Education. Means of Technology in the Educational Process.
Lesson plan
Class: 11
Number of students: 16
Seating arrangements: “Buzz Groups” (pupils change groups, divide into pairs occasionally).
Time: 45 min.
Topic: Education. Means of Technology in the Educational Process.
Objectives: students will be able to …
develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills;
practice vocabulary related to education through synonyms, definitions, and jumbled words;
work in pairs and groups sharing their ideas with the whole class;
use what they know to practice speaking about education in Ukraine, the USA, and Great Britain ;
learn idioms by matching them with the definitions;
use imagination to play an imaginative comparison game “Metaphors”;
speak about some technological devices which are used in the classroom;
listen to specific information to get an idea of cooperative learning;
read the text they have listened to, filling in the gaps;
discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cooperative learning;
find proves that television plays a role in education;
roleplay and listen to a dialogue for/against computers;
write about advantages and disadvantages of using a computer as well as other means of technology;
evaluate the lesson.
Vocabulary: curriculum, compulsory, syllabus, equipment, concentrate on, concept, admission, experience, exchange, free of charge, participate, skills, advanced, issue, motivation, tolerance, discipline, approach, cooperate.
Materials to be used: handouts with the jumbled words, idioms and definitions, the text supposed to be listened to; a CD player and a CD to re produce a text for listening comprehension, a DVD, a TV set and a DVD player.
Procedure
Introduction
T: During the previous lessons we’ve leant a lot about educational system in Ukraine, the USA, and Great Britain. Today we’re going to summarize it as well as get new information through different kinds of activities.
Warming-up (revision of the known material)
To start with, will you tell me what kinds of school do you know?
(secondary, specialized, comprehensive, primary, infant, junior, high, higher, vocational, infant, state).
T: What school am I describing?
A secondary school for children, aged between 11 and 16? Used especially in names (high school in Britain).
These schools are known for their high academic standards and they are prestigious. They are expensive and attended usually by people of high social status or with a lot of money (public schools in Britain).
A school where students have deeper learning in foreign languages? (specialized).
In this school children spend much time outdoors, play different games, learn how to use money in their classroom shop (infant).
These schools are real schools. The atmosphere is more formal than in infant classes. Pupils sit in rows and follow a regular timetable (junior).
Schools which provide pupils with books and equipment free of charge (state).
An institution between Ukrainian technical school and institute (American college).
This school gives fundamental scientific and practical education (higher school).
In this school students learn to become hairdressers, mechanics, typist and so on (vocational school or college).
Main part
Vocabulary revision and practice
T: These words are the vocabulary you’ve already met and we are going to deal with today:
T: Will you name synonyms to: Learnt abilities (skills)
Topics (issues)
Method (approach)
Pay full attention to (concentrate on)
Willingness (motivation)
Patience (tolerance)
Take part (participate)
Idea (concept)
T: Will you name words by their definitions?
Required to be done because of a rule or low (compulsory).
Without money (free of charge).
The subjects that are taught at school (curriculum).
A plan that states what students at school should learn in a particular class (syllabus).
Special tools or machines that you need for a particular activity or a type of work (equipment).
The process of allowing people to enter a college or other institutions (admission).
Knowledge or skill that you gain from doing a job or activity (experience).
Our next activity is JUMBLED WORDS. Here are the same words but with the mixed letters. Work in pairs guessing the words and writing them down paying attention to spelling:
Discussion T: And now let’s speak about education in Ukraine. Will you find out if my statements are true or false? If they are false, will you correct them, please? Use words of agreement or disagreement.
In Ukraine education is compulsory for children from 7 to 16 (from 6 to 15).
All schoolchildren in Ukraine attend state schools (some attend private schools).
Pre-school education is provided by kindergartens (it’s true).
Secondary schools are organized for talented children (special schools, lyceums, gymnasiums are for talented children).
Vocational education is provided only in vocational schools (in vocational and secondary schools).
High education gives fundamental, scientific, general and practical education (not high but higher…).
Group work
T: It’s time for cooperation work. Will you divide into groups of four and try to match idioms with their definitions. All these idioms deal with education:
Learn by heart Learn one’s lesson
Learn the hard way
You are never too old to learn
Read smb like a book
Have one’s nose in a book
There’s always something you haven’t experienced before
Learn sth after making a mistake
Memorize sth
Learn sth (unpleasant) by experiencing it
Read with great concentration
Understand sb’s thoughts, ideas clearly
Speaking
T: The next issue of our lesson is education in the USA.
Will you continue my sentences using the information you have already learnt? Start your answers with the beginning of my sentences:
In the USA each state has….. it’s system.
The Federal Department of Education…..gathers information, advertises and supports certain programs financially.
Americans say that in their country education is ……a national concern, a state responsibility and a local function.
Children from richer families have more chances to…..get better higher education.
A university in the USA usually offers…..post-graduate programs and grants professionals degrees.
Americans are proud of their educational system but….. try to improve the situation and give equal opportunities to everybody.
Group work. Imaginative comparison game “Metaphors”
In the next activity I want your imagination to work. I suggest you reorganize yourself into three groups. We’ll play imaginative comparison game “Metaphors”. Each group is given a subject to find as much as possible its own metaphors for it. Your subjects are:
The 1st group “A teacher”.
The 2nd group “A lesson”.
The 3rd group “A student”.
You are given not more than five minutes to complete the task. Afterwards we’ll talk about your suggestions in a class discussion.
Ex.:
A teacher: a friend, a film director, a counselor, a manager, a key, a book, an artist …
A lesson: a variety show, a song, a picture, a telephone conversation, a menu, a mountain climb …
A student: an artist, a puppet, a soldier, a lump of clay, a flower … .
Speaking
T: Let’s continue speaking about education, concentrating upon education in Great Britain. Will you answer my questions? Raise your hand and try to be the first. Each full and correct answer gives a point to your group.
What are the main types of British schools? (state and public).
What is the difference between them? (in public or private schools parents pay for their education, state schools provide pupils with books and equipment free of charge).
When is secondary education compulsory for children? (from 5 to 16).
What examinations do British pupils have at 16? (‘GCSE’ General Certificate of Secondary Education).
What kind of education do the British need to enter a university? (they have to continue their studies in the six-form school or at the six-form college).
What is a six-form college? (it’s like two last school forms in Ukraine but pupils have more freedom there – in clothes or choice of subjects).
What are the oldest British universities? (Oxford and Cambridge).
What are the most important public schools in Britain? (Eton, Harrow, Rugby).
What degree can a person receive after graduation from a British university? (a master’s degree or a doctorate degree).
Listening (pre/during/post)
T: The next part of our lesson will be devoted to forms of technology in educational system.
Let’s speak about some technological devices we use in our classroom.
The technological device we are going to use just now is a piece of electrical equipment that can record sounds on disk and play it back (a CD player).
Unfortunately it’s not often when we can listen to native speakers to correct or improve our pronunciation, intonation, listening comprehension and so on. In this case we can take a cassette or a CD and put it into the tape recorder or a CD player as I am doing now and merely listen to native speakers.
I suggest you listening to the text twice. The text is about Cooperative Learning. After listening you’ll be given handouts with the same text, but some words will be omitted. Your task is to fill in the gaps after listening to the text.
The idea remains that students are 1)…empty… containers which a teacher fills with knowledge. However, this approach no longer works. The teacher’s role is no longer simply to feed information to students. Facts are available in 2)…libraries…, on CD ROMS and on the 3)…Internet…. What students need are the 4)…skills… to find this information. Cooperative learning encourages 5)…responsibility…, tolerance and helpfulness towards others. Students work in pairs, in threes and in 6)…teams…of four. The teacher is the 7)…helper…, not the master. Brett Melville, a pupil, says: “In our class, we have time to discuss issues and 8)…problems… in detail.” Lynne Gedye, a teacher, says: “The children’s response was 9)…amazing….” Cooperative learning turns the classroom from a competitive arena into a place where learning facts and life skills is 10)…fun…and effective.
T: To check up the spelling of the words you’ve filled I’d like the class to divide into two groups. The members of each group will go to the blackboard one by one to write down the omitted words. The group making less mistakes is the winner.
You have just learnt about the advantages of cooperative learning. And what about you? Do you prefer to study alone or with other people? Why?
Speaking (homework revision)
T: The next device I’m thinking about is a formal piece of electronic equipment shaped like a box with a screen, on which you can watch programs. What device is it? (a TV-set).
And as a homework you had to find proves that television plays a great role in education.
(using a TV-set and a DVD player a pupil switches on a video which is demonstrating a scene of a baby insect being born)
[pic]
Roleplaying. Listening
T: And now we’ll watch a TV program devoted to a different form of technology. The form I’m speaking about is valuable, interesting and often fun, which is organized by means of electronic machines that store information and use programs to help us find, organize, or change this information. What form of technology is this? (computing).
Let’s imagine that we are using a TV to watch an educational program about advantages and disadvantages of using a computer.
(students are acting out a dialogue. The main heroes are a computer expert, an interviewer and an Antratsit Specialized School student).
Interviewer: Good afternoon. Our today’s program is devoted to computers. What are they? A blessing or a curse? We know that almost every home, office or school has a computer of some kind these days. Many people feel that these machines are now an essential part of our lives? But how necessary are they really?
Expert: One of the main advantages is the time that can be saved by using a computer. This is especially beneficial in the workplace, where employees can do their work far faster than they could in the past.
Interviewer: And what about education? Can learners benefit from computers?
Expert: Sure, in addition to all advantages, computers can educational and fun. From a very young age, children can gain basic computer skills through programs that allow them to learn, draw, paint and play. In today’s technological world, this knowledge can only help them in the future.
Interviewer: And are there any negative aspects of using computers?
Expert: However, there are various negative aspects to using computers. Many jobs have been lost due to the fact that computers can do a lot of tasks more efficiently than humans. This has led to high unemployment in many countries. What is more, computers can actually cause health problems. Endless hours in front of a screen can cause Interviewer: eye strain and headaches, which are serious side-effects.
Interviewer: In conclusion, will you say some wishes to the computer users?
Expert: To sum up, it seems that computers are a useful addition to our fast-moving world of high technology. However, it must be remembered that they are here to serve us – not to replace us. Interviewer: Thank you for sharing information and also for giving advices. Our next guess is specialized school student who will help us find out if the computers necessary or not from the point of view of a learner.
Student: Hi! I am Vlad. I study at an Antratsit Specialized School #5 and my favourite subjects are English and Computer Science. I see that computers play an important role in the lives of most of us today, whether we realize it or not. Some people, however, are beginning to ask if we really need them. In my opinion, computers have become a necessary part of modern life.
Interviewer: How do you think, what is the main priority of a computer?
Student: In the first place, computers can save a lot of storage space. Storing information on computer discs or flashcards is one of the most efficient ways of keeping data. One computer disk can hold the same amount of information as several books. Furthermore, computers save everyone a lot of valuable time. Stored information can be found at the touch of a button, whereas searching for it manually takes much longer. Therefore, our everyday lives are made easier – from going to the bank to doing the shopping.
Interviewer: Nevertheless, there are those who claim that computers are unnecessary and make our lives more complicated. What is your opinion to this?
Student: I know that some people argue that in the past they managed very well using other methods, and that we have become too dependent on computers. However, they fail to consider that the time saved by using computers for repetitive tasks enables us to use our own time more creatively and productively. All in all, I strongly believe that computers are a useful tool. They have changed our lives for the better and there is no reason why we shouldn’t make them work to our advantage.
Summing-up
Writing. Speaking
T: And now I suggest you to draw conclusions of our lesson. Our next activity is FIVE-MINUTE WRITING STORMS. You are to divide into three groups and each group will be given a theme and exactly five minutes to write down general comments to enlarge upon the theme.
The proposed themes are:
The 1st group: “The advantages of using means of technology in the educational process”.
The 2nd group: “The disadvantages of using computers in our life”.
The 3rd group: “The best thing in the lesson today”.
In 5 minutes each group will share its comments. Thus we’ll summarize and see what you’ve achieved at the lesson.
Homework:
Your homework is to interview two persons to get as much information as possible concerning how technology helped to improve the educational system.
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