Activities to hold the attention of 21st Century Primary Students Alan Osman, Beirut, May 2013

Activities to hold the attention of 21st Century Activities to hold the attention of 21st Century Primary StudentsPrimary Students

Alan Osman, Beirut, May 2013

Stand up if…

Turn around 360° if…

Wave if…

Pat your head if…

Put both hands in the air if…

Rub your stomach if…

Sit down if…

A Warmer

Today’s Session:

• Kindergarten & Primary learners – what are they like? • How to motivate and maintain attention in 21st

Century• How young children learn – and don’t learn• Implications for the classroom• Approaches, materials and activities

InquisitiveStill learning

their first language

Not yet able to read or

write

Still developing social skillsStill

developing motor skills

Have very short

attention span

Good at copying

See the world in binary

terms

KG & Primary Learners –

What are they like?

Have a vivid imagination

Sensory Preference

Visual

Auditory

Kinaesthetic

So what helps this age group to learn successfully?

Parents!?

So what helps this age group to learn successfully?

•Parents!?•Elements of the known as well as the new•Emphasis on Listening, Responding and Speaking•Short Activities•Variety of Activities (VAK) •Routine•Real English

Drilling patterns of English……….?

This is a pen.This is not a pencil.What is this?Is it a pen?Yes, it is a pen.Is it a pencil?No, it isn’t a pencil. It’s a pen.

……or Killing real English?

Students’ Reaction?

“For children, learning English should primarily be about fun and stimulation and learning to like English, rather than the acquisition of highly competent language skills.”

(International House Teacher Trainer, Paula de Nagy)

Even if we do nothing else, let’s make English memorable and enjoyable !

21st Century Skills l 02/201313

What are 21st Century Skills?

•21st Century Skills are the special abilities children need to develop so that they can be prepared for the challenges of work and life in the 21st century.

21st Century Skills l 02/201314

21st Century Skills Framework

21st Century Skills l 02/201315

Why 21st Century Skills?

We need to incorporate innovative approaches to teach content and lifelong skills.Utilize a variety of techniques for children to build understanding through real world applications and interactions especially through group activities.Prepare students for the jobs that have not yet been created, for the new products that have not yet been invented, and for new skills to build towards creativity and innovation.

•21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times (2009)

Identify and practise words….P

oc

ke

ts 1

Pic

ture

Ca

rds

….but have some fun with drilling !P

oc

ke

ts 1

Pic

ture

Ca

rds

Step to the side if you like…..

Memorise

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

What’s missing ?

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

Memorise

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

What’s missing ?

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

Memorise

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

What’s missing ?

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

Memorise

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

Not so easy now ?

Can you guess the word ?

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

Can you guess the word?

What’s in a word?

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

Can you guess the word?

What’s in a word?

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

Number and say

My Little Island, Pearson 2012

Clap Hands

puppet / paints

boat / bicycle

Drilling

Step to the side

Take one away

Guess the card

Number and Say

Clap hands

Six Vocabulary Activities

V A

V A K

V

A K

V A

A K

Stir

Stir

Settle

Stir

Settle

Stir

What is gamification?

“… the application of game design thinking to non-game applications to make them fun and exciting”

… and what is edutainment?

Education + entertainment

“…any entertainment content that is designed to educate as well as entertain.”

www.forbes.com

Leader boards

‘The attention span of humans is decreasing as modern technology increases’

‘Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter’

Gentile, et al: “Brains and Video Games”, Nature Review:

Games improve perceptual and attention skills

Children who play more pro-social games demonstrate increased helpful behaviours

Games also…

Create compelling experiences

They stimulate the assimilation of facts and skills, such as strategic thinking, creativity, cooperation and creative thinking.

Build positive emotions

What is a game?

Is it different from an activity?

What do they have in common?

Co-operation / collaboration

Challenge

Fun

Language

Compelling Experiences

Game or Activity?

•Hard to tell…

•Many activities are game-like

•Language activities can easily be converted into games by, for example, grouping the learners and setting time limits.

•Much of this is already done digitally

Playability / Doability

Interaction and cooperation

Fun

Sense of achievement

Competitiveness

A good game

Playability / Doability

Interaction and cooperation

Fun

Sense of achievement

Educational value

A good language activity

Playability / Doability

Interaction and cooperation

Fun

Sense of achievement

Educational value

A good game

A good language activity

Competitiveness

A good game – based language activity

Technology – the answer to everything???

Let’s not be too hasty...

“Any teacher that can be replaced by a computer

probably should be.”

Arthur C Clarke talking to Sugata Mitra

TED.com

ONLINE WORLD

To register is easy

Opening orientation

ONLINE WORLDProgress Review System

ONLINE WORLDTeacher and student support

We need balance!

The Traditional as well as the New

“Games are far more powerful teaching tools than

we imagined”

Bavelier, D, Green, C S, Han, D H, Renshaw, P F, Merzenich, M M, Gentile, D A (2011) “Brains on Video Games”, Nature Review

alan.osman@pearson.com