher training centers in the UK (Pilgrims, Nile et al) and other countries. He has been a plenary speaker at many international conferences. 

Until recently he was a full-time item writer on the KPG. 

Luke is a founder member of the Disabled Access Campaign. He also gives talks on Shakespeare and Dickens - and performances as part of the Dave'N'Luke English Language Theatre. In 2015-2016 the team will be celebrating Shakespeare in the show All the World's a Stage. 

Title of talk: From Socrates to Bill Gates - a dialogue with digital natives

Abstract: 

Digital technology is a revolution in our life comparable to the invention of writing, printing and the industrial revolution. It is changing our world, including our classrooms, in radical ways. 

This talk, drawing on recent research, takes a critical look at the impact of the Internet on our classrooms, our brains and our lives. It asks questions and raises issues that all teachers, parents and friends should be asking - so we understand what is gained and what is lost as we become more and more connected.

Anastasia Metallinou

Bio:

Anastasia Metallinou is a highly motivated, enthusiastic and experienced English language teacher who specialises in Specific Learning Differences (dyslexia). She studied English and History at Oxford Brookes University (BA Honours). She has also received a master’s degree in Special Education (MEd) from University of Bristol. She teamed up with Dr Anne Margaret Smith and wrote ‘English Sounds Fun’. ESF is an innovative, highly structured intervention programme designed specifically for dyslexic students of English as a foreign language. 

Title of talk: Teaching dyslexic learners – practical ways of building self-esteem

Abstract:

Dyslexic learners face many challenges, usually made worse by a lack of self-confidence. In this session simple strategies will be demonstrated for building the self-esteem that dyslexic students need to succeed in learning, and in life.

Only Connect: Seven Strategies for Ensuring Teacher-Student Communication in the Classroom - Plenary Talk by Ken Wilson

Interview with Ken Wilson by Aspa Georgopoulou

In his plenary talk, Ken Wilson talked about the radical change that the teacher-student communication has undergone in classrooms where technology is available and offered valuable and practical ideas on how the vital link between the teacher and the students can be maintained in a hi-tech classroom.

Starting off, Ken took us on a journey through the history of education, showing us some of the most essential changes that took place in the learning environment over the last century. From the one-room school to the round table classroom every major change always raised complaints and concerns, some of which, undeniably, cleared the way for evaluation, re-planning and improvement, thus blazing new trails in the field of education. The hi-tech classroom is today’s latest revolutionary change and Ken wanted to share with us his “small complaint” about technology in the classroom and how it is used. 

There are schools today, he said, where every classroom has a computer at every desk. According to a student, who learns in such an environment, the computers have changed the relationship the students had with their teacher. Reflecting on the importance of this relationship, Ken explained, that good teachers always engage with their students at the start of every class, for a long time before anything else happens. This engagement becomes a conversation, a real life event. However, in the hi-tech classroom, where both the student and the teacher look at the screen and not at each other, this engagement doesn’t work anymore. Additionally, given that every class is mixed ability, putting all our students with their different attitudes and talents in front of the screen, we may not be providing for all their different needs. 

Ken explained that we can’t stop technology but we can make sure that the old fashioned engagement continues and emphasized on the teacher’s role in finding ways to get students together and motivate them. He recommended seven strategies which will help teachers maintain the vital link between them and their students, in today’s hi-tech classroom.

1. “Develop voices, yours and your students’.” Teachers and students should learn to breathe and speak using their diaphragm. If our diaphragm is developed, we have a wider range of control over our breath and we can project our voice better, preventing voice strain in the long term. Finding the diaphragm voice, gives our voices a strong presence and helps us communicate in a much more effective way! Ken suggested an activity called “Sound of the day” to help our students build control and strength over their voices in a fun way. He asked the attendees to stand up, take a deep breath and make the sound /er/ while breathing out. Then, he asked them to let a different sentence each time be heard in their voices while making this sound. The room was filled with funny sounds and laughter that made everyone feel more relaxed!

2. “Talk about yourself.” Ken stressed how important it is for the teacher to actually be part of the class. Sharing a personal story can be a good way to start a lesson and connect with the students. The teacher can also use his/her own selfies to make interesting activities involving lots of guessing and speaking. Ken, himself, showed one of his selfies and asked the attendees to discuss with a partner where they think the photo was taken and what was happening. In a second activity he showed a selfie of him and a famous person at the back! The task was to ask questions to find out who the famous person was! Both activities managed to raise curiosity and instilled everyone with a strong desire to know and learn!

3. “Switch on your phones.” Nowadays most of our students have sophisticated personal technology. Why not include it in the lesson? Ken asked the attendees to take out their mobile phones and access their photo galleries. He called the first activity “10 second challenge”. He asked everyone to find a particular kind of photo and hold their phones up. Then, he went around allowing people to talk about their photos. In a second activity he asked them to show their partner a photo that meant something to them and talk about it. There was a lot of speaking and sharing, driven by the need to talk about things that are about us and therefore really interest us!

4. “Find out what your students know.” Ken made clear how important it is for the teacher to use the student’s own knowledge and areas of interest in the lesson. An interesting activity, he suggested, involved the use of the course book’s content pages. He showed the attendees some topics from such a content page. He asked them to choose a topic and write down a fact about it on a post-it. Then, he asked them to exchange their facts with others and finally, to share with the class someone else’s fact. An activity with a lot of sharing, but also real listening to each other! Ken went on by suggesting to keep the students’ fact post-its and use them when reaching the corresponding units. It became obvious that incorporating student’s own interests into the lesson, can catch their attention and engage them in the learning procedure.

5. “Teach unplugged.” Ken shared with us a personal experience of him being, recently, a student of German and experiencing from the learner’s point of view, the need for a more learner-focused lesson. Occasioned by that, he talked about the Dogme ELT methodology and its key principles, a movement that grew out of ideas and beliefs on the importance of a conversation-driven learner-focused language teaching. Ken pointed out that the implementation of such a philosophy of language learning can be very difficult, especially if a teacher has to follow a specific curriculum and/or a course book. Understanding the difficulty, but not being able to oversee the necessity, Ken’s message to all was to, occasionally, abandon our plan, follow the trails the students have to offer and see what happens! 

6. “Do something unexpected.” Due to lack of time, this strategy was (unexpectedly) omitted. 

7. “Be memorable.” Ken talked about the importance of leaving personal problems outside the classroom’s door and starting every lesson with a smile. This will definitely connect the teacher with his/her students and improve their relationship. And it is much more important than how well we teach! 

7+. “for NESTs” Ken explained that native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) in Greece can speak Greek fluently, because they learned it in Greece, the country the language is spoken. However, Greek students don’t learn English in England which makes learning more difficult for them. Therefore, he encouraged us to step into our student’s shoes and take up a new language ourselves. Learning a language the way our students do, will help us understand their difficulties and suit our teaching to fit their needs.

Ken finished his talk with a quote from Howards End, by E.M. Forster: “Only Connect! … Live in fragments no longer” urging us all to consider that by putting all students behind a screen there is a strong possibility of “fragmenting” their education! 

A thought provoking, highly informative talk with a lot of interaction, sharing and fun. Implementing his suggested strategies, Ken Wilson managed to engage the attendees from the first till the last minute, allowing this way everyone to experience how, connecting with our students can maximize learning opportunities for all. 

By Aspa Georgopoulou

Photos by Margarita Kosior

Bringing it Alive! - Plenary Talk by Alec WIlliams

Interview with Alec Williams by Elsa Tsiakiri

Now that I am writing the report on Morale Williams’ plenary I realize why I was so engrossed in his talk. He kicked it off by telling us a story which included Greek greeting on his part. I can assure all readers of this report that Mr. Williams did thrill his audience with this gesture of politeness and empathy. He then directly linked the theme of our 22nd TESOL Macedonia Thrace Convention “Back to Basics” to storytelling by saying that stories are a basic human need as they are how we make sense of the world, how we entertain, how we pass on experience, how we break the news, and how we recall history. Stories have existed as long as humans have existed, Mr. Williams pointed out. And I can see why now…

“Bringing it alive” the title of his plenary is used by Mr. Williams because it works in two ways as he explained to the members of our association. Firstly, stories can be used in English teaching in order to bring alive the subject itself and thus avoid exercised-based teaching. Secondly, if teachers put a little bit of drama and expression, in other words their heart and soul, into reading and telling a story, they can lift the words off the page! 

As for the reasons why we tell stories, Mr. Williams reminded to us that stories help with language and speech. We can always tell a child who has been read to. They are more concentrated, they are more confident of putting their hands up. Also, stories give a vocabulary that children wouldn’t otherwise hear. Book language has its own richness and rhythms so teachers should make room for it. 

Stories help people develop other skills, too. They help with joining in together. Researches have shown the younger children are read to, the better they become even in subjects such as Maths and Physical Education. Stories can help children face something safely second hand because there are topics they can explore in a story with a trusted adult i.e. their teacher or a parent. They help with emotional development and imagination. A bond of affection can be created between the teller and their audience and in the case of parents an intimacy. Stories can bring objects to life. Values, morals, truths are best passed on casually through storytelling. They recall history. They spread understanding because you can’t fight someone when you know their story. And where can we find stories? Mr. Williams suggested books, picture books, short stories from older collections of books or through memory.

He rewarded us for sharing our first experience of story with colleagues sitting near us for about 5’ with the story of how the dog came to live with man. It is just one example of “Why Stories” which try to explain things. Needless to say that Mr. Williams’ acting skills may surpass those of many famous actors’. He went on to clarify how stories help particularly with language learning. He said that as children naturally need and enjoy stories these help learning because they are memorable. He also suggested that natural language be used when telling stories and colloquialisms, sayings, proverbs be put in because they provide an opportunity to hear English in performance. Choosing a story is obviously important so Mr. Williams encouraged his audience to read through many stories until they find that one story which as a storyteller would put it “wants you to tell it". Of course, a storyteller should feel free to use their judgment in order to make those changes to stories which would suit their style or their audience. Additionally, it would be a good idea if poetry was not forgotten because there are useful and memorable words in that, too. 

According to Mr. Williams there is no such debate as Reading versus Telling stories because he thinks both have different advantages. Reading has a more direct association with the printed text. It enables to share visual focus. It enables you to read stories you might not be able to tell from memory. It allows greater qge range. It involves prediction before you turn the page…

Telling stories without a book gives greater freedom to the teller. It stimulates the imagination. The stories are happening in front of the children!

Teachers of English should start with fairly simple stories with a lot of interaction. He advised us to use body language, facial expressions, movement and of course the space we have. And an unexpected suggestion. A drawing story. The drawing he drew while telling the story answered the question at the end of it! 

During his talk Mr. Williams gave us a wealth of tips. Some of them are: 

1. Story tellers in general, shouldn’t use a book with a large audience because they won’t be able to see.

2. Picture stories don’t work with a big audience but they are ideal for parents and children because they go over two laps. What an emotional touch!

3. He issued an appeal to the audience not to turn the pages of the book into quizzes. Instead, he asked us to let the stories explode in the heads of the children! Last but not least, natural follow-up is wonderful. What might that mean? Well, seeing the children re-enacting the stories they have just heard during the break. Or simply welcome immediate reactions by saying “What did you think of it?” or “My favourite bit was that.”

Our charmer left us with some of his wisdom. 

”If you don’t do much storytelling, do more. If you don’t do any at all, do some. But above all enjoy that storytelling. Children will usually laugh with you rather than at you. And if they do laugh at you, it’s worth it in the long run to bring them that joy and that learning that comes out of it by including more and more stories as much as you can in your English teaching lessons.”

Thank you Mr. Williams.

By Elsa Tsiakiri

Photos by Margarita Kosior

Storying is Central in Our Daily Life. What about the Classroom? - Plenary Talk by Andrew Wright

Interview with Andrew Wright by Emmanuel Kontovas

The 22nd Annual International Convention of Tesol Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece was concluded with Andrew Wright’s plenary talk entitled "Storying is Central in Our Daily Life. What about the Classroom?". Bissell Library was literally packed with people who were looking forward to listening to the extremely interesting ideas on story telling and how it can become an integral part of the teaching process. Andrew Wright’s vast experience from the 50 years of teaching in more than 55 countries makes him a leading figure in the field of storytelling and an invaluable source of ideas.

 Mr. Wright started his talk by giving a description of his childhood years and the village where he grew up as well as his conversations with his mother. Simple everyday incidents were narrated in the form of a story in Mr. Wright’s unique style and had as their main focus the fact that freedom of expression is essential in the “birth” of any story. Afterwards, he went on to describe the technique he learnt from a theatrical group he once belonged to where to create a story we have to answer four questions; the “who”, “where”, “when” and “what”. These simple yet demanding questions can be the basis of creating any story and any character with our students.

The next stage of Mr. Wright’s presentation included the actual creation of a story right there and then with the participation of the audience. This was a most enjoyable activity that the whole audience really liked and had fun taking part in. Mr. Wright started by asking these four questions, one at a time. As it was expected he got many different answers in each question. He accepted all the answers provided and stressed that it is important in the process of creating a story not to try and guide the students’ answers and dismiss any of them as incorrect but instead to make even more open-ended questions in order to find how the different answers can be combined in a logical way. This of course was the most surprising and exciting point of his presentation and there was a lot of fun among the audience because some of the answers were completely contrasting. Nevertheless we were shown that through many questions even ideas that may seem opposing can be part of the same story. It was an enjoyable and fun way of creating a story and that way he said students want to participate and they are not afraid of using the language since there are no right or wrong answers. 

Mr. Wright proved in his talk that stories are part of our lives. Even many TV channels use as their motto the word “stories” and they say that they have some stories to present to us. When we watch the news, in reality we watch stories told by the reporters. Every day all of us use stories and in a way we are storytellers. But teaching our students how to write their own stories demands the creation of a routine based on four simple questions and the safety of an inclusive environment of mutual respect where every idea expressed is important and builds up in the creation of the story. Mr. Wright concluded his presentation by saying that stories are powerful and we should include them in our teaching as a very important part of the curriculum.

By Emmanuel Kontovas

Photos by Margarita Kosior

Getting Unstuck: Stretching Out of Our Comfort Zones - Plenary Talk by Marjorie Rosenberg

Interview with Marjorie Rosenberg by Georgia Psarra

28th March 2015, Saturday morning, Marjorie Rosenberg kicked off the 22nd International Annual Convention of TESOL Macedonia-Thrace ‘Back to Basics’ with her plenary talk ‘Getting Unstuck’.

She started by asking the simple question: how many of the attendees feel stuck or have felt stuck in their daily routine as teachers. No matter whether some of us are new in the profession or have decades of experience, there are times that we feel that we are coming to a dead-end and nothing seems to get us going.

She went on to list eight distinct categories where teachers can stretch out from their comfort zones and explore areas that would be a possible way forward by looking at answers from colleagues around the globe.

I. Using new methods – using TPR with adults: the results may surprise you. Giving students the responsibility for revision rather than distributing a pre-planned schedule. Using unplugged teaching (teaching through conversation, no technology, no coursebook, student-driven). Using riddles from literature to help students write.

II. New subjects – Getting new groups with different needs and interests and addressing different topics derived from the students.

III. New Technology – Using Prezi, MentorMob, Vocaroo helps teachers create ‘learning playslists’. Bitstrips lets you design cartoons, very inspiring with young learners. A wiki can be an especially helpful tool with university students.

IV. Continual Professional Development – Search for new ways to develop yourself professionally. Take on new certificate courses and earn diplomas. Use social media websites, blogs, read methodology books and attend webinars and conferences. Learn another language; this will help you see from students’ aspect how knowledge can be acquired.

V. Stretching out of your learning style – Implementing activities contradictory to your own learning style, i.e. doing more kinesthetic activities although you are a visual learner.

VI. Colleagues – Having colleagues observe your classes and vice versa to give each other feedback. Having business breakfast and coffee meetings for teachers.

VII. PLN – Set up networks of professionals and friends, i.e. Facebook, Twitter. Join Facebook and Twitter groups and exchange teaching ideas.

VIII. New area of ELT – Finally, there are numerous areas of ELT that allow teachers to stretch out of their personal comfort zone, get inspired and become motivated and implement new ideas into their teaching. For instance, they can use new technology and teach over Skype or Hangout applications. They could start blogging, writing supplementary materials, editing, becoming active in a teaching association and collaborating with colleagues. Technology can be used as a means to develop communities and run online courses. The options are endless.

To support her suggestions, Marjorie introduced us to specific ideas like eltchat, a Twitter-based chat where ELT topics are suggested, voted on and discussed. Eltpicshas a Flickr account where photos from teachers for teachers are uploaded. Teachers can download and use any picture from that account as long as the source is acknowledged. Disabled Access Friendly Campaign is a site where lesson plans by volunteers are collected and its aim is to raise awareness of mobility disabilities. Simple English Videos by Vicki Hollett focuses on language difficulties that learners often face and they are presented on short videos. Trying something new, a Facebook page started by Theodora Papapanagiotou where new ideas are exchanged.

Marjorie finished her plenary talk by showing us the TED Talk ‘Try something new for 30 days’ by Matt Cutts. He talks about how his life has changed by doing one new thing for a month. Teachers and, generally, anyone who feels stuck in their daily routines and hesitates to take a step further out of their comfort zones can find quite a few new ideas to get unstuck. Sometimes, it only takes one simple thing.

Marjorie’s plenary talk was most inspiring and motivating, informative and entertaining. She kept a full room of attendees electrified and made the best possible opening to our convention. We hope she will honour us again soon.

By Georgia Psarra

Photos by Margarita Kosior