Öğrencilik yıllarımı düşündüğümde teknolojinin derslerimize dahil edilmesine ilişkin hatırladığım ilk şey lisede İngilizce derslerimizde okuma parçaları ile ilgili sahneleri gösteren negatiflerin duvara yansıtılmasından ibaret. O hareketsiz çizimlere bakıp bir yandan da okuma parçasını kasetten dinlerken sürükleyici bir dizi film izler gibi büyük keyif alırdık. Tabii bir de tepegözler vardı. Okulda bir ya da iki tane olan tepegözün sınıfa gelmesi pek şaşalı olurdu. Adı gibi kendi de havalı olan tekerlekli ama ağır olan bu alet ya bir görevli ya da sınıftan seçilen bir öğrencinin öğretmene eşlik etmesi ile bir duvarın karşısına güzelce yerleştirilir ve derse başlanırdı.

Televizyon kanallarının birkaç taneyi geçmediği, interneti, akıllı telefonu bırakın cep telefonlarının bile olmadığı o yıllarda öğretmenlerimizin işi daha mı zordu bilemiyorum ama hayatımızın her alanında yer bulan teknolojinin eğitim ile de ayrılmaz bir bütün haline geldiği günümüzde biz öğretmenlerin işi çok daha zor olduğu tartışılmaz.

Siri gibi uygulamalar sayesinde sesli olarak sorulan sorularla bilgiye ulaşılabilen, Line gibi mobil mesajlaşmalarda görüntülü sohbetler yapılabilen ve hatta Second Life gibi yazılımlarla sanal dünyalar kurulabilen bir dünyaya doğdukları için“dijital yerliler” (digital natives”) dediğimiz öğrencilerimizin dikkatini cezbetmek elbette kolay değil.

Gün içerisinde görsel ve işitsel bir çok uyarana bilinçli veya bilinçsiz olarak maruz kalan öğrencilerimizin motivasyon ve verimini arttırmak adına kullandığımız tüm araç ve yöntemler tabii ki iyi niyetle atılmış, emek ve zaman verilmiş değerli adımlar. Peki, bu süreçte bir öğretmen, bir eğitmen olarak nelere dikkat edilmelidir?

Bugün ne yapsam?

• Bugün ne yapsam? mantığı ile yaklaşıp kullanılacak teknolojilerde rastgele seçim yapmaktan kaçınılmalıdır.
• Sınıf yönetiminden dijital hikaye anlatımına, online proje hazırlığından animasyon video yapımına kadar pek çok Web 2.0 aracın ücretsiz olarak sunulduğu internet ortamında hangi aracı kullanılacağına karar vermeden özellikle öğrencilerle etkileşim halinde bulunmanın amaçlandığı konular ve etkinlikler için ihtiyaç analizi yapmak yararlı olacaktır.
• Her ne kadar dijital dünya ile çevrili olsalar da öğrencileri teknoloji yağmuruna tutmaktansa, bir ya da birkaç tane Web 2.0 araç kullanarak bebek adımlarıyla ilerlemek gelişimlerini olumlu etkileyecektir.
• “Eğitim araç-gereçlerinin öğretim sürecinde etkili, yerinde ve amacına uygun kullanıldıklarında, eğitimin niteliğini ve öğrenci başarısını arttıracağı bilimsel bir gerçek olarak kabul edilmektedir.” (Uşun, 2006)

Sosyalleşelim

• Sosyal medyanın yaygınlığı kadar etkisinin de büyük olduğu göz önünde tutulmalıdır. Eğitimde sosyal medya kullanımı genel olarak derse olan istek ve ilgiyi arttırsa da öğretmenler doğru kullanım konusunda bilinçlendirilmelidir.
• Öğretmenler paylaştığı yazılar, görseller ve yorumların öğrenciler, diğer meslektaşlar ve yöneticiler tarafından da rahatlıkla görülebileceği göz önünde bulundurmalıdır.
• İlk ve orta eğitim ile lise öğrencilerinin 18 yaşından küçük olmaları sebebiyle, öğretmenlerin sosyal medya, websitesi ve bloglarda öğrenci görüntü, ses ve video kayıtlarının ancak öğrenci velilerinin izniyle, 18 yaşından büyüklerse de kendi izinleriyle yayınlanması gerektiği unutulmamalıdır.

Adab-ı muaşeret

• İngilizce’de “netiquette” (net + etiquette) denilen internet adabına her türlü platformda dikkat etmek gereklidir. “Elektronik olarak iletişim kurduğunuzda, karşınızda tek gördüğünüz bir bilgisayar ekranı. Ne demek istediğinizi anlatmak için yüz ifadeleri, hareket ve ses tonu kullanma fırsatı yok. Sahip olduğunuz tek şey sadece yazdığınız yazılı kelimeler.” (albion.com) İşte bu yüzden, hiçbir zaman karşıda gerçek bir insan olduğu unutulmamalıdır.
• İnsanlar herhangi bir şekilde istismar edilmemeli, gerçek hayatta olması gerektiği gibi kişilerin inanç, düşünce ve kültürlerine saygı duyulmalıdır.
• İğneleyicilikten kaçınılmalı, kaba ve sert değil uygun bir dil kullanılmalıdır. (education.com)
• İnsanların zamanlarının değerli olduğu unutulmadan kısa ve öz olunmalı, bunu düşünmeden kişiler paylaşılanlara rastgele etiketlenmemeli ve çoklu ileti veya mesajlar yollanırken de aynı dikkat sürdürülmelidir.

Alıntı mı? Çalıntı mı?

• “Başkalarının fikirlerini ve başkalarına ait söylemeleri kendine aitmiş gibi göstermek anlamına gelen intihal (plagiarism), ahlaki bir sorun olmanın ötesinde, birçok ülkede olduğu gibi ülkemizde de suçtur ve cezai yaptırıma tabidir.” (Al, 2007)
• Sosyal medya sayesinde gün içinde paylaşılan birçok şeyle insanlar, birbirlerini özellikle kişisel öğrenme ağını (PLN) sürekli etkiliyorlar. Bu sebeple “İlham alınan” şey bir başkasının ürettiği yazı, makale, etkinlik veya sunum ise kişi ve kaynak belirterek mutlaka atıf yapılmalıdır. “Araştırmanın kendinden önce yapılmış olan çalışmalardan yararlanması ne kadar doğalsa, doğrudan ya da dolaylı, her alıntıda alıntının kaynağını göstermesi de zorunludur.” (Dinler, 2006)
• Bir başkasını taklit edercesine “Kes, yapıştır” (copy paste) dünyalar kurmaktansa kendine has bir tutum alınması daha uygundur.

Teknoloji ne kadar ilerlerse ilersin özellikle eğitimde insan faktörü önemini yitirmeyecektir. Bu sebeple, biz eğitimcilere düşen görev her zamanki gibi çok büyük. Konu internet ve dijital dünya olunca karşımızdaki öğrenci de olsa öğrenmeye açık olmalı, kendimizi geliştirmeliyiz. Bunun yanında, internet kullanımı ve adabıyla ilgili bilgileri öğrencilerimize aktarmakla kalmayıp meslektaşlarımız, anne babalar ve çevremizdeki diğer kişileri de bilinçlendirmekten kaçınmamalıyız.

Kendi kişilik ve özelliklerinizin yanında bir de “dijital ben” olduğunu unutmadan gerçek hayattaki tutum ve hassasiyetinizi sanal ortamda da sürdürmeniz dileğiyle…

KAYNAKLAR

Al, Hamza. Bilimsel Araştırma Yöntemleri – Akademik Yazım Kuralları, 2. Baskı, Sakarya Yayıncılık, Adapazarı, 2007, ss. 152.

Dinler, Zeynel. Bilimsel Araştırma ve e-kaynaklar, 5. Baskı, Ekin Kitapevi Yayınları, Bursa, 2006, ss. 127.

Uşun, Salih. Öğretim Teknolojileri ve Materyal Tasarımı, 1. Basım, Nobel Yayın Dağıtım, Ankara, 2006, ss. 281.

http://www.albion.com/netiquette/introduction.html , 23 Mart 2015

http://www.education.com/reference/article/netiquette-rules-behavior-internet/ , 23 Mart 2015

Bu yazı ilk olarak burada basılmıştır.

I attended a face-to-face course at NILE earlier, but I learnt about the online ones after I was nominated for a scholarship by the British Council Turkey. I was so happy after receiving the news that I was chosen. Thanks to the British Council Turkey for giving me this great opportunity.

When the course started, I was a bit nervous because I thought it would only be composed of reading some documents, submitting tasks and writing comments to some open activities.

It seemed like a hard thing to continue for 60 hours because there was even a risk to lose the control and maybe give up.  After a couple of tasks, I saw that everything was interactive. We did not only read and write but also watched videos, recorded our own ones, gave feedback to each other and had fun too.

Being with colleagues from different parts of the world was great. We learnt from each other and shared our experiences. We also had a couple of webinars where we discussed the topics in some units and to be honest that was the time most of us felt that we were ‘real’ and that really improved the group dynamics.

Everything on the platform was user friendly, but there was a technical support team helped when needed. Another great thing about the course was the activities which were very well organized and planned. All the texts presented and issues raised were based on real life experiences and that was my favourite.

There was always a link between the course and our classrooms too. We always received immediate feedback and help from our great tutor Csilla Hös who was so encouraging, motivating and inspiring.

Well, that’s my little journey so far. Don’t forget that everything happens for a reason. I hope you now know why you are here and why you are reading this. All you have to do is to pick the course you would like to register. That is just going to be a door that will lead to many more new doors. Take the step and open the door to your dreams. It is just a click away…

Sending you all my best wishes from Istanbul, Turkey

This post was first published here.

Merlin on ©BBC

You fancy learning English and you really want to improve your spoken English, but you don’t know what to do.  Then you’ve come to the right place! Merlin, the young Warlock is here to give you some magic tips. If you want to be a powerful ‘knight’ of English language, just have a look and follow Merlin’s advice. You won’t believe how fast your English will get better!

Tip # 1: Merlin says “Rise and shine!”

Learning a new language is not easy, but it is cool. To taste the fun part of it, you need to start with a good move. Planning and thinking may not be enough. You need ‘action’ and it is never late for that. So why don’t you rise and shine! Yes, now, in this very moment! Stand and begin from somewhere.

Tip # 2: Merlin says “The more you listen and read, the more powerful you will be!”

If you want to speak English, you should listen and read more. Each step you take will make you more powerful. Songs, cartoons, movies and TV series are very helpful and fun. Decide on your favourite ones and ‘open’ your ears while you are listening or watching. Try to understand the words and phrases. Rewind back and follow the subtitles when you need. Join the song you are listening to and see if your pronunciation is similar with the singer’s or not.

Tip # 3: Merlin says “Sharpen your sword!”

To win a battle, you need a sharp sword and in learning a language ‘sharpening your sword’ can be considered as ‘practising’. Be brave and practise. Think about an enemy opposite, you don’t stand with your sword in your hand and think about which moves to take. You just do it. It is the same in learning a language. Don’t wait for making the ‘perfect’ sentence with the ‘perfect’ grammar. Jump in and speak. After some time, you will see that words become phrases and phrases become sentences. If you can’t find anybody to practise, you can try to record your voice. You may start with one minute and extend the time later. Talk about anything you want. Your ideas about a topic, the things you did that day, the film you watched, the people you talked to, the dream you had the night before etc.

Tip # 4: Merlin says “Take notes!”

Taking notes is very important. It helps you to learn new words and phrases. Taking notes is not writing each word you hear, so do not panic! Focus on the new things you hear, the ones you are curious about. If you see or hear a word more than once or twice, that means it is important. It is time to learn about it. You can take notes in your favourite notebook, on your smart phone or on your computer. They are all OK! Just make sure that you use them later. Without using and practising they are nothing but it’s just losing time. You can aim to learn a word a day. Writing “today’s word” on a piece of paper and posting it on your mirror, cupboard or fridge can be useful. You can even type it on your phone or computer, munch the screen and make it a wall paper. By seeing the same word there for the whole day, you will be learning it very easily.

Tip # 5: Merlin says “Never give up!”

No matter what happens, don’t quit! Don’t forget! This is a new language for you. It is very normal to make mistakes in speaking and writing. Mistakes will help you to shape your language and your English will be better day by day. You need to be patient! Keep up your practice and don’t give up!

Tip # 6: Merlin says “Use the right ingredients for your magic potion!”

You need ingredients to make a magic potion and if you don’t have the right ones, it can be a disaster. Then, you should always look for the ‘right’ ingredients. As a language learner, your ingredients are your books, notes, handouts and other resources, but they are not enough. You need some visuals and audios as well. What you have to do is to decide which ones are the best for you and your learning style. Internet is a great option for that. There are lots of links to online resources for listening, reading, vocabulary and speaking materials. You are very lucky because most of them are free.

Here are some of them:

Stories and Poems

Listen to stories and poems and do the online activities. If you have any difficulties, follow the transcript of the listening materials.

The Teacher

You will love the videos of this funny and crazy teacher! They are awesome to learn new idioms.

How to Videos

These short videos will teach you some tips about fun and cool things. You can try the activities and check the transcript when you need.

I Wanna Talk About

These audios are great examples for you to improve your speaking. Don’t miss the follow-up activities. Maybe you can record your own ones later on.

Britain is Great

Learning a language is also learning about a culture. You don’t have to fly to Britain for that. These videos are giving information about the country and they are very enjoyable. The tasks are fun, too.

Fun and Games

Whenever you want to give a break, stop by these games and have fun. There are also apps for your smart phone.

Tip # 7: Merlin says “You have magic!”

Believe in yourself! Be confident! You don’t need to compare yourself with your friends or other people. Each person has different skills and features, so the time of the learning process can be different for everyone. No matter how old you are, where you are from or where you live, you can still learn a new language! Be brave and take risks. Make mistakes and keep going. Practise, practise and practise. Give time and energy. Don’t give up your dreams because ‘you have magic’ 

This post was first published here.

I really don’t remember calculating my age before ‘29’. Everything started after I turned 30:) Today is August 18^th and it is my birthday. Just having another discussion (with myself) about how old I am turning. I was born in 1976 and that makes me a ‘Dragon’ in the Chinese Zodiac. So am I ‘36’ or ‘37’? Some people say that you cannot count the year you were born, because you don’t just appear in the world when you are ‘1’ year old. If you think that you are ‘zero’ year old when you are born, then I must be turning ‘36’ today:)

36 or 37… It really does not matter, because every year has its own magic. With another magic age I am getting, I decided to share these classroom tips with you all. Schools are already open in some countries and they are about to open in others. These tips can help you to cope with some classroom management problems, to have a good rapport with your students and your students can enjoy their time while practising.

Tip #1 Greet them by singing: We all greet the students when we enter the class and expect them to reply back. Instead of a monotonous way, why don’t you use a song to greet them? This may be really fun especially for young learners. You can use the rhyme of a well-known children’s song and add your own lyrics or you can create a rap one with these lyrics. Here is very simple rap greeting I created:

Teacher: Hello Hello Hello everybody!

Students: Hello Hello Hello Ms Oflaz!

You can also change the word ‘everybody’ with some other words such as 4B, my dear students, dearies, sweethearts etc. This will surprise your students.

Tip #2 Pick a game: Think about games which can be played in the class and write the titles of them on cards. Put the cards in a box. If you want, you can ask your students to write down the games they’d like to play but make sure that you check them to see if they are appropriate or not. Students can colour or decorate the box with stickers or pictures. Whenever you want to give a break, you or your students can pick a game from the box and play altogether.

Tip #3 “Teacher! You’ve got mail”: Sometimes, it is difficult for students (especially the shy ones) to communicate with the teacher. This is a great idea to make them share anything they want. Make a box with a hole (maybe a locked one) and ask your students to write you notes or letters and drop it in. When students send you their message, they can write “Teacher! You’ve got mail” on the board or leave a message on the table, so you can check. You can reply their notes or talk to them afterwards. Another thing you can do with the mail box is to encourage them to write messages on special days, to cheer up their friends or to inspire each other.

Tip #4 Get together at break: As teachers, we all need a break to relax, have a cup of tea / coffee or visit Mrs.Murphy:) but it is extremely fruitful to spend time with students at the break time. Stay in class, hang out in the corridor or go out to the garden to chat with your students. Not all the time of course. Once or twice a week. Play games, eat together, listen to music or just make compliments. This unthreatening atmosphere will make you get to know them better and create a special connection with your students.

Tip #5 Who’s the teacher today?: Students, especially younger ones like acting as teachers. They sometimes play games acting as teachers and students. I used to do that a lot when I was a kid. I even had a little chalkboard. Why don’t you ask your students to become the teacher for five minutes and continue the lesson? You can start with the volunteers and ask them what / when they want to teach. You can add their names on the class calendar, so they can plan and get prepared. When the time comes, let them go through an activity, carry out a discussion, lead a game and so on. I’m sure this will be great for the students to become more confident and it will also help to improve their empathy skills.

Tip #6 Bring lucky charms: You can invent lucky charms to motivate your students or reduce their stress. Bringing a ladybug toy / picture before an exam, drawing an Irish shamrock on the board during a competition or hanging a blue bead after they perform well can change the atmosphere for a while. It can make them laugh, increase their motivation and have fun, but you shouldn’t exaggerate. Avoid changing the class into a tent full of totems:)

Tip #7 Arrange a ‘Fun corner’: You can leave a part of the bulletin board for this. Ask students to bring jokes, cartoons, inspirational quotes and interesting news they like. They can put these on this corner and share. Make them change the stuff regularly. You can even create a rating game at the end of the term / year and choose the funniest, the mosy interesting or the weirdest.

Tip #8 Silence is normal: This may not happen very frequently, but when it happens it might make you feel weird as if you have to start speaking immediately. If your students just stare at you or keep silent, that does not mean that there is always something wrong. Students may need time to digest. They might be thinking about the topic / lesson you are busy with. They may be brainstorming or reflecting. Do not panic and give them time.

Tip #9 Let them enjoy a ‘crazy moment’: As you can understand from the title, this is a crazy activity. Try not to use this activity very often not to lose the magic of it. When you feel that your students are completely lost in thoughts, tired or reluctant, tell them that they have 10 seconds to do anything they like. They can stand up, walk around, scream, dance, sleep, look out of the window etc. Ring a bell when the time is over and ask to sit properly and silently. Don’t forget to warn them about the actions they will do. They shouldn’t hurt their friends, offend each others’ feelings or damage the school property. I recommend you to inform your neighbours next door (other classrooms or the administrators nearby), so they won’t get shocked when they hear the ‘crazy’ sounds:)

Tip #10 Make them reflect: Students make a special page /section on their notebook and decorate it if they like. After each unit / theme, tell them to think about the things covered in class and write what they can do. This will be very good to make them reflect on their own work and performance. Seeing their own progress will be motivating as well.

Tip #11 Give them awards for nothing: Awards always motivate students and they get crazily happy if they deserve one. Some students can really feel useless if they can’t get any and the whole thing can lose its effectiveness. You can sometimes award them not for the things related with the lesson but with the special skills or features they have. Award for a sweet smile, award for a tech wizard or award for a helpful fairy etc. Check here to see more ideas on this.

Tip #12 Make a ‘class’ wall: You can change the classroom wall into a Facebook wall. I hope you have enough space for this. If not, you can use the windows or the doors of the cupboards. Students can share their photos of special moments and add captions to them, write their feelings or opinions. You can add your own and motivate them to comment on each other. This can be turned into a spoken activity at the end of the day or used as a warm-up activity. If students like each others’ posts, they can draw little hearts on them.

Tip #13 Give no homework for today: Decide on a day and don’t give homework on that day. Share this with the other teachers as well and encourage them to do the same. Students will love this. Having a day without any homework will make your students release the pressure of the school and relax.

Tip #14 Keep calm and come back: Choose an area in the class and put a ‘keep calm’ sign / poster there. Tell the students that they can use this place to get better whenever they feel down or angry. You can put a chair or a pillow there. They can sit, close their eyes or put their headphones on to listen to some music. The time they use at this area should be limited. They should go back to their place after 2 or 3 minutes.You can use the same place to show that you are not happy with an attitude or a misbehaviour but avoid using it very often.

Tip #15 You’ve got a message: Tell the students to write their names on a piece of paper and leave them in a box or plastic bag. Then allow them to pick one. If they pick their own names, they should change. Ask them to write an inspirational message for their friends and give it to them. Students will learn how to cheer up each other and improve their friendship with the help of this activity.

Tip #16 Help your buddy: Put the students into pairs at the beginning of the year. Tell them they are ‘help’ buddies during the first month. They are supposed to help each other about lessons, the new school / system and so on. This might be really good for the newcomers.

Tip #17 ‘Joker’ for homework: Homework can be boring for some students although you do your best to make it fun and catchy. Tell your students that they can have a ‘joker’ after each 5 / 10 homework. Once they get a joker, they can use it for any homework they like and skip that one. This can have some weaknesses such as missing things on the related piece of homework or receiving complaints from parents, but it can also motivate students to do more homework.

Tip #18 Reading time: Ask them to bring the book they are reading on a specific day. Friday can be a good day as it is the last day of the week and most of them can be tired. If a student does not fancy books, this can be a good start. Tell your students it is the reading time and allow them a specific time. You can begin with 15 minutes and extend the time later. You can also play classical music during this time. By the way, don’t forget to bring your own book to join them.

Tip #19 Share what you read: Bring a book you already read or you are reading and put it on your table or another place in the class. You can allow the students to have a look at it and raise questions aterwards. Then, ask a volunteer to bring a book and do the same. You can continue this activity till everybody talks about a book.

Tip #20 ‘Special days’ congrats: Use the doors of the students’ lockers for this activity. Learn their birthdays at the beginning of the year and put messages on the door of their lockers on their birthdays. You can also congratulate them for other special stuff like winning a school match or getting a poetry award. They will feel that you care about them.

Tip #21 “Who is the ‘prefect’ this week?”: Choose a prefect from the students. If you want, you can choose more than one at each time. The prefects can be your assistants during the week and learn to take responsibilities and maybe gain more confidence. You can change the prefects every week till everyone becomes a prefect at least once.

Tip #22 Group names: Divide the students into groups according to their seating plans and ask them to find a name for their groups. It might be good to call out their group names while warning instead of using the names of the students. This way, they can warn each other to stop the misbehaviour, listen to others more carefully and participate. You can give and take points to encourage the students and choose the champion group of the day / week / month.

Tip #23 Dance dance dance: This can sound a bit crazy if you have never taught young learners, but believe me it even works with university prep students. Just play a popular song and dance with them. You can do it in the middle of the lesson when you see that they are lost or before you start a lesson or a specific activity. Tell them that they are free to do any dance moves for blah blah minutes. When the music stops, they should calm down and sit quietly to get ready for the lesson / activity. Remember that moving can increase the brain power.

Tip #24 Make them talk for one minute: Tell them they have to talk to their pairs for one minute without stopping. They may talk about anything that comes up to their minds or on a specific topic. After some time, you can extend the time and make them talk for a longer time. This is a very helpful activity for their fluency. You can find more details about this activity here.

Tip #25 Share something about your childhood: Students can sometimes be very curious about their teachers. So why not using this for the sake of your lessons:) Show them photos from your childhood and tell them ‘stories’. Be sure that they will listen more carefully than they listen to other stories, because it is all about you. They can ask you questions when you finish or guess the end of the story.

Tip #26 Do not fear to share your feelings: If you are having a difficult time or if you are overjoyed, do not fear to share this with your students (unless it is very private:p). You can just tell them or write it on the board like a Facebook status and if they want, they can ask you questions about the details.

Tip #27 Watch a video: Do not wait for the perfect time to use videos. A short youtube video can change the mood of the students. It can make them smile and motivate for a hard work coming up or inspire them before a writing activity. Bookmark the videos you can use in your class and use this library whenever you need.

Tip #28 “Do you know what I did last weekend?”: Tell the students to bring an object related with what they did at the weekend. Tell them to show it to others and take a guess about their weekend. They can ask questions to learn about the details. If you want to save time, you can make students work in pairs / groups.

Tip #29 Tell them to dream on: This is one of the silent moments you can all enjoy:) Choose an appropriate piece of music preferably instrumental ones. Tell them to close their eyes and just dream on. They are free to dream about anything they like and they don’t have to talk about it afterwards.

Tip #30 Remember: Music is a therapy: Music can reduce stress, encourage positive thinking and even implant creativity. Do not fear to use it during the lessons. The only thing you should be careful about is to choose the right piece of music for the right time. Considering the activities you are dealing with, decide if you need something stirring, calming or relaxing. Here is a great link to choose a piece of music according to your mood. Some titles here may not be appropriate for the age of your students, so check before you use it in your class.

Tip #31 Why don’t you go out?: You don’t have to lock your students in the class all the time. Take your students out to the garden or use the other parts of the school. Make a good plan about the lesson you will follow there and be sure everything is under control. Inform your head of department or the vice principal beforehand not to cause any problems.

Tip #32 Invite guests: You can invite your colleagues (English teachers or teachers of other subjects), the head of department, vice principals or the principal to your class not to observe you but to encourage the students. When they are ready to perform pair work or group work activities, show & tell projects or just to play games, you can invite someone to your class. (Inviting more than one person can be threatening for them.) The aim here should be to praise the students. When they hear that a teacher or an administrator they care is appreciating their work, they will be really happy and motivated.

Tip #33 Give them coupons: Make coupons to be given as awards after any good work your students perform. Tell them to collect their coupons to reach other series of awards. You can learn more details about this activity I created here.

Tip #34 “What was the best thing today?”: Make students reflect on the lesson and their work at the end of the day / lesson. Then ask them to share it in pairs or groups. You can also tell them to share the same with their family when they go home. You can inform the families beforehand. This will help your students to focus on the positive things more and create a bridge between the school and home as well.

Tip #35 Change is good: You can change the decoration of the classroom by playing with the desks and chairs (if you can) or the seats of the students. You can make your students look after plants, add new parts on the bulletin board and so on. Change is good but it might drive some students crazy, too, so you should know your students well before you decide on a change. You can make it in steps and try to prepare them.

Tip #36 Enjoy the Colour’ful’ days: If wearing uniform is not mandatory at the school you are working at, this can bring ‘colour’ to your classroom. Decide on a colour and tell your students to wear something with that colour on a day you will announce. If they can’t, they can also bring some accessories. You can join them as well. You can read a text, sing a song or watch a video related with the colours. You can discuss about the effects of colours on people, colour therapy or play games related with colours.

Tip #37 “What’s your favourite photo shoot?”: Ask your students to take as many photos as they can at the weekend or on winter / summer holiday. After deciding on their favourite photo shoot, they can bring it to class (hard or soft copy) to share with their friends. Then, they can come to the front, show and tell. They can ask questions to each other. With the help of this activity, they will be sharing their experiences and have some fun.

Hope you will find these tips fun and useful for your students. Please feel free to add your own and share your ideas.

Oooh yes, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” to me:)

This post was also published here

Soon after I received a silver award, I created my own blog. It was just a month before my blog’s first birthday when “Blogathon 2012” started. Once again, I was running with other teachers not only from Turkey but also from five different countries. I was not a novice blogger anymore, but I felt the same spirit especially while wearing my Blogathon t-shirt. The Blogathon Team was really understanding to show respect to the ‘holy’ connection between me and my precious blogathon t-shirt, so they permitted me to wear my ex number, 120. Just like the first one, the marathon took a month long. I believe it was much more challenging with more people joining in. That meant more blogs to read and more comments to make. The word limit (250 words per post) was a big pressure on me in the first one, but it was not a big problem this time (I confess that I was glad about that, because there so many great posts to follow.)

The best thing was to meet teachers from different parts ofTurkey and other countries (including Blogathon 2011 runners). Blogathon has played the role of a magnet which gathered us together ‘automagically’ and blogging became more enjoyable with the motivating comments of the readers, their collaboration and the support of the Blogathon team that fired the runners with enthusiasm. I was honoured to get another silver award (and felt a bit like a silver award collector:). This was another ending which would open the doors of a beginning for each participant. That’s why I believe the Blogathon is an ongoing journey which will never end.I’d like to thank to the British Council Turkey and the Blogathon team for organizing these kind of events and giving the English teachers a chance to develop themselves (for free:) ). Another thank you goes to my fellow bloggers for making the journey so special.

Tips for beginning Blogathon runners

The world is changing. Learning and teaching are beyond the classroom walls now. The number of the blogging teachers seems to be increasing day by day and it may be your turn now. If you haven’t gone over to the world of blogging teachers yet, you should definitely give it a shot. Maybe you don’t like writing or you think you don’t have enough time for that. Don’t worry! You can still be a part of it by following the other teachers’ blogs. You can share your ideas and experiences, ask for advices and keep yourself updated.  Here are some tips for you if you decide to run at a blogathon:

• Decide what you want to post about. Keep a list of the possible topics. Using your (smart) phone might be good for that. You never know when a new idea will pop up in your mind:)
• Comments are as valuable as the posts. Never miss them when you visit a blog post.
• Reply each and every comment of your posts and do not hesitate to leave a comment when you visit a blog. That creates the real connection between you and your readers. Besides, the bloggers you are interacting with can turn into lifelong friends and colleagues.
• Use a positive language and soften it while criticizing something.
• Do not worry about the word limit. You can continue in another post and that may even be more advantageous by drawing the readers to your blog again.
• Make your posts “reader friendly”. Expressing yourself clearly and adding some humour can help a lot.
• You may have international readers as well as the local ones, so try not to cause any offence by targeting a group of people. Respect all the political views and religious beliefs.
• Be ready to say ‘No’ to all invitations and social activities during the marathon, because you will be sooo busy :S
• Stick to the guidelines and criteria.
• Getting an award is of course motivating, but finishing the marathon is also important in terms of its spirit.
• Enjoy the Blogathon and enjoy the moment:)

An acrostic poem I wrote and dedicated to the Blogathon:

Bringing ideas all together

Leading the discussion and helping other

Organizing new posts every day

Getting replies and comment, ready to share and care

A door to be entered into another world waiting over there

The taste of each post makes me feel great about all that jazz

Hearty welcomes and warm good byes

On air all the time, running to the end ready to rise

Negotiating and interacting, broadening our minds

Other links you might like:

Does Everything Happen for A Reason? by Merve Oflaz

A Post on an IATEFL Interview with Adam Simpson (The Gold Award Winner of Blogathon 2012) and Sirin Soyoz by Merve Oflaz

My Blogathon Experience by Adam Simpson (The Gold Award Winner of Blogathon 2012)

Blogathon Journey by Özge Öztürk (The Runner-up of Blogathon 2012)

My Blogging Journey by Hale Yurttabir(Silver Award Winner)

Blogathon 2012 by Leman Ulas (Silver Award Winner)

An IATEFL Interview with Karin Tirasin (The Gold Award Winner of Blogathon 2011) and Eva Buyuksimkesyan (The Runner-up of Blogathon 2011)

Ready, get set and GO! ELT Blogathon 2011 by Sirin Soyoz

This post was first published here

by one of my students Tulya Elif B.

There are films that change your life. There are songs that give you a very strong heart beat and there are books that spiritualize you. There are also some days or events that change your whole life.

My story begins on a nice snowy day in Istanbul of the 1990s…

It was the day when I first entered the doors of the British Council at Istiklal Street in Beyoglu. I was a fifteen year old prep student with the strangest hair style ever. My mum who has supported me all the time took me there after my English teacher had advised me to become a member of the British Council Library. I can still remember the smell of the books, the cosy atmosphere and the friendly people working there. The hardcover books were really big and thick with many unknown words. I enjoyed walking through the library aisles looking through the reference books, atlases and novels. Unfortunately I was only able to read the leveled readers as an elementary level student. I was considering myself lucky if a reader was in a plastic bag because that meant the reader had a ‘cassette’ (a flat rectangular device that is used to record sound. (Hard to find one of these nowadays. Oopsie I think I became a little old:) ) These bags were soft and transparent with hard white handles. If the readers and cassettes were heavy, the handle could nearly cut my hand but I never thought of putting it in my rucksack. It was kind of a pride (but not a prejudice:) for me to carry them with a serious look in my eyes saying “I’m learning English.” My favourite section in the library was the great classical novels and poems. I didn’t understand a word in them but I was making a secret oath deep inside my heart to become a real reader of those books one day. I spent hours and days in that library. Looking through newspapers and magazines, choosing the books sitting on the stool by the shelves, reading and listening to cassettes by the bay window, the best liked seat of the library. That place was like the front seat at a theatre because you could watch the busy people walking along Istiklal Street and the little red and white tram ringing its bell.

Days chased days and I became a university student. I was studying English Language Teaching and drowning in homework and projects so once again the British Council Library had been my loyal assistant. Now the library had this huge catalogue, a machine looked like a mixture of a computer and an Atari. It was easier to search the books and materials through by using this thing. Besides I could understand and enjoy the books on any shelves. It was nice not to be limited with the leveled readers. There was also a video club (still no VCDs or DVDs) which was a bit expensive for me but we were allowed to watch them in the special area they provided in the library.

It was just after I had become an English teacher. I learnt that there were seminars about drama techniques and teaching young learners at the British Council. I did my best to attend these seminars given by Laura Woodward and Gulfem Aslan (They were both my heroines and idols, actually they still are) and tried to improve my teaching style.

All these live memories rushed into my mind and filled my heart with a bit of gratitude and a sip of nostalgia at the end of the 2^nd International Conference on Language Education, Eclipsing Expectations at Sabancı University. As I was leaving with a bitter feeling and thinking “If only it hadn’t finished so quickly…” (but that’s another story to be mentioned in another blog post), I saw Raymond Kerr (raymond.kerr@britishcouncil.org.tr) sitting there in the foyer outside the conference hall. I walked out saying bye to him but then I went back and shaking hands I thanked the British Council for providing me such a nice award after the Blogathon, the blog competition. As a silver award winner, getting a ticket to that conference was a real pleasure for me.  Then, I handed him my card and kindly invited him to my blog. I said “My real award is this blog I started. The Blogathon that brought a lot of teachers together gave me the real inspiration and courage.” He was surprised and asked again if I was serious or not. Then he offered me to share this experience with others through a blog post. “Why not?” I thought. And here I am.

Thank you British Council for changing my life sooo many times. The very first day I entered in that library made me walk in doors of time. Does everything happen for a reason? Yes, I believe that there was a reason that made me go there.

MY UNFORGETTABLES OF THE BLOGATHON

Here are some callouts appeared just above my head during the Blogathon:

• Fantasies about my blogathon t-shirt: feeling a relationship emerged between the number 120 t-shirt and me.
• The wonderful (!) word limit: Cookie for me !!! “What if I omit this word and add a comma? Mmm, is a comma considered as a word? Gosh! Why is this limited with 250 words but not between 250 or 300?”
• Happy as a kid: The excitement I had whenever I see a comment in my inbox.
• Me, the magician: Ordering the inbox with a bossy manner. “Inbox, Inbox! I order you to be bold.” (so I could see that I had mail.)
• Super disturbing: The anger I felt if it was one of those spam or forwarded e-mails.
• Sense the presence of the blogathon spirit all the time: Approaching every little situation in and outside the classroom as a potential blog post.
• I admit: The anger and panic during the technical problem in the process of readers’ voting. (Luckily we were all officially evaluated by the professional team of the British Council.)
• I am available: Making myself available even at lunch and break times to read posts and comment on them.
• Feeling flattered: Cooperation and support of all fellow bloggers and other readers. Post and comments from famous bloggers.
• A bump in the road: Facebook and Twitter. I did not have any chance to share my posts on social network because I deactivated my accounts for some reason then. (Fortunately, they are active right now.)
• Trusting my instincts: The day I decided to start my own blog. Apparently it worked out:)

Never forget! Everything happens for a reason

This post was first published here.